5 flexible jobs that pay well according to kerry hannon

QUALIFICATIONS: Job descriptions typically call for experience in customer care or technical support. But think broadly when you apply. You might make your time working in a retail store, as

a bank teller or in sales count as qualifying experience. Typically, an online test and a phone interview are required. Background, drug and credit checks are standard. Employers may offer

paid training sessions. 3. MEDICAL RECORDS ADMINISTRATOR THE NITTY-GRITTY: As hospitals, nursing care facilities and old-fashioned doctors’ offices say farewell to stacks of paper in favor

of electronic records, there’s a soaring demand for workers who are at ease with computerese. The work entails making digital files out of such things such as physicians’ scribbled notes

about patient visits, surgical procedures and test results. A hot specialty: coding. Medical coders convert a doctor’s report of, say, an injury and procedures performed, into numeric and

alphanumeric codes to create a claim for insurance reimbursement. Medical coder/remote coder and coding auditor/reviewer are some common flexible job titles in this category. PAY RANGE: 

$11.79 to $25.82 per hour, according to PayScale. QUALIFICATIONS: A high school diploma or experience in a health care setting are enough to qualify you for some positions. But for most

jobs, you’ll probably need an associate degree in health information technology from a technical or community college. Online courses are available, too. Coursework covers such things as

medical terminology, anatomy and database security. Passing a certifying examination is not always required, but employers often prefer it. The American Health Information Management

Association offers a certificate. The American Academy of Professional Coders can give you coding credentials, while the Board of Medical Specialty Coding and Compliance and the Professional

Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists provide credentialing in specialty coding.  4. TRANSLATOR-INTERPRETER THE NITTY-GRITTY: You may brag that you’re fluent in a second language,

but are you really? It’s easy to get rusty. Languages evolve, and being in sync with contemporary terms and slang is essential. If you’re going to be a Spanish translator or interpreter, for

example, you need to know the difference between Spanish spoken in Spain and what’s spoken in Mexico or Puerto Rico. Interpreters deal with spoken words. They are the go-betweens for two

parties, such as doctor and patient, client and lawyer, and speaker and audience. Translators work with written words, possibly on a computer with files they transmit back and forth. Spanish

is the most in-demand language, but there is growing need for languages such as Arabic and Mandarin. PAY RANGE: $11.74 to $39.09 an hour, according to PayScale. Depending on assignment and

expertise, pay can top $100 an hour.