No one needs to tell working moms how hard it can be to juggle kids and a career. With over 70% of moms with kids under 18 in the workforce, it’s no surprise that many colleges and universities are looking to tailor education programs to fit into the busy lives of working parents. Evolving beyond the traditional night school, colleges now offer many degree track options with flexible online courses.
One of the main reasons working moms go back to school is to increase their earning power. Most want to make the eight hours a day they spend at their job pay better so they can spend more of their free time with their families. And who can blame them? Moms only have so many hours in a day, and most would like to have more money to take care of their kids’ needs.
Choosing a new career path is a brave move, and usually requires additional education, but that’s where the flexibility of an online degree works best for working moms. We’ve got a list of four careers with online degree options that are perfect for working parents who want a bigger paycheck.
Human Resources
If you’re a people person with a knack for organization, Human Resources may be the perfect career for you. A bachelor’s degree in Human Resources is the typical education requirement, and is available through several online colleges. Demand for Human Resources workers is steady, and most positions come with excellent benefits. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Human Resources Specialists can expect a median salary of $60,350/year, and Human Resources Managers top that at $110,120/year.
Registered Nurse
Nursing is a great option for working moms because not only can the education be completed online, many nursing jobs offer flexible shifts and sometimes shorter work weeks. Most nursing programs consist of a two year degree followed by a national licensing exam to become an RN. Four year bachelor’s of science degrees are available online as well. The best part about being an RN is that it’s an industry with a lot of job growth and the average salary is $70,000/year.
Software Developer
Software development is a quickly growing field with excellent job prospects. It’s possible to focus your education on a variety of software specialties with many online 2 and 4 year degree options available in information technology, software engineering, computer science, and software applications. This hot field comes with great pay as the median salary is $103,560/year.
Logistics & Supply Chain Operations Management
If you’re a problem solver with good analytical thinking skills who likes to work with people, this may be the career for you! There are many 4 year online degree programs for supply chain management and operations management in this expanding field. Current mean salary is $102,850/year.
