Are you looking for a Work From Home Job?
In recent years, many companies have been forced to acknowledge that their employees can work from home and still handle their responsibilities while being productive. Working from home has its benefits. You can roll out of bed, throw on a hat or your favorite sweatshirt, grab your laptop, and start working.
People working from home discovered the time saved by not traveling to and from work allowed them to better focus on their family, fitness, side hustles, chores, and work-life balance. Still, finding legitimate remote work can be challenging for job seekers.
This list of the best work-from-home jobs will help you avoid wasting time with fake jobs, MLMs, and online recruiting scams.
Can You Really Work From Home Full Time
In a nutshell, yes! Scores of people have work from home jobs that they carry out on a full-time basis. And this isn't limited to stay-at-home moms or entrepreneurs just starting out; we're talking legit full-time employees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans working from home tripled from 2019 to 2021.
How Much Do Work From Home Jobs Pay
Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to how much work from home jobs pay.
But that's not to say work from home jobs don't pay much. With a work from home job, you can earn anywhere from a few hundred dollars a month to literally thousands if working full-time. Side hustles like completing online surveys and taking advantage of cashback apps when shopping understandably will bring in less.
Pros and Cons of Work From Home Jobs
To many, working from home is a dream come true; however, like anything, it has pros and cons. Here are a few things to think about before searching for remote work.
Pros of Work From Home Jobs:
- No commute
- No uniform or dress code
- You can save on child care costs
- You can usually get a home office tax deduction (check with your accountant)
- Less direct supervision
- You can often get reimbursed for your internet costs
Cons of Work From Home Jobs:
- You need to be disciplined
- Distractions can drain productivity
- No co-worker relationships
- Can get lonely at times
- Often uses up space in your home
- No feeling of escaping the office and heading home
- It's often difficult to show how hard you are working
- You can end up working longer hours because of early starts and late finishes
The Best Work From Home Jobs
The first two items on this list are considered part-time options and will not earn you a large amount of money; however, they are still good options if you're not looking for traditional “work from home jobs” but want to earn some extra spending money throughout the month.
1. Play Mobile Games
Getting paid to play games on your phone may sound like a scam, but it's a legit option for earning money from home. Many app developers want to test their products at various stages of development. They need people to use the app to offer feedback and identify glitches or bugs.
You can earn money by downloading these apps and playing games on your mobile device.
Unfortunately, the majority of these apps are only available for Android devices at this time, but here are a few legit apps that will pay you for playing games:
2. Take Paid Surveys
While certainly not a stay at home career, taking paid surveys can be a really nice side hustle, and it's one you can easily do from home. This is not a lucrative way to make money. Still, if you are a college student or busy stay at home parent, you can make a little money on the side by completing surveys in your free time.
Companies will pay for your unbiased opinions and feedback and use them to improve their products and services. Most survey sites only require an email address to sign up and will ask you a few questions to determine which type of surveys to send you.
A few of the best, reputable survey platforms include:
Some sites reward you with points you can redeem for free gift cards, while others pay you via PayPal. A few of these sites have apps to log in to complete surveys on the go.
3. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants – or VAs – provide administrative support over the internet. They can handle a laundry list of tasks, including email management, social media accounts, word processing, data entry, etc.
As a VA, you can set your own hours, rates and choose the types of clients you want to work with. VAs can charge anywhere from $15 to $40 per hour and offer services including:
- Sending and answering emails
- Customer support
- Small bookkeeping items
- Correspondences
- Social media posting
- Project management
- Content planning
As a virtual assistant, you must employ your creative, administrative, and technical skills. This can get you employed in any industry, such as the legal field, real estate, financial services, or corporations – virtually any business that needs a helping hand can employ VAs.
The pay range is vast depending on the field and required skills.
Working as a VA is one of the most flexible jobs you can do working from home and, depending on your skill set, can be a good money earner.
4. Freelance Writer
If you enjoy writing and have good attention to detail, freelance writing may be a good option. Organizations of all sizes need content, and most don't have their own on staff. If you have a knack for writing and know some content agencies that hire freelancers, start there.
Another good way to find freelance writing gigs is to network with bloggers and media companies. You can charge .05 -.10 per word, making an easy $50-$100+ per 1,000-word article.
Freelance writing can be lucrative if you're a quick writer and even become a full-time job. To begin, check sites like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer.com, Skyword, and PeoplePerHour to find writing gigs. Some sites require you to submit previous work to establish your experience, while others welcome beginners.
5. Freelance Editor or Proofreader
Like freelance writing, editing and proofreading is another solid work from home job. Good English skills are imperative to excel in this type of work. In addition, you'll need a good eye for spotting details and minor errors, as you'll be responsible for checking grammar, formatting, spelling, and fact-checking to ensure quality.
Proofreaders and editors can charge by the hour, the job, or work on retainer. This is a perfect WFH gig for teachers who are now stay at home parents, looking to get out of the office, or for anyone who likes reading.
6. Legal Assistant
Legal assistants support lawyers by handling administrative tasks like research and preparing documents. Law firms, law enforcement, government agencies, and corporate legal departments all utilize the services of legal assistants.
More recently, many employers began to finally allow legal assistants to work from home – making this one of the best work from home jobs for qualified applicants as previous experience and knowledge is needed for this job type.
7. Social Media Manager
If you know your way around social media like the back of your hand, becoming a social media manager is worth some exploring. Many companies pay people to manage their social media accounts, publish content, and reply to comments.
Social media managers can work for any business with a presence on social media or start your own business managing social media channels for small business owners!
Social media is literally where most of us spend a substantial amount of our time. If you genuinely enjoy posting and interacting on social media, you could get paid to do the same for businesses. You manage their social media accounts and other pages online to grow their fan base and market their brand, products, and services.
8. Customer Service Representative
Independent contractors are increasingly hired to work from home as customer service representatives. If you think you can handle complaints, answer questions, and provide a good customer experience, this could be the work from home gig for you.
Many call centers and customer service reps now work remotely. As a result, they can typically earn $15 per hour, working part-time or full-time.
You will need good interpersonal skills to handle people and problems they need solved, including showing concern. To offer these services effectively, you need to be informed about the company you will work for, from how they operate, the services they offer, the procedure they follow when offering these services, and how they deal with problems and complaints.
9. Data Entry Specialist
Data entry requires you to be highly detail-oriented and can earn you $15-$25 per hour in many cases.
A data entry operator or specialist will input information such as reports, records, checks, and transactions into a database or computer.
You will be required to collect this data, ensure it is correct and key it in a spreadsheet or other software program. Although many tasks have become automated, some jobs still require a human touch!
10. Transcriptionist
Transcriptionists listen to audio files and turn the spoken words into written words. An organization sends an audio file to be transcribed into a digital file requiring patience, speed, and extreme accuracy.
People will have different jargon, accents, and paces in how they speak, making it challenging to keep up with or understand what they are saying.
While it helps to be a fast typer, many transcription jobs pay on assignment basis instead of hourly. Therefore, you can still be a transcriptionist if you don't type fast. However, you would ultimately earn less money since assignments would take longer to complete. So, ideally, you want to be able to type at least 70 words per minute!
Typically, a transcriptionist can earn $45 per hour and up.
11. Medical Work From Home Jobs
The medical work from home job market is rife with opportunities. Still, you need the relevant qualifications and experience to take advantage of it. From psychiatry to nursing, clinical data managers to order entry pharmacists, if you've got the right skills, you can make money with a medical work from home job.
12. Bookkeeper
If your math game is strong and you enjoy working with numbers, working from home as a bookkeeper may be your calling. You would handle tasks like invoicing, recording financial transactions, and managing cash flow for a business. There's always demand for such services, and they can work full-time or part-time.
13. Web Developer
Many people have built their own websites as a hobby or just a bit of fun. So why not turn those skills into a money-making opportunity as a web developer? The best part is you can learn new skills online and stay abreast of the latest industry developments.
If you have experience building websites, this is a very lucrative way to make money from home. Of course, you can do this type of work for another company or for yourself, but the cool thing is it can all be done from home.
Building websites obviously requires some technical experience and skills, but that isn't something you can't learn in an online training course. YouTube, Udemy, or simply starting your own blog will help you gain valuable website design experience.
14. Graphic Designer
If you've got some artistic flair, you could become a work from home graphic designer. Whether it's designing logos, T-shirts, or other marketing materials, organizations and agencies are always looking for good talent.
These digital designers will easily find remote jobs online that they can work on from their homes. You must be creative to bring a new, unique look to all your clients as you make their vision come to life.
Graphic designers are responsible for the designs in logos, ads, clothes, book covers, flyers, and other branding elements. Of course, some graphic designer gigs will require previous experience, but if you love to design and need formal experience, begin by helping people you know in real life with design solutions and use them to get feedback, experience, and build your portfolio.
15. Facebook Ads Manager
Organizations want their products and services to be seen on Facebook, and they'll pay handsomely for someone to manage their Facebook ads. While there may be a learning curve for some, many online courses teach people how to run Facebook ads.
16. Event Planner
Whether it's a corporate gathering, holiday party, or a Sweet 16, people and businesses are always looking for someone to plan their special events. If you've got experience in the events and hospitality business, this could be an excellent fit for you.
17. Translator or Interpreter
To be an interpreter or a translator, you must be proficient in English or whichever language you plan to translate. Companies, courts, and even schools offer these types of jobs.
Various opportunities include:
- Translating writings
- Translating audio files
- Sign language
- Speaking
Being fluent in English can land you work from home jobs in this field; however, the ability to speak and write a foreign language opens up many additional opportunities.
18. Bake Things at Home or Meal Prep
If you love baking sweet treats or cooking healthy meals, you can monetize your passion. More and more people want to support small businesses, and working from home out of your kitchen is a great way to get things going.
You can sell bakery items, provide ready-made meals for busy families, or cater to specific dietary needs, all from the comfort of your own kitchen!
19. Work From Home as an Entrepreneur
Always dreamed of running your own business or have a killer idea for a product or service that you know will be a hit? Then consider starting your own business and working from home as an entrepreneur.
The income is likely to be inconsistent at first, but once your business idea takes off, you can work from home and be your own boss.
20. Sell Items Online
It's almost a guarantee you have random stuff lying around your house that you longer use or need. So why not turn that junk into dollars by selling it online? Sites like eBay, Etsy, and Amazon are all great places to sell your items. Some people make a full-time living by selling random items online for a profit.
Some of the best platforms for selling things online include:
- Offer Up
- Craig's List
- Facebook Marketplace
- Poshmark
- Mercari
- The RealReal
- eBay
- Amazon
21. Run a Blog
Why not start a money-making blog if you're passionate about a particular topic? While it takes time to foster a loyal audience initially, once people see how strong your content is, they'll keep coming back for more, allowing you to monetize your traffic with ads or sell your products.
Blogging is one of the best ideas to create passive income, as it is more of a long-term project for making sufficient income. That said, if you want to work from home, or anywhere for that matter, blogging is a great place to start. Another thing that makes blogging great is the low overhead costs – you can start a blog here for less than $50.
As a blogger, you need to have a strict plan, know how to present what you are writing about and be consistent to be successful.
In addition to earning revenue from ads placed on your site, you can also earn from affiliate marketing, which allows you to make money by referring products to your audience.
Check out this step-by-step tutorial to create a money-making blog in under 10 minutes.
22. Create an Online Course
People are always looking to expand their knowledge and skills. And one of the best ways for them to do this is through online courses. If you've got a lot of knowledge about a particular subject, you could create your own online course and make money from it. Sales from online courses can be highly lucrative, especially if you have a large following on social media or other ways to promote your course.
23. Virtual Nurse and Telemedicine
Telemedicine – meeting with a medical professional online using web-based video conferences instead of a traditional office visit – has exploded in recent years. If you're a licensed nurse or medical professional, working in telemedicine may be the right job for you.
This is a great option for part-time or full-time work and perfect for stay at home parents who want to earn money without pulling long shifts at the hospital!
24. Start a YouTube Channel
Like blogging, YouTube presents a lucrative opportunity to create online content and make money. Establishing yourself in the right niche and growing a loyal following will help you receive more views on your videos. YouTube ads pay per view, so more views = more dollars.
Once you reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time on your channel, you become eligible for monetization, which means YouTube will begin placing advertisements on your videos. While it isn't necessarily easy, you will earn more income as you grow your following and views.
25. Travel Agent
This appeals more to those who love traveling and enjoy helping others share the same experience. Whether you work for a travel agency or start your own, you can offer virtual travel services from home. You will make travel arrangements, plan itineraries, arrange accommodations, and book transportation for your clients.
26. Upcycling
Upcycling is a great way to earn some extra cash if you're handy with a hammer and have a flair for bringing life back to old or broken items. Keep your eye out for stuff people give away for free or sell cheap, fix it up, and sell it for profit.
They say, “One man's trash is another man's treasure,” which is why there are always upcycling opportunities to take advantage of. Local yard sales or flea markets are good places to source items or look online at sites like Gumtree, Craig's List, and Facebook Marketplace.
27. Laundry and Ironing
Many people hate doing certain household chores, especially laundry and ironing. This presents an opportunity for you to earn some extra money from home helping people with these specific tasks. To get started, try listing your services on a classified ads website, in your local paper, or spread the word to neighbors, friends, and family.
You can have people drop their clothes off as they would a dry cleaner or offer to pick them up and drop them off for an extra charge.
How To Find a Work From Home Job
So you've decided to go for it and secure a work from home job. Awesome! But where on earth do you find one!?
Ask a Friend Who Has a Work From Home Job
Chances are you know someone who has a work from home job. They are the best people to advise you about what working from home full-time is like and can also help guide you in securing your own.
Search for ‘Remote Jobs' Online
Work from home jobs are more commonly known as ‘remote jobs' in the business world. So head to Google or your favorite search engine and begin your hunt with a ‘remote jobs' query.
Join Freelance Work Websites
There are many freelance work websites out there that help companies and small businesses find suitable freelancers to complete tasks.
Examples include:
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- PeoplePerHour
- Freelancer.com
Look For Work From Home Jobs on Craigslist
Craigslist is another decent website for finding work from home. The best part is that you don't need to limit your search to your local area because you'll be looking for remote positions.
How To Avoid Work From Home Job Scams
Sadly, work from home job scams are a dime a dozen. But that's why you must be wise when looking for your first job.
If it Sounds too Good To Be True, it Probably is
Always trust your instinct. It probably is if it sounds too good to be true – fantastic pay, easy, enjoyable work, and a super flexible schedule. Go with your gut feeling and confidently decline any work from home jobs that don't feel right.
Do Your Research
If you find a company advertising work from home jobs, take some time to check them out. It doesn't take much effort or time to determine if the company is sound and has legitimate opportunities.
Protect Your Personal Details
Scammers love to get their hands on your personal information. So be wary if you're asked to provide your Social Security number or bank account details. It's easy to explain that you're unwilling to give up that information lightly. A legit company will understand that and make you feel at ease.
Legit Employers Won't Ask You for Cash
Likewise, a legit potential employer won't ask you for any cash upfront or a deposit before you start. If you come across a possible work from home job that does, don't be afraid to pass it up and move on to the next.
The Verdict on Work From Home Jobs
Working from home has its pros and cons. Managing a household, finances, budget, lifestyle, fitness, family, chores, etc., is hard enough. Still, for many, fitting it in between work meetings, downtime, and losing the daily commute makes the workload more manageable.
While missing out on the social interaction of working around others may be difficult, in the end, time is your most precious commodity. So, if you're serious about working from home, begin by exploring a few options from this list.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.