In honor of Veterans day, Virtual Vocations made up a list of remote jobs best suited for military spouses. Jumpstart your remote job search with this roundup of companies friendly to military spouses.
As a military spouse, it can be difficult to hold down a full-time job for any length of time — let alone pursue a career. You face unique challenges including overseas deployment, frequent relocation, and a lack of, or costly child care, among others. These challenges result in military spouses experiencing an unemployment rate of 24% and a wage gap of 25% compared to civilian workers. These figures are despite being a highly educated and employable population.
One way to overcome career challenges as a military spouse is to pursue a job or career path that offers the opportunity to work 100% remotely. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, work from home opportunities were limited; there weren’t that many, there were limited types of jobs, and the competition could be stiff. However, since the pandemic, all kinds of jobs, and entirely new career paths, can now be pursued remotely.
Questions to Answer Before Searching for Remote Jobs for Military Spouses:
Before you jump into a remote job search, take some time to think about your circumstances and limitations. These will help set the parameters of your search for a work from home position.
- How many hours can you work? Considering your daily responsibilities, decide how many hours a week you want to work. Even if you can’t work full-time hours, there are remote jobs that can accommodate part-time and casual employment as well.
- When are the hours you can work? If you need to be able to pick the kids up every day, it’s important to make sure your job will accommodate you. This becomes especially important when you are looking for remote roles for military spouses overseas. Differences in time zones can make taking certain positions impractical.
- Where are you located? While this is likely to change within the next couple of years, it’s important to take it into consideration during your job search. This is because some remote jobs still have geographic limitations as well as restrictions about working while traveling.
- Do you have access to high-speed internet? While access to the internet is almost certain if you can visit a military base, you may or may not have reliable access at home. This becomes more important with a position that requires a lot of live, or synchronous, communication.
- Can you travel for work? Some positions may be 100% remote but require travel to client sites or fieldwork. Some may also host in-person corporate meetings and conferences to encourage bonding. In either of these cases, it’s important to gauge your availability for these requirements.
Top Options for Remote Jobs for Military Spouses
When deciding on the remote job or career that will best suit your circumstances, education, and experience, it helps to know what roles are currently in demand. Below are ten top options to consider developed using data gathered by Virtual Vocations and salary statistics from PayScale.
1. Software Engineer
Technical jobs are still the most common type of 100% remote jobs available. Don’t have the training or experience yet? Try starting in a technical support position.
Average Base Salary: $89,070 per year
2. Marketing Manager
Because most aspects of this job can now be completed online, from media buys to social media campaigns, this is a fast-growing category of remote jobs.
Average Base Salary: $68,435 per year
3. Telehealth Associate
This is a good example of a career it would have been almost impossible to pursue before the pandemic. These jobs are now quite common.
Average Base Salary: $60,052 per year
4. Sales Development Manager
Remote sales jobs of all kinds can be found, however, as a military spouse, it’s important to make sure that you are not required to travel to client sites.
Average Base Salary: $76,210 per year
5. Candidate Recruiter
Due to the necessity of developing online recruiting and hiring processes, this is another example of a position that prior to the pandemic was rarely remote.
Average Base Salary: $54,679 per year
6. Bookkeeper
In addition to the opportunity for finding remote roles, this is also a position that can easily be completed on a contract basis.
Average Base Salary: $45,181 per year
7. Implementation Manager
With companies relying more and more on cloud-based technical systems and processes, positions such as this are increasing available as remote opportunities.
Average Base Salary: $76,728 per year
8. Customer Support Specialist
If you’re not interested in telephone support, there are now customer service jobs that involve mostly email or chat communication.
Average Base Salary: $44,581 per year
9. Software Product Manager
Most positions within technology firms can be executed remotely, not only because the work can be completed online, but because the customer is also experiencing the product online.
Average Base Salary: $101,180 per year
10. Technical Project Manager
With the increase in geographically distributed teams, project management positions such as this are on the rise.
Average Base Salary: $95,541 per year
Companies That Offer Remote Jobs for Military Spouses
If you are looking for a 100% remote job it also helps to know which companies are embracing remote work, are hiring, and are friendly to military spouses. Below are a few options to get you started.
These companies have been vetted by the professionals at Virtual Vocations as remote-friendly and have recently advertised 100% remote jobs. In addition, they are members of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). This is a Department of Defense program dedicated to increasing opportunities for military spouses to obtain private-sector careers.
Amazon
Amazon is a multinational internet retailer and publisher of downloadable and streaming content. In addition to providing access to a wide variety of work from home jobs, Amazon offers the Military Spouse Fellowship program. This is a 12-week program that provides training, networking, military spouse events, and hands-on-job experience.
Recent remote jobs at Amazon:
- Senior Software Development Engineer
- B2B Payments and Lending Senior Marketing Program Manager
- Healthcare Security Senior Technical Program Manager
BCD Travel
BCD is a global, corporate travel management company that helps companies better manage their travel spending. A recently approved member of MSEP, BCD is “pleased to offer military spouses broader exposure to opportunities and careers in the business travel workforce.”
Recent remote jobs at BCD Travel:
- Venue Sourcing Consultant
- Travel Project Accountant
- Travel Customer Care Champion
EBSCO Health
EBSCO Health is devoted to providing digital access to medical e-books, medical databases, reference books, and medical journals. In addition to regularly offering remote job opportunities, EBSCO hosts a Military Affinity Group that connects and supports veterans, spouses and families.
Recent remote jobs at EBSCO:
- Remote Infectious Disease Deputy Editor
- Remote Senior Scrum Master
- Remote Technical Support Representative
Oracle
Oracle Corporation is a cloud-based software and technology developer. A remote and military-friendly organization, the company offers a Veteran Internship Program (OVIP) that connects veterans and military spouses with opportunities to network, find mentors, and facilitate career growth.
Recent remote jobs at Oracle:
- Software Project Manager
- Security Risk and Compliance Program Manager
- Principal Java Software Developer
Salesforce
Salesforce is a customer relationship management software developer. In addition to being a 100% remote company, Salesforce offers free online training classes and certification exams and a fellowship program that allows military spouses to participate in 12-week internships.
Recent remote jobs at Salesforce:
- Enterprise Planning and Insights Senior Analyst
- Applications Lead Enterprise Security Engineer
- Customer Experience Staff Data Scientist
Resources for Help Finding Remote Jobs for Military Spouses
If you are having difficulty finding fulfilling employment as a military spouse, you are not alone. This is one of the biggest causes of marital stress for military families. Luckily, there are resources out there to help! In addition to the MSEP program, the Military offers a wide variety of resources and services to help military spouses find rewarding careers.
In addition, the increase in remote opportunities due to the pandemic makes it easier for military spouses to pursue careers. If you choose to focus on fully remote employment, Virtual Vocations is the perfect job finding service for you. In addition to massive databases of hand-vetted jobs and remote friendly companies, Virtual Vocations offers professional resume writing services and career counseling.
Are you a military spouse? Which one of these remote jobs caught your eye? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your thoughts and tips. We’d love to hear from you!
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