It doesn't necessarily take a bachelor's degree to land a well-paying, full-time, remote job.
In fact, more companies are looking at qualifications beyond a formal education, thanks to the fierce competition for talent brought on by the 3.7% unemployment rate and robust job growth.
"The research shows that the strong job market is really causing employers to rethink their educational requirements for their jobs," said Brie Reynolds, senior career specialist at FlexJobs.
That means they may no longer prioritize a four-year degree and may look for candidates who have a two-year, or associate's, degree.
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A recent report from PayScale backs that up. Its 2019 Compensation Best Practices Report found that 69% of 7,030 organizations it surveyed in late 2018 prioritized skills over a formal education when making hiring decisions.
At the same time there has been an explosion in remote jobs, which allow employees to work from either entirely or part of the time.
"There has been this assumption for a long time that remote jobs were only available to people in higher level careers, with an advanced education, who have proven themselves to be worthy," Reynolds said.
That has changed in recent years. Now the focus is more on the type of job that can be done from home, rather than a benefit you have earned through years of hard work, she explained.
The research shows that the strong job market is really causing employers to rethink their educational requirements for their jobs.Brie Reynoldssenior career specialist, FlexJobs.
All of this means there are a lot of remote opportunities available for someone who has an associate's degree. In fact, they can be found in a range of industries, such as finance, computer & IT, health care, sales, marketing, administration and customer service, according to FlexJobs.
Here are 10 fully remote jobs in five fields of specialization — computer and IT, accounting and finance, mortgage and real estate, health care and administrative — that are available to professionals with a two-year degree:
Computer & IT
Industries looking for computer and information technology professionals, who provide in-house support for internal computer systems, can range from health care, digital marketing and cloud solutions to business consulting and media.
Job listings include a .NET developer, biomed technician II and a senior consultant, data manager.
A .Net software developer makes an average $68,763 a year , while a biomed technician is paid an average annual salary of $52,175 and data managers make an average $60,737 yearly salary, according to Payscale.
Accounting & finance
Jobs in accounting and finance can involve bookkeeping, helping with tax preparation and the processing of financial data.
FlexJobs' listings include positions for a financial planner and an Etime specialist, which deals with payroll.
The average annual salary for a financial planner is $62,372 according to Payscale, while payroll specialists earn an average $48,068 a year.
Mortgage & real estate
Real estate and mortgage jobs can be quite lucrative, as well as very flexible, according to FlexJobs. They can include anything from appraisers to leasing agents.
Among the job site's current listings is one for a mortgage underwriter.
The average annual salary is $64,469 a year, according to Payscale.
Health care
Health care is one of the fastest-growing professions. While doctors have advanced degrees and training, there are plenty of other health-related jobs available to those with an associate's degree.
For example, FlexJobs currently has listings for a coder and a registrar - cancer.
According to Payscale, medical coders earn an average annual salary of $41,000 and the average patient registrar makes $31,552 a year.
Administrative
There's a high demand for administrative professionals, according to FlexJobs. The job may include managing an office, processing communications and overseeing projects.
Listings include an enrollment applications specialist, which handles medical billing, and a virtual assistant.
Medical billers earn an average annual salary of $38,819 and virtual assistants make an average $38,478 a year.
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Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Acorns.
