These Are the Highest-Paying Jobs That Let You Work From Home
Many people dream of working from home but think it’s simply not practical. After all, how many well-paying stay-at-home jobs can there be? Well, you might be surprised. According to Salary.com, ZipRecruiter and Glassdoor, these are the average salaries of the highest paying jobs able to be done from the comfort of your couch — some of them earning seven figures. If it’s your dream to earn money while in pajamas with your cat on your lap, then read on!
Research Biologist — $62,000
While half of this job is spent in the lab, sometimes the other half can be done from home. Research biologists spend their days studying things and running tests, which can be a fascinating time for the right person. The rest of the time, however, they’re processing results on a computer.
You can look over your findings, make conclusions and prepare presentations remotely. This position has the lowest-paying salary on this list, but don’t let that deter you; many research biologists are able to earn more depending on experience and location.
Animator — $63,000
While it’s not always the highest paying job out there, it sure seems like the most fun. As an animator, you can bring your imagination to life through computerized drawings. Unlike what you may have been told, Pixar is not the only place to make a living through animation.
Keep in mind that $63,000 is merely the average salary, too — get to be well-known in this field, and your paycheck will skyrocket. It’s competitive and difficult, but you can get work done in your own home. And that’s priceless!
Technical Support Manager — $63,000
Technical support managers are essentially the in charge of a company’s technical services department. They make sure the staff is knowledgeable and that services run smoothly.
But wait — doesn’t that require working in an office building? Not always. Surprisingly, many technical support managers are able to lead a team via phone, email, and Skype — at least some of the time. It kind of makes sense, since a technical support manager needs to make sure that technology runs smoothly in the first place You’ll likely need a master’s degree, however, so get studying.
Major Gifts Officer — $69,000
“Major gifts officer” may not be a title you’ve heard of before, but it might be a career path worth looking into. Not only do people in this position get to work from home, but they also get to travel on their employer’s dime. So what do they do?
Major gifts officers generally work for nonprofit organizations by soliciting large donations. That means visiting wealthy donors, making lots of calls and inviting prospective donors to company meals. You must be sociable, independently motivated and also a good salesperson.
Psychologist — $71,000
Who knew understanding the human brain could get you such a satisfying salary? The average pay may not wow you, but the most experienced psychologists can earn upwards of $130K a year. This all depends on your concentration and clientele, of course, but it’s nothing to bat an eye at.
You’ll need to furnish an area of your home for your practice or opt to make visits to clients’ homes. Plenty of degrees and certifications are necessary, as well, so it’s certainly not a career that will get you rich quick.
Senior Sales Executive — $73,000
The more experience you have as a salesperson, the more you get paid. Of course, charisma and likeability are also essential, but they aren’t the only factors in finding success in this business. You need to know how to create and build upon positive relationships with buyers.
Luckily, you can improve your performance without going into an office every day. The wonders of modern technology make selling from home a walk in the park. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about getting years of academic studies under your belt.
Cyber Security Analyst — $76,000
As technology becomes increasingly necessary for businesses, cybersecurity analysts become increasingly important as well. In this position, you’ll never be at a loss for work. These professionals make sure companies’ networks and online programs are adequately protected. The more intensive security a company needs, the more you get paid.
Do well in this position, and you can start to see salaries in the six figure range. Make sure you are truly prepared to conduct such work, however; if your client’s cybersecurity fails to protect them, it’s your reputation on the line.
Consulting — $77,000
The average salary for consultants is $77,000. That isn’t a bad salary, but keep in mind that consulting can mean a wide variety of things — a person can consult on anything from finance to social media presence. That means you can make a lot more, or a lot less, depending on what field you go into.
Either way, consulting is something you can pretty much do on your own time. You can choose which individuals or organizations you work with and organize client meetings around your schedule. Not a bad deal!
Web Developer — $78,000
As noted earlier, computer-related careers are only getting more and more lucrative. They’re also something you can generally do from your own living room via your laptop. Becoming a web developer means you’ll be interpreting a business’s vision and converting it into their dream website.
You’ll need to be comfortable writing code and have a knack for creating user-friendly interfaces. In this field, there’s plenty of room for creativity and innovative ideas. You can kick back in bed or even have a day at the beach, all while hard at work.
Research Engineer — $81,000
A research engineer is someone who does a lot of research. Surprise! They often apply this research to technology and explore ways to improve upon existing ideas and concepts. That means that having strong problem-solving skills is a definite must.
You’ll also have to be comfortable spending long hours on a computer, but let’s face it: Most at-home jobs share this prerequisite. If you’re a quick thinker and highly creative, this might just be the right career for you. The job usually requires possession of a relevant master’s degree.
Clinical Trial Manager — $86,000
The responsibilities that clinical trial managers can usually do from home include developing clinical trial protocols, creating budgets and calendars and drafting reports on trial results. Similar to research biologists, the rest of the time, these workers find themselves in laboratories.
Does it sound like a lot of responsibility? Well, it is. To do this job successfully, you must have extensive knowledge of clinical regulations and impeccable attention to detail — the smallest mistake can skew results and render a trial useless. But hey, that’s why they pay so well, right?
Privacy Officer — $87,000
As you can see, organizations will pay top dollar to have their privacy protected. Privacy officers are part of this protection; they keep an eye out for potential privacy problems and respond to any privacy-related crisis. Yes, this can largely be done from home, but you’ll probably need to spend around half your time at the location.
In addition to protection, privacy officers test the company to make sure they aren’t breaking any privacy regulations. That means conducting audits and updating privacy policies. You have to be discerning and detail-oriented for that.
Environmental Engineer — $87K
The only thing better than working from home is working outside, and as an environmental engineer, you get to do both! This job often requires field research and sampling, but it also involves processing and organizing of data and the designing of new environmental approaches.
Many of these tasks can be successfully completed at home. The best part? A career in this field pays handsomely, with top earners making over $100,000 a year. Sure, you’ll need to work your way up, but it might be worth it!
Audit Manager — $90,000
Audit processes can be quite stressful — for the business being audited and for the auditors themselves. Sometimes, a lot of money is at stake, or even the legality of a company’s actions. Because of this, audit managers tend to get paid quite well. $90,000 is quite high for an all-around average salary.
You can do some auditing remotely, but you may have to pay a visit to the subject of your audit if they don’t have all their records computerized. Even so, you can definitely work certain days in your pajamas.
Marketing Director — $96,000
The marketing department of a company controls the business’s image, and this team can either make it or break it. Good marketing can skyrocket a company to success, while bad marketing can … well, send it plummeting to the ground.
As a marketing director, you need to manage the entire marketing team. Not only must you resolve conflicts and manage communication, but you must have a deep understanding of the message your company seeks to send. But yes, you can do it remotely!
Medical Writer — $98,000
Have a talent for writing? You can turn it into a lucrative career by pursuing medical writing. While just about every writing job can be done from home, they’re not all as handsomely compensated as those dealing with medicine. Of course, there is a reason for this: medical writing is not easy.
This job requires niche-knowledge and the ability to closely edit other medical texts. The sweet part about this job, however, is that you don’t need to report to a cubicle, and you can write at any time you want.
Senior Operations Project Manager — 99K
Any position with “senior” in the title will likely pay well. Senior operations project managers are no exception, and they have the important job of handling customer support, communication with stakeholders and new project development. They sometimes also hire and train new employees.
Clearly, this job can’t be done entirely from home — meeting with coworkers or stakeholders is a regular occurrence. Even so, at the right company and with the right preparations, it’s one of those roles that can be flexible concerning where exactly the job conducted. All you need is some motivation!
Front-End Developer — $103,000
Despite the strange-sounding name, a front-end developer is a key figure in the operation of a business or organization. Their responsibilities are similar to those of a regular web developer. However, they need much more in-depth capabilities. Regardless, designing and maintaining a killer website is one of their main goals.
For big-name companies, front-end developers receive nicely padded salaries thanks to their importance. After all, the face of the organization is in their hands. Most people in this field study information technology and get extra certificates along the way.
Senior Account Manager — $104,000
It’s not easy to land a role as a senior account manager, but it’s definitely worth the effort. This high-ranking individual gets paid to run a sales team and consistently increase revenue year after year. It involves thinking up new strategies, solving problems and analyzing results.
If you’re looking to stay in your house every day, it may not be the perfect fit — you can’t be at your at-home office all the time — but if making money is your priority, then it’s not a bad bet. To get here, however, you need years of experience.
Java Developer — $105,000
You’ve probably heard of Java before, even if you’re not quite sure what it is. Essentially, Java is a programming language, and Java developers work with it to create and improve websites. Usually, this role pertains to e-commerce, and e-commerce can be a high-paying field.
Thanks to the explosion of online shopping, Java developers aren’t typically pressed for work, and they can do their computer programming from home with their dogs at their feet. With this position, you can easily work your way up to an annual salary that pays over $110,000.
Product Manager — $107,000
Product managers do exactly what their title implies: they manage products. In this position, you work with a company or business to inform them of trends or demands surrounding their product. This can include presentations and meetings here and there, but it’s a job that can largely be done remotely.
Another responsibility product managers often have is modifying product prices. If you have an eye for trends and aren’t scared of statistics, then you could make well over $100,000 in this job — and keep your personalized home office!
Cloud Architect — $107,000
Before you start scratching your head and looking up to the sky, we don’t mean those clouds. Cloud architects deal with cloud computing and typically design, test or manage a company’s approach to the technology. This is a position that calls for some serious computer knowledge.
If you know your stuff, though, you can get paid gobs of money and do most of the work from your home. Just take programming, networking and operating systems classes, and you’ll be good to go! After you get years of experience, of course.
Software Developer — $108,000
Everyone knows that computer careers typically have high salaries. Nearly all work revolves around computers and the internet these days, so the demand for these positions is high. This type of knowledge isn’t easily attained, either, so studying for this career path can be challenging.
For those that are so inclined, however — and perhaps aren’t fans of traditional workplaces — this is the perfect job. Oftentimes, you can get by as a software developer working remotely and never have to put on a button-down shirt and ironed pants again.
Supervisory Attorney — $108,000
It’s no surprise that attorneys make a lot of money. The surprising part might be that they don’t necessarily need to work at an office building to do so. Plenty of high-paid attorneys do most of their consulting or managing via telephone.
Throw in a handful of client meetings a week, and you’re good to go! Just make sure your at-home office is nice and comfortable, because you’ll probably be spending lots of time there. It may be a remote position, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t demanding or time-consuming.
Channel Sales Manager — $120,000
Channel sales are a bit different than regular old sales. They deal with third parties like resellers and affiliates and must ensure their product gets used or represented as intended. The bottom line, however, is the same: increase revenue by generating more sales.
As you might have guessed, this job requires a lot of mediation, but you don’t always have to show up to the same office building to do so. It’s a niche role that will get you a nice paycheck, but it will require maximum effort, as well.
Director of Quality Improvement — $120,000
This remote position deals with the systems administration practices of a company. They often design and implement new approaches to data architecture and are most preoccupied with maintaining up to date standards of product or service quality.
It will require a certain level of human interaction, but a surprising amount of the work can be done at home. That being said, keeping up with trends and the ability to work as part of a team are essential skills. And with that paycheck? Most of these workers aren’t complaining about their responsibilities.
Senior Product Marketing Manager — 121K
The role of a senior product marketing manager is a complex one. Yes, they must draft new marketing strategies, but they also have to be intimately acquainted with marketing trends — and stay up to date on them. They lead marketing teams and report on product performance.
Just like many jobs on this list, this position is driven by a company’s profits — at the end of the day, it’s all about sales. This sometimes remote job is great for people who are good team players and love to analyze the numbers.
Mobile Developer — $123,000
You can’t just know your way around a phone to become a mobile developer — you need to study programming. Anyone who has a phone, however, is probably familiar with what a mobile developer works with, which is often applications. Any time you click on an app, remember that a mobile developer is behind it.
Knowing this, it’s not hard to see why they’re paid so much. Virtually everyone has a cell phone, and everyone uses apps for restaurants, gaming, notetaking and anything else you can imagine. A tough skillset is needed, but it’s rewarding.
Business Development Manager — $125,000
A business development manager may sound like a general title, and it does, in fact, have very general responsibilities. These include overseeing revenue and client relationships, working with multiple departments, and being a leader. Just because it’s a general description, however, doesn’t mean it’s any less essential.
This role is key to a successfully run business. This person must be the link between many moving parts in a company, and it’s not always easy, especially if done remotely. Perhaps for this reason, a business development manager job typically pays a very high salary.
Senior IT Project Manager — $148,000
Last on our list of highest-paying at-home jobs is the senior information technology (IT) project manager. With an average salary of $148,000, you can imagine just how much a person can make in this field! This is largely because IT is such a lucrative area.
Individuals with this job must have the deepest knowledge of their technologies out of everyone on this list and be able to run a team of workers. It requires lots of experience, great leadership skills and analytical tendencies. While it may be stressful at times, at least you can sometimes do it from home.
