There are plenty of reasons to need a little bit of extra money. Your primary job may cover the necessities but not leave a lot of "fun" money left over, or maybe you need help handling the basics. After all, grocery prices keep going up, housing costs are on the rise everywhere, and it just seems like everything is more expensive. That leaves many people looking for a side job to supplement their income.
Luckily, there are plenty of options out there. You don't even need to leave the comfort of your home to do several of them. Let's take a look at the sort of online side job you can get without leaving your couch (or home office). You don't have to take up delivery driving just to earn some extra income!
Freelance Writing
Freelance writing is one of the best jobs out there if you need to work at home and earn money online. Plenty of websites like Upwork and Fiverr list a constantly updating stream of writing jobs, and you can find lucrative listings on LinkedIn, Indeed, and other job sites as well. Many freelance writing jobs are done in your own time, meaning you can fit in an article or blog alongside your day job or whatever full-time job you have.
While some of the higher-paying opportunities may require things like degrees or proven experience, there are several opportunities out there for beginners, too. With writing jobs, you can typically work on your own time and set your rate - whether you ask for a per-hour number or charge by the word. Beginner freelance writers may earn between $.02 to .04 cents per word, while those with experience in a desirable niche (like the tech field) earn $1 or more per word. You may earn even more if you are skilled in SEO (search engine optimization).
With the growing AI trend, there's been a dip in certain types of freelance writing jobs recently, but many businesses and clients want their words to come from real people. It's still a viable side hustle to do in your spare time.
Social Media Manager
Social media managers do practically all their work on a phone or a computer. You may need to branch out a bit if you take a job that requires audio or video recordings, as filming TikToks might require actually going outside and getting creative. That all depends on the job expectations. Managing social media accounts like Twitter and Facebook may only require a few updates each day, while other jobs are much more involved.
If you're just searching for a second job or side hustle, you may not be ready to commit to something full-time. Even small brands and businesses need help with social media channels, though. Handling content direction and social media interaction for a local plumbing company probably won't require the same kind of time and energy commitment as popular influencers, for instance, and can be a great way to get some extra cash. The average pay for a part-time social media manager is still around $42,000 per year, according to Glassdoor. That's a serious chunk of change.
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants handle everything from setting appointments to booking travel and replying to emails. You don't need any specific type of experience or degree to become a virtual assistant, either, although previous work with computers or administrative assistant duties certainly looks good on applications.
Pay for virtual assistants varies widely depending on the client, with the average earnings sitting at around $27 to $28 per hour. You may earn as much as $100 an hour for the right client, though. You may not be as free to set your schedule as a virtual assistant as some of the other side jobs on this list, but it's still a fantastic opportunity to earn extra money.
Online Tutor
If you have a degree, speak more than one language, or have any prior experience teaching, your job search is over. Becoming an online tutor is a fantastic opportunity. There's a high demand for online tutors at every grade level and within practically every subject - from kindergarten to advanced calculus.
The average pay for online tutors is between $18 and $19 per hour, but you may earn more money depending on your subject and whether you're working with private clients. Tutoring sessions typically only last an hour or two, so it's easy to schedule sessions during your free time.
Proofreader
Like freelance writing, there are a ton of proofreading opportunities on sites like Upwork. Editing opportunities fall into this category as well, although editors and proofreaders don't perform the same job duties. Proofreaders are the final clean-up act, so to speak, before something is published. As a proofreader, you'll be focusing on final grammatical touches, spelling, punctuation, and so on.
Proofreaders may earn an hourly rate, per word rate, or flat rate for the whole job, so pay varies. However, the average pay is around $16 per 1000 words of proofreading.
Make an Online Course
This isn't quite the same as being an online tutor, but it's a similar idea. If you have a degree, hobby, or area of expertise and are interested in sharing that with other people, create an online course! Find an online learning platform, like Udemy or Skillshare, and get started. You'll want to pick a marketable skill for the most success, but there's an audience out there for just about anything.
Whether you know how to code or are ready to teach people the basics of painting, you can share your skills online and earn money while doing it. Selling online courses can yield $1000 a month or significantly more depending on your level of success.
Digital Editing
It's a fantastic time to break into digital editing. There's an increasing demand for audio and video editors, and this category is easily combined with things like social media management. If you have any experience with sound and video editing or photography (or you're just a fast learner), check out sites like Upwork, Indeed, Fiverr, and others to score some editing gigs.
Video editors make around $21 an hour on average, while sound editing nets around $28 hourly on average. Pay ranges depending on your experience and the demands and expectations of the job, of course, it's a great way to work at home, put your skills to use, and earn extra income.
Conclusion
The seven opportunities above are only a glimpse of the sort of remote jobs you can do from home. What begins as a side hustle may turn into a high-earning career, in some cases, but there's nothing wrong with keeping a side gig to cover extra needs (and wants). Several of these jobs are available to beginners, but you stand to earn more if you have experience in the field. Think about your talents and the best way to use them!
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