For a lot of people, working from home sounds like a dream come true. You can make your own schedule, there is no commute, and you now have the flexibility to do whatever you want with your life. Sometimes you can even work in your pajamas!
Believe it or not, there are far more work-from-home opportunities out there than you may have ever imagined. Here are a whopping 50 options for you to choose from. We will give you some advice on where to go to learn more about each respective field, and product recommendations you may need to get started.
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50. Sell On eBay
Selling on eBay is as easy as signing up for an account and listing things online. There is also an eBay app that makes it very easy for you to go through the process. Of course, if you want to be successful at running a full-time eBay business, there is a lot more than goes into it than that. You will have to source your products, take a lot of photos, and answer customer service questions. But if you are just looking to make some extra cash by selling your second-hand items online, anyone can start selling right away. If you want to see an example of someone who made eBay work full-time, check out the Nicole State’s YouTube channel.
49. Become a Pet Sitter
If you love animals, becoming a pet sitter might be a great gig for you. A lot of busy people want to have a pet, but they might travel a lot for work or go on a lot of vacations where they need to leave their dogs and cats alone. Yes, there are doggie hotels and kennels, but a lot of people feel awful leaving their pets in these terrifying places, and would rather have them at least comfortable in their own homes.
There is actually such a high demand for pet sitters out there, it is possible to make this into a full-time business. Technically, you’re not working from your home, but it often only requires you to stop by your client’s house long enough to feed, walk, and play with the animals, and you can work that around your own schedule.
Not sure how to get started? Begin by letting your Facebook friends know that you are offering pet sitting services. You would be surprised how many people will ask for your help, once a good reputation spreads by word-of-mouth.
48. Rent Out Your Garage or Parking Spaces
In some urban areas, parking can be extremely hard to find, and it’s expensive. Between parking meters, tickets, and driving around a lot like a crazy person, some people desperately want to have a spot to call their own. There are also some circumstances where someone may be moving, and they need a place to store their car somewhere until they can get around to selling it.
If you live in a busy urban area like this, and you have parking space to spare, consider renting out your space to someone who needs it. For more information on how to go about doing this in the US, check out JustPark.com. And if you live in the UK, check out YourParkingSpace.
47. Write Closed Captions
You have probably seen subtitles in movies, but closed captioning is a bit different. This is specifically meant for people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. It includes writing about sound effects, musics, and more. Usually, if you want to get into closed-captioning, you will need to apply to work with an established firm that works with TV, YouTube, and Movies. They will give you a test to see how well you do with closed captioning a sample clip. If you get the job, you can get the work done from home.
46. Write Transcriptions
Writing transcripts are very similar to closed captioning, in the way that it helps people who are deaf be able to read the spoken word from podcasts and other audio-based media. Transcripts can also be beneficial for some businesses who are trying to get hits from Google searches on their topic. You will have to listen to the audio, and type the words you hear accurately. Normally, you will get paid for every minute or hour of audio time. At first, it may take you a while to complete a transcript, but with practice, you can get it done quickly. Check out websites like Fiver to advertise your transcription services.
45. Compose and Sell Original Music
Okay, this one is easier said than done. Most composers have some background in music theory, and they also need to have a natural talent. However, if you have a background in music already, and you feel confident that you can do this, you need to begin composing beats and songs. Then, create a portfolio of your work on a website like SoundCloud. This takes a lot of networking, and getting yourself out there. For those who have managed to make a living off of this, they can enjoy a comfortable life working from home in a DIY sound studio.
44. Rent Out A Room in Your Home On Airbnb
If you live in a major city or a popular vacation destination, you have a very good chance of being able to rent out your home on AirBnB for $100 to $200 a night. Some people will rent out just one bedroom if they don’t mind sharing their living space. Others will allow someone to rent their entire house or apartment for an extended period of time. If this is something you might be interested in, check out the podcast called Shampoo and Booze.
43. Phone Customer Service
Many companies are now allowing customer service operators to work from home, because all it takes is a computer, internet access, and a connection to their program. If you are considering this gig, also make sure you invest in a comfortable headset, because you will end up using that thing all day long.
42. Design Book Covers
If you would like to be a book cover designer, you need to be proficient in Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. It is also important to study the market so that you know what kinds of covers will sell. After creating a portfolio, you will have to reach out to clients to work with. A great place to start is by watching Derek Murphy on YouTube. He explains exactly what people are looking for with their book covers.
41. Watch Commercials & Take Surveys
This one sounds too good to be true, but it actually is possible to earn money from watching commercials and taking surveys from the comfort of your own home. In many cases, you can even let the commercials play, and simply walk away while you computer does the work for you Check out websites like InboxDollars and Swagbucks.
40. Offer Photoshopping Services
If you are skilled in Adobe Photoshop, you can offer your services on websites like Fiverr and Upwork. Usually, you will need to have a profile website that showcases all of your skills before you can find work. If your Photoshop skills need some brushing up, search on YouTube for tutorials to help you get started.
39. Trade In Your Old Textbooks
Most college book stores have a textbook trade-in-program, if you want to get credit towards next semester’s materials. Amazon.com also offers gift cards for trading in your textbooks, as long as they qualify. You may also be able to see your books on eBay or Amazon if they are still the newest edition that is still being used in the classroom.
38. Bookkeeping
Ever take any accounting classes? Then you just might be able to offer your services to local businesses. Usually, you will need to have an extensive history as an accountant or bookkeeper before people will trust you with your financial documents to take home with you.
37. Voice Acting and Narration
If your friends and family have told you that you have a great voice, you may as well put it to good use. There are loads of options out there for voice acting and audiobook narration. Just keep in mind that you will need a professional grade microphone like a Rode Podcaster, and a soundproof studio before you attempt to earn money from recordings. There are all sorts of voice over jobs, and you will have to start auditioning for gigs. If you want to try to narrate an audiobook, check out ACX.
36. Laundry Services
There are some people who really truly hate doing laundry, and they want to pay someone else to do it. If you happen to be good at this, start out by offering your services on Facebook and Craigslist. Just keep in mind that most laundromats offer the same service. So, if your town already has one, you may be out of luck. This works best if you are in an affluent area without many options for your future customers.
35. At-Home Hand Assembly
Some people can get gigs by assembling furniture for people. Technically, this isn’t working at home. It’s working in someone else’s home. But you can totally sign up for apps like Task Rabbit, and advertise your skill set on Craigslist. Amazon also sells professional services every time someone buy furniture. You may have noticed an add-on price for someone to come to your home for instillation. Check out their service application page, and you may be able to go out on-call to Amazon customers.
If all else fails, you can also advertise your services on Facebook to the people you already know. You never know when someone out there needs help. Then, they can recommend you by word-of-mouth.
34. Sell Stock Photos
If you are a photographer, it is possible to sell your work online to stock photo companies like Shutterstock or Getty Images. Every time one of your photos sell, you get a small comission. Before you get started, it would be a good idea to buy a DSLR camera, like the Canon 80D. For more information, check out the video called “The Truth About Stock Photography” by Rachel Lerch.
33. Selling On Etsy
On Etsy, you can sell vintage items, hand-made crafts, and crafting supplies. The website basically celebrates creating from scratch and re-using older items. You can create a store front for free, but each listing is 30 cents apiece. You can do everything from home, and ship you items at your local post office.
32. Proofreading and Editing
Did you major in English in college? Then chances are, you are qualified to become a proofreader or editor. Offer your services on websites like Fiverr or Upwork, and see what opportunities are available. Once you get your foot in the door, it will be possible for you to charge higher prices in exchange for your skills. Since most of these gigs are done online, you can do it all from the comfort of your home.
31. Selling On Poshmark
If you have a lot of purses, clothing, and accessories lying around the house, you just might be able to sell them on Poshmark. Everything is done completely from the app, so you will need to use your smartphone or iPad. The program helps you create shipping labels, and you can send the second-hand clothing to buyers.
30. Make and At-Home Photo Studio
If you live in a house with multiple bedrooms, you may be able to create a photo studio in your house. Depending on your situation, you just might be able to invite people over for photo sessions. Or, you could offer your services for product photography, too. Before you get started, make sure you buy a backdrop and some photo lights. Then, use your DSLR camera to take some practice shots, and create a portfolio of your work. In most cases, you will need to create a large portfolio of work for free to prove that you have what it takes. But if you are truly talented, people will want to pay you for your work.
29. Craigslist Gigs
If you go on Craigslist.com and search under “gigs”, you will see all sorts of job listings available. Just be careful, because some of those jobs are total scams. Never trust anyone if they are not willing to meet you face-to-face. Never cash checks for anyone, or give away any of your personal information over the Internet. Even though there is a lot to worry about, it can sometimes actually work out.
28. Podcast Audio Engineering
Nowadays, practically everyone is making a podcast, and people need help with the editing. If you have the equipment and the skill set to edit audio, you could make a decent amount of money earning cash from freelance gigs. Before you can start making money, you will need to provide some samples of your work, and create a website to showcase them.
27. Download A Cash-Back App
Cash-back apps like Ibotta allow you to take your receipts for items you have already bought at the store and get cash-back rebates. Typically, you need to meet a certain dollar threshold before getting a payout on PayPal.com. If you want to optimize getting money back on these apps, check out blogs like The Krazy Coupon Lady.
26. Graphic Design
Did you go to school for graphic design? Well, you’re in luck, because it is one of the few career paths where working from home is a viable option for you. Most people start working for a firm, because they need to learn a lot of the skills outside of school. But once you get a lot of experience and a healthy portfolio, you will be able to get gigs on your own and work from home.
25. Find Gigs on Fivver
We have mentioned Fivver multiple times on this list already. It is a website where you can create a profile and offer services to customers. Just because the name is “Fiverr” doesn’t mean you only get five dollars. In fact, you can charge as much as you feel you are worth. Just keep in mind that you will need to get some positive reviews from customers first, before people will trust your profile enough. Eventually, though, you can earn a full-time living from fulfilling requests.
24. Sell Your Old Games, DVD’s, and CD’s
Gamestop offers cash or store credit for trading in your used video games and DVD’s. And, while it’s rare to find, your town may still have programs to sell your CD’s, too. Just keep in mind that you will get almost nothing for your trade-ins.
23. Web Development and Computer Programming
Programming knowledge is incredibly valuable. Going into the future, there will be a growing demand for skilled programmers to help run websites, machinery, and so much more. If you have a background in computer science, it should be possible for you to find freelance work and work from home.
22. Create an Online Course
Are you a master at a certain skill? Whether it’s business, writing, language, or anything else, people might need help from an online course. Keep in mind that you really should have a professional filming setup and well-edited videos because people are more likely to take you seriously and buy your course. Nowadays, it may be necessary to buy a powerful computer like an iMac to import, edit, and upload all of that course content.
There are several places where you can upload your online courses. Keep in mind that this method works best if you already have some kind of established audience to bring over to your course. For those who can make it work, they have earned six figures.
21. Data Entry
Data entry is exactly what it sounds like. You would be imputing data into a computer, most likely on a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Many companies allow you to work form home. Check out websites like Fiverr, Upwork, Indeed, and Craigslist for data entry opportunities.
20. Become a Professional Consultant
Are you an expert in your field? Whether it’s business, medicine, sports, organization, or anything else, people may pay you for your knowledge, if it will significantly help their own lives.
19. Repair Cell Phones, TV’s, and Computers
If you are very handy, you might know how to repair an old cell phone or computer. There are loads of tutorials online showing you how to do this. Most people need to pay a lot of money to go to the Apple store for a repair. So, if you can offer the service to friends and family, they will happily give you the job, so long as you can offer them a better deal.
Just keep in mind that for a novice, this is taking a big risk, and you may end up owing your friend a replacement if you actually make the problem worse, instead of better.
18. Become a Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistants help busy people with their lives. This could be in the form of answering e-mails, making appointments, and more. Usually, these are easy tasks to perform. They are just time-consuming.
17. Translate Foreign Languages
Are you bilingual or trilingual? Then you can sell your services as a translator. Check out websites like Fiverr or Upwork for anyone looking to pay a translator. Create profiles on LinkedIn, calling yourself a “translator” as well.
16. Freelance Writing
Becoming a writer seems like a pipe dream. It truly is possible, but it is difficult to break in to the industry. You need samples of your published work before anyone will want to hire you to work for their website. See the problem? How can you get samples if you need samples to get started? It’s a Catch-22. No two writers have had the same journey. Some people start out writing for their own blogs, and use that as an example of their work.
Personally, I found gigs on startup websites with low standards on Craigslist. Then, I started to pitch to Listverse, who will consider work from new writers. From there, I hustled very hard after work for over a year before I could leave my “real” job and begin working from home. But it was totally worth it.
15. Sell Gold and Scrap Metal
Being a scrapper is tough work, but a lot of people have done this when they need some extra cash. This really only works if you own a pickup truck, and you have access to a recycling center who will pay you for scrap metal. On trash day, drive past the streets to see if there is anything made of metal being thrown outside by the curb. If it is free to take, then you might as well grab it to turn into free money.
14. Sell Illustrations or Paintings
Whether you went to art school or not, there are opportunities out there for artists to sell their work. Sometimes, you can have your painting hang in a gallery and hope that someone will buy it. You can also sell prints online, and take commissions. Check out the video by Fran Meneses called “How to Make Money as an Illustrator” to learn more.
13. Sell Your Plasma or Hair
If you have a blood bank in your local area, you can visit and offer to donate your plasma. The amount of money you make will actually change depending on your weight, because your body will produce more or less of it. You can also sell your hair to wig makers, so long as it is “virgin”- as in never permed or colored. They also need several inches before you can cut and sell it.
12. Tutoring
If you were a straight-A-student in a difficult subject, you just might be able to score a gig as a tutor. Many schools will have tutoring programs that you can apply to be apart of, or you can sing up to work for companies like Tutor.com. Keep in mind that subjects like English have a huge amount of tutors available. So you are way more likely to score a gig if you are good at math, computer science, or physics.
11. Start a YouTube Channel
Nowadays, kids want to be YouTubers more than they want to be rock stars. This is because there is a perception that a YouTuber gets paid to have fun and do whatever they want with their life. In reality, it is actually a lot of hard work to make content worth watching. The level of talent in skill set needs to be on-par with anyone who works in TV. With that being said, it can be an amazing opportunity for talented people who don’t have access to places like Los Angeles.
If you want to get started, we recommend getting a decent camera. It doesn’t have to be a fancy DSLR. Even a more affordable camera like the Canon G7X II is great for getting started. Check out the YouTube Creators Channel for a lot of tips on getting started, and improving your skills as a YouTuber.
10. Sign Up For a Medical Trial
Medical trials need human patients to try a new drug or treatment method in exchange for financial compensation. For more information, check out ClinicalTrials.gov.
9. Become an Online Juror
For anyone who is fascinated with law and justice, you might actually be in the small population of people who looks forward to getting jury duty. Sometimes, a big trial will pay for an online jury to decide a case before they decide to take it to court. There are some websites out there that may set you up with gigs, but you should contact your local county court house and ask if there are any opportunities available for you.
8. Become a Dog Walker
If you love dogs, this may be a perfect gig for you. Plenty of busy people who work long hours need to hire dog walkers. This is especially true if you live in an urban area, because the task of walking a dog and picking up after its mess really isn’t the best thing in the world. However, if you take multiple dogs on walks per day, you can actually make a decent amount of money doing this.
7. Start a Home Daycare
If you are a stay-at-home mom who loves looking after kids, you just might be able to start a daycare out of your house. Every state has different rules and regulations about home daycares, and some of them require you to get a license. So be sure to look that up before getting started.
6. Join a Focus Group
Sometimes, you can join a “focus group” where you answer questions involving market research, and participate in group projects. Check out this list of online focus group websites.
5. At-Home Catering
If you are good at cooking, you just may be able to offer your services as a caterer. This really works if you are in a small town, and there are not many other options available. You may have to get your foot in the door by catering small events around town, but eventually, you may be able to graduate to catering for weddings and special events.
4. Rent Out Your Van or RV
So many people get excited about buying a splitter van or RV, and then realize that they hardly ever use it. There are several brokering services that will help you rent out your vehicle. This way, you can make some of your money back, or at least pay for the car insurance, at the very lease.
3. Create and Sell Stickers
There are tons of people on Etsy who are selling stickers for planners and so much more. Almost anyone can do this at home, after spending a couple hundred dollars in the startup cost. You need a very good photo quality printer, sticker paper, and a cutting machine like the Silhouette Cameo.
If you are interested in learning more, check out YouTube videos on sticker shop tours, because you can get a behind-the-scenes look into the lifestyle.
2. Recycle Ink Cartridges
Staples has a rewards program where you can recycle ink cartridges in exchange for $2 in store credit per piece. Normally, you are limited to 10 per month, or $20. If you upgrade your membership, though, you can recycle 20 a month, and get $40.
You receive this store credit once a month in the form of a coupon that you can print. Think of it like a free Staples gift card once a month. Even if you don’t need to buy office supplies every month, Staples also sells toilet paper, cleaning products, snacks, paper towels, gifts, coffee, and so much more. So this is essentially helping to cut down on your monthly budget.
1. Stream on Twitch
Twitch is a website with live streaming. Usually, these videos feature people who are gaming. Viewers get to participate in the chat. They can give tips, or subscribe to your channel to see your content on a regular basis. Of course, you need a lot of tech to get this setup started. There may be a lot of hurdles to get over, but some of the most successful Twitch streamers are multi-millionaires.
Shannon Quinn is the editor-in-chief of InspiringHome.org
