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15 Work-From-Home Jobs That Don't Require a College Degree

Experience can trump education when it comes to these remote positions

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Among the millions of job openings available nationwide, employment opportunities are growing for workers without degrees. Many of those jobs even offer the potential to work from home, a condition older workers strongly prefer. According to an AARP Research survey of people 40 and older, 44 percent of respondents said they work from home at least some of the time.

FlexJobs, a website that specializes in remote work opportunities (full access to the website costs $2.95 for a 14-day trial), combed through the job postings on its site to identify fields with the most openings that don’t require a degree. Many of these positions could be a match for the skill sets older adults have.

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“Remote jobs that tend not to require a college degree do typically require a decent amount of experience, which is why they’re a great fit for someone with a longer career history,” says Brie Reynolds, a career development manager and coach at FlexJobs. “Especially if you’ve had the experience of working remotely over the last year and you can demonstrate to employers that you excel in a remote environment or have remote-friendly professional skills like communication, self-management and a proactive approach to your work, you’re well positioned for these types of remote jobs.”

The following jobs are examples from the FlexJobs list. Clicking on the “Find jobs” link will take you to a list of job openings, either on AARP’s free Job Board (not all of the openings are for remote work) or the FlexJobs website. You may click on this link for a search of all work-from-home jobs available on the AARP Job Board. Average pay is taken from data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other industry sources.

1. Accounting clerk

If you have an eye for detail and are good with math, you might do well in this position. Accounting clerks examine bank statements, invoices, accounts payable documents and other reports to ensure that all of the numbers add up correctly.

2. Executive assistant

Job opportunities as an executive assistant (or an administrative assistant) were shifting to remote work before the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have continued to trend in that direction. The responsibilities — managing schedules, coordinating meetings, communicating with clients — can often be done from home.

3. Bookkeeper

This job requires strong skills with numbers. Many employers place a higher value on experience than on a college degree. Work at Home Vintage Experts, which specializes in placing older workers in remote jobs, typically has several openings available for this role.

4. Client services

If you’re good at managing professional relationships, you could put your skills to use in this field. Client services managers serve as liaisons between a company and its clients, ensuring that communication is clear and projects meet expectations. This field also offers opportunities for contract assignments.

5. Customer service

If you have good communication and problem-solving skills, a job as a customer service representative could be the right fit for you. Most companies provide extensive training to prepare workers for the important role of being the person their customers turn to when they need help. Some companies will also provide the technology necessary to respond to requests by phone, email or chat.

6. Data entry

This kind of clerical work usually means typing information from various file forms and reports into a computer system. Accuracy and typing speed are essential, but the hours can be quite flexible.

7. Mortgage underwriter

Though the housing market has cooled down, there still are some work-from-home opportunities in this profession. Roughly half of the job postings in this profession do ask for a bachelor’s degree, according to Indeed research. Relevant work experience or a certificate in the field often are enough to get hired.

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8. Online tutor

When schools closed to in-person classes during the pandemic, many families turned to online tutoring services to help their kids learn. That demand has created job opportunities for older adults, many of whom already have some experience in these professions.

9. Project manager

If you have experience guiding large projects from concept to completion, companies may be willing to hire you even if the job posting asks for a college degree. Baylor Scott & White Health was recently looking for several project managers able to work remotely. So was the UnitedHealth Group.

10. Social media coordinator

In these jobs, you take on the responsibility for a company’s interactions with people through its official accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms. You’ll need experience producing posts that are engaging to help you reflect the voice and values of your employer.

11. Tech support specialist

If you have a knack for helping your coworkers solve problems with their laptops or other office technology, this job could appeal to you. Experience troubleshooting with networking technologies is generally a requirement for these positions.

12. Transcriptionist

These jobs require you to listen to audio recordings — of meetings, TV shows, podcasts, etc. — then type up what was said so people can read it later. In many cases, the hours are flexible, and workers choose which files they want to transcribe, getting paid once the assignments are complete. The technology company Rev was one of several employers recently seeking remote transcriptionists.

13. Translator

If you’re fluent in a language in addition to English, employers could be looking to hire you. Your typing and editing skills will need to be strong.

14. Travel agent

Years of staying at home because of the pandemic have made people eager to travel. Many travel agencies are hiring workers to help them handle clients’ needs. Employers typically ask that applicants have some experience in the field, but a degree is rarely required.

15. Virtual assistant

This occupation got a boost during the pandemic as employers turned to gig workers and short-term freelancers when everyone was working remotely. You generally won’t need a college degree, but you should have experience using software such as Microsoft Office, PowerPoint and QuickBooks.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article was published on June 16, 2021. References to job losses during the COVID-19 pandemic have been changed for relevance and wages have been updated.

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