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More than 90% of art directors and CEOs work at their own pace – here are other important positions for a self-paced work style
CEO leading the corporate team in the boardroom.
It’s the most desirable thing a job can offer workers today: the ability to get work done anywhere, anytime.
Numerous worker surveys conducted since the pandemic forced employers to shift to remote work practices bear this out. In one conducted by Citrix as part of its plan to assess what the future of work will look like in 2035 for so-called knowledge workers, 88% of employees they said they were looking for total flexibility.
Using 2022 Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, click ranked the top 15 jobs to work at your own pace. Occupations are ranked by the proportion of workers who say their workload is self-paced, and are the best jobs out of more than 150 occupations with available data.
Only about 17% of civilian workers across the country said they are in control of the pace of their workload, the BLS data shows. The BLS data also highlights that workers in managerial roles report the most flexibility.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, CEOs rank high in the jobs that report having the most self-paced jobs. When you make decisions from the top of an organization, chances are your workday isn’t audited by someone looking over your shoulder.
What may be more intriguing to grassroots knowledge workers is that a decent share of public relations managers and those who work in emergency management report similar levels of control over their schedules, despite working in jobs that often They often respond to crises.
Read on to see if your own role is reflected in those who report the most flexibility in their work.
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#fifteen. marketing managers
A marketing manager at work.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 76.2%
– Total employment nationwide: 278,690 (1.98 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $135,030 ($64.92 per hour)
A marketing manager oversees teams that plan and deliver marketing campaigns that convince people to buy their company’s products or services. The advent of digital marketing and automation has made it possible for the industry to work odd hours and set up campaigns ahead of time.
fizkes // Shutterstock
#14. Compensation and benefits managers
Two people review documents in front of a laptop.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 77.6%
– Total employment nationwide: 15,330 (0.11 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $127,530 ($61.31 per hour)
Pay and benefits managers are human resource professionals who partner with health plans and third-party providers to help pay employees on time and provide them with attractive benefits. Entire software packages that automate aspects of this job, such as Workday, Gusto, and Paycom, have successfully saturated the US employer market.
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#13. Computer and information systems managers
Two technicians examine a server.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 78.1%
– Total employment nationwide: 485,190 (3.44 per 1,000 jobs)
– Average annual pay: $159,010 ($76.45 per hour)
Computer and information systems managers work as translators between the technically minded computer engineers within an organization and the less technical business leaders. They explore options for investment decisions in new technologies and help various business stakeholders successfully communicate about complex issues.
Stockkete // Shutterstock
#12. archivists
Two hands sort files in a filing cabinet.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 78.4%
– Total employment nationwide: 6,120 (0.04 per 1,000 jobs)
– Average annual salary: $60,050 ($28.87 per hour)
Archivists work in public and private sector organizations collecting and documenting valuable information before efficiently storing it for future use. These are not management positions and pay less than other roles in which workers report the ability to work at their own pace.
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#eleven. Training and development managers
A woman in front of a blackboard addresses a small group.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 78.7%
– Total employment nationwide: 35,830 (0.25 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $120,130 ($57.76 per hour)
L&D managers help colleagues learn new skills and hone old ones. These are critical positions in modern companies, which have done a lot of hiring in recent years as workers scramble for jobs looking to develop new skills and better themselves.
Images of business monkeys // Shutterstock
#10. Political Science Teachers, Post-Secondary
A man addresses a group of students.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 79.1%
– Total employment nationwide: 14,060 (0.10 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $81,980 (Hourly rate not available)
Some teaching roles, including college and university political science professors, report high levels of self-paced work. They are among the lowest paying jobs in this self-paced working cohort. Political science professor roles are also rarer than positions such as computer and information systems administration professional or marketing manager.
canvas
#9. curators
Two women shake hands in front of an oil painting.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 79.4%
– Total employment nationwide: 11,030 (0.08 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $60,110 ($28.90 per hour)
Curators work to obtain and present important pieces of art and other belongings for organizations. They can work in an art or history museum and not be administrators.
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#8. natural science managers
A person collects a sample of water from a pond.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 80.6%
– Total employment nationwide: 74,760 (0.53 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $137,900 ($66.30 per hour)
Natural science managers are the supervisors who oversee the work of scientists. They help workers navigate research and theory testing.
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#7. Emergency Management Directors
An emergency technician speaks on a walkie-talkie.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 80.9%
– Total employment nationwide: 10,320 (0.07 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $76,730 ($36.89 per hour)
Emergency Management Directors have played a pivotal role in society in recent years as no part of the US was unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They plan and oversee the deployment of relief services and disaster mitigation efforts after storms, accidents, shootings, and other disasters.
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#6. public relations managers
A woman takes notes while talking on the phone.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 81.7%
– Total employment nationwide: 59,850 (0.43 per 1,000 jobs)
– Average annual pay: $125,780 ($60.47 per hour)
Public relations managers are the crisis response arm of most public and private organizations. These professionals also work to craft a message to the public that will help the business sell more goods and services.
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
#5. Economics Teachers, Post-Secondary
A hand writing numbers on a blackboard.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 82.3%
– Total employment nationwide: 11,790 (0.08 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $104,940 (Hourly rate not available)
Like political science professors, there are fewer college economics professors than other self-paced jobs that fall into this ranking. These workers also have higher median annual earnings.
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#4. Urban and regional planners
A man stands on the balcony of an office building reviewing blueprints.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 83.5%
– Total employment nationwide: 38,940 (0.28 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $78,500 ($37.74 per hour)
City and regional planners often work to bridge the public and private sectors, communicating with private developers about land use and construction projects.
Roman Samborskii // Shutterstock
#3. Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
A woman checks coding on a laptop and monitor.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 86.7%
– Total employment nationwide: 190,120 (1.35 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $98,220 ($47.22 per hour)
Software and QA analysts and testers test the software people use at work and at home and the video games people rely on for entertainment. These workers look for defects in the code and fix them so that programs run smoothly.
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
#2. chief executives
A woman looks out the window of an office building.
– Percentage who say that their work is at their own pace: 90.2%
– Total employment nationwide: 200,480 (1.42 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $179,520 ($86.31 per hour)
Surprise, surprise: Your CEO is likely to set his own work hours. It can be long hours, but CEOs report the second most flexibility in their work hours and location.
www.rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
#1. art directors
A woman looks at a computer screen on the set of a photo shoot.
– Percentage who say their work is self-paced: 91%
– Total employment nationwide: 42,080 (0.30 per 1,000 jobs)
– Median annual salary: $100,890 ($48.51 per hour)
Art directors report maximum freedom in working conditions. These professionals hold coveted positions at the top of entertainment, marketing, advertising, and other creative enterprises.
This story originally appeared on ClickUp and was produced and
distributed in association with Stacker Studio.
