Missouri is a naturally beautiful state with a promising economy and rich cultural diversity. Its position in the southern midwest provides beautiful weather year-round without sacrificing the gorgeous seasonal changes. There’s something to offer for everyone in Missouri, from rural farmland to bustling city life.
It’s also a popular destination for families. If you’re planning a move to Missouri or are looking to transition to a family-friendly career, there are plenty of popular, in-demand options to choose from for people of all educational backgrounds.
Real Estate
While Missouri isn’t the most popular place to live in the United States, the economy is thriving, and it’s a great place to raise a family. Many families are looking to move to Missouri, enjoying the proximity of urban areas like St. Louis and Kansas City while still enjoying the privacy of rural living.
In Missouri, property values have risen 5% from 2022 to 2023 alone. The real estate industry also offers a wide variety of careers, from agents to lenders to housing inspectors. Real estate investors can earn rental income while mostly working from home, which is ideal for those focused on family life.
Telehealth Nursing
Nursing is one of the most popular career choices in Missouri, and despite its popularity, the role is constantly in demand. In-person nursing often involves lengthy, demanding shifts, but it can be a great career choice for parents in the telehealth sector. Remote roles like telehealth nursing can help you balance childcare and family life while still earning a significant income. Nurses will help patients prepare for their physician consultations through webcam appointments.
Management
Managers often have a flexible schedule despite the wide range of responsibilities the job brings, making it a great choice for those who want to prioritize family life. As a bonus, management roles in Missouri do not require formal education in most industries if you’ve got applicable job experience.
As a manager, you’ll oversee employees to ensure businesses and tasks are operating successfully. There are usually plenty of opportunities for restaurant or grocery managers, but they’re needed in virtually every niche or industry.
Sales
A salesperson will use their people skills to help customers through the purchase process. Car salespeople or real estate agents are common roles, especially in urban Missouri, but you can become a salesperson for practically any niche or industry. Salespeople often earn income on a commission-type salary, so if you’re great at what you do, you won’t have to work long hours at all. You can make great money while still having plenty of time to raise your kids.
Stocking
Stocking isn’t an easy job; it requires a lot of manual labor and mobility skills. However, if you’ve got the capability, these roles typically don’t need a formal degree. You can make a lot of money as a stocker, especially if you work overnight shifts. Night stocking roles can help you be there for your child through most of the day, and you can catch up on sleep during school hours. Stockers are one of the most popular labor jobs in Missouri.
Occupational Therapy
Many people who are disabled, injured, or recovering from surgery need to relearn how to perform daily activities like bathing, dressing, typing, or cooking. Occupational therapists work with patients to improve motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and other tasks that allow them to live and move more independently.
Missouri has seen a high increase in popularity and demand for occupational therapists, and many have started their own practices. You can choose your patients and schedule as an occupational therapist so you can focus on family life as well.
Software and Website Development
The need for software and website development is only growing; as the world steadily transitions to the digital world, new software, websites, and applications are constantly being created. While software developers do need formal training, these degrees pay off quickly. Salaries are often high, and Missouri needs a lot of software developers to fill the demand. Software development is a remote-friendly career, meaning you can work from home while managing your kids.
Information Technology
Information technology (IT) refers to managing and fixing computers, software, networks, and digital data. Software development is only a small sector of the broad field of information technology. IT is another industry that is incredibly popular and ideal for people with families in Missouri. Most roles, like software developers, are remote-friendly. Salaries are often very competitive.
As an IT specialist, you’ll fix internet connection issues, troubleshoot computer processes, and manage cloud data. You can also help mitigate cybersecurity risks. While software and web development is the most popular sector in Missouri, all information technology roles will be easy to find in the state.
Human Resources
Most human resources (HR) careers are remote-friendly or won’t require a lot of time in an office. Human resources help manage and support employees through onboarding, training, and, in general, daily life. They also help resolve any conflicts or issues during an employee’s time at a company.
HR managers can expect to help employees resolve problems, interview potential candidates, and act as mediators between employees and upper management. HR roles are steady, competitive, and family-friendly.
Conclusion
There are tons of popular careers in Missouri that can help you support and raise your family. In general, a family-friendly career won’t have long, demanding shifts. You’ll want to be able to schedule time off with little notice, ideally paid, in any role. You shouldn’t have a lot of job stress to carry home with you, as parenting is another full-time job! While this list isn’t exhaustive, these are some of the most popular types of careers Missourians of all backgrounds enjoy while parenting.
