Telecommuting has come a long way

The demand for tech skills is putting geeks in the driver’s seat without even having to get in their cars.

Telecommuting may be one of the biggest perks for tech-savvy workers as Google, Amazon and Microsoft battle for both the best minds and office space.

Indeed, for some workers this is their time to hit paydirt: a $100,000 annual sal- ary, along with numerous benefits.

FlexJobs, an online employment agency, points to 15 categories of in-demand jobs that may allow a worker to escape the subway.

“It is a common misconception that work-fromhome jobs are scams, or only exist in specific industries like customer service or data entry, and are lowerpaying, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” says Sara Sutton, CEO of FlexJobs.

These jobs, she adds, include titles like head of community marketing, market lead and business development director.

Another employment expert notes, “These professionals do not need to be on-site to perform their job functions, as most of the time they are internet- and cloud-based.” Jason Deneu, Metro Marking Manager for Robert Half, says because work is increasingly remote, firms are recruiting from around the nation.

The applicants for such positions are gaining from current trends, FlexJob officials say. There is suddenly a lot of turnover, due to a tight labor market.

People often quit jobs, Sutton says, because they get better ones.

Still, these elite jobs re- quire a “high level of technical experience,” adds Brie Reynolds, a senior career specialist with FlexJobs.

“In today’s competitive hiring environment, job candidates are looking at more than just salary and bonus — they seek the complete package and place added emphasis on quality of life,” said Paul McDonald, senior executive director for employment agency Robert Half.