As the remote work movement gets more popular, there are more work-from-home jobs than ever before. In fact, FlexJobs found that remote job listings increased by 52 percent between 2015 and 2017.
Some stay-at-home jobs are part time or project based, while others offer full-time schedules and salaries. If you’re ready to go remote — and skip the traffic-filled commute — read on for 31 legitimate work-at-home jobs.
1. Virtual assistant
You don’t need to be sitting in an office to help it run smoothly. A number of companies look for virtual assistants to schedule appointments, maintain calendars, and perform other administrative tasks.
For this role, you’ll need to be comfortable on the computer and phone. Strong communication and organizational skills will be useful, too.
Although you can find virtual assistant jobs on traditional job boards, you might also have luck with companies such as Worldwide 101, Contemporary VA, and Virtual Office Temps. According to PayScale, virtual assistants make an average of $15.57 per hour.
2. Blogger or content writer
If you’ve got a way with words, consider joining the tribe of bloggers writing online stories.
You might find a full-time writing role with a company, or you could pitch your freelance ideas to online publications. Listverse, Funds for Writers, and International Living, for instance, are just three sites that will pay for your articles.
Alternatively, you could create your own blog and build an audience. Once you get traffic, find a way to monetize your site with ads or affiliate marketing. Most bloggers move onto a new job within 10 years, according to PayScale, but make an average yearly salary of $49,132.
3. Salesperson
Salespeople work across a variety of industries to connect individuals and businesses with products. You’ll need excellent people skills, plus you’ll need to understand your product inside and out.
You might work in software sales with VMware, travel services with World Travel Holdings, or media and infrastructure with General Electric (GE). While salaries can vary widely, PayScale estimates the average is $42,153 per year.
4. Transcriptionist
If you’ve got solid typing skills and an eye for detail, you could enjoy working from home as a transcriptionist. This role typically involves turning audio recordings into written documents.
For flexible gigs, check out TranscribeMe, Quicktate, and Rev. Once you’ve got some experience, you could find a full-time role in the medical or legal field. Expect to make an average salary of $15.22 per hour, according to PayScale.
5. Programmer or web developer
Since programmers do most of their work online, it’s no surprise many work from home. You might find web development projects through a site such as Fiverr or Freelancer.com, or you could find a full-time role at a remote company.
You’ll need solid coding skills, which you can acquire through school or a coding bootcamp like Bloc. Once you’ve snagged a job, you could be making $79,840 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
6. ESL teacher
Teaching English to international students is one of the best ways to make money while traveling the world — but you can also teach ESL from the comfort of your own living room. Companies like Berlitz, Open English, and Englishunt hire ESL teachers to work with students online.
For this role, you’ll likely need to be a native English speaker with a bachelor’s degree. A TEFL certificate could also boost your resume. Although this job can be flexible and fulfilling, you might have to keep unusual hours if you’re working with students in different time zones.
7. Test prep tutor
For decades, standardized tests like the SAT, GRE, and GMAT have struck fear in the hearts of students. You can help people conquer these high-stakes tests by working from home as a test-prep tutor.
Companies such as Chegg and Aim4A Tutoring hire online tutors to help students get ready. According to Glassdoor, SAT and GRE tutors make around $23 per hour.
8. Registered nurse
Believe it or not, many registered nurses work from home by providing advice over the phone. In fact, the medical and health care industry is the largest provider of work-at-home jobs, according to FlexJobs.
Some companies with the most stay-at-home jobs include UnitedHealth Group, Humana, and Aetna. Even though you work from home, you’ll need the same educational qualifications — a degree in nursing and state licensure, for example — as any other registered nurse.
9. Customer service representative
As a customer service representative, you’ll answer questions and provide support. Some roles are entirely online, while others are conducted primarily over the phone.
To find work-from-home jobs as a customer service representative, check out companies such as Amazon, Sykes Home, and TeleTech. Although the pay isn’t great — PayScale estimates an average of $13.37 per hour — some of these roles come with healthcare and 401(k) benefits.
10. Marketing manager
Since most marketing is done online, it’s not surprising that some marketing managers work from home. Your best bet is to search for job opportunities at remote companies. FlexJobs, Student Loan Hero, Toggl, and You Need a Budget (YNAB) are just a few companies with distributed teams.
A degree in marketing or communications will be helpful, as will some professional experience in marketing. According to the BLS, marketing managers make an average of $127,560 per year, and job opportunities are supposed to increase by 9 percent over the next few years.
11. Information security specialist
If you know how to protect websites against hacks, you could work from home as a security specialist. According to PayScale, companies pay security specialists a median salary of $73,825 to help them protect their data.
Check out Working Nomads for a curated list of remote cybersecurity jobs. You can also use traditional job boards like Indeed or SimplyHired to find remote web security opportunities.
12. Accountant
Head to freelance marketplace Upwork and you’ll find dozens of accountants offering their services. If you’re a financial whiz, you could help others with tax preparation or bookkeeping.
According to the BLS, the accounting field is expected to grow by 10 percent over the next few years. If you’re a certified public accountant, you can expect to make about $63,165 per year, reported PayScale.
13. Social media manager
Who knew all those hours browsing Facebook were actually preparation for a lucrative career? If you’re savvy with social media, you could work from home as a community manager. Some companies with remote social media jobs include BuzzFeed, Meredith, and Sinclair Broadcast Group.
You might manage a company’s Facebook page, along with its Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter channels. Although you might have to start with freelance projects, PayScale shows you could bring in over $48,000 per year in a full-time role.
14. Proofreader
If you’ve got an eye for grammar, look for work-from-home proofreading jobs. Proofreaders work in a range of fields — academia, law, and medical, to name a few — so you’ll need to figure out where your skills lie.
To get started, search for freelance projects or register with a site like Gramlee or ProofreadingServices.com.
15. Web search evaluator
When you search for something online, you expect to find your answer right away. Web search evaluators help ensure your search results are useful and accurate.
Companies like Appen, Leapforce, and Lionbridge hire search engine evaluators to give feedback on internet search results. Although hourly pay varies, Appen pays between $9 and $15 per hour for this flexible, work-from-home job.
16. Survey taker
You’ve got opinions, and companies want to hear them. InboxDollars, Fusion Cash, and CashCrate are just a few online platforms that will pay you cash in exchange for taking surveys.
Although you probably can’t pay rent on your survey-taking income, you could earn some extra cash to buy groceries or make extra payments on your student loans.
17. Website tester
Having a user-friendly website is a key part of success for most companies. You could make money by providing your feedback on websites and apps.
Although salaries vary, PayScale put the average hourly wage at $23.58. To start making money as a website tester, register on sites like Userlytics or User Testing.
18. Online juror
Beyond sharing your opinion on websites, you could also get paid for your impressions about a court case. Attorneys use online mock juries to get ready for trials. By participating in a mock trial, you could make upwards of $60 per case, according to OnlineVerdict.com.
Check out eJury.com or OnlineVerdict.com to get started. Since you’ll be working from home, no one will object if you bring your own gavel.
19. Graphic designer
If you love creating images or designing logos, you can find lots of work-from-home jobs as a graphic designer. Freelance sites like Upwork are full of opportunities. Plus, you might find a full-time role on a job board like FlexJobs or We Work Remotely.
For this creative role, PayScale puts your annual pay at $41,764.
20. Consultant
Whatever your area of expertise, you could work from home as a consultant. In fact, FlexJobs identified consultants as one of the most popular job titles among telecommuting roles.
Consultants work in a variety of industries, from IT to business to health care. Even big companies like Aetna, IBM, and Wells Fargo hire consultants to advise various departments on best practices.
Sites such as Clarity can connect experts with individuals and businesses seeking advice. You can set your own per-minute rate. Your clients leave reviews after your call. You might even start your own consulting business after establishing yourself as an authority in your field.
21. Voice actor
If your friends are always encouraging you to start a podcast, you might make a great voice actor. To start building your portfolio with freelance projects, you’ll need a decent microphone, recording equipment, audio-editing software, and a space without any disruptive background noise.
Share your talent and find jobs on voice talent marketplaces like Voice123 and Voices.com. As for rates, voice-over production studio Edge Studio suggests charging between $100 and $500 per hour. If you belong to a voice actor union, it will set a base rate.
22. Executive
If working from home is your dream, you don’t have to sacrifice career mobility to realize it. As Virgin Group founder Richard Branson said, “Yours truly has never worked out of an office, and never will.”
Thanks to technology, it’s entirely possible for high-level executives to manage companies and employees without setting foot in an office. For especially high-level remote positions, check out the listings on Crossover, particularly in the “executive management” category.
23. Data scientist
If you’ve got a background in data science, you could find work-at-home jobs in the field. Although the majority of data scientist jobs aren’t remote, you can find telecommute opportunities on sites such as Remote OK.
24. Data entry
Entering data into spreadsheets might not be the most exciting job, but Glassdoor shows that kind of work can bring in $27,536 or more each year. Crowdflower and Clickworker are two companies that hire people for small tasks involving data entry and collection.
25. Animator
Like computer programming and graphic design, animation is great for people who want to pick up regular freelance work. Build up your portfolio by completing projects through Upwork or Fiverr. According to PayScale, animators make around $50,000 annually.
26. Artisan
Thanks to Etsy, you don’t need a brick-and-mortar store to sell your arts and crafts. It’s easy — and free — to set up your own Etsy store and connect with customers all over the world.
Make sure to upload clear, well-lit pictures with accurate descriptions that can easily be found through the site’s search engine. For more tips on running a successful online store, check out Etsy’s support page.
27. Online boutique owner
Similarly, you could sell clothes, antiques, or other goods online. Clothing giant Nasty Gal, for instance, started as a one-woman operation on eBay before turning into a multimillion-dollar company.
Sites like eBay and VarageSale make it easy to connect with customers. You could use your site to make some extra cash or even build a business.
28. YouTube personality
YouTube users watch over a billion hours of video each and every day. If you can build an audience for your channel, you could make some serious money.
According to Forbes, the highest-paid YouTube celeb, who goes by the name PewDiePie, made $15 million in 2016. Although this level of internet stardom is rare, you can still generate some income with a smaller following.
29. Instagram influencer
If photography is more your thing, try your hand at affiliate marketing on Instagram. Once you have a large enough audience, partner with brands and feature them on your account. When your followers click on an ad or buy a product, you’ll make a commission.
This kind of job is best for people who are skilled at social media, photography, and visual branding.
30. Daycare owner
Many work-from-home jobs are done online or over the phone, but you can bring your clients directly to you by running a daycare out of your home. Before embarking on this venture, read over the home daycare laws in your state. You’ll need to provide a safe, enriching environment where kids can learn and play.
31. Therapist or mental health counselor
Anyone with a degree in mental health counseling can offer services from home. You could open a private practice from your house or offer online services. BetterHelp and Breakthrough, for instance, both hire licensed counselors to work with clients online or over the phone.
Counselors typically have a master’s degree and certification at the state level. On average, mental health counselors make an annual salary of $46,050, reported the BLS.
Where to find legitimate work-from-home jobs
Although work-from-home jobs are more popular than ever, you still have to be careful to avoid scams. If an ad promises a big paycheck in exchange for little work, it might be too good to be true.
Make sure to do a background check on all potential employers, even ones you find through reputable sites. And if you’re looking for a full-time remote position, check out this list of the best websites with stay-at-home jobs.
Working from home doesn’t mean sacrificing your career goals. On the contrary, you can build a successful career while working from anywhere you want.
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