7 Surprising Work From Home Jobs

With winter weather sweeping the nation, lots of professionals are working from home because they can’t get into the office.

But for over 3 million people, home is their primary workplace every day. Given the prevalence of technology and the growth of the “knowledge worker,” it’s estimated that 50 percent of the U.S. workforce, or 64 million people, have a job that is compatible with telecommuting. But is yours?

You might be surprised by the variety of career fields with telecommuting options. Here are seven telecommuting jobs that seem unusual, but are actually more common than you’d think.

Attorney. At home, attorneys might work on the discovery and deposition components of cases, write briefs, create and host legal workshops, and sometimes leave their home offices to represent clients in court.

Travel Counselor. Though traditional travel agencies faded away as travel websites grew in popularity, Travel Counselor jobs are still out there. Hired to assist individual and business clients, at-home Travel Counselors create travel itineraries and help clients with emergency travel planning.

Teacher. Virtual teachers are in high demand as more public and private schools offer virtual learning services for students with special needs. Almost every subject offers at-home jobs, from Math and Science to English, Languages, Humanities, and even Physical Education.

Civil Engineer. The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 requires government departments to allow employees to telecommute whenever possible. As one example, Civil Engineers are able to act as technical advisors, write papers, and conduct presentations from their home offices.

Nurse. Common at-home nurse job titles include Nurse Case Manager, Nurse Educator, RN Manager, and Call Center Nurse. Other popular work-at-home healthcare positions include medial review specialist, medical writer, telephone triage nurse, medical transcriptionist, medical coder, and home-based radiologist. The number of work-at-home nurses that will be needed in the next 10 years is expected to grow by 20 percent, making this a viable career for anyone who wishes to get involved in the healthcare industry. In most cases, you will need a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree before you can begin. It is surprisingly easy to earn one of these degrees, however, since you can take all of your courses online.

Researcher. A variety of industries like Communications, Nonprofit, Government, Pharmaceuticals, and Information Technology now hire at-home researchers to help design and conduct studies, surveys, and market research. At-home clinical research jobs are also common.

Exercise Physiologist. Work-from-home jobs for career fields like fitness, nutrition, and health coaching have expanded widely in recent years. These positions, often called Health Coaches, help individuals with weight loss, exercise, and overall personal health goals. Coaching typically takes place over phone and e-mail.

Over 50 career fields offer telecommuting jobs, so these surprising jobs are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what’s available. If telecommuting during this winter weather has you wanting to work from home more often, there’s a good chance your career field has at-home opportunities.

By Brie Reynolds
Brie Weiler Reynolds is the Director of Online Content at FlexJobs, the award-winning site for telecommuting and flexible job listings. She provides career and job search advice through the FlexJobs Blog.