Whether you are looking to supplement retirement income, for a side gig or a job with flexibility to work anytime and anywhere, an online job from home may be your answer. Here are a few of the best online jobs that allow you to work remotely.
With a laptop and a good Wi-Fi connection, it is easier than ever to make money without having to commute to an office each day. Although some online job opportunities can be scams at worst or pay poorly at best, there are great opportunities to supplement your income while working from home.
Tutoring/Teaching Online
Best for: Former or current teachers, those with an education background or special knowledge or skills
Average pay: $13-$20/hr.
If you have a background in education or have special talents (such as playing an instrument or knowing a foreign language), there are opportunities to supplement your income without leaving home through teaching or tutoring online. Requirements are a good internet connection and access to Zoom, Skype or other video conferencing services.
How to get started – Promoting yourself to local schools and colleges. Many community colleges offer extension courses online and are often looking for part-time instructors. VIP-KID is a for-profit company that actively seeks individuals to teach English to Chinese children. In addition, check out Wyant, Tutor.com, QKids and Revolution Prep.
Transcriptionist
Best for: Those with good keyboarding skills, medical or legal background
Average pay: $15-$30 /hr.
If you have good typing speed, knowledge of punctuation and good listening skills, you can make money as a medical or legal transcriptionist, listening to voice recordings that physicians or attorneys make and converting them into written reports.
How to get started: For those without a background in the field, there are six to twelve month courses you can take to learn the basics. Also check out Tigerfish, QuickTate, Birch Creek and Kendall Creek Communications as well as Craigslist.
Genealogist
Best for: Those interested in history with good research skills
Average pay: Varies per job
With the current interest in sites such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe, there is a renewed demand for individuals that can trace family trees and conduct family history research.
How to get started: Reach out to your local genealogical society or advertise your services on Craigslist or at community events.
Online Jobs for the Tech Savvy
Best for: Those comfortable with using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and search engines
Average pay: $12-$40 per hr.
There are many work-from-home opportunities for the computer savvy.
Search Engine Evaluators clean up search engines such as Google, Yahoo or Bing by looking at search results and offering feedback on quality, accuracy and usefulness of sites. You can find search engine evaluator jobs through Appen or Lionbridge.
Social Media Managers are paid to handle a business’ social media accounts. Qualifications would be a familiarly and competence with using Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. To get started, seek out small businesses you patronize whose owners are too busy or not skilled to handle their online presence.
Online Writing Jobs – Freelance Writer/Editor & Niche Blogger
Best for: Anyone with writing/editing skills/background
Average pay: Varies, typically paid per article
For those with writing, research and editing skills, there are opportunities from writing articles for print publications to writing web content to copywriting.
How to get started: Look at smaller magazines and online sites that are more likely to use freelancers and editors and search jobs on Upwork, Contena or Craigslist.
If you are passionate about a topic, such as travel, you can make money as a Niche Blogger. Niche bloggers write pieces about a particular interest and make money by mentioning a product or service with a special tracking link back to that product or service’s site, earning commission when readers click on the link to purchase.
How to get started: Start by building a website through WordPress or Bluehost and building an audience for your blogs through social media
Virtual Recruiter
Best for: Those with background in HR, staffing or with business connections
Average pay: $20-$30/hr.
A virtual recruiter works as a liaison between a company and potential new hires, posting jobs, screening resumes, conducting interviews and negotiating salaries, all from the comfort of home.
How to get started: You can explore opportunities through LinkedIn, Upwork, Simply Hired and Career Builder.
Virtual Assistant
Best for: Individuals with administrative backgrounds, computer and social media skills
Average pay: $10-$20/hr.
Along the lines of a virtual recruiter, virtual assistants do many of the same tasks as administrative or personal assistants such as helping with social media management, website maintenance, data entry and making travel arrangements.
How to find jobs: Visit Zirtual, and VA Networking.
Stay at Home Jobs for Customer Service
Best for: Individuals with good phone skills, fast internet connection and foreign language speakers (for bilingual positions)
Average pay: $17/hr.
Answer customer emails and phone calls and handle chat room queries from home for a variety of companies. Those with computer tech support and/or foreign language speakers can earn more. Jobs are available through LinkedIn, Glassdoor; reaching out to tech, financial services and insurance companies and through Google Search.
In addition to the sites listed above, Google is now making it easier to find work-from-home jobs. When you do a Google search for a job type such as “Customer Service Jobs,” click on the location box at the top, and then select “Location” using the dropdown menu at the top. You will then see a bubble that says “Work from Home.” Click on it and it will filter the results with the applicable jobs being listed with a or the words “Work From Home.”