You’re a nerd.
Highly introverted, you don’t do well in crowds, which says a lot about your social skills.
But you’re a computer whizz, having honed your technical skills to a level that baffles most people.
You’re ready to change the world with your skills, but the daily commute to a 9-5 grid, petty office politics, and endless meeting cause a change of heart.
Before you throw your hands up in despair, remember that the Internet of Things is your oyster.
Thanks to pioneers like Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak and the invention of personal computers, introverts and people with social anxiety can have careers that fit their personalities.
By joining the growing freelancer movement, you can launch a successful career right from your living room.
Here are five online tech jobs that will let you build a successful career while working from home.
Artificial Intelligence Developers
This branch of computer science powers the drive to create intelligent machines that can think and work like a human being.
A popular subject in business and technology circles, AI is often seen as the future, but it’s rife in the present.
Artificial intelligence powers many of today’s technologies – think Alexa, Siri, and Watson.
It’s also the power behind Tesla’s and Google’s self-driving cars.
Away from engineering and manufacturing, this technology is invaluable in law, education, business, medical, aviation, and transportation sectors.
Despite the recent great strides, AI technology is still in its infancy, forecasting robust growth in the range of products and applications in the future.
Companies specializing in AI technology often allow telecommuting as it lets them tap into the global talent pool.
You’re likely to earn between $78,000 and $150,000 working in the Artificial Intelligence field.
Virtual Reality Developers
Invented in the 1960s, Virtual Reality is a computing solution that gives the users an immersive 3D visual experience that mimics the real world.
Today, VR technology is applied in many fields, including engineering, design, entertainment, education, training, and even the military.
Since VR adds depth to 2-dimensional objects, it’s instrumental in the education sector, where students can use it to visualize challenging concepts and overcome learning difficulties.
In the health sector, VR lets doctors refine their skills and carry out delicate medical procedures without endangering their patients.
As a VR specialist, you can help clients design, install, and run computer networks that power their VR programs.
You can provide remote technical support to hospitals and ensure that their networks run seamlessly, much to their patients’ delight.
Or you can offer user support services to the non-IT users whenever they need technical assistance.
Most VR roles lend themselves to telecommuting, letting you work from any location you choose once you’re hired as a VR specialist.
You’re likely to make between $76,000 and $122,000 in this role.
Blockchain Developers
Blockchain technology is mostly renowned as the power behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
However, this disruptive technology is making headway in many business sectors while aiming to change the world for the better.
Blockchain technology runs on a decentralized, tamperproof global computer network to encourage transparency while minimizing transaction costs.
This technology is rapidly being adopted in industries that use smart contracts such as real estate, financial institutions, insurance, entertainment, law, and construction.
It’s also proving to be invaluable in asset protection, supply chain management, payment processing, and personal identification.
Blockchain developers design systems and web apps, develop and optimize protocols, and smart contracts that run on the blockchain technology.
You can work as a core blockchain developer or a software developer, both of which lend themselves to telecommuting.
Blockchain developers take home between $150,000 and $175,000.
Data Scientist
As the name suggests, data scientists study and analyze data, which lets them uncover insights, patterns, and trends.
Data science revolves around developing ways to store, record, manipulate, and analyze data to unveil the underlying information.
Data Scientists help businesses make sense of the Big Data they collect from their clients and customers to improve their products and service delivery.
Companies rely on data scientists to help them uncover ways to grow their sales, increases customer satisfaction, and gain an edge on the market.
More than analyzing data, data scientists build predictive models about business performance, revenue generation, and customer retention.
They also work closely with data engineers to design dashboards showing the performance of the various departments in the company.
You can work as a data analyst, data engineer, or a machine learning engineer in this line of work.
Data Scientists earn between $66,000 and $134,000
Cybersecurity Engineers
Probably one of the hottest jobs in information security today, cybersecurity engineers are in high demand.
Cybersecurity engineers are information security experts who safeguard a company’s data, computer system, and private information.
They design, develop, and implement security systems to defend networks and websites against hackers and cyberattacks.
As a cybersecurity engineer, you’ll carry out numerous penetration tests on computer systems and networks as you probe them for weakness.
You will often go up against hackers trying to access the network you control, albeit from the safety and comfort of your home.
Cybersecurity engineers take home a salary between $64,000 and $136,000.
Make the Internet of Things Your Oyster
As computing technology becomes a mainstay, the tech job landscape will remain replete with lucrative opportunities.
However, each job opening pits you against the best talents from across the globe in a winner takes all job environment.
In addition to honing your tech skills to an art form, you have an ace in your sleeve to tower over other formidable opponents during the job search.
Coupling your technical know-how with an in-demand skill such as copywriting gives you that edge.
These skills can be learned from the comfort of your home through online learning platforms. Give yourself an advantage over the competitions by enrolling in classes that are designed to help grow your online career.
As a technical copywriter, you can translate the dull, sleep-inducing technical jargon into compelling marketing stories that resonate with the target audience.
That outrightly earmarks you as a valuable asset as you can help the company explain how their product works as well as craft compelling marketing messages.