How to Earn Money Online: 19 Legit Side Hustle Ideas

Have you ever considered getting a side hustle in order to earn some extra spending money? Or maybe you’re between jobs and need an easy gig to stay afloat. The good news is there are tons of quick and easy ways to earn money online (no matter your background!). We’ve weeded out the “get rich quick” scams for you and came up with a full list of legitimate online gigs.

People often ask us how we afford to travel, and truthfully the answer isn’t all that earth-shattering:

• We find creative ways to earn money online so we have multiple income streams.

• We are very diligent about saving the money we do earn & prioritize what we spend it on. Psst! Here are our top tips for how to save money!

• We travel on a budget.

We’ve got all sorts of resources on our website about how to travel on a budget, but for the purpose of this article, we’re going to focus on the first bullet point:

How to make money online!

Several years ago, I heard someone say, “Most super wealthy people have multiple streams of income.” For some reason, those words really stuck with me, and I took that advice to heart.

Over the years, our blog has grown to be able to fund our lifestyle, but for many years, we relied on “side hustles” to save up cash for fun things (like travel or new camera equipment). 

While none of the jobs we’ve taken have made us super wealthy (nor was that ever our intention), they have allowed us to live a lifestyle we love — filled with travels, concerts, outdoor gear, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences — without draining our savings. (And without ever skipping our student loan payments.)

When looking for easy ways to earn money online, the tricky part can sometimes be finding out which gigs are legit and which ones are too good to be real (aka scams!). Plus, some jobs just don’t pay out well enough to be worth your time. So we’ve taken the liberty of doing the research and weeding through the duds for you!

In this article, we’re sharing some of the best side hustles out there, as well as our personal experiences.

Whether you have a savings goal you’d like to reach, you’ve got travel on the mind (we feel you!) or you just want a little extra “padding” in your bank account, we’ve got you covered with some legitimate ways to earn money online fast.

What kind of gigs are on this list?

To get on this list, these side hustles had to check a few boxes:

• They can all be done online (aka they do not require you to show up in person).

• They are quick and easy to get started.

• They require no upfront monetary investment.

• You don’t need an existing platform, meaning you don’t need a website or social media following to do these gigs.

• They actually pay real money! No MLMs. No menial surveys where you only earn 50 cents. No sketchy Craigslist gigs that make you wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into. And no selling your plasma or kidney either…

The best part? Most of these gigs don’t involve a traditional job interview, plus, they don’t require you get off your couch or change outta those PJs you’ve been rocking the last three days…

One more thing…

Before we dig in, we want to point out that these side hustles are meant to be just that… hustles on the side, or secondary revenue streams. They’re easy ways to earn fast cash without starting a whole new career.

However, if you’re looking for something a little longer-term (and more substantial) but still want to be able to work from your laptop, we’d encourage you to check out all our resources on getting started as a digital nomad where you’ll find tons of exciting remote career options.

Pro Tip: Designate the money earned from your side hustle to your “fun spending”. Having an additional revenue stream (or a few!) can make it possible to spend money on the non-necessities, like booking a dreamy Airbnb or buying that drone you’ve been eyeing, without dipping into your savings or the money you need for essentials.

If you’re looking for a way to earn some extra cash, chances are there is at least one gig on this list that will work for you. So now it’s time to get a pen and paper handy so you can take notes!

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The Top Ways to Earn Money Online:

Jump to the section you are looking for, or just scroll down the page.

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Easy Money (aka Online Gigs for Anyone!)

The gigs in this section require no special skill sets or experience. This should be a good place to start earning money online, no matter your background!

1. Online Focus Groups

• What is it? Companies gather people who are their ideal customers and ask them for feedback on a product or service and pay for honest opinions.

• Special skills: None

• Good to know: Often times it is required that you have not participated in another focus group within a set amount of time. For this reason, focus groups are often a good way to supplement income every couple of months, but won’t provide steady income.

Being part of a focus group essentially means you’re paid for sharing your opinion, so it’s super easy and usually not that time-consuming. This type of market research is a great way for them to get a sense of how a product or service will be received. Oh, and because businesses usually allocate funds to these valuable efforts, you get paid pretty well!

Our experience: We used to participate in taste tests and focus groups quite often. They were a great way to “refuel” our bank accounts between travels. I remember doing one ongoing taste test for yogurt where I’d pick up new samples each week and complete a 5-minute survey about how it tasted. So simple, and I was paid $800. Score! I also did several focus groups that were an hour long and I was paid between $75 and $250.

However, many taste tests and focus groups require you to be there in person. And since this list is focused only on online gigs, we assumed we wouldn’t be able to include them. But we did some digging and we actually found some great focus groups that are conducted totally online! We even signed up with a few of these programs to test them out ourselves. 

Below, we’ve listed some of the best (and highest-paying) focus groups we could find. Sometimes they will do very general studies that most people can quality for (ex: women ages 18-55), while other times they are looking for very specific people (ex: dermatology professionals). 

Each of the programs listed below are different, but they all require some sort of survey when you sign up where you will fill in your personal details as well as some information about your lifestyle (like any pets you have or services you use).

Note: These focus group networks are USA based. If you are not from the United States, simply Google “focus group [your city/country]”.

20|20 Research

With 20|20 Research you can share your opinions about products you are already using in a quick online survey or by participating in an online roundtable discussion. [Facebook]

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• US citizen

• Computer with webcam capabilities

Payment:

• $50 – $300 (roundtable discussion)

• $1, $5, or $10 (quick online survey)

• Payment is in prepaid Mastercard or Visa cards (virtual or a physical card sent in the mail)

  • You can also redeem points gained from surveys for other gift card options

Time Commitment:

• There is no time commitment, however if you quality and choose to participate in a study, you are required to complete the entire study.

Apex

Register as a member with Apex and they will pair you with reputable companies in your area offering all kinds of market research opportunities from online and in-person focus groups to clinical trials and paid survey panels.

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Computer or smartphone with webcam capabilities

Payment:

• $35 – $75 (1 hour session)

• $250 – $500 (multi-session studies)

Time Commitment:

• There is no time commitment, you can choose which jobs you want to participate in and spend as much or as little time as you prefer.

Mindswarms

Mindswarms allows you to record your opinions on a specific topic in a short video, and get paid. Payment is $50 per video. [Facebook]

Requirements: 

• 13+ years of age (with parental consent) or 18+ years of age

• A webcam capable of recording in at least 640×480 resolution

Payment:

• $50 per video

• Payment via PayPal

Time Commitment:

• There is no time commitment, work as much or as little as you prefer

Here are some more online focus group networks to look into:

• Brand Institute [Facebook]

• Engage

• Recruit + Field [Facebook]

• Probe Market Research [Facebook]

• User Interviews [Facebook]

Tip: Follow these networks on Facebook so you can stay up to date with what types of studies they’re doing. 

2. User Testing Websites

• What is it? Share feedback on your experience using a company’s website.

• Special skills: None

When it comes to websites, the user experience (UX) is extremely important and can make the difference between getting tons of sales and having every user leave the website confused.

Brands want real peoples’ opinions on their website, and that’s where you come in as a “UX tester”!

You can actually get paid to surf the web, test websites and give feedback to companies. The only basic requirements are being fluent in English and somewhat internet savvy, meaning you know how websites should work and how to communicate their shortcomings. 

Get started making money online by user testing with these websites:

User Testing 

With User Testing, you’ll be prompted to visit a website or an app and do a 20-minute walk through test in which you speak your thoughts about the experience out loud in English. You typically earn $10-$15 per 20-minute test and will get paid via PayPal within 7 days. 

Personal Experience: Ben used to do a couple of these each week for some “fun spending cash”.

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Ability to communicate in English

• Mac or PC computer with microphone

Payment:

• $10-$15 USD per 20-minute test

• Payment within 7 days of the test via PayPal

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• The number of opportunities you receive will depend on a number of factors, such as your demographics and your quality rating.

Try My IU

Similar to the above, Try My IU lets you visit a website and do a 20-minute walkthrough in which your screen and voice will be recorded while using the website. Afterward, complete a short written survey about your experience and get paid $10 per completed test via PayPal.  

Requirements: 

• Must have a computer with microphone 

• Ability to communicate in English

• Must pass the qualification sample test

Payment:

• $10 USD for each test

• Get paid weekly on Fridays via PayPal

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• There’s no limit on the number of tests you can do, but expect to get a few 20-min tests each week.

User Feel

Similar to the above, User Feel website tests last from 10-20 minutes and you can get paid $10 per test via PayPal or you have the option of receiving Amazon gift cards as payment. You can also do tests in any language – not just English. 

Requirements: 

• Mac or Windows 7 or higher computer with microphone

• Must pass the qualification sample test

Payment:

• $10 USD per test

• Get paid via PayPal or in Amazon gift cards

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• The number of tests you will receive depends on your demographic and your tester rating (you could receive 5 tests a day, or no tests for a year)

3. Microtasking & Data Entry

• What is it? Provide human insight to artificial intelligence by performing menial repetitive tasks.

• Special Skills: None

Ever wonder what goes into creating artificial intelligence (AI)? Human intelligence, that’s what! The Internet needs real people to teach computers how to adjust their algorithms so the user experience can be improved. The good news is, you can get paid to give your input and be a part of the solution. 

Microtasking and data entry jobs can include a variety of different work, but usually the overall focus is on providing human insight to computer-generated data. 

One such example is an ad and search quality rater. As a Google ads quality rater, you will be shown potential advertisements that could appear with the results of sample search terms. You will then rate the ad based on set criteria and provide feedback about the accuracy and visual appearance of the ad. 

Other examples of micro tasks include things like image annotation, categorization and comparison, audio transcription, and data collection. LiDAR annotation and OCR image transcription are more complicated examples of micro tasks. 

A lot of major corporations pay big money for the data collection that comes from microtasking. These third-party companies hire part-time employees to fill such positions:

Lionbridge

Lionbridge hires part-time employees from every region of the world in positions like Ads Assessors and Online Maps Quality Analysts. In addition, Lionbridge also hires online translators and interpreters.

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Lionbridge hires globally

• Individual positions have different requirements

Payment:

• According to reviews, rater positions pay around $14/hour

• The Map Quality position pays per task and averages around $10-$20/hour

• Paid via direct deposit into your bank account

Time Commitment:

• Minimum and maximum hours for a part-time Ad Assessor position are 10-20 hours/week

• Work at your own pace on your own time

Appen

On top of ad & search quality rating, Appen also hires for part-time online positions such as micro-tasks, transcription and language translation. 

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Appen hires globally

• Excellent web research skills and analytical abilities

• Excellent comprehension and written communication skills

• Individual positions have different requirements

Payment:

• Reviews would suggest Appen pays less than Lionbridge globally

• Reviews also suggest Appen pays around $10/hour for search quality rating

• Paid via direct deposit into your bank account

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

The ultimate Digital Nomad gear

We put together this awesome resource with all of the essential gear for life as a Digital Nomad! From travel essentials and electronics to gadgets that’ll make your life easier on the road, we’ve cover it all!

And the best part.. it’s totally FREE! Just click below and enter your email. We’ll immediately send our digital nomad gear guide to your inbox!

 

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Sell Your Stuff

This section is dedicated to selling your own things — whether that be your designs, your photos, or even your old clothes!

4. Start an Etsy Shop

• What is it? Sell a physical or digital product you’ve created.

• Special skills: You must be creative enough to make something (physical or digital) that you can sell.

• Good to know: While this can be a great side gig, some Etsy shop owners have made this into their full-time job. This is one of the few gigs on this list that really has potential to grow into something big and fulfilling if you put the effort in. Keep reading for some insider tips!

If you’d consider yourself creative and self-motivated, starting an Etsy shop might be a perfect way to make some extra cash by selling handmade goods or digital products.

The good news is anything goes! You can sell anything from downloadable quotes (design them for free in Canva!) to knit hats to custom Christmas ornaments to handmade furniture. Take your hobby to the next level and make it work for you

Getting started on Etsy is easy and doesn’t require a lot of technical skill. You simply sign up for an account, set your shop preferences (aka language and currency), give yourself a shop name, and start uploading photos of your original creations. Depending on what it is you are planning to sell, making your products could be quick or very, very time-consuming.

While you can put minimal effort into your shop, the most successful shop owners learn a bit of SEO, follow Etsy best practices, and even have social media accounts for their shops. If you simply upload photos and expect your products to be found, you may be disappointed.

But on the other hand, some successful Etsy shop owners have transformed their hobby into a full-blown career. So this side hustle could turn into something very lucrative and rewarding if you find the right fit and flow.

Insider Advice: My cousin Lucy, who’s a full-time Spanish teacher, started an Etsy shop selling handmade pom pom earrings for fun (check out the picture & link above!). While she only started a few months ago, she has already been very successful with it. I asked her to share some insider advice for anyone looking to start their own successful shop and here’s what she had to say:

“Be authentic to you and have a clear brand and target audience. Be personal and share parts of your personality in your brand. Have great customer service and packaging – make it an experience to open the order and always reply to DMs and messages. Take good photos with good lighting for your Etsy site, and know your worth (aka price your product so that it is worth the work and effort)!” – Lucy Mugford

More advice:

• One thing to consider before starting a shop is whether you want your business model to be passive or not. As an example, if you plan to sell photo files or digital downloads (like printable quotes or photographs), you can sell one product multiple times and you don’t need to deal with shipping. This is a passive, hands-off business model, but your products will typically sell for less money than physical products.

• If you plan to sell physical products, think about whether you want to pre-make your items or do custom orders (or a combination of both). As Lucy learned, focusing only on custom orders can be stressful. If you do offer customizations, be sure to charge accordingly for your time.

Requirements: 

• Products sold on Etsy must follow the seller guidelines set by the site

Payment:

• While you get to set the price of your items, Etsy charges fees for using their platform

  • Etsy charges $0.20 per listing in your shop regardless of whether or not it sells

  • Etsy charges a transaction fee for every item sold – 5% of the total item cost (including shipping and gift wrap)

  • If currency conversion is required Etsy will change an extra 2.5%

  • Etsy charges a payment processing fee for every transaction. This fee varies based on your bank location. For U.S. sellers, Etsy charges 3% + $0.25 per transaction.

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want but you will be required to fill orders when they come in. Remember that a passive business model will require less time than one focused on custom orders.

5. Sell Gently Used Clothes

• What is it? Sell clothing or accessories that you no longer use.

• Special skills: None, other than having things in your closet you want to get rid of. Also, being able to take a decent picture helps!

These days even thrift shops have moved online and taken on a whole new identity as legitimate clothing resellers. A great way to make some extra cash is to upcycle your gently used clothing that you no longer wear, and put it up for sale! 

There are lots of websites that work like online thrift shops, but here are a few legitimate ones we’ve had personal experience using. 

Poshmark

Poshmark is a website and an app that works as a combination social network and clothing marketplace. They started out just selling women’s clothing, but have since branched out to allow you to sell women’s, men’s kids and home goods. 

To get started all you need to do is download the app, create a profile and start snapping pictures of your new and gently used clothing to add to your online “closet”. You’ll add the descriptions and set the prices of your items.

Insider Tip: To get more eyes on your closet, you can share your listings on social media. Also, interacting with the Poshmark community will help your “closet” gain visibility.

If a buyer is interested in one of your items, they may “like” it, or leave a comment asking specific questions. Buyers have the option to purchase immediately by using the “Buy Now” button, or send you an offer, which you can then make a counter offer, and so on. 

When a buyer purchases one of your items, you will be notified and sent a pre-paid shipping label from Poshmark. All you have to do is put your item in the mail. Once the buyer accepts your purchase on the other end, Poshmark releases the funds into your account. It’s that simple. Everything is regulated by the Poshmark system so you don’t have to worry about getting paid. 

Note that Poshmark focuses on brand names, so while you can sell anything you want, the majority of users on this platform are looking for popular brands. Also, buyers can rate you based on the accuracy of your descriptions and your communication, so be sure to be professional and accurate.

Requirements: 

• Must be based in the US

• Mobile phone with the Poshmark app downloaded

Payment:

• For all sales under $15, Poshmark takes a flat commission of $2.95

• For sales of $15 or more, Poshmark takes a 20% commission

• You can cash out at anytime via Direct Deposit or request a check in the mail

• Or choose to use your earnings as Poshmark credit

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment, just the time it takes to clean out your closet, photograph and list your items

• Sell as much or as little as you want, but you must be available to ship your items once a sale has been made (you can put your closet on vacation hold at any time though!)

ThredUp

Similar to Poshmark, ThredUp is another online marketplace for new and gently used clothing and accessories. However it works a bit differently. To sell on ThredUp, you request a closet “clean out” kit, which you have to pay an initial investment of $10 for. It’s a big mailing bag you can fill up with all of your unwanted clothing items and accessories. Then you mail in your stuff with the pre-paid shipping label provided. 

ThredUp sorts through everything, verifies it’s quality and condition and sends back the products they don’t think will sell. They professionally photograph everything and write up quality product descriptions, price and list your items for the best chance at getting sold. You get paid upfront for your items based on the anticipated selling price. 

The benefit is, it takes a lot less time to get your clothing shipped out and get paid up front. However, they take a pretty hefty commission on sales and you have no control over pricing. Plus they also advertise they take only about 40% of items sent in, and they must be in excellent like-new condition with no signs of wear or damage. 

This site also focuses heavily on brand name clothing and has very high standards for quality control. They only sell women’s and kid’s clothing right now. 

Requirements: 

• Based in the US

Payment:

• Requesting a closet “clean out” kit costs $10

• ThredUp pays 5-80% of the anticipated selling price (the more valuable your item, the higher percent you get to keep)

• You can choose to use your earnings for ThredUp credit, get paid via Visa prepaid card, or cash out via PayPal

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment, just the time it takes to clean out your closet!

Depop 

Depop is similar to Poshmark as an online social network and marketplace for selling pre-owned clothing. However, their style focuses less on trendy brand names and their community caters to the artsy, creative types with a wider variety of vintage and unique pieces. They are also entirely mobile-based, so you must make all of your sales on the app.

Creating a profile is free, as is listing your items for sale. One big difference is that you can use video to show off your items on this app. You also are required to set your own shipping costs and decide whether or not you are willing to ship your item internationally. The seller is responsible for handling the shipping and covering the cost. 

Depop’s marketplace goes beyond just clothing. You can pretty much sell any item from books to technology to art to beauty products. 

Once you make a sale, there are two ways to get paid. You can either cash out by connecting your PayPal account or requesting to use the funds as Depop credit. 

Requirements: 

• Mobile phone with the Depop app downloaded

• The app works in 147 countries worldwide

Payment:

• Depop takes a 10% commission on everything you sell

• You can convert your earnings to Depop credit, or cash out via PayPal

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment, however you are responsible for listing and shipping your items

• Sell as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

6. Sell your used and outdated devices

• What is it: Sell devices and electronics that you no longer use

• Special Skills: None, other than having devices you want to get rid of

Similar to the online “thrift shops” mentioned above, the used electronics market has moved online as well. A great way to make some extra cash is to upcycle your gently used devices that you no longer need, and put them up for sale! You may not make a fortune, but it’s certainly better than tossing your old electronics into a landfill or letting them collect dust on your shelf. 

Gazelle

Billing themselves as a “reCommerce” company (see what they did there), Gazelle is an online marketplace for pre-owned consumer electronics. Selling your electronics to Gazelle is simple: First you look up your device or item in their inventory to find out the value, answer a few questions about the condition, and accept the offer and complete the checkout process, then send in your item via prepaid shipping label and get paid once it’s received. 

Requirements: 

• Must have an old device to sell that is already part of their inventory

Payment: 

• Payments are made via check, PayPal or Amazon gift cards

Time Commitment: 

• Hop on to sell you stuff anytime you want to get rid of an old device

7. Sell Stock Photos/Video Footage

• What is it? Sell rights to photographs or video footage you have personally taken.

• Special skills: Photography and photo editing

Turn your hobby into a profit by selling your photography and video footage to stock websites online. There are plenty of stock websites out there that are willing to purchase high-quality images and 4K video footage. Prices can range from a few cents to more than $20 per usage depending on the platform and the demand. 

A couple words of warning: The stock photography market tends to be over-saturated in some areas, so it takes a bit of time to figure out which types of photos work well. Sometimes it’s not the ones you’d expect.

Just because one photo does well doesn’t mean the rest of your gallery will. For example, we tried selling stock photography for a while and I had two images that sold pretty well, while the others just never got the momentum. In the end, I just didn’t put in enough time to trying to really understand what types of photos people were searching for.

Also, for the most part, you must have some photography experience and professional(ish) equipment in order to be successful with selling stock images. Don’t expect to post an iPhone photo and make big bucks.

Hint: Quality 4K video footage is more rare than photos and therefore tends to be extremely valuable in the stock world. Similarly, super niche photos of a specific place or event can have a significant demand.

Just be sure to review the fine print when signing over rights as some of the stock sites do not allow you to offer the same photo or video on multiple websites. Below are some stock websites to check out.

Shutterstock

Probably the most well-known stock imagery website out there, Shutterstock has a global community of contributors to build up their stock image, footage and music library.  

Requirements: 

• All images and footage must meet Shutterstock standards

• Every image you submit must have a clear purpose and obvious case for use

• You will need model release forms signed if there are people in your photos

Payment:

• Earn 30% of the purchase price paid by the customer, every time one of your images are downloaded

• The price is set by Shutterstock

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

Getty Images / iStock

Getty Images is another well-known stock image library that also falls under the same brand as iStock. They accept photography images, video footage and original illustrations. One thing that is nice about selling on Getty Images/iStock is that they license your content to global customers on your behalf and you retain the copyright. 

iStock is non-exclusive, meaning you are allowed to sell the same content to other stock sites. However, they have an option to become an exclusive contributor and gain higher royalties once you’ve proven sales. Getty Images only accept exclusive content, which cannot be sold on other stock websites. 

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• You must first submit an application to become a contributor

  • Must download the contributor by Getty Images app for Apple or Android

• Images/footage must pass an evaluation by the editor before they are made available for purchase or licensing on the site

• A release is required for all content that includes recognizable people or properties

Payment:

• For content licensed through iStock, royalty rates start at 15% for photos and 20% for videos and illustrations. Exclusive contributors can earn between 25% and 45%.

• For content licensed through Getty Images, rates are 20% for royalty-free still images and 25% for royalty-free video clips.

• Once invited as a contributor, you’ll receive instructions to set up tax and payment information. You’ll have the choice of receiving royalties through Payoneer or PayPal in US Dollars (USD).

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

Envato Market

Envato Market brands themselves as the world’s leading marketplace and community for creative assets and creative people. They are huge, reaching over 2 million customers worldwide, but you may have never heard of them. That’s because Envato Market is the umbrella company that includes popular sites known by their individual names: ThemeForest, VideoHive, PhotoDune and GraphicRiver, to name a few. 

Becoming an Envato Author allows you to sell your original content to the largest online creative community in the world. Not only can you sell stock photos and video footage, but they allow you to sell code scripts, plugins and themes, music and audio sound effects, design assets such as logo templates and original fonts, and even 3D models. 

Requirements: 

• You must apply to become an Author on the site first by submitting a portfolio

• Once approved, you can start uploading your original content for sale and set your own prices for all content (except audio which is set by the Quality Team)

Payment:

• Author-driven pricing is expected in all categories except audio

• Authors pay Envato an author fee on their item price when it sells. This fee ranges from 55% for non-exclusives, to 12.5-37.5% for exclusives (depending on their total sales volume)

• The more you sell, the more you can make out of every sale (your Author fee goes down)

• You have the choice to sell as exclusive or non-exclusive. Your Author fee is lower if you choose to sell your content exclusively with Envato.

• Withdraw your earnings once a month after your balance reaches $50 or more

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

Alternatives: Other websites for selling stock photos, video and other original content are: Twenty20, SmugMug, Adobe Stock, and Pond5 for video footage.

8. Sell Your Designs through Print-on-Demand

• What is it? You create a design that can be printed on a product (like a t-shirt or a bug), and a 3rd party prints it for you when a customer orders.

• Special skills: You need to be somewhat creative, but not as much as you’d think (more on that below!).

If you’ve ever had a funny or unique design idea that you thought would look good on a shirt, here’s your opportunity to make it happen.

In the past, making a t-shirt design has meant you need access to a printer, inventory (like a buttload of t-shirts!) and a website or physical location. But print-on-demand sites make it possible for you to sell any design of your choosing without needing a warehouse or any inventory at all!

How it works:

• You create a design and choose the products you’d like the design printed on. (Now your work is done!)

• Your design is hosted on an online marketplace where people come to shop.

• When a customer purchases a product, the third-party will take care of printing and shipping.

• You earn commission off of each sale.

Not super artistic? That might not be a problem, as many popular designs are simply clever phrases!

Don’t have fancy design software? No worries! Use Canva, a free and easy-to-use design tool.

Now you don’t have any excuses! Also, unlike some of the other gigs in this article, you can be any age and from anywhere in the world to get started.

Below are just a few of many eCommerce manufacturer sites out there that offer print-on-demand services and help you sell your designs online.

Printful

Printful offers easy print-on-demand drop shipping and fulfillment warehouse services to create and sell custom products online. You can upload your digital designs to a vast catalogue of products, set up an online store on your website, and Printful will handle all of the orders, payments, manufacturing and shipping.

They print and ship from the US, Mexico and Europe and ship all over the world. Plus, there is no minimum order volume.

Requirements:

• All designs must be original, or you have permission to use following trademark laws.

Payment:

• Printful integrates with your online store, so the customer pays you directly

• You set the price and decide your own margins

• You are billed from Printful whenever an order comes through

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

Bonfire

Similar to the above, Bonfire is another print-on-demand site that makes it easy to design, sell and order premium custom shirts. On top of taking care of the order fulfillment and shipping, Bonfire also allows you to set up your online shop through their marketplace. They even have a fundraising campaign option and allow you to enable additional contributions on your products for your audience to support you further.

You can upload your custom artwork or utilize Bonfire’s design templates, which include a library of thousands of free fonts and graphics.

Requirements:

• Upload custom designs or use their design templates

Payment:

• Set your own prices and determine your profit margin

• As you sell more products, your profit margin will increase

• There is no minimum order volume

• Payouts are made through PayPal and can be requested anytime you carry a balance

  • You’ll receive 100% of the profits (based on your profit margin) after each batch ships

  • Bonfire collects an 8% processing fee on additional contributions

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

Teespring

Teespring offers a no risk turn-key solution to selling products with your designs. They handle everything from marketing, production, fulfillment & customer service to make e-commerce easy.

Personal experience: We used Teespring to make some custom shirt designs (see photo above), and liked that they had options for ethically-made clothing.

Requirements:

• You can use their tools to create custom designs or upload your own designs in the Teespring Launcher.

Payment:

• Payouts are made through Payoneer or Paypal

• Sellers can request payouts from within their Teespring account

  • Payouts are processed between 1-7 business days

  • Payouts worth less than $100 can only be requested every 3 days

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

More options: Check out Redbubble and Merch by Amazon as well!

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Leverage Your Skills

The side hustles in this section do require specific skill sets to earn money online, so be sure to read the requirements to see if it is a good fit for you.

9. Syndicated Travel Writing

• What is it? Sell rights to travel article and stories you have personally written.

• Special skills: Be able to write about travel in a way that is engaging

So you want to write about travel but don’t have the time to dedicate to starting a successful travel blog and you’re not keen on cold-pitching your articles to publications?

We’ve got a solution for you…

WellTraveled.Media

Created by writers, for writers, WellTraveled.Media is a new revenue model for travel content syndication. Think of like what Getty Images or Shutterstock is to photos (see #15 for more info!). It’s basically a stock marketplace for evergreen travel content.

Buyers who are interested in affordable, high-quality travel articles can use the website to fill the gaps in their content. Contributors can monetize their backlog of travel content by submitting their work, even if it’s been published previously. And they will rest-easy knowing they retain full rights, while getting a payout every time someone new downloads their content from the site.

Requirements:

• Must submit original work, not previously commissioned as rights-owned by a third party, and/or you own full copyright.

• All you need is a name, and email address to submit work.

Payment:

• Earn a royalty every time one of your stories is downloaded (exact amount not specified on the website)

• No cap on earnings and no cap on the number of stories you can contribute

• Payout is quarterly (not specified how

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

10. Teach English Online

• What is it? Teach English through video chat to language learners.

• Special skills: English fluency

• Good to know: Some programs require that you’re a native speaker or from a specific region, while others don’t have as strict of regulations.

If you’re looking for an easy way to make good money online outside of regular work hours, teaching English is a great way to get started. There is a huge market for native English speakers to teach online classes.

VIPKID

VIPKid is an online platform that connects students living in Beijing, China with English speakers around the world. Through video conversations, teachers will guide students through pre-made slides and help them improve their English speaking and conversation skills.

Requirements: 

• Must have tutoring, instructing or teaching experience

• Must be enrolled in or have a 4-year university degree

• A Facebook account is required to verify your identity

Payment:

• Tutors start at $20/hour

• You can earn subject bonuses for tutoring in high-demand subjects

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

Our personal experience: Ben used to teach through VIPKID and loved the flexibility of setting his own schedule, the ease of the lessons, and the fact that it paid quite well.

Psst! If you think VIPKID sounds like a gig you’d be interested in, this article has pretty much everything you need to know about the interview process and getting started. Ben is also happy to personally answer any questions you may have, so feel free to reach out!

Other Online Teaching Platforms

While VIPKID is regarded as one of the most reputable and highest-paying online teaching platforms out there, one of the major drawbacks is that you must be from North America (though you don’t currently have to reside there).

Don’t worry if you don’t fit this criteria. There are plenty of other platforms that aren’t quite as strict about this requirement. Plus, some of the other platforms have a different models. Instead of teaching pre-made lessons to children, you’ll also find opportunities to teach English to adult learners in more conversation-based approaches, or one-on-one language tutoring. 

We’ve rounded up the best companies for teaching English online in a separate article because there are just too many great opportunities to fit here. While the different companies vary on requirements, pay and time commitments, we’ll share some of the general details here:

Requirements: Almost all of the recommend companies will require the following to teach English online:

• Native or near-native English speaker

• 18+ years of age

• A bachelor’s degree

  • While it’s a fairly common requirement, there are some companies in the article linked above do not require a degree

• A reliable Internet connection and a computer or smart device with webcam and microphone

• A TEFL certification isn’t always required, but is generally preferred 

Payment: Payments vary by company and are dependent on your qualifications and time commitments

• Most companies pay between $15 – $22 USD per hour 

• Most companies pay via PayPal

Time Commitment:

• This is entirely dependent on the company you choose to work for

11. Transcription

• What is it? Listen to audio files and convert it into written form.

• Special skills: fluent in English, proficient at typing

If you are a fluent English speaker who has decent keyboard skills, you can make some extra cash transcribing audio files into text in your spare time.

Enjoy the flexibility to set your own hours and work as much or as little as you like, picking up projects as they become available. Aside from English speaking and typing skills, you’ll have to be over the age of 18, but there aren’t generally any other requirements. 

Here is a list of companies that hire contractors for transcriptions services:

GoTranscript

GoTranscript hires from all over the world and allows you to set your own hours and choose which projects you work on. Get paid weekly up to $0.60 USD per audio/video minute of transcription (that’s $36/hour!) via PayPal or Payoneer. 

Requirements: 

• Proficient English skills

Payment:

• Make up to $0.60 USD per audio/video minute (that’s $36/hour!)

• Average earnings are $150/month

• Get paid weekly via PayPal or Payoneer

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

TranscribeMe

Receive a steady stream of work and the industry’s best rates when you apply as a transcriptionist at TranscribeMe. They hire transcriptionists from all over the world and pay $15 – $22 per audio/video hour for transcriptions weekly via PayPal. 

Requirements: 

• The ability to transcribe audio/video in any of the languages they support

Payment:

• $15 – $22 USD per audio/video hour

• Transcriptionists with specialized backgrounds in Medical & Legal are paid a higher rate

• Average earnings are $250/month

• Get paid weekly in USD via PayPal

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

Casting Words

Casting Words only hires transcriptionists from PayPal supported countries. However, unlike some of the other companies, they offer consistent work and your pay will be decided based on an internal grading scale. You can make anywhere from 8.5 cents to just over a dollar per audio/video minute of transcription and get paid weekly via PayPal. 

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Must live in a PayPal supported country

• US applicants: Note that they are unable to hire from CA, DC, HI, IN, MA, NC, NY, or WV at this time.

Payment:

• From 8.5 cents to just over a dollar per audio/video minute dependent on an internal grading scale

• Get paid weekly via PayPal

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

12. Bilingual Translating

• What is it? Translate text from one language to another.

• Special skills: Fluent in at least 2 languages

¿Hablas español? Est-ce que tu parles français?

If you’re bilingual or fluent in multiple languages put those badass skills to work for you and make some extra money by translating text online. 

Unbabel

Unbabel is an online translation platform that hire bilingual freelancers for online translation jobs, from editing machine-translated texts to evaluating human translations. 

Requirements: 

• Must be of legal working age in your home country (usually that’s 18+)

• Fluent in English and the language you wish to translate

• Must pass a translation exam

Payment:

• $8/hour of translating

• Get paid via PayPal or Payoneer

  • Must wait 5-7 working days for your money to appear in your PayPal account and PayPal will deduct a fee

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

• Pick up tasks on a first-come-first-served basis

Translate.com

Becoming a translator for Translate.com is easy and a great way to earn some extra cash on the side if you have proficiency in multiple languages. You can work at anytime from anywhere in the world and be your own boss. 

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age, or over the age of 13 with a parent’s permission

• Fluent in English and the language you wish to translate

• Must pass a translation exam

Payment:

• You get paid based on the numbers of words translated (or edited) 

• They pay one-half cent to 1 cent per word

• Get paid via PayPal

  • Must earn at least $20 before cash out

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

13. Become an online Research Assistant

• What is it: Act as a human search engine and find answers to questions by researching online. 

• Special Skills: Writing and research skills, plus creative solutions, critical analysis and logical reasoning skills.

• Good to Know: Job sites suggest that researchers typically make $20/hour on average. 

Corporations and business professionals constantly need detailed answers to new questions that come up, but they don’t always have time to do the research in house. As an online research assistant, you can leverage your research skills to help answer questions and get paid for your work. 

Ask Wonder

Whether a business executive looking for solutions or an author writing a new book, people turn to Ask Wonder when they need research done. The site acts as a sort of online marketplace where people go to ask questions and Ask Wonder puts together a team of virtual researchers to answer those questions for their clients. 

Anyone can apply online, the application process takes just 5 minutes. Ask Wonder will determine if you have what it takes to become a researcher via a simple online quiz and trial assessment. Once you’re hired, you’ll go through a crash course to learn the Ask Wonder guidelines and processes, then you can visit the research dashboard to select tasks and get to work finding answers/sources and synthesize your findings. 

Requirements: 

• The ability to critically analyze and pull together different pools of data and translate those into a well-written answer to a research question. 

• Strong English and grammar 

Payment: 

• Ask Wonder pays anywhere from $8 – $35 per answer, depending on the scale of the question and how much research is involved. 

• Researchers report making $8 – $16 on average for every detailed answer they provide. 

• The most experienced researchers can make as much as $30/hour. 

• Ask Wonder pays out twice weekly via PayPal. 

Time Commitment: 

• Work as much or as little as you want to

14. Audiobook Narration

What is it: Get paid to record narrations of audiobooks

• Special Skills: Exceptional vocal control and stamina, acting experience is a plus

• Good to Know: Acting experience is not a prerequisite, however it will provide you with the skills to understand pacing and delivery and perform a variety of voices and accents for a wide range of characters, which are all important elements in audiobook narration.

With the growing popularity of audiobooks as a form of entertainment, the demand for audiobook narrators is ever increasing. The good news is, with the right equipment and set up, you can perform the job requirements entirely from the comfort of your own home.

Most audiobook narrators work as freelancers so you must be organized, professional and have the ability to meet deadlines and keep track of invoicing. 

Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX)

Owned by Audible, ACX is an industry-specific site that connects authors seeking voice over artists to audition for their eBooks and audiobooks. Find an unlimited number of potential narration gigs for legitimate audiobooks you’ll be able to find on Audible, Amazon and iTunes. They even have a number of resources to help you learn how to set up a home studio and edit and master your work. 

Requirements: 

• Voice over acting skills

• Computer, voice over microphone and stand, studio headphones, recording software

• Finished retail-ready audio as the completed product (rough, unedited narration won’t cut it)

Payment: 

• You can set your own per-finished-hour rate based on the completion of the audiobook, or

• You can share royalties from sales with the Rights Holder

Time Commitment: 

• Work as much or as little as you prefer as long as you hit your contracted deadlines

15. Become an Online Stylist

• What is it? Pick out clothing and accessories from a virtual closet based on customer preferences and needs.

• Special skills: Must have an eye for fashion or design

If you have an eye for design, a proven track record, and good customer service skills, you can make some extra cash working part-time as an online stylist.

Enjoy the flexibility to set your own hours and work as much or as little as you like, picking up projects as they become available. Aside from a design background, you’ll have to be over the age of 18 and be able to communicate your styling through text and online visuals. 

If this is something that peaks your interest, you may want to look into the companies below…

Stitch Fix

Are you someone who has – forgive me for using this cliché – a passion for fashion, are great at solving wardrobe problems, and most importantly care about building relationships with clients to deliver personalized service? If those are qualities you possess and you want to make some extra money online, becoming a part-time online stylist for Stitch Fix might be the perfect side-hustle for you.

If you haven’t already heard, Stitch Fix is an online personal styling company that adopted the subscription box model for updating your wardrobe. Based on a highly-personalized survey, they send you 5 pieces of clothing and accessories once a month that you can try on at home and decide which to keep (and pay for) and which to send back with their pre-paid mailing label. 

The company has blown up since it first entered the market in 2011. They keep everything running by hiring remote stylists who use their internal online platform to personalize the selection in each Stitch Fix box and cater the experience individually to each of their subscribers nationwide. 

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Must live in or around the following US cities to be considered for the position: Austin, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco

• Must be legally able to work in the US

• Must have good computer skills, especially with web-based apps and social media 

Payment:

• According to reviews, stylists start at $14/hour, but have the opportunity to get pay increases up to $20/hour

• Payments received via direct deposit into your bank account*

*Unlike most of the gigs in this list, this is not a contract position, but rather you would actually be a part-time employee of the company. 

Time Commitment:

• There is a minimum commitment of 15 hours per week

• You can work on your own time, whenever you want as long as you meet the 15 hour/week requirement

Personal Experience: Our editor, Amanda, spent some time working as a remote Stitch Fix Stylist, so if you have questions, feel free to address her in the comment section below and she’ll do her best to answer based on her personal experience!

Havenly

What Stitch Fix is for wardrobe styling, Havenly is for interior decorating. This website provides personalized online interior design services for any room on any budget. They employ over 200 remote designers who can work from their laptops doing what they love. As an FYI, you must have professional experience in decorating in order to quality for this job.

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Must have good computer skills, comfortable with navigating online systems and software, especially with Photoshop & room rendering

• Must have professional interior design, customer service and sales experience

• Interior design degree strongly preferred but not required

Payment:

• Designers are paid on a per-project fee and also receive commission and bonus incentives based on their performance.

• According to Havenly, their most successful designers can make up to $7,500 per month. However, reviews suggest the pay is on the lower-end by industry standards, so don’t expect to start at that rate.

Time Commitment:

• Set your own schedule and client capacity

16. Sell an Online Course

• What is it? Teach something you’re good at through videos or written instructions.

• Special skills: If it is something you can teach, you can create a course on it!

• Helpful software & equipment:

If you happen to have a special skill that is teachable, you can make passive income selling an online course.

Ask yourself this: What would your friends or family say is one of your biggest talents? It can be anything…

• Do you bake killer cheesecakes?

• Can you throw a perfect pitch?

• Do you throw epic themed parties?

• Can you play the ukulele like a pro?

No matter what your skill — photo editing, baking, hand-lettering, cake decorating, Airbnb hosting, latte making (yep!) — there are plenty of people who are eager to learn what you know.

The drawback to this gig is that it does require a hefty upfront investment of your time. However, once you have created your course and uploaded it to a course hosting platform (more on this below), you can earn big bucks rather passively* when people enroll. *The exception being any updating of the course information and whatever marketing efforts you put in to increase your course downloads. 

There are a number of different platforms that make hosting your online course easy, but they all vary quite a bit. We’re breaking down some of the most popular options for hosting an online course and what each platform entails.

Udemy

With more than 50 million students enrolled in their courses, Udemy is easily the largest online course marketplace. This platform is great for creating your first course. They offer loads of support for creating your first online course and with their massive user base, they pretty much take care of the marketing for you.

The downside to Udemy is they take a pretty large cut of your course sales and do not grant you access to your customer sales list (which can add a lot of value in future marketing down the line). 

Requirements: 

• Udemy is free to sign up and use

• You’ll first have to apply to become a premium instructor and get accepted

• Course content must include at least 30 minutes of video and have 5 lectures (you can also add quizzes, assignments, exercises and discussion prompts)

Payment:

• Get paid monthly through PayPal or Payoneer

• Udemy charges the following revenue share:*

  • 3% revenue share on course sales made by instructor coupons

  • 50% revenue share on courses found through organic search on Udemy or through a Udemy promotion

  • 75% revenue share on course sales through Udemy’s paid user acquisition channels.

*Revenue share does not include processing fees charged by PayPal or Payoneer, or mobile platform fees for mobile course sales.

Time Commitment:

• This requires an upfront time commitment to create the course materials

Skillshare

Skillshare is an online subscription-based learning community with thousands of classes on creative-based subjects. If you are a working creative and expert in a particular skill in your field, you can become a teacher on Skillshare. All you need to do is create a course to earn money for every minute of your course that gets watched by the Skillshare community.

One of the benefits of Skillshare is their extensive resources and responsive support to help teachers create their classes.

Requirements: 

• Only to be a subject matter expert in a creative field

• Classes must adhere to the course guidelines in order to be published

Payment:

• Get paid based on how many minutes of your course is watched

  • 30% of membership revenue on Skillshare goes to a royalty pool for teachers each month.

  • Teachers are paid from the royalty pool based on their share of the minutes watched by members (both paying members and those in free trials) across the platform each month.

  • Skillshare claims first-time teachers earn $200 in their first month on Skillshare on average, and top earning teachers make up to $3000+ per month.

• Get $10 for every student you bring to Skillshare that signs up for a Premium Membership through your referral link. 

• Payments are made through PayPal

Time Commitment:

• This requires an upfront time commitment to create the course materials

What’s the difference between Udemy and Skillshare? The largest difference between these two platforms is that Skillshare is a subscription-based platform, so any registered user can take your course for free. You are paid based on how many minutes of your course are watched. On Udemy, users have to specifically sign up and pay for your course. Skillshare is also slightly smaller, so some course creators say they get more exposure than they have on Udemy, which is somewhat saturated with courses.

Honorable mentions: Teachable is a well-known hosting platform for online courses. However, since you will need to do your own marketing, Teachable is best for people who already have an existing audience (aka on a blog or social platform). The benefits to this platform is they offer much more room for customization, plus, they don’t take any of your earnings other than a monthly subscription fee. If this isthe type of course-hosting platform you would prefer, check out Thinkific and Podia as well, as they are very similar to Teachable.

Highbrow

Highbrow bills themselves as the solution to knowledge gap between what we learn from the media and real textbook knowledge. They are an email-based course marketplace that is also a subscription service with over 400k enrolled learners.

Through Highbrow you can create an email-based course with 10 lessons that are easily digested in 5 minutes or less. Each course also includes an end of course quiz to test the readers knowledge. Highbrow provides your audience from their subscriber base. And they take care of the promotion, design and delivery of your course.

Once you’ve created your course, you simply sit back and collect a payout each time a student completes your course.

Requirements: 

• All courses must be unique content written by the creator

• All courses must be written in English and follow the other course guidelines as laid out by the platform

Payment:

• Compensation is paid out each time a student completes all 10 lessons of a course.

  • You will get $1 for each student who completes your course.

• Teachers who host at least one course, and have at least 30 students in total are eligible for the revenue sharing program.

  • Every 3 months Highbrow sets aside 50% of their subscription revenue for revenue sharing.

  • They then pay teachers on a sliding scale, using an algorithm that accounts for class quality and engagement.

Time Commitment:

• This requires an upfront time commitment to create the course materials

Alternative: What Highbrow is for email courses, Listenable is for audio courses. Check them out if you are more of an audio teacher than a writer.

17. Online Tutoring

As we continue to dive into the digital age, the tutoring landscape has come online. While there are still plenty of positions out there for traditional in-person tutors, there is now a whole new market for online tutoring help. 

If you are particularly skilled in an area of study, or have a background in education, becoming an online tutor can be a great opportunity to make money online as a side-hustle. Below are a few companies that hire online tutors in varying roles to help students study.  

Studypool

Studypool is a new kind of online tutoring platform that works a bit differently than the traditional one-on-one learning. On the platform, students post their questions, qualified tutors put in bids to help, once selected by the student, the tutor then provides personalized help according to the details laid out in the question. Help can come in the form of text chats or live learning through the video platform with interactive tools. 

Payment is made on a question-by-question basis and is only finalized once the student feels the question has been completely answered. Over 10,000 questions are posted to the platform daily, so there is plenty of opportunity for new tutors to jump in and make money. 

Another feature of the platform is the Studypool Notebank, which allows tutors to upload academic papers, notes and study guides. Students can then purchase the uploads through the site, which gives the tutors a more passive income stream.  

Requirements: 

• Must be based in the US

• Must have a degree in higher education or be a current college or university student

Payment:

• They amount of money you make depends on the types of questions you are answering and the bids you make 

• Studypool takes a 20-30% commission of what you earn

• Get paid via PayPal

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• There are no set hours with Studypool and you’re free to answer as many questions as you want

Chegg Tutors

Chegg Tutors, formerly InstaEDU, is an online platform offering virtual tutors in hundreds of subjects at the high school and college level. Tutors from all over the world work with students in a live lesson space that includes a virtual white board, and chat via text, audio or video depending on the student’s need. Their lessons are “priced for students,” meaning they are quite affordable and their tutors are available 24/7 to help whenever a student may be in need.

Requirements: 

• Must has tutoring, instructing or teaching experience

• Must be enrolled in or have a 4-year university degree

• A Facebook account is required to verify your identity

Payment:

• Tutors start at $20/hour

• You can earn subject bonuses for tutoring in high-demand subjects

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

18. Become a Virtual Assistant (VA)

• What is it? Perform administrative tasks for a client.

• Special skills: Organized, independent worker, some clients will want to hire a VA with specific skillsets, like social media management or transcribing.

Thanks to high-speed Internet, conference calling and document sharing, virtual assistants (or VAs as they are commonly referred to around the ’net) are in high demand. Companies and entrepreneurs like to hire VAs when they need help, but don’t want to bring in a new on-site employee. Depending on the business needs, hiring someone to help out remotely offers more flexibility, less fixed costs and the ability to scale up or down when necessary. 

As a VA, you may be asked to help out with or complete any number of administrative tasks that can be done virtually. Every position is different, based on the needs of the employer. You might be making calls, doing data-entry, transcribing, proof-reading, scheduling appointments… you name it!

Insider Tip: Some VAs specialize in a specific niche, such as social media management, Pinterest management, content creation, or bookkeeping. When getting started as a VA, it can sometimes be good to have a speciality to stand out from the crowd. 

Below are some companies that contract with or hire virtual assistants.

Boldly

Boldy, previously Worldwide101, specializes in finding “business-grade” virtual assistants with experience in specialized fields. Unlike other VA firms, they hire Virtual Assistants as W2-employees, and enjoy certain benefits such as paid time off. They also offer a high level of support for their VAs, including a team leader who is available 24/7 to jump in and help. 

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Must live in the US, Canada or Europe

• 7+ years of professional work experience

Payment:

• According to reviews, expected pay is between $20-$22 per hour

• You will be a W2 employee

Time Commitment:

• You must be available to work at least 20 hours a week

• You must be available to work Monday – Friday during business hours

Fancy Hands

Fancy Hands is a marketplace for US-based VAs to tackle online tasks, around the clock and get paid on a per-task basis. Examples of the tasks you might be asked to perform are appointment and reservation scheduling, proof-reading, Internet research, travel booking, and data entry. 

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Based in the US

• Must have an audio headset to speak to clients through your computer

Payment:

• Tasks are worth anywhere from $3 – $7 per task, and go up from there

• Get paid every other week (on Tuesdays) via Dwolla app

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• They need people working around the clock, so work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

Time Etc. 

Time Etc. hires only VAs with previous experience who are based in the US and willing to dedicate time into building lasting relationships with their clients. This is not a good fit if you are looking to make quick money doing one-off tasks.  

Tasks will vary based on client’s needs, but will be mostly administrative work such as formatting and typing documents, making travel arrangements, managing calendars, arranging meetings and appointments, making telephone calls, sorting expenses, updating social media, or writing articles and content.

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Based in the US

• At least 5 years work experience, preferred experience in administrative or assistant roles

• Experience working from home

Payment:

• $11/hour is the starting rate for VAs at Time Etc. 

Time Commitment:

• Dedicate 2-3 hours of time, every weekday during working hours

• Schedule your work around your client’s needs

19. Find Freelance Work

• What is it? Freelancers provide a skill for a client on a contract basis.

• Special skills: You can technically “freelance” any skill, but the most common are writing, graphic design, web development, and SEO optimization.

• Good to know: It is important to note that these marketplaces can have high competition, and your rating as a freelancer is a significant factor in getting “found” by clients.

If you are good at writing or design (or another skill you can market), freelance marketplaces are a good way to find jobs that are aligned with your skillset.

Below, we’re going over the two largest freelance platforms: Upwork and Fiverr. They are set up differently and take different commission percentages, so read carefully so you can choose the best freelance marketplace for your situation.

Upwork

Upwork is an online marketplace that connects professionals with specific skill sets to businesses seeking specialized talent. They offer support to businesses in categories like design, web development, writing and marketing, just to name a few. 

As a freelancer, it is free to sign up and you create a profile with your skills and work examples. You then browse the available jobs within your interest areas and submit proposals on jobs you wish to take on, setting your own hourly rate or project total. 

Insider Tip: When you’re first starting out, you may want to take on jobs that are a bit lower-paying than what you’d ideally like to have. Do excellent work in order to get a high rating. Once you have a few 5-star reviews, you will be able to snag much more competitive jobs.

Personal experience & some tips!

I used to pick up lots of writing gigs on Upwork (and a handful of graphic design jobs) to help fund our travels. Eventually, I found two clients that I liked working with and essentially only did work for them. They provided consistent jobs and paid relatively well.

If you’re interested in freelance work, I’d encourage you to try to find a client that will have long-term work, as it helps jobs go quickly when you know what the client is looking for. Also, don’t be blinded by trying to find the perfect client. It’s rare that you’ll be writing content that is super aligned with your passions. One of the clients I wrote for was a casino and another was a jeweler, just as an example!

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Must submit an application for approval

Payment:

• You set your rates in your bid for a project, minimum hourly rate is $3/hour

• As a freelancer, you’re charged a sliding fee based on your lifetime billings with each non-Enterprise client.

  • If you’ve made $0-$500: Upwork takes 20%

  • If you’ve made $500.01-$10,000: Upwork takes 10%

  • If you’ve made $10,000.01 or more: Upwork takes 5%

• Get paid via a number of options including direct deposit, PayPal, or Payoneer

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

Fiverr

Similar to Upwork, Fiverr is another online marketplace for freelancers. This platform, however, works in reverse. As a Freelancer on Fiverr, it’s free to join, you just set up your profile and offer your services. You can offer any service you wish as long as it’s legal and compliant with their terms of service, so feel free to get creative here! 

With Fiverr’s Gig Packages, you set your pricing anywhere from $5 – $995 and offer three versions of your service at three different price points. Businesses then browse the offerings and put in an order for your services if they want to hire you. Once you complete a buyer’s order, the money is transferred to your account. Fiverr even promotes leaving tips for a job well done!

Since most jobs are quick and easy, it’s not as challenging to pick up your first few gigs if you price yourself low to start. However, just like Upwork, competition is high and Fiverr is known for offering services at a minimum price (hence the name), so you may not earn the kind of money you want for doing the type of work you excel at. However, as you build up your reputation on the site, you will be able to raise your prices accordingly. 

Requirements: 

• 13+ years of age

Payment:

• Fiverr takes a 20% cut from each transaction you make on their platform

• Get paid via PayPal, or choose direct deposit into your bank account ($1 fee for every transaction)

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

Text Broker

Just like it sounds, Text Broker acts as a broker between freelance copy writers and clients who need content. The site offers thousands of content orders, flexible time management and reliable payment. And the better the write, the more you can earn, based on Text Broker’s star rating and payment system. They also have additional bonus incentives for authors based on start rating and quarterly earnings.

If you are a writer who specializes in writing captivating blog posts, straightforward product descriptions or snappy advertising copy, this is a great place for you to find work.

Requirements: 

• 18+ years of age

• Must be eligible to work within the U.S.

• Must be able to follow client inst ructions accurately

• Must have a registered PayPal account

Payment:

• Make between 0.7 – 5 cents per word

• Payouts are made via PayPal and can be requested up to twice a week as long as your balance is $10 or more

Time Commitment:

• There is no minimum time commitment

• Work as much or as little as you want, whenever you want

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We want to hear from you!

Do you have experience making money online with any of the methods we described above? What can you tell us about your experience? Is there anything you think we left off this list? Leave you comment below and we’ll do our best to get back to you!