Remote Jobs for Military Spouses: The Ideal, Flexible Career Path

Remote jobs for military spouses provide an opportunity to establish and advance your career without employment gaps, location constraints, or pay cuts. Virtual Vocations, in appreciation for all military spouses and families, provides a pathway into the telecommute workforce. In this article, we explain how remote jobs can work for you and your loved ones while your spouse is on active duty.

Why Working Remotely Works for Military Spouses

Military spouses, though valued and appreciated, often get left in the shadows and face unanticipated challenges, especially when it comes to jobs and careers. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s 2017 Military Spouses in the Workplace survey reports that:

Nearly half of all military spouses have college degrees, yet college-educated individuals represent the highest group of unemployed spouses.
Military spouses typically feel underutilized in their positions.
Many military spouses opt for part-time, temporary, or seasonal work, but they’d rather have full-time permanent positions.

If you’re a military spouse who seeks a meaningful career but struggles to find adequate employment, telecommuting might be your new hero. For example, many employers offer remote positions with flexible schedules, work-from-anywhere arrangements, and advancement potential. Thus, you don’t have to wait to pursue a profession and can find a job that fits nicely into your non-traditional lifestyle.

“You never really know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” – Bob Marley

10 Reasons Why Military Spouses Should Consider Remote Work

1. Location Independence

Many telecommute jobs are location independent, which means you can bring your work with you wherever you go. This is a crucial aspect of remote jobs for military spouses, allowing you to quit the cycle of resigning and reapplying every couple of years and pursue an occupation that helps you build a lasting career. However, please note that some jobs do have a location requirement due to state-specific employment laws, employee tax and healthcare insurance reasons, and other constraints.

2. Education Requirements Vary

Remote jobs for military spouses have a range of educational requirements. Though the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation found that military spouses with college degrees have the hardest time finding employment, such individuals can find meaningful remote work that applies their hard-earned skill sets.

However, telecommuting isn’t just for college graduates. Thousands of remote jobs require a high school diploma, GED, or less, which opens up doors for more individuals and families.

3. Big Paychecks

The Council of Executive Advisors found that military spouses earn 26.8% less than their civilian peers, which equates to a loss of $12,374 per year in job-related income. Throughout a 20-year military career, spouses experience an average net loss of $189,614. Though you may receive attractive benefits, such as healthcare and a housing allowance, you shouldn’t have to miss out on additional income.

These days, most remote jobs for military spouses pay just as much as regular office positions. Thus, if you have the credentials and ambition to earn what you’re worth, you can find remote work that pays competitive wages.

4. Less Hassle

Telecommute-friendly employers often grant flexible schedules to remote employees. With flexible start times and no daily commute, you don’t have to rush the kids off to school in an unfamiliar place. Instead, you can take your time to get the know your new area and enjoy exploring without the fear of being late for work.

5. Meaningful Career Potential

You don’t need to put your career ambitions aside while your spouse is on active duty. With a virtual position, you can make headway toward your professional goals without doing the two-steps-forward-two-steps-back dance. Instead, you can charge ahead full speed, even when you relocate to a new base or transition back to civilian life.

6. Consistent Employment History

Employers look for continuous employment history as a sign of commitment and continued professional growth. A significant gap, even due to a military-related absence, is discouraging and sometimes tricky to explain. Therefore, to avoid a time-lapse on your resume, you can work remotely to show consistent employment and keep your skills sharp.

7. Discrimination Dodgeball

Though equal employment opportunity laws forbid discrimination based on veteran status, military spouses are unprotected by employment discrimination laws. In other words, employers don’t have to hire you if they know you’ll relocate in a year or two. However, with remote jobs for military spouses, you typically don’t have to worry about establishing permanent residence, as employers care more about work getting done than where you live or move.

8. More Time for Family and Fun

The telecommuting work model affords a better work-life balance so that you can spend more time with your spouse and kids. You can also spend more time making new friendships, traveling for pleasure, and taking trips home to see friends and relatives when you get homesick.

9. Professional Networking

Even though you work from home, you can significantly expand your professional network with a remote career. For example, you may work closely with employees in various occupations who live all over the nation and globe. Such individuals can be excellent references when you seek a promotion or venture down a new career path. Plus, the more people you keep in touch with, the more connections you may have when you relocate next.

10. Coworking Opportunities

Many remote employees have the advantage of working wherever they want. Therefore, if working at home sounds boring or lonely, and the coffee shop is always packed and loud, check out a local coworking space where you can meet other professionals, attend career development workshops, and immerse yourself in an inspirational environment.

Remote Job Ideas for Military Spouses

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.” – Colin Powell

Check out this list of remote jobs for military spouses to kickstart your quest toward a virtual career. The jobs in this list cover a range of educational backgrounds and work histories. To find jobs that more accurately match your education, industry, and career level, go to the telecommute job database and use the filters to refine your search.

1. Accountant

Remote accountants monitor cash flow, reconcile accounts, prepare tax forms, and develop budgets. Some offer personal financial services to individuals, while others work for businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.

Required Education and Experience: Accountants typically need a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field. Some employers also require a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification.

Median Salary: $71,550

View All Remote Accounting Jobs at Virtual Vocations

2. Customer Service Representative

Telecommute customer service representatives need a quiet place to hold phone conversations, though some work solely through email or chat applications. Most companies offer part-time and full-time positions with either set or flexible schedules relative to your time zone.

Required Education and Experience: Most customer service jobs require at least a high school diploma. Experience is helpful, but not always necessary, as companies provide on-the-job training.

Median Salary: $34,710

View All Telecommute Customer Service Jobs at Virtual Vocations

3. Fundraiser

Remote fundraisers write grants, plan events, create charitable campaigns, and raise awareness to help nonprofit organizations earn income.

Required Education and Experience: Employers typically seek candidates with a bachelor’s degree and some experience with grant writing, fundraising, or event planning, especially in the non-profit sector.

Median Salary: $57,970

View All Remote Fundraising Jobs at Virtual Vocations

4. Project Manager

Telecommute project managers develop plans, create budgets, organize and manage team members, acquire resources, communicate with stakeholders, and ensure that the project meets delivery expectations.

Required Education and Experience: Employers typically seek candidates with project management experience. However, some companies hire professionals who at least have experience working under specific project management methods. Business or industry-related (e.g., information technology) education may be required for some roles.

Median Salary: $73,901

View All Telecommute Project Management Jobs at Virtual Vocations

5. Translator or Interpreter

Remote translators and interpreters convert information from one language to another. They may perform real-time interpretation during medical, legal, or business conversations, or they may transcribe and translate text from written, video, or audio files.

Required Education and Experience: Employers require proven fluency in at least two different languages. Prior professional translation or interpretation experience is helpful but not always necessary.

Median Salary: $51,830

View All Remote Translation Jobs at Virtual Vocations

6. Web Developer

Telecommute web developers are a prominent part of the “new collar” workforce. They design and build websites independently or as part of a web development team. Web developers can specialize in either front-end (the user-facing side) or back-end (the behind-the-scenes side) development, while full-stack developers do both front and back end.

Required Education and Experience: Front-end developers need to know at least HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Back-end developers should understand front-end languages, but they need proficiency in at least one server-side language and database technologies. Luckily, there are dozens of free and affordable online resources to learn all the languages and skills required.

Median Salary: $73,760

View All Telecommute Web Developer Jobs at Virtual Vocations

7. Writer

Remote writers craft online content, such as blog articles and social media copy, newspaper and magazine articles, technical publications, business reports, whitepapers, grants and proposals, and more.

Required Education and Experience: Technical, scientific, and medical roles may have specific education and experience requirements. However, many online publications and copywriting positions simply require excellent writing skills, subject matter knowledge, and a short sample to demonstrate your ability.

Median Salary: $63,200

View All Remote Writer Jobs at Virtual Vocations

More Top Telecommute Jobs at Virtual Vocations

In addition to the occupations previously highlighted, these telecommute jobs are also worth checking out for military spouses:

Also, if you’re looking for female-focused companies who offer extra professional support for women, consider one of our 2018 Top 20 Remote Companies for Women. Such companies value women in the workplace and go the extra mile to promote female employee success.

How Virtual Vocations Can Help Find Remote Jobs for Military Spouses

Virtual Vocations offers you a telecommute job database jam-packed with thousands of hand-screened remote job listings. Our job quality experts ensure that every position posted is legit, accurate, and categorized to help you streamline your search. We do all the heavy lifting so that you can focus on finding jobs that match your skills, interests, and goals.

If you’re new to remote work, consider our Telecommute Tips for Launching a Successful Career. Then, learn about Virtual Vocations’ best features that can help you land your first telecommute job. Such features include:

Organizational tools to help you save, track, and apply to telecommute jobs at your leisure
Resume writing and review services for all career levels
E-courses and telecommute guides to help you set up a home office and apply to remote jobs
Telecommute industry news, state directories, and tips for achieving better work-life balance

Of course, the bread and butter of our operation is the job database, where you can search for remote jobs by category, state, employment type, education and career level, and more. You can also save jobs quickly, apply to them later, and receive automatic email alerts when new jobs are posted that match your search criteria.

To get started, sign up as a Virtual Vocations member, then start sifting through the new listings. If you need extra help, send us a message! The Virtual Vocations team is super friendly and would love to support you on your telecommute journey.

“Always remember: You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” – Winnie the Pooh

Are you a military spouse looking for a remote job? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to tell us what you think. We’d love to hear from you!

iStock image: SDI Productions

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Remote Jobs for Military Spouses: The Ideal, Flexible Career Path

Why Working Remotely Works for Military Spouses