18 Telecommuting Jobs for Medical Professionals

Telecommuting jobs are the wave of the future. Because of our technology, we can now work some jobs anywhere we want from our computers.

The work environment is constantly changing. Technology is rapidly changing how the employee works every single day and how companies and organizations manage the work of their employees. When the recession occurred, every single industry sought ways to potentially change the way their human resource department worked and how effective it was.

One of the things that have resulted from these internal audits and strategic decisions after the recession has created a massive demand for telecommuting and remote work jobs and careers. The healthcare industry is no stranger to this massive demand for telecommuting healthcare jobs or remote healthcare jobs. Plenty of new healthcare remote jobs are popping up and should be considered for the flexibility they offer.

The American dream is changing, and most people want that dream to include sweat pants and working from home. Some people think that telecommuting jobs are hard to find or only for writers and designers. But what most people don't know is that a few medical jobs allow you to do them from the comfort of your own home — no hospitals, no patients, no unwanted bodily fluids, and no need to spend an extra hour getting ready in the morning.

Telecommuting jobs are the wave of the future, as both employers and job seekers try to create and find opportunities where they can work from home. Hopefully, in the future, none of us will have to go to a building to do our jobs — we can just do them from the comfort of our own homes — or, if you don't like your homes, somewhere else like your favorite coffee hot spot or travel destination.

Why You Should Consider Telecommuting or Remote Medical Jobs

Due to the fact that telecommuting or remote job opportunities are still relatively new, a lot of people have some apprehension about whether or not they should really consider telecommuting or remote jobs. Research has shown that while telecommuting is slowly gaining steam, it’s only going to be more widely adopted based on the benefits that are associated with remote opportunities.

1. Less Hassle

For instance, one of the best things about working from home or in a remote location is that it can help improve your overall health and attitude towards work. Employees who work from home don’t have to stress about the little things that add up over time. For instance, you no longer have to plan out your outfit for the next day, spend 30 minutes to an hour getting ready in the morning, spend 20 to 40 mins driving into work, and then hoping that you can find a parking spot with a reasonable walking distance to check into work on time. All of these things add up over time, and that’s just before you get to work. Once you’re at work, you then have to deal with the noisy environment, constant interaction with patients, and of course the interactions with your co-workers that can tend to be awkward from time to time.

In addition, when you don’t have to drive to work and interact with your co-workers, you don’t have to worry about some of the meaningless things like pointless conversations or work gossip.

2. Job Security

Another benefit that you should consider when you’re evaluating telecommuting and remote healthcare jobs is that most of these individuals have greater job security. The reason for this is that telecommuting jobs offer the employer a chance to save a ton of money on other things that add up over time that we typically never consider. What once was an office in the healthcare industry, might be an opportunity to provide a room for another patient. This means that the hospital is going to be earning more money with the same amount of space.

In addition, the hospital or healthcare organization no longer needs to spend money on office equipment like a desk, chair, computer, and other supplies. These might seem like small expenses, but they add up over time for the employer.

3. Work-Life Balance

When you don’t have to worry about interacting with others or dealing with some of the pointless things that a common day at the office or hospital might produce — your overall job satisfaction also rises.

Most of the time you’re able to work on your own time and you’re able to do so in the comfort of your own home and in your comfortable clothing. With all things considered, there are more reasons to be happy with your job than upset about it. When you enjoy your job more because you’re not dreading going into work each day, you tend to have a better work-life balance than if you were to dread every single day.

You might not think that your work life tends to bleed into your personal life, but the truth to the matter is that it does. If you’re unhappy at work, you then tend to drag that unhappiness into your personal life. This not only has an effect on you but others around you. If you’re unhappy in your personal life, you tend to carry that over into your professional life. As you can see, everything is tied together.

When you don’t have to worry about all of the hassles that come with a traditional work setting, you can devote more time to your personal life. This means that you no longer have to cancel appointments, family plans, or holidays because you’re focused on how it might impact your job. Working from home through telecommuting jobs or remote jobs offers you a great way to balance your separate lives, and improve your overall happiness level with your job and personal life.

4. You Save More Money

Another fantastic benefit of working from home is that you can save money in ways you didn’t realize before. If you’re commuting every single day to work, you most likely need to refuel your car once, twice, sometimes even three times a week. This means that you’re most likely spend a ton of money each week and you don’t even realize it. You’ve just become accustomed to it. In addition, you’re most likely spending money on a new wardrobe every month, or buying lunch several times a week.

When you work from home through telecommuting healthcare opportunities, these costs are nearly eradicated. You no longer have to buy lunch nearly every day or spend countless dollars upgrading your wardrobe. This is all money that you can then keep in your pocket because you’re not having to spend it. Who doesn’t love having more money in their pocket at the end of the day?

5. Opportunity To Work Anywhere

Another benefit of working remotely is that the work is just that, remote. Since the dawn of civilization, it’s always been correlated that those individuals who want to find a job and have gainful employment should attempt to live close to a city or where there is ample work. With the increase and adoption of new technology, individuals no longer have to feel chained to work in large cities.

6. You Have A Positive Impact on the Environment

One thing that plenty of healthcare professionals seek in their job is a way to positively impact their community. One way that telecommuting and remote opportunities can have an impact on their community is through the benefits on their environment as a result of working from home or through telecommuting opportunities. Each day you work from home is one day where you don’t needlessly pollute the environment with greenhouse gases because you’re being forced to drive back and forth to work each day.

If you’re passionate about pursuing an opportunity where you can have a positive impact on the environment, then this is another way for you to achieve that goal.

7. You Can Customize Your Work Environment

Another fantastic benefit of working from home or a telecommuting environment is that you can customize your work environment. You don’t have to be stuck in a cubicle or be forced to interact with a variety of individuals who might take up your professional space. You can shape your work environment however you’d like and make sure that you’re absolutely comfortable. When you’re comfortable while you’re working, then you’re a happy employee.

8. You’re More Productive

Another benefit of working from home through remote medical jobs or remote healthcare jobs is that you also tend to be more productive. As we’ve highlighted earlier, when you enjoy your job more and you have a better work-life balance, one of the things that occur is that you can be more productive than you would be in a traditional work setting. This makes sense because we typically have fewer distractions when we’re working from home.

Will I Earn More Telecommuting or Working Remotely?

One of the biggest concerns that job seekers have when they’re evaluating potential telecommuting and remote opportunities is whether or not they have to take a pay cut with their new position as opposed to the same position in a physical location. The truth to the matter is that it largely depends on the role that you’re applying for. Each role will be different in terms of compensation, but from a one-to-one perspective, the salaries are virtually identical.

Even though the pay might be the same when you’re working from home as opposed to working in a physical location, you’ll technically be earning more because you’re saving money on all of the expenses we’ve outlined earlier like your commute, equipment, wardrobe, and more.

Will I Be Micro-Managed?

Another fear of those healthcare professionals and medical professionals who are considering remote opportunities is whether or not they will be micro-managed because they are working from home. While this might have been the case when remote jobs were starting to become a thing, it’s no longer the main concern because of the technology in place to aid decision makers and business managers.

Your managers now have an easier time tracking the work you do and seeing all of the things that you’ve been doing. This means that you don’t have to worry about constantly being heckled by your boss and having them hound over your shoulder to ensure that you’re getting work done.

What Are The Challenges of Telecommuting Jobs?

Even though telecommuting and remote jobs sound like an amazing opportunity, and they are, there are still some challenges associated with them. The first challenge is that being a successful telecommuter and working remotely means that you need to be an effective communicator. Because you’re not in a physical location, most of the dialogue you have will be over the phone, messages, or various team-based applications that help you interact and coordinate with your employers, managers, co-workers, and patient interactions. If you’re not an effective communicator, you will struggle to work remotely.

Another challenge with telecommuting or remote jobs is the fact that you need to be a self-starter and a go-getter. If you struggle to stay on task on your own or find that you need oversight, then working remotely might not be the best job for you.

Another challenge associated with telecommuting is that some people naturally enjoy the social aspect of work. When you’re working remotely or telecommuting, you’re often working by yourself. This isolation can wear on some people who need that constant social interaction. If you enjoy interacting with others in a face-to-face setting, then working remotely will be a struggle for you. The good news is that you don’t have to sit in your room all day, you can also take a day to go work at your favorite coffee cafe or somewhere else. Not to mention, you will still be interacting with others while you work remotely, you just won’t be interacting with them in a face-to-face manner.

Why Are Employers Encouraging Telecommuting Jobs?

So you might be asking yourself, “Well, I understand telecommuting or remote jobs are great for job seekers and employees, but what do employers have to gain?” That’d be a great question, and we’re going to answer it for you. As we’ve mentioned before, employers are doing all that they can to reduce the workforce expense they have to shell out.

1. Reduced Employee Turnover

One of the ways that employers are finding ways to reduce their human resource budgets are through the use of needless employee expenses. One of the needless employee expenses is related to turnover. As we’ve mentioned earlier, employees who enjoy their job more are less likely to seek other opportunities. If their work-life balance is strong, then they no longer have to worry about finding a job that respects their personal time, because they already have one.

2. Reduced Absences Among Employees

Another fantastic reason that employers appreciate telecommuting or remote opportunities is that their employees have a reduced number of absences. The reason for this is that instead of feeling obligated to come into work and get others sick, they don’t mind working from home when they’re not feeling so well.

3. Employees Do More

As we’ve highlighted earlier, when employees enjoy their job they tend to work harder and longer. Employers have witnessed the employee productivity increase and want more of it. Employers are much more likely to offer remote opportunities to their employees because of this than ever before.

The Top 18 Best Telecommuting Jobs Include:

Now that we’ve broken down some of the reasons why you should consider working in telecommuting jobs or remote jobs as a healthcare and medical professional, we’re going to break down some of the best telecommuting jobs you should consider. Here is our list of medical jobs you can do from the comfort of your home — some of them while still wearing PJs.

1. Health Information Specialist

If you've ever seen a doctor or been to the dentist, you have a medical record. That record holds everything from exams to test results and treatment plans. Health Information Specialists are the special few in the industry that maintains all of those medical records. They organize, computerize, and maintain them to make sure they are correct and that we don't accidentally end up on the wrong side of a surgical knife-- or get the wrong medicine.

They make sure medical charts are accurate and complete, they compile a patient's complete info, authenticate each patient's history, store everything on the computer, and analyze data.

Since most of their work is computerized now, they can do this job from their homes. They usually receive documents from medical institutions that they organize and set up. They can also spend time talking to patient's verifying information. Either way, this job is done both in medical facilities and at home, with more at-home positions available every year we progress in our information security.

Health Information Specialists typically earn $71,596 per year, and have an hourly wage of $34.42.

2. Nurse Case Manager

Nurse case managers work with physicians and patients to ensure proper medical care is provided. They coordinate between patients, families, and doctors. They can monitor and evaluate the health care of a patient and work with other members of a medical team.

Usually, if you work from home, you consult with other RNs and doctors and coordinate care through telephone and the internet. You basically set everything up, make sure the most efficient care is being offered, and see that the patient receives proper care through all of their treatment. You work to organize care, advocate for your patient, and correspond between doctors and family.

According to PayScale, Nurse Case Managers typically earn $70,000 per year.

3. Medical Director

A medical director is a physician who gives guidance, provides leadership and oversees the practice of caregivers in an area. They direct treatment and create protocols for treatment for other physicians and care providers.

Now, they this is one of the big telecommuting jobs in healthcare because the internet and networking systems allow doctors to correspond and create treatment protocols for different facilities in an area. Now, tenured, well-practiced doctors can move into a more administrative role where they can organize and create systems over a whole area of hospitals.

Doctors can move into roles where they can develop systems and help other caregivers grow professionally and help hospitals become better care centers through their programs and systems. It's great for any M.D. who loves to organize, create, correspond, and lead. Through a medical director's initiatives, policies are unstated and treatment protocols improve. It's a ton of responsibility, but it makes great money (about 252,000 on average) and the job can be done from home.

According to PayScale, Medical Directors typically earn $209,000 per year.

4. Medical Coder

Medical coders have a strong inclination toward math and numbers. They mostly perform administrative tasks, which is why they can do this job from their homes. They usually take care of billing and process medical claims. These claims are then sent to billing offices and insurance companies. This is definitely a job better done at home.

Sometimes, medical coders must interact with nurses, doctors, and other healthcare providers to get additional information about medical claims, but mostly they just work off the numbers and facts submitted to them. They do have to contact insurance companies, which could probably be a pain, but it's all in the day of a medical coder. It's definitely one of the best telecommuting jobs if you want to do a task and not be bothered by too many people and chill out at home while you work.

Medical Coders typically earn $36,000 per year, and have an hourly wage of $17.26.

5. Pharmaceutical Representative

As a pharmaceutical representative, you definitely work outside of an office, but you usually go to hospitals and care facilities to meet with physicians and provide drug info and samples. Your purpose is to try to establish sales and a business relationship with doctors in a certain territory. Pharmaceutical reps also monitor prescribing patterns and see what kind of meds are pushed in a certain geographical area.

But, it beats working in one specific location. And pharmaceutical reps usually make pretty good money — especially if they push a popular drug. They do usually get a company car and have a home-based office. But most of their time is definitely spent out in the field meeting with care providers.

According to Glassdoor, Pharmaceutical Representatives typically earn $66,000 per year.

6. Research Scientist

A research scientist primarily gathers information and compiles research. They benefit the medical and scientific community by studying and doing research on a number of medical problems. Although they work in labs, some have home labs and many do field research. Both of these aspects makes this an atypical 9-5 job.

Research scientists, for the medical community, create experiments that are approved and funded by an interested organization. They usually publish their findings and do a number of things in academia. They should be ready to travel a lot with this job and work in the field. Although they don't usually work out of an office in your typical 9-5, they still work long hours, and can work at irregular times. Much of what they do is very autonomous, though, and provides many interesting opportunities for them.

According to PayScale, Research Scientists typically earn $78,000 per year.

7. Home Based Physician

Yes, there are home-based physicians. With all the new medical apps and monitoring software we have, some physicians work from home, consulting over the internet and monitoring patients. They correspond over the phone with other healthcare providers, patients, and the patient families. They are licensed, registered physicians who have all the power and autonomy of their facility-practicing counterparts, except they don't have to see patients face-to-face.

Sometimes these physicians travel to other care facilities to consult, or even meet with the patients at their home. They usually have to work within the boundaries set by a healthcare network, but they do have certain freedoms other doctors don't. Of course, they must meet HIPAA regulations and can only offer advice over the internet. There are shifting rules and policies, so in some states you can get prescriptions from online doctors, but in some instances, you can't get them remotely or outside of the state where that doctor practices.

We have pushed into unchartered territory, so basically the medical community is learning as it goes with this one. Policies change every year, and as the practice increases, who knows what will be allowed and what won't.

According to Glassdoor, Home-Based Physicians or House-Call Physicians typically earn $137,000 per year.

8. Patient Advocate

Patient advocates support and promote patients' rights as they navigate the healthcare system. They can work in hospitals, independent for-profit facilities, or from home. They usually consult with patients over the phone and help them with their problems in the healthcare system. Some patient advocates focus in one specific area, so they can help those patients through the process in an area they know best. For instance, a cancer patient advocate will know all the connections and best routes for patients with cancer.

They usually work with their patients over the phone and the internet and contact their resources in the same way. Sometimes they interact directly with care providers and patients and monitor progress along the way. Patient advocates are a patient's direct personal care facilitator. Usually, patients with terminal and acute illnesses have patient advocates because their care can be super convoluted and have many obstacles.

According to Glassdoor, Patient Advocates typically earn $33,000 per year.

9. Medical Transcriptionist

Medical transcriptionists transcribe (write) medical records and doctor notes. They have the task of listening to audio files of notes and documenting them in words. They also write and document medical records. This usually involves them deciphering medical jargon and compiling notes and other things into readable, organized medical records. They can transcribe patient histories, evaluations, physical reports, clinic notes, discharge papers, and prescription history.

They usually work from home because they get all these files electronically and do not need to be in an office to transcribe them. They do need to type very fast and have a high knowledge of medical vocabulary. Many transcriptionists can work for many doctors and can basically act as an independent worker where they can get a ton of work. There are a ton of freelance medical transcriptionist jobs, and if you are good at it, you can make a lot of money.

Medical Transcriptionists typically earn $35,000 per year, and earn $16.71 per hour.

10. Telephone Triage Nurse

Telephone triage nurses (TTN) have many responsibilities. It is probably one of the more demanding telecommuting jobs. You're not just going to be answering phone calls and giving healthcare advice. A TTN has to assess a patient's health condition and concerns without seeing them in person, so they must use all the knowledge and prior experience they can to give the most accurate advice. They must be able to easily convey information effectively and make the patient understand what they say.

Triage nurses usually take calls from people who call after hours or who can't get ahold of their primary doctor. These nurses give the patient the best advice they can on what they should do about their symptoms and tell them if they need to go to the emergency room. This is definitely a work-from-home job because all you really need is your advanced medical knowledge and a phone. You probably will be contacted at night since most people call after-hours, but it's okay because you can, at least, lie in bed while you answer their questions.

According to PayScale, Telephone Triage Nurses typically earn $45,000 per year.

11. Nurse Educator

Nurse educators are responsible for helping drive the future of the healthcare industry. These critical healthcare professionals help educate the future nursing workforce. As individuals constantly seek new ways to obtain an education at their convenience, online education has been steadily growing to accommodate these individuals and students. Nurse Educators are needed to help educate the students in a variety of ways using new tools that are critical to online learning, e-learning, or distance learning programs.

Nurse Educators are also responsible for helping provide guidance to education administrators who need to map out what their education pathway should look like for their students to help prepare them for the real world once they graduate. Nurse Educators are also used as consultants to provide administrative aid in developing education textbooks and educational materials for use by other healthcare educators and professionals.

Nurse Educators typically earn $83,000 per year, and earn $39.92 per hour.

12. Human Resource Manager

Human Resource Managers are a fantastic job for individuals to consider when working remotely or telecommuting. Human Resource Managers are responsible for helping coordinate all of the inner-workings of HR departments by planning and developing the hiring and training plans for employees in a hospital or healthcare organization. Human Resource Managers are also responsible for managing and monitoring employee pay plans, employee monitoring, and legal compliance.

Human Resource Managers are also responsible for providing guidelines as it relates to employee-employer interactions. Human Resource Managers can work from home because most of the communication is through electronic mediums, and all the paperwork and employee tracking is done through software or web applications.

According to PayScale, Human Resource Managers typically earn $65,000 per year.

13. Healthcare and Medical Recruiter

Healthcare Recruiters and Medical Recruiters are responsible for finding and hiring the talented healthcare professionals that make up the backbone of the healthcare industry. Healthcare and Medical Recruiters are responsible for posting open jobs online, screening candidates, reviewing resumes, interviewing potential candidates, and then ultimately negotiating their salaries to hire them.

Recruiters are an important aspect of the healthcare industry because they take a lot of the burden off of the healthcare industry when it comes to finding the right talent. So much of the candidate review and selection process is done over the phone or through email connections. This is why this role is a perfect opportunity for those individuals who want to work remotely.

According to Glassdoor, Healthcare Recruiters typically earn $51,000 per year.

14. Medical Writer

Medical Writers help educate both current and future individuals in the healthcare industry. As an example, healthcare job seekers might want to learn more about what their future career entails, so they look for articles about the job they’re applying to. Another example is when a healthcare professional needs to learn about a new batch of research that will affect their daily routine.

Medical Writers help disseminate information to individuals who need to learn about some of the technical science behind the healthcare industry. Because writers don’t need to be in a physical location to do their job, becoming a writer is a great option for those individuals who want to use their creative skills.

Medical Writers focus on breaking down information and difficult concepts into understandable written segments. In addition, hospitals and healthcare facilities might use a Medical Writer to engage and connect with their patients and help educate their patients on healthy living choices.

According to Glassdoor, Medical Writers typically earn $80,000 per year.

15. Insurance Coordinator

One of the most frustrating things and difficult things to deal with as a patient in the healthcare industry is evaluating whether or not your insurance provider is going to cover the bulk of your medical and healthcare costs. To combat this, the healthcare industry is constantly seeking new professionals who can act as a liaison for healthcare insurance providers, healthcare organizations, and patients.

If you don’t mind interacting with others over the phone and coordinating important and confidential details, then this telecommuting job in the healthcare industry is for you.

According to PayScale, Insurance Coordinators typically earn $40,000 per year.

16. Clinical Program Manager

The Clinical Program Manager is responsible for development and maintenance of positive clinical initiatives and programs in the healthcare facility. Clinical Program Managers are responsible for helping clinical healthcare professionals improve patient outcomes, and education of the patient community. Clinical Program Managers are also responsible for managing their clinical professionals who directly implement the programs that they develop.

According to Glassdoor, Clinical Program Managers typically earn $88,000 per year.

17. Patient Services Representative

Patient Service Representatives help coordinate between patients and medical professionals. One example is that PSRs help coordinate patient appointments, medical appointment reminder phone calls and discussions, financial charge processing, and maintaining patient data. In addition, PSRs are responsible for interacting with patients to ensure that they are doing well after they’ve received care, that they are ready to follow-up with their medical appointment when the time comes, and any questions that they might have get answered promptly.

Patient Service Representatives are also responsible for assisting the patient with any questions they might have as it relates to filling out various medical forms, insurance forms, or payment forms that they have to complete.

According to Salary.com, Patient Services Representatives typically earn $46,000 per year.

18. Legal Consultant

The healthcare industry constantly needs Legal Consultants who can provide guidance to some of the more complex healthcare issues that pop up. There are going to be legal issues in terms of disclosure information, payment problems, new research methods, new medical devices, and more. In addition, the healthcare industry desperately needs Legal Consultants who are able to educate patients regarding certain questions they might have.

Legal Consultants are a great job to pursue remotely because they rarely need to interact with others. In the event they do, it is usually a phone call conversation or written correspondence. Most of the time Legal Consultants will come up with legal documentation that will be used for various resources or initiatives.

According to PayScale, Legal Consultants typically earn $87,000 per year.

With any of these jobs, you need to have the proper credentials and know what you are doing. Just because you can do them from home doesn't mean they are easy. Doing some jobs from home just takes a little of the sting out of working, so it's nice to have the option. Plus, freelancers and internet based companies are booming at the moment. These telecommuting jobs are great for people that want a little freedom of location in their lives and that are self-motivated. For other people, they need an office and structure but for people that want independence and who are self-starters, working a telecommute job has it's perks.

( Article / Content Updated 2019 )