Chances are that when you started your career, you weren’t thinking much about your lifestyle goals. But it’s never too late to make your work fit your life, instead of the other way around.
Here are five lifestyle goals you might be targeting, with several careers that fit them.
1. More Time With Family
Maybe you’re looking to spend more time with your children. After all, missing a child’s game or milestone can be difficult—and unfortunately, it’s often because of work.
Many hourly-paid positions contain shift hours that allow you to work around your kids’ or spouse’s schedule.
Other family-friendly occupations include work-at-home positions like freelance writing, customer service support, or IT positions. If a career change (and possible pay cut) isn’t in the cards for you, consider talking to your boss about changing your hours—a 10-hour, four-day workweek may be an option. Or maybe your company will allow you to start working from home on a part-time basis.
2. More Money
Tired of being broke and struggling to make ends meet, even though you’re working hard? Consider medicine. For example, as of 2024, surgeons make an average of $442,971 per year.
If becoming a doctor isn’t in the cards for you—maybe you don’t have time to go to medical school—consider becoming a petroleum engineer, which typically requires a master’s degree. The average salary for a petroleum engineer as of 2023 is $135,690.
3. Less Stress
Work can be stressful, no matter what you do for a living. But maybe your job is just too much. Consider a career as an education consultant if your blood pressure rises just a little too high because of your current position.
There are a number of resources that can help you find a low-stress job. For instance, Investopedia has a list of jobs that have little to no stress. The top three are data scientists, dietitians, and medical records technicians.
Keep in mind that everyone’s definition of stress is different and some of us can tolerate much more stress than others. That can certainly affect what type of job you choose.
4. Helping Others
Your job may help you make ends meet, but perhaps there’s something missing. Maybe you’re realizing that you’d really like to help others and make a difference. The healthcare field is one option—you could become a physical therapist, for instance. But you can also look at any other public service job, like firefighter or teacher.
If a complete change of career path is not something you can handle right now, look at volunteering in your free time. Get involved in your community. Sometimes, volunteer positions can turn into paid work—so this may be the next step in your career.
5. Working From Home
Imagine your workday if you work from home. There are no office politics, no traffic jams, and no endless meetings that seem to go nowhere. And if you’d like, you can spend your day in sweatpants.
Consultancy is one job that has consistently allowed people to work from home. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this sector to grow at 11% from 2023 to 2033, which is much faster than average.
What Career Change Should I Consider?
It depends on your lifestyle goals. If you’re looking to spend more time with your family, consider a health care support position, such as a home health or personal care aide. This job is in high demand: it’s expected to increase by 21% between 2023 and 2033, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). With increased demand comes increased flexibility: hourly shift work can be scheduled around family responsibilities.
Is Working from Home Worth It?
For many people, it is. 44% of workers said working from home allows them to accomplish their work goals, including meeting deadlines.
How Many People Work from Home?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 27.6 million people (17.9% of workers) worked remotely between 2019 and 2021. That number tripled from about nine million people or 5.7% of the workforce before the pandemic.
According to the Pew Research Center, 35% of those who can work from home do so all the time.
The Bottom Line
Matching your lifestyle goals to your career is the quickest path to job satisfaction. Look to these career suggestions if you’re ready to change your life for the better—it may mean you’ll be able to go to work with a smile on your face.
