The number of people working from home has surged in recent years, fueled by the economic downturn forcing many Britons out of their traditional office jobs, and technological advances making it easier for people to work remotely.
The Office for National Statistics puts the number of home workers at around four million, a 19pc increase over the past decade.
Jobs site Indeed has identified the top 10 most lucrative freelance occupations in Britain, ranked by annual salaries.
1. Development Operations Engineer – £59,449
Development operations (DevOps) engineers are typically responsible for the production and ongoing maintenance of a website platform, so are generally required to know how to code.
Because DevOps spend almost all of their time on a computer, it’s easy to work from home, with the occasional office visit to catch up with team members.
2. User Experience Researcher – £46,004
User experience (UX) researchers spend their time gathering data from consumers for business clients, so that the latter can better understand their customer’s behaviour.
This is done through qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews and surveys – all of which can take place away from an office environment.
3. Freelance Quantity Surveyor – £44,950
Quantity surveyors manage all of the constructions costs relating to building projects, and can either work in an office or on-site. Freelancers can of course carry out much of their work from the comfort of their home, while maintaining regular visits to their construction sites.
4. Proposal Writer – £38,436
Whether for a business or individual, proposal writers create written documents designed to convince the recipient to enter a business arrangement or buy a product. This can all be done on a computer, enabling the writer to work remotely.
5. Software Developer – £32,740
Software developers, also known as a computer programmers, are responsible for designing, installing, testing and maintaining software systems.
While developers usually work in teams with engineers and managers, it is feasible for them to work from home with regular calls to colleagues.
6. Social Media Manager – £32,424
As the name suggests, social media managers must come up with engaging media marketing campaigns for clients and post the content on platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.
All of this can be done on a laptop or phone, so doesn’t require a person to work from an office.
7. Online Tutor – £29,000
Online tutors (or „e-tutors”) educate and support students learning a particular course, just like a normal tutor, but on the Internet.
Tutors can guide and support students through a course via social media and email, and can even offer services such as „virtual classrooms” through Skype.
8. Copy Editor – £28,836
Copy editors are responsible for scanning documents for grammar, spelling and punctuation, as well as fact-checking, and then making any necessary edits.
This can all be done at home, and copy editors often combine this work with freelance writing to bring in extra money.
9. Content Producer – £28,615
Content producers create and publish written content for different websites and digital platforms.
Everything is done online and communication is most effective via email, making it an ideal job to carry out at home.
10. Event planner – £25,811
While event planning isn’t as well paid as many jobs that require you to work in an office, those in the profession will save on travel costs by working from home, where they can easily communicate with clients and vendors on the phone or by email.
