25 Ways to Make Money From Home

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Want to make money from home but don’t know where to start? Here are 25 LEGIT ideas perfect for stay at home moms (and dads, students, retirees…)

When I started my work at home journey, I was skeptical of what was really out there that was legit. Over the years, I’ve gathered a treasure trove of information that’s just too good to keep to myself! This list encompasses skills sets from beginner to seasoned professional, side gigs, jobs with benefits, and ideas for your own business that you can start TODAY! This is just the beginning. Tons of links are included in the bold text within the article.

1. Virtual Assistant

Perform administrative assistant tasks from the comfort of your own home! Schedule appointments, coordinate meetings, act as an answering service, and answer emails for a range of businesses. These services are in demand now more than ever in the post-COVID-19 business world, so if you have solid administrative assisting skills, check out openings on Upwork.com.

Smith.ai pay starts at $10/hour for virtual receptionists, but also offer benefits, such as insurance, retirement plans, bonus, and paid training. Zirtual is looking for virtual assistants in the US with a college degree. Scheduling is pretty flexible with pay rates ranging from $12-16/hour. Want to learn how to build a successful virtual assisting business from the ground up? Check out Gina Horkey’s training program. She’ll teach you how to use the skills you already have AND learn some new skills, too. Some of her students have gone on to earn over $100/hour!

2. Transcriptionist

Turn audio files into text as a transcriptionist. I personally LOVE transcribing in my spare time when my day job is slow. Pay can vary, but you can truly work when you want to and set your own schedule. There are several online sites that hire with little to no experience, and some that pay well for experienced transcriptionists. Learn more about how to get started as a transcriptionist here.

3. Photography/Sell Photos

Talented behind the lens? Of course, you can use your talents in portrait photography for newborns, families, weddings, and more. However, you can also sell photos of just about anything (still life, landscapes, pets–you name it!) as a stock image photographer. Some sites pay per image (sometimes $100 or more) or pay based on a commission every time a customer pays to use your photo. Check out Getty Images, Shutterstock (pays up to $120 per picture!), 500px, and Adobe Stock to start selling your own stock images online.

4. Travel Agent

Get paid to plan dream vacations

Are you the go-to travel expert among your family and friends? Turn those skills into a career as a travel agent. If you are especially knowledgeable in a certain area, use this asset by specializing in a certain niche: cruising, faith-based trips, travel for seniors, LGBTQ travel are just a few areas that are thriving in the travel market. Research host agencies to join and learn about regulations on Host Agency Reviews website. I personally loved starting my own travel business with outsideagents.com. Their training and support is second to none and has reasonable start-up costs for newbies. One thing to keep in mind, travel agents typically don’t get paid until after the client travels, so it may take a while to see income from this type of work. Pro tip: Please research monthly costs, commissions, and compliance for your state. There are many ways to go about becoming a travel agent, so make sure it is a good fit for you. Note: Travel is a little unpredictable right now due to COVID-19, but many people are ready to start planning post-quarantine travel. Be ready to help them when the time comes. Travel will make a comeback, but it will take some time.

5. Cake Designer/Baker

Perfect for part-time income or side gig, baked goods are always in demand. Not limited to just wedding and birthday cakes, bread, cupcakes, cookies, rolls, chocolate dipped strawberries, fudge, and other confections make great additions to your bakery menu. Check cottage food laws in your area to learn how to sell baked goods and foods from your home kitchen.

6. Seamstress/Tailor

I don’t know about you, but is it nearly impossible to find a pair of pants that fit perfectly (or even halfway decent) off the rack? I always end up needing alterations. If you have sewing skills, you can stay busy with minor alterations, such as hemming and mending. A little good word of mouth will keep this type of business flowing to you.

7. Website Design

Developing an online presence is vital to businesses now more than ever! Many business owners don’t have the time or tech skills to set up and maintain a website. If you’re tech-savvy in this area, this could be a super-easy way for you to start your own web design service. Check Upwork or make a listing on Fiverr as a beginner.

8. Translator

Bilingual/multilingual? Companies are willing to pay premium prices for timely and accurate translation. Translators can make big money online from home. Most companies that hire freelancers for transcription also are looking for translators, too. Check out these companies listed here to find out how to get started.

9. Retail Arbitrage

Buy low, resell high, make a profit

Fancy schmancy way to saying “flipping”, retail arbitrage is buying products locally (typically in discount stores) to resell in the online marketplace. Some countries (and even areas of the US) don’t have dollar stores or maybe a particular item that is sold out in their local store. They are willing to pay a little more to get these items. Buy, for example, storage containers at the Dollar Tree for $1, resell on eBay or Amazon for $5. You could even expand upon this concept by opening your own store on Shopify.

10. Customer Service

More and more companies are adding remote home workers to their customer support staff, so now is a great time to get started with a great company. Pay can vary anywhere from $10-21 per hour, and many positions offer performance incentives and bonuses. Hilton, Apple, Amazon, Louis Vuitton, Tesla, and Land’s End are all companies that hire at home often and offer some amazing benefits. If you want to be able to set your own schedule, check out companies such as Arise, Working Solutions, and LiveOps. Since you’re considered an independent contractor, you won’t get benefits such as insurance, but the flexibility of choosing your own schedule is a huge plus.

11. Tutor

The demand for online learning is growing each day, so use your teaching experience or subject knowledge to start a home-based tutoring job. Most of the tutoring positions require a bachelor’s degree, but some are more focused on experience and knowledge of specific areas. Check out these companies that are frequently hiring tutors: WyzAnt typically charges $30-60/hour for tutoring (tutors will make a commission of the hourly rate, which can vary); Choose your own hours and pay rate with Preply. Top tutors can earn up to $500/week; TutorMe average pay is $16/hour; well-known test prep company Kaplan is looking for experienced tutors and pay between $17-38/hour; Chegg pays more money for the most in-demand subjects and offers bonuses. The average pay is $21/hour.

12. Teach English Online

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Online companies pay well for teaching English to children in China. Although most companies require a bachelor’s degree, each has it’s own varying requirements and minimum experience. VIPKid requires a bachelor’s in any field and one year relevant teaching experience (or coaching, mentoring, alternative education, etc). Pay is $15-22/hour and extra bonuses each month.

Magic Ears and QKids are companies similar to VIPKid. Hours tend to be very early in the morning for tutors in the US and Canada since students are located in China. You can work early in the morning and have the rest of the day with your family! It’s a win-win 🙌

13. Writer

No formal writing experience? No problem! Start writing articles for clients via Textbroker. Textbroker has a multitude of different clients looking for someone to write quality articles for them. Five different levels of pay are offered, each based on article quality. Keep providing consistent and excellent work to work your way up to the top level for top pay. It isn’t easy to get to the top pay tier, but if you can pass their proofreading test and quality standards, you can at least get to level 3 or 4.

14. Social Media Moderator

Hey, we’ve all been online and seen the hot mess that is the comment section on social media. Millions of people use social media daily and, according to research expert Comparitech, 15 BILLION inappropriate content pieces are posted on social media daily. Companies need help managing comments, feedback, and rules. Both Sutherland and ModSquad hire social media moderators. Bonus: both companies also have lots of customer service opportunities and Sutherland hires chat/email reps and medical claims representatives!

15. Website Evaluator

Evaluate social media ads, search engine results, and social media content for companies like Appen and LionBridge. Both companies hire for projects that vary in duration from a few weeks to a few months and pay around $14/hour. Both companies will give you project guidelines and you’ll need to pass a test before being assigned to their projects. Fun fact: I paid for a vacation to Disney World 🏰 one summer by working with Appen, so there’s definitely money to be made by being a website evaluator! Drawbacks: Hiring is sporadic and projects aren’t long term. Best for a side gig.

16. Start an Etsy shop

Knitting and crochet expert? Love making unique jewelry? You can easily turn hobbies into an Etsy shop to sell your handcrafted items. Other super popular Etsy shops include custom shirts and apparel, but graphic design is a huge draw on Etsy, too. Making downloadable online content, such as printables and clip art, are highly sought after by online content creators and for home use (think online budget printables and home organizing).

17. Proofreader

Love reading and have a keen eye for grammatical errors? Proofreading may be the perfect line of work for you! Caitlin Pyle is the queen 👑 of proofreading training and can show you how to start your own profitable freelance proofreading business. Of course, you can check Upwork for proofreading gigs or post your services on Fiverr, but Caitlin can show you how to start your own service and realistically earn around $40,000/year. Her program is called Proofread Anywhere, which is perfect because you can actually do this job ANYWHERE! Find out if Proofread Anywhere is right for you with Caitlin’s free workshop.

18. Focus Group Participant

Share your opinions on products, ad campaigns, or new ideas with marketing companies as a focus group participant. Earn between $30 to $150 per focus group, but some very targeted, niche subjects can earn over $400 for an hour or two of your time! Respondent.io and User Interviews are two great companies, and you can check FindFocusGroups.com to find focus groups near you.

19. Health Coach

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Use your expertise in nutrition, diet, and exercise as an online health coach! Many people need help making healthy lifestyle changes. Accountability coaching has fast become a popular fitness coaching niche that can be rewarding and lucrative if you have the proper background and training. There are also online certification courses to get you on the path to becoming a health coach.

20. Create an Online Course

Online platforms such as Masterclass have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, but you don’t have to be an award-winning filmmaker to profit from an online class. Instead, teach others how to edit videos, take better photographs, learn how to knit, or cake decorating on sites like Udemy, Teachable, and Skillshare. Create the course once, then earn passive income over and over each time someone enrolls in your course!

21. Blogging

Starting your own blog can be a revenue stream for you in multiple ways. Share your love of specific topics and get paid through ad revenue, advertising any services you may offer, or by paid promotions from companies wanting to collaborate with you. Who knew writing about your love of beekeeping or mixed martial arts for moms could earn you an income?

22. Voice-Over Artist

Get frequent compliments on your voice? Use your velvety vocals as a voiceover artist. Great for those with a background in acting or radio, but also an option for those looking to into the business. You don’t necessarily have to sound like the “Epic Voice Guy” that you hear with that dramatic, booming voice in movie trailers, either. There’s actually quite a demand for specific accents and unique, quirky qualities, too. Longer projects, such as audiobooks, have the highest pay since there’s a much longer time commitment involved. Get started with companies like ACX or Voice123. Minimal (or no) start up costs are typically involved, but you may want to invest in a decent quality microphone.

23. Clothing Consignment

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You don’t need a physical store location to make money selling used clothing. Sell your unwanted clothing items online through websites like ThredUp, Swap.com, Poshmark, Mercari or even on Facebook Marketplace. Using sites like ThredUp may not earn as much as selling on Marketplace or Mercari, but it’s fast and easy–no meeting with buyers or haggling over offers. If you have an eye for pieces that are valuable or rare, you can REALLY build a profitable business! Finding unique and highly sought after apparel at Goodwill or yard sales and then reselling them online can equal big bucks.

24. Pet Care

Start your own dog walking and/or pet sitting service or sign up with Rover.com. If you have the capability, you can also enhance your services by adding grooming.

25. Captioning

Similar to transcription, you can turn dialogue and sounds from tv shows and movies into written text for the hearing impaired. Some jobs will need you to caption pre-recorded programming while fast typers and highly skilled captioners can caption live broadcasts. Crowdsurf and Rev.com are options for freelancers, while Caption Colorado and Vitac are remote jobs that offer employment benefits.

Let me know your thoughts about these jobs and if you’ve tried any of them. I’d love to hear about your experiences!

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