11 Flexible Jobs for Working Parents

finally ready to go back to work after your maternity or paternity leave? need a bit of extra income to make ends meet? or maybe you just need some time spent with actual grown-ups. it can be really difficult to find work that matches your experience, pay needs, and schedule conflicts. here are 11 flexible jobs that shouldn’t be too far away from ideal for the working parent.

1. school bus driver

this job still requires you to spend the vast majority of your time with children, but you’ll get a break between the morning and the afternoon runs. all you need is a valid driver’s license and your high school diploma. average annual pay: about $31k.

2. web writer

this job can be as flexible as you want it to be, and the field is very broad. find a kind of writing you like that you're good at—maybe an area where you have some experience. or start a blog! you may need your bachelor’s degree, but you can easily use this job to channel your creative energy. average annual pay: about $47k.

3. marketing assistant

you’ll probably need a bachelor’s degree for this, as well as fantastic project and deadline management skills, but you can harness all that pta and volunteer experience you’ve built up helping your kids’ school and start getting paid for coordinating events! average annual pay: almost $38k.

4. call center rep

it’s not the most glamorous job in the world and some of your callers might be even needier than your kids, but you can sometimes work from home or set a flexible schedule that fits your family’s needs. average annual pay: over $28k.

5. translator/interpreter

you’ll probably need a bachelor’s degree, plus superb communication skills—not just in english, but in multiple languages. but if this is your skill set, you can make your own hours and design a schedule that works best for you. average annual pay: $43-44k.

6. personal trainer

if you haven’t taken a break from the gym the way you have from the workforce and you can pass the necessary licensing tests, then you can make a good amount of money helping other people to get fit. bonus: you’ll get or stay fit yourself. average annual pay: just under $53k.

7. hairdresser/stylist

you’ve been cutting your kids’ hair, and you love chatting to people. add a high school diploma to this, and you’ve got yourself a pretty flexible gig. average annual pay: $23.6k.

8. teacher’s aide

you love education and teaching kids, and you feel you’d work well in a classroom setting, but you don’t want the full time responsibility of being a teacher. you can help out in the classroom, implementing curriculum, helping kids one-on-one, and still not be the one who bears the entire weight of the responsibility. and you’ll be working when your kids are already in school! average annual pay: $20k.

9. web designer

if you have a great eye for design, and lots of experience with computers—possibly also programming languages and a bachelor’s degree, then you can make great money, set your own hours and projects, and do web design as your career. average annual pay: $62.8k.

10. dietitian

you already put so much care into what your family eats (and you’ve done so much research), why not start making money spreading what you’ve learned? you might need a master’s degree for this, but you can choose the setting (educational, clinical, private, etc.) that you prefer to work in and usually set your own schedule. average annual pay: $53k.

11. event planner

with all the skills you have planning birthday parties and family cookouts, this is just the big league equivalent. you’ll probably need a bachelor’s degree, and good attention to both details and deadlines, but if that sort of high stakes (occasionally stressful) environment appeals to you, then you could work in event planning. average annual pay: $55k.