The Best Remote Jobs You Can Get Right Now

Monster research shows that workplace safety is at the top of mind of many job seekers, and finding the best remote jobs is one smart way to avoid risking exposure to Covid-19. Our data indicates exactly that, with a huge uptick in the number of job searches for remote positions since the coronavirus pandemic began last spring.

The best remote jobs make it easy to do the required work from anywhere—think customer service, tech, finance, or marketing. With many offices closed, employers are expanding the reach of their talent search and are willing to hire remote workers outside of their geographic area. For instance, an employer based in Boston might be open to hiring a remote worker based in San Diego if the fit is right. Don’t limit yourself only to jobs in your city.

So if you’re determined to make the switch to a remote job or are just looking for a safe gig until the pandemic ends, here’s a tip: search for any job title and add “remote” to the location field to increase your search results. Or, search for online jobs, work-from-home jobs, or stay-at-home jobs.

Remote jobs that don't require a degree

Don't be fooled into thinking remote jobs are strictly for white collar professionals with college degrees (and higher) who are used to doing business on the go. For each job on our list below, we'll tell you the required level of education. You'll notice that more than half of the best remote jobs we feature can be had without a degree from a four-year college:

• Customer service representative
• Data entry
• Medical coder
• Tutor
• Transcriptionist
• Virtual assistant

Eager to find a job you can do virtually? Read on to discover your new commute-free career.

The best remote jobs

1. Accountant

What you’d do: This numbers-based career choice is a strong one, as every business must maintain accurate financial records, statements, and tax returns. Accountants can easily work for themselves, on their own schedule; the pay and job security are superior.

How much you can make: Accountants can expect to earn $38.23 per hour or $79,520 per year.

Education or experience needed: A bachelor’s degree and an accounting certificate is required (if you aim to become a certified public accountant, an extra year of training—and passing a series of tough tests—is needed).

Key search terms: accountant, tax accountant, staff accountant, accounting

Find accountant jobs on Monster.

2. Customer service representative

What you’d do: Pretty much every company that sells retail products—from blenders to broadband—has a support staff to help buyers with after-purchase questions or problems. Customer service jobs can easily be done at home, either over the phone or via Internet chat, hours are flexible, and you won’t need a lot of training (but a patient nature certainly helps) before you begin.

How much you can make: Customer-service reps can expect to earn $17.94 per hour or $37,320 per year.

Education or experience needed: A high school diploma is all it takes to get your foot in the door as a customer service rep.

Key search terms: customer service, customer care, customer support, call center representative

Find customer service jobs on Monster.

3. Data entry

What you’d do: This career entails entering facts and figures into databases. Businesses use the services of data entry workers to keep track of anything quantifiable—from sales figures to inventory to worker performance. Generally, these jobs are project-based, can be done on a flexible schedule, and job security is high.

How much you can make: Data-entry workers can expect to earn $17.52 per hour or $36,440 per year.

Education or experience needed: A high school diploma plus knowledge of database software can get you started in this field.

Key search terms: data entry, data entry clerk, online data entry, typist

Find data entry jobs on Monster.

4. Medical coder

What you’d do: This crucial health care job is one of the few that doesn’t require you to work with patients. The work entails taking doctors’ notes from patient appointments and assigning each a billing code that will allow practices to be paid by insurance companies. The work is well-paid and easily done from home.

How much you can make: Medical billing coders can expect to earn $19.53 per hour or $40,620 per year.

Education or experience needed: High school diploma

Key search terms: medical coder, medical billing coder

Find medical coder jobs on Monster.

5. Online marketer

What you’d do: This career choice is perfect for great communicators, as it involves helping brands encapsulate their message via search-engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC), traffic generation, as well as affiliated marketing. Online marketers are among the best remote jobs thanks top-notch income, workplace flexibility, and a strong career future.

How much you can make: Experienced marketers can expect to earn up to $68.91 per hour or $143,330 per year.

Education or experience needed: Online marketing jobs will require a bachelor’s degree.

Key search terms: online marketing, digital marketer, online marketing manager

Find online marketer jobs on Monster.

6. Sales representative

What you’d do: This is a job whose name accurately describes what it entails. Growing customer bases and increasing purchases is the purview of sales professionals. This career includes contacting clients—both existing and potential—to boost your company’s business, and keeping those customers happy. It’s a job that can easily be done from a home office, pays quite well (bonuses for meeting or exceeding quotas are common), and is great for those who love interacting with people.

How much you can make: Experienced sales workers can expect to earn $34.45 per hour or $71,660 per year.

Education or experience needed: Sales representative jobs often require a bachelor’s degree.

Key search terms: sales representative, sales manager, field sales account manager, pharmaceutical sales, inside sales

Find sales rep jobs on Monster.

7. Software developer

What you’d do: Technology is an industry with some of the more high-paying remote jobs. Software developers craft the interfaces—from software to apps—between computers and human beings. This career choice offers a high pay rate, low unemployment numbers, and remote-work friendliness. Software developer jobs are expected to be strong for the foreseeable future. For those without job experience, there are many free or low-cost training options out there.

How much you can make: Developers can expect to earn $51.44 per hour or $106,980 per year.

Education or experience needed: Bachelor’s degree plus experience or post-graduate training is usually required for these gigs.

Key search terms: software engineer, database designer, Java software engineer, applications designer

Find software developer jobs on Monster.

8. Teacher/Tutor

What you’d do: Obviously, many public schools in the country have turned to remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic, but there are many longer-term options for teachers in districts who allow online instruction as an option to families in their districts. Tutors, especially those who instruct international students in English, have long worked at home or from the location of their choice. Both career trajectories offer many open positions and are looking strong for the long-term.

Pay: Teachers and tutors can expect to earn $27.75 per hour or $57,710 per year.

Education or experience needed: A bachelor’s degree in education is required to become a public-school teacher; as long as you have above-average skills in the area in which you are instructing, a high school diploma is sufficient for tutoring.

Key search terms: teacher, tutor, instructor, teaching assistant

Find teacher, online teaching, and tutor jobs on Monster.

9. Transcriptionist

What you’d do: This career involves listening to audio files and typing up exactly the language used by the speaker or speakers. Great typing skills and a detail-oriented nature will help make you a success in this field. Most projects are assigned with a deadline, not an hourly schedule, so as long as that is met, where and when you conduct the work is up to you.

How much you can make: Transcriptionists can expect to earn $16.93 per hour or $35,210 per year.

Education or experience needed: These jobs simply require a high school diploma.

Key search terms: medical transcriptionist, transcription, transcriptionist, typist

Find transcription jobs on Monster.

10. Virtual assistant

What you’d do: A virtual assistant does exactly what in-house administrative assistants do. They offer support to a professional—or team of them—scheduling appointments, making travel plans, and updating databases, from an off-site location.

How much you can make: $17.75 per hour or $36,920 per year

Education or experience needed: A high school diploma will help get you a virtual assistant role.

Key search terms: virtual assistant, online assistant, administrative assistant

Find virtual assistant jobs on Monster.

Find the best remote jobs on Monster right now

If you've got some anxiety about the job market and about returning to work, you're not alone. But it doesn't have to be that way. Need some help? Monster can send you free remote job alerts when they become available so you can be among the first to apply. Additionally, you can upload your resume to our database, which makes it easy for recruiters to find you as they seek to fill remote positions.