A recent study from FlexJobs found that job seekers ranked work flexibility of when and where they work as the most important factor when evaluating a job prospect — ahead of salary and health insurance.
"There are many reasons millions of people really value work flexibility, such as for the positive impacts on their work-life balance, stress level, health and family responsibilities, for example," Sara Sutton Fell, founder and CEO of FlexJobs, said in a statement. "Fortunately, as the overall job market continues to improve, so do the prospects for flexible job seekers."
Sutton Fell said it's important to remember that flexibility isn't just a luxury, but a necessity, for some job seekers.
"I think of working parents and military spouses; or people living in depressed local economies without access to good jobs; those managing chronic or serious health issues, or the growing group of caregivers for aging parents and other loved ones," Sutton Fell said.
To help job seekers who are looking for positions that offer varying degrees of flexibility, FlexJobs has highlighted 20 careers with high growth potential and flexible work options, such as telecommuting arrangements, flexible or part-time schedules, or freelance contracts. In addition, many of the jobs pay more than $20 per hour.
Here are FlexJobs' 20 high-growth-potential flexible jobs for 2017:
Account executive
This position is available in a variety of industries. Account executives handle a multitude of tasks, including building client relationships, identifying new clients and maintaining accounts. Account executives should have negotiation experience, sales skills, an interest in traveling for work, and strong communication abilities.
Types of flexibility offered: Telecommuting
Account manager
Account managers are in charge of maintaining client relationships, monitoring market trends, evaluating appropriate solutions, and making sales. Professionals in this position should have relationship management, communication and sales skills. In addition, previous experience is often required.
Types of flexibility offered: Full- and part-time schedules, temporary positions, freelance options and telecommuting
Business development
Those working in business development are responsible for identifying opportunities for sales, partnerships and other business expansion areas. Professionals in this field typically have a bachelor's degree and at least several years of experience.
Types of flexibility offered: Full- and part-time schedules, temporary positions, freelance options, telecommuting and flexible schedules
Business process analyst
Business process analysts are hired to improve processes, implement projects, troubleshoot problem areas and create new or existing systems. These jobs are most often found in industries such as technology, health care and science.
Types of flexibility offered: Telecommuting and freelance options
Client services coordinator
Professionals in this position support client needs, address and resolve issues, and advocate for clients. These jobs are found in a variety of industries, including health care, technology, veterinary and real estate. To be hired for this position, you typically need at least a high school diploma or GED, as well as previous customer service experience.
Types of flexibility offered: Part-time schedules
Data scientist
Data scientists are responsible for gathering, processing and analyzing large data sets; building learning models; and making recommendations based on their findings. For this position, you need to be skilled in statistics, data analysis and mathematics. Data scientists also have bachelor's or master's degrees in quantitative fields, as well as several years of experience in related work.
Types of flexibility offered: Telecommuting, freelance options and short-term projects.
Financial analyst
Financial analysts work with business units to analyze and report on financial data, and to make recommendations for financial action. Day-to-day tasks include product pricing, data evaluation, trend monitoring, case management and budget reviews.
Types of flexibility offered: Full- and part-time schedules, short-term projects, freelance options and temporary roles
Front-end developer
Front-end developers code websites, software and other technology-based products and services. They often create new products or services, troubleshoot and resolve issues, and implement updates. Front-end developers typically know a variety of coding languages, such as JavaScript, HTML5, PHP, Rails and others.
Types of flexibility offered: Full- and part-time schedules, telecommuting, short- and long-term projects, freelance options and temporary roles
Genetic counselor
Professionals in this position work with patients in health care settings to prepare cases, identify patient goals, collect histories, conduct risk assessments and more. They also review charts, discuss test results and provide related health information. To be a genetic counselor, you typically need a master's degree in medical genetics as well as counseling and board certification.
Types of flexibility offered: Full- and part-time schedules, occasional jobs, flexible schedules, telecommuting, temporary roles
Information security/analyst/manager
Information security analysts and managers assess, develop and troubleshoot a company's information security systems and programs. They evaluate current initiatives, make recommendations for changes and work on technical projects. To work in this job, you typically need a bachelor's degree and previous related experience.
Types of flexibility offered: Freelance options, telecommuting, full-time schedules
Medical director
To be a medical director, you first must be a doctor. Medical directors oversee business and medical-review operations, different medical units or areas of practice within larger health care organizations. They are also responsible for supervising the credentialing process for physicians and providing clinical expertise. In addition to first being a medical doctor, you also need board certification and several years of related experience to become a medical director.
Types of flexibility offered: Full- and part-time schedules, telecommuting and short-term projects
Nurse - ICU
These nurses work in the intensive care unit of medical centers and hospitals. They are typically registered nurses with current state nursing licenses or certifications who have previous related experience.
Types of flexibility offered: Full- and part-time schedules, short-term roles, occasional work and alternative schedules
Nurse practitioner
Nurse practitioners provide clinical oversight and coordinate patient care. They also examine, diagnose and treat patients; counsel and educate patients; and prescribe medications. To become a nurse practitioner, you need a master's degree and current licensing.
Types of job flexibility offered: full- or part-time hours, flexible schedules, telecommuting, occasional and temporary options
Occupational therapy assistant
Occupational therapy assistants work alongside occupational therapists. They perform assessments, develop care plans and monitor patients' progress. Besides having an interest in providing patient care, an associate's degree and occupational therapy assistant license are typically required.
Types of flexibility offered: Part-time schedules, occasional work and alternative schedules
Office manager
Office managers work in a variety of industries. Their responsibilities include managing support staff, assisting with travel arrangements, and managing office supplies and equipment.
Types of job flexibility offered: Full-time and part-time schedules, short-term and temporary options
Operations analysts
Operations analysts can work in a number of different industries in a variety of departments, such as marketing, human resources, logistics and product development. They are responsible for operational-process implementation and analysis, resource planning, documentation and analysis of organizational functioning.
Types of flexibility offered: Full- and part-time schedules, short- and long-term projects, telecommuting, freelance options and temporary roles
Operations manager
Operations managers work closely with professionals in accounting, marketing, sales and IT, among others. They are hired to provide assistance to the functioning, planning, and directing of companies and organizations.
Types of job flexibility offered: Telecommuting, temporary and short-term jobs, and freelance options.
Physical therapist assistant
Physical therapist assistants work with patients to provide assessments on injuries, develop care plans and treatment options, as well as work with other health care providers.
Types of job flexibility offered: Part-time, alternative and flexible schedules; telecommuting and occasional work
Product managers
Professionals in this position work with digital product designers, engineers, developers and other related professionals when creating or implementing a new product or upgrades to current products. Day-to-day responsibilities include developing project plans, analyzing opportunities, communicating with stakeholders and clients, and offering recommendations for best practices. A bachelor's degree and several years of related experience are common requirements.
Types of flexibility offered: Telecommuting, full-time schedules, short-term projects, freelance options, temporary roles and flexible schedules
Statistician
Statisticians conduct research, analyze data and prepare reports for a variety of fields and clients. To be hired as a statistician, you typically need a master's degree and related experience.
Types of flexibility offered: Full- and part-time schedules, telecommuting, temporary roles and freelance options