Whether you’re looking to make extra money on the side or pursue full-time employment, working from home may be a great option for you. As our society grows more connected than ever, freelancing has become a popular way to make a living. Fifteen million workers in the United States were self-employed in 2015.
Millions more earn extra money by freelancing. Forbes predicts that by the year 2020, as many as half of all Americans will supplement their income by freelancing. Those people take advantage of online freelancing so that they can generate a side income to compliment their full-time income.
Carrie Nicholson, brand influencer and business blogger at carefulcents.com added on…
“If you enjoy the work you're doing, and find that it's the right business model, you can work towards increasing your side income to the point of eclipsing your day job. If it's not a venture you want to pursue, you can choose another side hustle niche to try and see if that's the best choice for being self-employed. This will allow you to take risks with your career while working for yourself, but still have a regular paycheck to pay the bills.”
She makes it clear. This is the smart way to freelance. If it works out and you do it the right way, it could turn into a full time job, allowing you to follow your passion.
Besides freelancing, you can also find gainful employment from home in an hourly position. While legit online jobs may seem like a pipe dream to some, this guide will show you some of the best work from home jobs available.
Freelance Jobs
Freelancers are workers who don't have ties to a particular employer. Sometimes, freelancers work with a temp agency or a trade association to find employment. Others use websites and marketplaces to find jobs.
For many years, freelancing was most popular in creative fields. While freelancing remains very popular in areas such as writing, editing, and the arts, it has expanded to other areas as well. Today, lawyers, software developers, office managers and more engage in the freelance economy.
There are many benefits to freelancing. Freelancing allows you control over the work you do and who you work for. It also allows you to set your schedule and work from anywhere. This makes freelancing work some of the best part time work from home jobs. Best of all, as a freelancer, you’re the boss! If you’ve spent any time in a more traditional employment role, you know how liberating the idea of being your own boss can be.
At the same time, freelancing isn’t for everyone. A successful freelancer is an expert in time management and budgeting. They have incredibly strong communication skills. They are efficient, goal oriented and persistent. They’re able to strike a strong work/life balance, especially when freelancing full time. Most of all, they’re highly skilled and able to leverage those skills to find fulfilling projects to work on.
Depending on your schedule and the skills and traits you possess, freelancing may be an excellent option for you.
Where To Get Freelance Work
As technology weaves itself further into the fabric of our society, it’s easier than even to find legit work from home jobs. Companies like Upwork, Fiverr, Craigslist, Guru, and Freelancer connect freelancers to practically any type of job you can think of. Many of these companies act as a marketplace where employers can post jobs and accept bids from different freelancers before settling on the best choice for their needs.
Upwork
Upwork acts as a marketplace that connects freelancers with clients.
On Upwork, clients submit information about the project that they have. Next, Upwork matches the client to qualified freelancers who are a strong fit for the job. Clients are also able to browse through profiles of other freelancers as they move through their hiring process. The client can then invite qualified freelancers to submit proposals for the job that they have. At the same time, freelancers can search for jobs and submit proposals to complete the work. From there, the client can review the proposals they’ve received and settle on a freelancer to complete the job.
Once the freelancer completes the work, the client pays for the work, and the freelancer delivers the final product.
A cool feature of Upwork is that it helps you to grow your business.
Freelancers with strong reputations on Upwork enjoy more exposure and recommendations for work.
Upwork charges a sliding fee based on the amount of billable work you’ve done for that client, and it’s quite hefty. Upwork charges 20% of the first $500 you earn from that particular client. Upwork charges a 10% fee on any earnings over $500 but under $10,000. They charge a 5% fee for any earnings over $10,000.
Fiverr
Fiverr is like Upwork in the sense that it’s an online marketplace that connects freelancers with clients. Where it differs from Upwork is that it’s typically used to handle smaller tasks. All the services offered on Fiverr range from between $5 and $500. Most those services cost $5.
On Fiverr, freelancers create profiles that outline the range of skills they possess. The more complete your profile is, the more likely you are to attract new gigs. Each profile on Fiverr includes sections for you to highlight your skills, certifications, educational background, the languages you speak and a description section for you to introduce yourself. You can also link to your website or portfolio.
Once you’ve completed your profile on Fiverr, you’ll outline the different gigs you offer. On Fiverr, a gig is any service you’d be willing to complete for a client. Describe every aspect of the gig in as much detail as possible, so potential clients know if the services you offer will fit their needs. You’ll want to offer a description of the gig you offer, when you will deliver the work, terms for shipping and handling (if you’re providing a tangible product for the client) and whether you offer rush delivery. It’s also helpful to include photos or videos describing the gig, but it’s not required.
One helpful feature on Fiverr is the ability to limit how many orders you’ll accept at any given time. That way, you don't become burdened by more work than you wish to complete.
When you have money in your Fiverr account, you can withdraw the funds to your PayPal account, or you can set up your Fiverr Revenue Card. The Fiverr Revenue Card is a prepaid Mastercard you can use to withdraw the money in your Fiverr account.
It’s important to note that there is a waiting period of 14 days from when you mark an order as completed before you can withdraw funds to your PayPal or Fiverr revenue card. So, for freelancers looking to get paid right away for the work they’ve completed, Fiverr may not be the best option.
Craigslist
Craigslist is essentially the classified section of the internet. Craigslist breaks down into different cities and geographic areas, to make searching the site easier. On Craigslist, you’ll find discussion boards, buy/sell sections, apartment and house listings, personals, community events, jobs, and gigs.
Craigslist can be a goldmine for finding some of the best work at home jobs. To find gigs, you’ll want to head to the appropriate section for your skillset. Craigslist has gig subpages for computer, creative, crew, domestic, event, labor, talent and writing gigs. From there, you can use the search feature to find freelance work that’s best suited to your skills. The search feature is also helpful for coming up with new work from home ideas, as you’re likely to see many opportunities you didn’t even know you could do from home.
While Craigslist can be a great resource for freelancers, it’s important to note that it’s not without its drawbacks. There isn’t much of a vetting process on Craigslist which means that anyone with an account can create a post soliciting freelance work. As a result, Craigslist has its fair share of spam. When using the site, it’s important to know how to vet a potential gig properly. That way, you can be sure you’re not wasting your time on the wrong kinds of gigs.
It can also be easy to get burned on Craigslist by non-paying clients. Unlike marketplaces like Upwork or Fiverr, there’s no recourse for you if you get burned by a shady client. When completing work for clients on Craigslist, it’s always a good idea to have some form of contract, that way you can protect yourself if things go south.
Despite its drawbacks, you can still find plenty of real work from home jobs on Craigslist.
Guru
Like Upwork and Fiverr, freelancers create profiles that outline the types of services that they offer. You can also search available jobs on Guru and submit proposals for work that interests you.
It’s free to post jobs on Guru and it’s also free to create a profile as a freelancer. Guru also offers different monthly membership that provide extra features and perks. Plans range in price from $8.95/mo to $39.95/mo.
When it comes to getting paid, Guru uses a system they call SafePay. Clients pay Guru up front for the work they are contracting. Guru then holds that money in escrow until you complete the job. Once the client approves your work, Guru releases payment to the freelancer.
Guru is an attractive option for freelancers because their fees are very reasonable. Unlike Upwork, which charges freelancers up to 20% of the cost of each job, Guru’s fees range from between about 5-9% of the total cost.
Freelancer
Freelancer is a global freelance marketplace based in Sydney, Australia. Freelancer claims to be the largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace, with over 22 million freelancers and clients located in over 240 countries.
With freelancer, you can create a profile on the site which highlights your skills and experiences. Clients post available jobs and accept proposals from freelancers before selecting a freelancer.
Freelancer also offers the ability for clients to host contests. With a contest, clients receive entries for their product from any interested party on Freelancer. The winner of the contest receives a monetary prize for their work.
Creating a profile on Freelancer is free, and the basic account allows you to make up to 8 proposals per month. You can also buy membership for more benefits and proposal submissions.
Getting paid for your work on Freelancer is similar to getting paid on the other marketplaces, like Guru. Clients pay for completed work upfront, and that money is held in escrow until the client accepts the work.
Freelancer charges 10% of the total amount paid for completed work based on a proposal. Where Freelancer gets a bit dicey is when it comes to their service fees. With your Freelancer account, you’re able to submit a list of different services you’re able to provide, similar to Fiverr. If a client hires you to perform one of the services you’ve listed on your profile, you’ll be subject to a 20% fee of the total sale.
Types Of Freelance Jobs
Writing
Writing has always been one of the most popular types of freelance jobs to do from home. Since the advent of the internet, freelance writing jobs have become even more prevalent.
Most commonly, freelance writers create content for the web. That content includes things like blogs, articles, website copy, product reviews, and compilation lists. Right now, there are nearly one billion websites on the internet. Freelancer's write a great deal of that content.
Creating web content can be particularly useful to those new to freelance writing. Since there’s so much work to be had, many content creation platforms or networks accept all applicants. It can be an excellent way to build a portfolio. Usually, these types of jobs don’t pay particularly well, but they can be an excellent way to get started as a writer.
There’s still work to be found outside of the internet as well. Many freelance writers find work in fields such as technical writing for instructions or manuals, copywriting, ghostwriting or writing for newspapers or magazines. If you speak multiple languages, translating text from one language to another can a very lucrative part-time work from home jobs.
Virtual Assistant
Those with experience in an administrative role can find lucrative work as a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants provide administrative, technical or creative services to clients on a remote basis. Small businesses or busy professionals hire virtual assistants to complete tasks traditionally handled by a personal assistant or secretary. Since virtual assistants are almost always independent contractors, the client doesn’t have to worry about the accounting, office space or supplies required by an in-house employee.
Virtual assistants use a variety of different means to provide services to their clients. They communicate with clients via email, phone, fax and video conferencing services like Skype.
Most virtual assistants come from “real world” business backgrounds. They have worked previously in an administrative, management or technical capacity. If you have experience as an executive assistant, paralegal, IT professional or secretary, becoming a virtual assistant may be the right choice for you.
Graphic Design
Graphic designers create things like logos, marketing materials, product packaging, advertisements and website elements. Since so many graphic designers work independently, it’s one of the best jobs where you can work from home.
Most graphic designers have some form of design background, but not all of them have gone to college. There are lots of certification courses you can take in graphic design, as well as tons of educational material and how-to’s online. Today, you can become a talented graphic designer with YouTube as your only educational tool.
Graphic designers use the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of programs to complete their work. The Adobe Creative Cloud includes programs like Photoshop, InDesign, Muse, and Illustrator. These programs are considered industry standard software and you're expected to be able to use them.
Web Development
Since it’s rare for most small and medium-sized businesses to have the budget or infrastructure required to hire a full-time web developer, freelance web development work is never in short supply. Web development is one of the most legitimate work at home jobs. Web developers are responsible for the front-end user experience of a website or application, as well as the behind the scenes tools and infrastructure required to power the site's front end.
SEO Jobs
Search engine optimization is the process of optimizing a website to attract the largest amount of free traffic from search engines. A well-optimized website will rank highly in search engine results, which will provide the site with more organic web traffic. Since most people use search engines to find information or products on the web, leveraging all that web traffic has become big business. If you have SEO experience, you’ll have no trouble finding legitimate online jobs. If you are new to SEO, however, check out Wealthy Affiliate, a resource for entrepreneurs that offers assistance in building and growing online businesses.
Traditional Pay-By-The-Hour Jobs You Can Do From Home
While freelance work is a great way to make extra money from home, it may not be for everyone. Many of us would love the opportunity to work from home, but don’t possess some of the important traits necessary to become a successful freelancer. However, there’s still plenty of legitimate work from home jobs to be had outside of freelancing. The suggestions below are a great place to start if you’re wondering how to work from home.
Call Center
Call centers began to outsource many jobs overseas in the 1990’s. But, that trend is reversing in recent years. Many call center jobs which were outsourced overseas have returned to the country which leaves plenty of work at home opportunities for interested individuals.
There are two different types of call centers, inbound and outbound. An inbound call center handles calls from consumers who are interested in a company's product or service or are seeking troubleshooting or support services. Outbound call centers focus on sales. Outbound call center agents place cold calls with the intent of selling a product or service. You’ll find far more opportunities to work from home with an inbound call center.
While these jobs were typically centralized in large office environments, technology has permitted us to conduct this type of work from home. Companies provide employees with a script to read from and access to a knowledge base so that they’re able to help consumers through common problems and their solutions. A call center representative typically earns between $7-$15 per hour.
If you’re interested in helping people, can handle a high-stress environment and possess a strong ability to multitask and think on your feet, call center work may be a great fit for you. For our complete guide to work at home call center jobs plus a list of the best work from home call center job opportunities, click here!
Customer Service
Like call center work, customer service workers communicate with consumers remotely via telephone. Unlike call center work which may involve inbound sales calls or lead generation work, customer service representatives exist for the sole purpose of helping consumers through problems they’re experiencing with a product or service.
Customer service reps usually read from a script and use a knowledge database to help consumers with the problems they’re experiencing.
A successful customer service rep is empathetic and helpful while possessing the ability to think of their feet and multitask. A remote customer service rep typically earns between $7-$15 per hour.
Teaching (Online Courses)
For the academics among us, teaching online courses are among the top work from home jobs. Colleges and universities throughout the world are looking for experienced, talented professionals to teach their online courses.
Most colleges and universities are only interested in hiring adjunct professors. That way, the employer can avoid paying the higher wages and benefits packages that full-time and tenure-track positions command.
Unlike other jobs you can work from home, these positions require you to have a master’s degree or higher. Full time and tenure-track positions may require you to hold a doctorate for consideration.
Online teachers have the same job requirements as traditional teachers do, the only difference is the lack of a classroom. Online teachers are expected to conduct lectures, provide coursework to students, proctor tests and exams, answer questions and participate in class discussions.
Most schools cap the maximum number of online classes one can teach in a given semester. This cap makes it difficult to earn a livable wage if you’re only teaching for one college or university. So, many online teachers secure positions at multiple colleges or universities so they can increase their course load and income.
The rate of pay for online teaching positions varies widely from school to school. Online teachers can expect to earn between $1,200 and $2,000 per class they teach each semester. Since most students in online courses are busy professionals, these courses often are accelerated and only last 5-8 weeks.
Telephone Nurse
You may have thought that nursing “isn’t one of those jobs I can do from home.” In fact, nursing provides one of the best work from home opportunities. Telephone triage nurses receive calls from people in need of medical attention. Based on the information provided, telephone nurses can determine the level of care required. Doctors’ offices, trauma centers, poison control centers, hospitals and outpatient care facilities typically employ telephone nurses.
To become a telephone triage nurse, you’ll need to possess an associate degree or higher in nursing. You’re also likely to need at least a few years of experience in a traditional nursing environment.
The amount of money you can expect to make will vary depending on your level of education and expertise. But, you can expect your rate of pay to be similar to that of a nurse in a more typical environment.
Tech Support
IT jobs from home are like other remote jobs like call center or customer support work.
Tech support professionals work with consumers to troubleshoot hardware and software issues. Depending on the degree of difficulty and specialization, there may not be lots of education or experience necessary to land the job. This makes tech support from home a great option for many of us, regardless of skill level or experience.
Online tech support workers can expect to earn between $7 and $15 an hour. But, more experienced or specialized tech support professionals can expect to earn far more than that. Believe it or not, Apple is one of the best work from home companies to work for. They often have positions available that feature very competitive pay and even benefits packages.
Travel Agent
If you’re a meticulous planner with a love for travel, becoming a travel agent from home may be a great fit for you. Travel agents work with individuals and companies to create travel itineraries and handle the logistics and planning for an entire trip.
Travel agents earn a commission off each aspect of a customer’s trip. This includes airfare, hotels, cruise fares, excursions and more.
You’ll want to consider the regulations for travel agents in your home state before getting started to ensure you don’t need any specific certifications or licenses to become a travel agent.
Data Entry
Easy work from home jobs aren’t all that easy to come by. But, data entry is among them, making it one of the most popular home based jobs. Data entry clerks are hired to input new data, or update existing data on a computer data base. If you have strong typing skills and are interested in making money from home, data entry could be a good job for you. Check out our pick of 2017's top data entry job opportunities!
Paid Survey Jobs
Companies and brands are always looking for consumer feedback on the products and services they offer, and they’re willing to pay to get it. If you’re willing to offer your opinions about these goods and / or services, then paid surveys could be a great way for you to make some extra money.
How Paid Surveys Work
When taking paid surveys online, you’ll register with a paid survey site and tell them a little about yourself. When they receive surveys that fit your demographic information, they’ll forward them along to you so you can participate in the survey and earn money or rewards.
Best Paid Survey Sites
Check out our rundown of the top ten best-paid survey sites. There are tons of different options out there for taking paid surveys. Some of the ones we recommend most highly are Swagbucks, Ipsos, MySurvey and Vindale Research.
Internet Marketing Jobs
Blogging
If you’re a great writer with an interesting niche to cover, creating a blog can be a fun and easy way to work from home. Successful blogs can leverage the traffic they receive to sell advertising, review products or services and host contests and giveaways.
You’ll want to keep in mind that there’s no guarantee your blog will ever be popular enough to make money, and it typically takes time to develop a large, dedicated following.
YouTube
Like blogging, YouTube can be an excellent way to make money doing something you love. If you have a YouTube channel with a loyal following and you produce a steady amount of engaging content on the platform, there may be opportunities for you to monetize your YouTube channel.
Popular YouTube channels can make money in many ways. They make money through merchandising, partnering with brands for product placements and hosting live events. But, the most popular way to make money with YouTube is by running ads on your channel.
If you think you’re ready to take the jump and become a professional YouTuber, visit their website for more information about how you can make money on your channel through advertising.
eBay
eBay is one of the largest marketplaces on the internet to buy and sell products. Thousands of people use eBay each day to sell products ranging from yard sale type items and antiques, to new and used clothing, shoes, jewelry and more. You can even use eBay to sell your car. Start out by selling items around the home you no longer need. Once you get the hang of it, you may want to turn selling on eBay into a job.
Dropshipping
Dropshipping is a method of direct fulfillment where the store that sells a product doesn’t stock the product themselves. Once a customer purchases a product, the dropshipper places a purchase order with their manufacturer or distributor, and the order is then shipped from their warehouse directly to the buyer.
You’ll find tons of resources online that detail how you can become a dropshipper and run your store without the risk or logistical concerns that would entail with a traditional storefront.
Social Media Marketing
These days, you can even leverage your following on social media into a reliable revenue stream. If you have a large following on social networks like Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat, you can parlay it into real money. This is the perfect kind of opportunity for college students to make money, for example, considering the heavy presence of social media within young people.
Companies are always looking for new ways to reach their target market and are shelling out big bucks to social media influencers for product placements and testimonials.
Direct Sales Jobs (Network Marketing)
Direct sales are the marketing and selling of goods outside of a traditional retail environment, usually in a face to face setting. Sales typically take place at in-home shopping parties or through a catalog. At first, you may rely on their friends and relatives to make sales. From there, it’s up to you to get referrals, market yourself and grow your business.
If you’re a good salesperson who is personable and has a vast network of friends, relatives, and acquaintances, direct sales can be a fun, easy way to make money from home.
Tupperware
Tupperware is one of the oldest and most successful network marketing companies. You can find their products in almost every kitchen in America. Today, around one million American’s sell Tupperware products through Tupperware parties and catalog sales.
Avon
Avon is the world’s largest network marketing company. They sell health and beauty products. While most of their products cater to women, they’ve even expanded their line to include products for men, as well. Year after year, Avon posts revenue figures in the billions of dollars. If you have a love for health and beauty products and a strong network of potential customers, selling Avon can be an easy to do and lucrative option for you.
Mary Kay
Like Avon, Mary Kay is a network marketing company that sells health and beauty products, primarily to women.
Amway
Amway is another massive network marketing company specializing in health, beauty, and housewares. Their product offering is very diverse and includes everything from health and beauty products to energy drinks to cleaning supplies.
Herbalife
Herbalife is a network marketing company specializing in the development and sale of nutritional supplements and personal care products. For those of you with large networks of active, fitness-minded friends and relatives, Herbalife may be an attractive option for you.
Hundreds More…
While these are some of the most popular network marketing opportunities, there are hundreds of other options as well. Depending on your interests and skills, there’s sure to be an opportunity that interests you. Check out this top 50 list for some more information about popular network marketing companies.
“Get Paid Per Task” Jobs (aka Crowdsourcing)
Also known as microtasks, these small, simple tasks pay equally tiny amounts of money, but over time, it can add up to be real income. These jobs take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to complete.
Microtasks are typically sourced to hundreds or thousands of different people who each complete a single task of a job. It’s an incredibly efficient method of work. This way, a job that would take one person four hours to complete can instead be done by thousands of people in a matter of seconds or minutes.
To make significant money by working these micro jobs, you’ll need to be able to complete many tasks in as short an amount of time as possible. If the work seems interesting to you, you may want to set aside an hour of time where you complete a steady stream of microtasks. After an hour, take a look at how much money you’ve made. You may be surprised by how lucrative a revenue stream these microtasks can be for you.
Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)
Amazon MTurk is a marketplace for microtasks. Amazon refers to these tasks as HITs (human intelligence tasks). For businesses, the service offers a large, scalable and economical workforce that’s capable of completing jobs very quickly. For those of us looking to make money, MTurk provides a selection of thousands of simple tasks you can complete quickly to make money. Once you’ve completed a HIT, Amazon deposits in your Amazon Payments account.
microWorkers
microWorkers is like MTurk in that it is a marketplace for microtasks. Businesses can farm out these simple tasks to be quickly and efficiently completed by nearly one million workers.
Each time you complete a microtask, the money for that task will be deposited in your microWorkers account. Once you’ve reached the minimum amount for a withdrawal, you can transfer the money from your microWorkers account to some different payment options, including PayPal.
ShortTask
ShortTask is very similar in design to microWorkers and Amazon MTurk. According to ShortTask, the most popular work on the platform is SEO related, which may make ShortTask a good option for those of us interested in SEO.
For those looking to get paid for their work right away, ShortTask might not be the best option. To make a withdrawal from your funds on ShortTask, you’ll need a balance of at least $50.
RapidWorkers
Rapidworkers is also a marketplace for microtasks. It’s similar to ShortTask in the sense that many jobs on the site are SEO, social media or internet marketing related. Unlike ShortTask, workers can withdraw money from their account with a balance as low as $4.
Work from Home Jobs For Moms
For busy moms, working presents a unique set of challenges. For many moms, just staying home and caring for the children isn’t an option. While it can be extremely difficult to raise children while also working a full or part-time job, working out of the home home is a great opportunity for moms to handle their obligations to their kids while also earning money.
While it can be difficult for moms to work some popular stay at home jobs, several opportunities are well suited for their needs. Many moms find gainful employment as freelancers and especially writers.
Blogging and Youtube also represent great opportunities for moms. Women who are expecting or planning to have children in the near future turn to blogs and YouTube on a daily basis to connect with moms and learn more about the experience of having children, do’s and don’ts and more. This built-in audience presents a great way for moms to earn extra money while raising their children.
For a complete guide to work from home jobs for moms, click here!
