Job flexibility is among the top benefits employees are looking for. In this survey, 1,000 people were surveyed and 94% of respondents shared that they would benefit from work flexibility. What is work flexibility and do flexible careers really exist?
This is the chief question answered in this article. You’ll learn:
- What jobs are the most flexible
- 10 of the best flexible careers
- Where to find flexible jobs
If you’re ready to find a flexible career, start your search on ZipRecruiter! ZipRecruiter is free for job seekers and you can apply for jobs with just one click!
What Jobs Are The Most Flexible?
Work flexibility can boil down to a job that has:
- Flexible work hours
- A strong work-life balance
- Work options, like remote work or a hybrid work model, among other perks
Flexible work hours could mean that employees get to choose the hours or shifts they work. This can be common in project-based work. You work on a project and it must be completed by a deadline. How, what, and where you work is your choice.
A strong work-life balance can lead to reduced turnover, higher job satisfaction, higher employee engagement and job attraction. It’s a win-win for both the company and the employee.
Having work options available is about the ability to choose between working from home, working in the office, or a hybrid model where you do both. It could also extend to vacation time, with the ability for extended time off, which is possible in many flexible careers.
Careers with flexibility do exist. Here are 10 of the best flexible careers to explore.
10 Of Best Flexible Careers
These ten flexible careers offer a mix of the benefits shared above. Read to learn about the job and job duties, median salary, education required, number of jobs and job growth prospects.
1. Photographer
Median National Salary: $38,950/year
Education Required: No degree needed
Number of Jobs: 110,500 in 2020
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 17% by 2030
Job Duties: A photographer is a professional that is skilled in taking pictures. There are many genres of photography like:
- Still life
- Photojournalism
- Event photography
- Portrait photography
- Editorial
- Architectural
This is a skill that can be self-taught and doesn’t require a degree or specialized experience.
Photography is a flexible career because you can work the hours you want to. You have a lot of freedom in choosing the clients and projects you want to work on and have full control over your job.
2. Interior Design
Median National Salary: $60,340/year
Education Required: No degree needed
Number of Jobs: 87,000 in 2020
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 0% (little to no change)
Job Duties: Interior designers work to design spaces. For example, redecorating a living room in a home is a job an interior design would do.
Interior design is flexible because like photography, you get to choose the hours and projects you want to work. You have a lot of control over your workload, including when, how, and who you work with.
3. Web Designer
Median National Salary: $77,200/year
Education Required: High school diploma
Number of Jobs: 199,400 in 2020
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 13% by 2030
Job Duties: Web designers do website design. They use graphic design to make websites attractive, user-friendly and more functional.
Web design is project-based work. You’ll have projects you’re working on that are due by a deadline so as long as you can meet the deadline, when, how, and who you work with is up to you. Working from home is common along with the flexibility to work anywhere you have a computer and internet access.
You can:
- Work from home
- Rent a shared co-working space
- Start your day at 6am or 11am (or other times)
- Work weekends or work 3 days a week, whatever you’d like
There is a lot of flexibility, especially if you’re working for yourself in your own business.
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4. Social Media Manager
Median National Salary: $133,380/year for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers
Education Required: High school diploma
Number of Jobs: 316,800 in 2020
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 10% by 2030
Job Duties: Social media managers work with clients to manage social media. This includes management of the client’s social media network, engaging with fans, posting content, measuring performance, and more.
Social media managers work from their computers doing the management of social media networks for their clients.
This kind of work is ongoing and task-based in nature. It doesn’t need to be policed by a strict schedule, micromanagement, or set hours. As long as the social media manager does their work for the period, they should be able to have exclusive control over their schedule.
5. Speech Language Pathologist
Median National Salary: $79,060/year
Education Required: Masters degree
Number of Jobs: 158,100 in 2020
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 29% by 2030
Job Duties: Speech pathologists help provide speech therapy to patients with vocal impairments.
Many speech language pathologists can work in schools which means they’ll get to enjoy the flexibility of a school schedule – major holidays off, winter break, summers off, etc.
6. Real Estate Agent
Median National Salary: $48,770/year
Education Required: High school diploma
Number of Jobs: 518,800 in 2020
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 4% by 2030
Job Duties: Real estate agents work with clients through the process of renting, buying, and/or selling properties.
Real estate agents can have a lot of flexibility in their job. They can choose which clients to work with, what time they wish to show properties, and how much work they want to take on during the month. This can also be a high paying career that can be done part-time or full-time.
7. Graphic Designer
Median National Salary: $50,710/year
Education Required: Associate’s degree or vocational school
Number of Jobs: 254,100 in 2020
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 3% by 2030
Job Duties: Graphic designers use computer software to create designs. Some examples include designing retail packaging, business cards, website homepages, magazine layouts, etc.
Graphic designers have project-based work which means usually as long as they can complete the work by the deadline, they have little restraint on hours worked and overall workshift, where they work, and other restrictions.
8. Professor
Median National Salary: $79,640/year
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree with Master’s degree and/or PhD required for some positions
Number of Jobs: 1,276,000 in 2020
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 12% by 2030
Job Duties: A college professor is a teacher on a college-level (postsecondary education). They teach one or more subjects at a college or university.
Working as a college professor is a flexible career because of their high salary, access to workplace amenities like university cafeteria, gym, etc. and a schedule that can mimic primary and secondary education like summers off, winter break, spring break, etc.
9. Writer
Median National Salary: $69,510/year
Education Required: No degree needed
Number of Jobs: 143,200 in 2020
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 9% by 2030
Job Duties: Writers create written content like books, articles, whitepapers, reports, etc.
Writing is a flexible career because it can be done anywhere you have a computer and internet connection. You can create content from your home office or beachside.
As project-based work, you can set your own schedule including choosing when you’ll vacation and take time off, based on your workload.
Related: Best Writing Jobs
10. Massage Therapist
Median National Salary: $46,910/year
Education Required: High school diploma plus massage therapy certification
Number of Jobs: 144,600 in 2020
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 32% by 2030
**Job Duties:**Massage therapists provide massage therapy to their clients. Massage therapy provides relief and relaxation to people who have stress, tension, and pain from lifestyle, illness, or injury.
Massage therapy is a flexible career because of the various work settings available to work in – hotels, cruise ships, resorts, your client’s home, etc. The work can be done part-time or full-time and a college degree isn’t required.
Where To Find Flexible Careers
Now that you have an idea which careers are flexible, it’s time to start your job hunt. You can head to these job search sites to find the right flexible career for you. Before you begin, make sure to arm yourself with a winning resume.
Read our list of the best resume writing services to get affordable resume help.
ZipRecruiter
ZipRecruiter can help you search flexible jobs, salaries and read job seeker reviews, all in one place. Their simple job search tool lets you search for jobs by keyword or job title and location including remote positions. Use the filters to narrow your results by job posting time, salary level, and more.
To learn more, check out our ZipRecruiter review.
Indeed
Indeed is one of the top job search websites online. It’s free, intuitive and easy to use. You’ll use the search bar to type keywords related to the flexible career you’re searching for. You can also search by job location including remote job listings.
To learn more, check out our Indeed review.
Google Jobs
Google Jobs is a free job search tool. Visit Google and type in the job you’re searching for. Use filters like career field, job title, requirements, job type, and more to narrow your search and find the perfect flexible job for you.
For more information, check out our Google For Jobs review.
The Bottom Line
There’s nothing better than the option to work in a flexible career. From summer off, part-time options, the ability to work remotely and other perks, these kinds of careers are an excellent fit for many workers.
If you’re stuck on what kind of flexible career to pursue, hopefully this article provided some guidance. To start your job search today, visit ZipRecruiter.
