Portable Career Ideas for Military Spouses

Guest Contributor & MilSpouse, Allison Hester

As a military spouse, frequent moves often mean leaving your job behind, adding to the stress of a military relocation. Remote work has made it easier than ever to find a career you can take with you anywhere, and separately, federal and state changes over the past few years have made it easier to keep a licensed career portable, too. Here is what a portable career can look like, and the resources that help you build one.

Remote and Location-Independent Work

• Writing, Editing, and Proofreading: As a writer, I have worked remotely for 20+ years. Jobs vary from highly skilled projects to simply responding to emails, and opportunities range from freelance to full-time remote with benefits.

• Graphic Design, Photography, Video Editing, and Web Design: Do you have an eye for art? Businesses often need assistance with websites, design, and photo/video editing. Photography can be a bit harder to do full-time, but an online portfolio and a little marketing can work wonders. You can also submit your work to stock photography sites; the commissions are small, but they can provide residual income and exposure for your portfolio.

• Marketing: The growth of social media, blogs, and email has created an increased need for companies big and small to keep up with marketing, and many companies are looking for military spouses to fill those gaps.

• Education: Whether you are a full-time teacher, a substitute, or a tutor, the world needs educators, and a lot of teaching roles these days can be done remotely. Not an experienced teacher? Several online programs are looking for people to teach English as a second language classes. Check out sites such as Outschool and Cambly to learn more.

• Transcribers and Translators: Can you type fast and accurately? Companies need help transcribing recordings onto paper, and again, the work is remote. If you know two or more languages, you are a hot commodity for companies that need materials translated into another language.

• Bookkeepers: Are you a stickler for checks and balances? Many small companies need help with their books. Unlike accountants, bookkeepers do not require certifications or licenses and can easily manage books for out-of-state companies.

• Virtual Assistants (VA): If you are organized and computer savvy, there are plenty of companies that need help with various administrative duties but do not have a physical office. This is where a Virtual Assistant can help, and the work is remote.

• Customer Service: Big companies need large numbers of customer service agents, and many of these roles can be done from home.

Keep in mind that in addition to remote work, many large companies have facilities across the nation (and globe), which can make it easier to do the same type of work for the same corporation, only in a different location. Some employers actively recruit military spouses for this reason. Our guide to companies hiring Veterans and military spouses has a starting list.

Licensed Careers Are Getting More Portable, Too

Remote work is not the only path. If your career requires a state license (nursing, teaching, counseling, cosmetology, real estate, and dozens of others), you now have more protection than spouses had a few years ago. Under 10 U.S.C. § 1784, federal law now supports license portability for military spouses moving on PCS orders when a state license does not already transfer through some other agreement, and most states have their own expedited licensure laws for military spouses on top of that. Separately, interstate compacts, agreements between states that recognize each other’s licenses directly, now cover a growing list of professions, with nursing, teaching, and psychology among the professions where a compact license is most likely to already work in your new state.

The catch is that these laws are still new enough that not every state licensing board applies them the same way, and if a compact already covers your profession in your new state, the federal portability law generally does not apply on top of it, since you are supposed to use the compact instead. Before you PCS, contact your state licensing board directly, ask specifically whether your license transfers automatically, through an interstate compact, or requires an application under the state’s military spouse portability law, and get the answer in writing if you can. Military OneSource’s licensure transfer guide is a good starting point for checking your specific field and state.

Need Help Building Your Skills or Finding a Job?

Qualifying Military Spouses can apply for the MyCAA scholarship, recently rebranded as the SpouseWorks Scholarship, which provides eligible spouses of active duty, Guard, and Reserve members up to $4,000 in financial assistance. The scholarship can be used toward various educational or licensing needs to help gain employment in a portable field. See our full guide to the MyCAA scholarship for eligibility details and how to apply.

If entrepreneurship is more your speed than a license or a remote job, our guide for military spouse entrepreneurs covers location, funding, and the practical side of running a business through PCS moves.

If you are looking for remote work, sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Indeed can help you find opportunities. LinkedIn is a good place to provide information about your skills and let people know you are looking for work. LinkedIn Premium is offered free for one year to the military community. Finally, to learn more about portable career resources for military spouses, check out the resources on Military OneSource.

Also, be sure to sign up for The Edge to access free employment resources like a resume analysis and consultation and a job search tool. The Edge is an online financial wellness platform offering interactive tools, personalized tips, webinars, and more. It is offered exclusively to the military community, and it is free.

About the Author

Allison Hester has been a Military Spouse for 25 years. Her husband, Michael, is full-time in the National Guard and spent two, year-long tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, starting when their two children were toddlers. Allison has been a professional freelance writer and graphic designer for 23 years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the federal spouse licensure law cover every profession?

No. It applies when your profession does not already have an interstate compact covering your new state, and it is not automatic; you generally still have to apply through the new state’s board and show your PCS orders and your current license. Law licenses are handled separately and are not covered the same way.

What if my new state has not adopted a compact for my profession yet?

Ask the state board whether it has its own expedited or temporary licensure process for military spouses. Most states have adopted some version of this even outside the compact system, though the waiting period and paperwork vary.

Can I use MyCAA and a state licensure portability law at the same time?

Yes. MyCAA funds the cost of getting or maintaining a license, certification, or degree. The portability laws are about whether the license you already hold, or the one you are working toward, transfers to your next duty station. They solve different problems and often work together.

The Bottom Line

A portable career takes some planning, but between remote work, a growing list of interstate licensure compacts, state-level spouse portability laws, and scholarships like MyCAA, spouses have more real options than they did even a few years ago. Start by checking whether your specific license already transfers, and lean on The Edge and MyCAA for the resources to build a career that survives the next set of orders.

This article is general education, not individualized financial advice. Your situation is your own, and a decision this size deserves a conversation with someone who knows the details.