You can easily turn free time into extra spending money with these ideas and resources. While you might not be paying off your mortgage this way, you can easily finance your next holiday or go for a much deserved night out. After all, if you sign up for everything in this section, your earning potential is a very decent $16,698.95/year!
1. Participate in Market Research
Most companies – and especially big brands – conduct online market research in the form of surveys.
We’re not talking about the “What type of coffee are you?” BuzzFeed-type surveys (though chances are, if you’re a Slytherin, you’re also an espresso). These surveys revolve around market research. And when you participate in market research through these four websites, you get to earn quick money – up to $7,141.70/year, if you play your cards right.
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is easy to sign up for – even quicker if you use Facebook or Google to do so (rather than your email)! Better yet, with Survey Junkie, you’re guaranteed plenty of surveys, as they’re the most popular platform on this list.
If you spend just an hour a day on Survey Junkie, you can walk away with $1,095/year deposited into your PayPal or redeemed as giftcards.
Swagbucks ($5 Signup Bonus)
Another popular paid-surveys platform is Swagbucks. The best part about Swagbucks: you can do more than just surveys. Users can earn quick money by performing a host of simple tasks; complete with a $5 signup bonus!
Most Swagbucks surveys take 3-20 minutes and pay 40-100 Swagbucks points (SB). SB has an approximate value of $0.0068, which can be redeemed via PayPal or giftcards. If you spend an hour every day doing surveys with Swagbucks, you’ll have earned an extra $744.60 this year.
Vindale Research ($2 Signup Bonus)
You can earn between $2-$50 per survey through Vindale Research – easily the highest paying rates for online surveys. And just for signing up, they’ll reward you with a $2 joining bonus!
Unlike the other market research platforms featured, Vindale Research works on a cash-only basis (there aren’t any points to convert). You can choose whether to receive a check or have your earnings deposited via PayPal. If you’re smart and choose the right surveys, with just one hour on Vindale Research a day, you could earn $4,745/year.
InboxDollars ($5 Signup Bonus)
Sign-up for InboxDollars and they’ll give you $5 as a welcome gift – no strings attached.
That being said, it can be a little difficult to earn with InboxDollars. Most users cite an average of $1.50/hour. But – if you follow these tips from their site – you can earn $40.10 and another $59.50 in your first two months. Afterwards, even if you average just an hour a day at $1.50/hr, you can still make an extra $557.10 this year. Simply follow our tips and get started on completing surveys!
2. Take Advantage of Cash Back Signup Bonuses
Cash back portals (websites and apps alike) are a great way to save money, as they use affiliate partnerships with online retailers to reimburse you a percentage of your spending money. Thus, right of the bat, you can earn up to $3,000/year in extra cash with these cash back sites!
Ebates
Ebates is one of the best cash back portals available, with plenty of potential savings and regular specials (like double or even triple cash back opportunities). You’ll earn a neat $10 signup bonus when you join, and all you need to do to redeem it is spend $25 with one of their affiliates.
As an extra bonus, you can also earn a total of $75 just for successfully getting three friends to join Ebates! With this in mind, Ebates gives you the potential to earn $100 in less than a year – and easily save $1,000/year if you do a lot of online shopping.
Dosh
Our second featured cash back app is Dosh. Even though there’s no signup bonus, you do earn $5 just for linking your first card. If you link additional cards, Dosh gives you an extra $1/per card. And every time you successfully refer a friend, you’ll earn another $5!
But what really sets Dosh apart is their “set it and forget it” approach to cash back. While most portals need you to use affiliate links, Dosh simply tracks your card – in-store and online – and applies cash back to purchases you make. You can easily save $1,000-$2,000/year.
3. Take Advantage of Receipt Scanning Signup Bonuses
Receipt scanner websites and apps work in a very similar manner to cash back portals, except that they require you to upload a photo of your receipt when you shop. Some guarantee pay regardless of what you buy, so long as they have a partnership with the store or restaurant. Others require specific items (such as exactly a dozen eggs of a particular brand at certain stores).
This does mean they require a little more work, but you can easily stack these savings on top of your cash back portal(s).
Ibotta $10 (Tell 3 Friends and Make $100)
Ibotta is a receipt scanner app that does require specific grocery items in order to be eligible for a reward, but luckily they have a wide range to choose from. Recently, certain prescriptions, toiletries, electronics, and even restaurants have been added to their list.
You’ll also receive a $10 singup bonus just for joining. And if you successfully refer 3 friends, Ibotta will pay you an extra $100! Working on their cash back rewards alone, you can save between $500 and $2,000/year.
4. Open a High-Yield Online Savings Account
When you open a high-yield online savings account, not only do you invest in your own future, but you get paid in the form of interest to do so. We know it can be difficult to save, but we’ve found 3 great options to help you get started.
Depending on your starting budget, you could save up to $109 in your first year with one of these accounts.
CIT Bank
CIT Bank’s Premier High-Yield Savings Account is one of the best options on the market. You’ll still have easy access to your money if you need to dip into your savings, but you’ll also enjoy one of the highest interest rates. The federal government will also insure your account up to $250,000.
There are no opening or maintenance fees, though you do need a $100 deposit to get started. Assuming you start with $100 and add $50 every month, by the end of the year your estimated returns would be $51.
Aspiration Account
While Aspiration Summit Accounts work in almost exactly the same way as CIT high-yield accounts, one major advantage is a $10 deposit as opposed to $100. You also won’t be charged ATM or transactions fees either – a definite bonus!
As long as you have a balance of $2,500 or more, your Aspiration Summit Account enjoys an APY (annual percentage yield) of 1%. If that $2,500 is your initial deposit and you add $50/month, you’ll have earned $77 in your first year. It still may not seem like much, but over 10 years that’s $6,560 in interest (and time does tend to fly by).
Discover Bank
Disover Bank offers another lucrative high-yield savings account with no monthly charges – and no minimum opening deposit. Their average APY (as of 01/22/2019 – may fluctuate) is an impressive 2.10%.
According to their on-site interactive chart, with a $2,500 deposit and $50 added each month, your total balance would be $3,159 by the end of the year. That’s $109 interest rewarded in your first year alone!
5. Earn Money by Watching Videos on Your Phone
You have to admit it — we all spend hours a day (and night, for that matter) watching anything and everything on YouTube. Instead of half-baked conspiracy theories that just cost data, why not earn money by watching videos on your phone instead?
Swagbucks
Hopefully you’ve already decided to claim the Swagbucks $5 signup bonus and earn some money doing their surveys. But did you know you can also use SB to earn additional cash by watching videos on the app?
All you need to do is pick your genres and watch a few videos. You can even “cheat” by having them playing in the background while checking your email – just remember to rate each video thumbs up or down and move onto the next! And here’s the real killer: you can easily earn up to $1,080/year by doing this.
6. Download the Nielsen App and Collect $50 Per Year
That’s right – an extra $50/year just for downloading the Nielsen app!
The company makes money selling reports on mobile user trends, so all you need to do is sign up on their website and install the app.
Simply restart your phone when prompted to, and the app will run unobtrusively in the background while you use your phone. Sensitive data isn’t monitored (they just want to know what apps and websites you’re using, after all), and Nielsen will pay you $50 over the course of the year.
7. Earn Money by Losing Weight
It sounds too good to be true, but it is possible to get your summer body back while pocketing some extra cash at the same time. This is an excellent opportunity to get the body of your dreams while earning some extra dough to spend on new clothes after the fact.
HealthyWage
HealthyWage is a website that will help motivate you to meet your weight-loss goals by upping the ante.
You can join their Team Challenge (or one of their others). You’ll pay $33/month for the duration of the challenge, but stand a chance to win $10,000 (split five ways) if your team wins. If you weigh in again after 6 months and have kept up your weight-loss, you’ll be reimbursed your entry fee.
At the end of the day, you might only break even – but you could also earn $2,000 just for losing weight!
8. Earn Money Online by Surfing the Web
Remember how, right at the beginning of this article, we mentioned humanity’s obsession with the internet? Let’s reiterate that point a bit: according to this study, the average American spends at least 24 hours online in just a week.
An easy way to earn money online is to get paid up to $128.25/year for simply surfing the web as you usually do (more or less).
InboxDollars
If you’ve already signed up for InboxDollars to earn money with their surveys (and claimed that sweet $5 joining bonus), you’re about to jump down the rabbit hole even more.
All you need to do is download and install the InboxDollars toolbar, and they’ll reward you with another $1 straight off the bat. Then every day, use it to conduct up to 5 searches and earn an easy $0.05 – just like that! It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s an extra $18.25/year (plus the once-off installation reward) for no extra effort.
Smart Panel
Smart Panel is another great way to earn money online for doing almost nothing at all. Simply register, collect your $5 signup bonus plus another $5/month as a reward for keeping the app installed. Easy, right?
Related: 20 Illegal Ways To Make Money
You’ll also earn small bonuses just for using your phone or computer as usual. Similar to the Nielsen app, Smart Panel just wants to analyze your search results. According to their site, you can make $110 in your first year – and up to $230 by the end of your second.
9. Get Paid to Test Websites
Although app developers and website owners typically recruit UX specialists for user-friendly interfaces, they also want to be sure their design won’t chase away potential customers. After all, how many times have you left a website because it was too much of a nightmare to use?
That’s why companies also pay to have real-life users test their platforms. All you’d need to do is complete a few assigned tasks while providing feedback. Sign up for both of these platforms to boost potential (minimum) earnings to $1,300/year.
UserTesting
UserTesting is the number 1 platform for testing websites. Simply register, install the dashboard software, and conduct a sample test (which should only take 5-10 minutes). UserTesting will screencast your process and record your verbal feedback for review.
If your application is accepted, keep the dashboard open on your browser. Every time there’s an available test, you’ll get a notification. You can expect $10-$15 for a 20-minute review! There aren’t always sites available, but you can still earn a minimum of $780/year.
UserTest
While not as big as their competitor, UserTest works on a similar concept, with a near-identical registration process. Their big advantage is that they pay directly into your PayPal within 2 days!
Even if you’re only able to do one review a week, at a flat rate of $10/site, that’s at least $520/year. And you may even end up getting paid to review the same site twice if you’re using both platforms.
I know what you’re thinking — nothing is free, right? Well, fortunately, you really can make money playing the lotto without having to pay a cent, thanks to this great app!
Lucktastic
Lucktastic describes itself as fun and free, and it’s certainly true. Simply download the app – which is available for iOS and Android – and start playing virtual scratch cards! You’ll get 6 boxes initially and need a match of three to win.
But don’t worry if you don’t, because there’s almost always a seventh, bonus box that usually has a prize of some sort. Rewards are usually in the form of contest entries or giftcards, but it’s also possible to earn cash. Although it’s impossible to give an estimate on potential yearly earnings, some of their prizes total as much as $10,000!
Earn Passive Income Online
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Make money while you sleep.” It may sound like a dream (pun intended), but it is possible to earn passive income online.
You might need to invest a little money to make money, but with these ideas, you’re sure to stay afloat in hard times. Just remember: everything worthwhile requires a bit of work in the beginning. Luckily, once the ball is rolling, your earning potential could be as high as $14,393/year (if not more)!
10. Rent Out Your Car While You’re Not Using It
Chances are you’re not using your car all the time. Maybe your primary job is within easy walking distance, or it’s worked out cheaper for you to use public transport. You may even have a housemate or neighbor who works close enough for the two of you to carpool. Or you work online (lucky duck).
Instead of letting your car sit and gather dust while still (most likely) costing you money, you can rent it out!
Getaround
Getaround is the ideal website (and app) to do so. All you need to do is sign up and register your car to start earning!
You can easily make $500-$1,000/month renting out your car. That’s $6,000-$12,000/year! This will largely depend on the make, model, year, and mileage of your car – and how often it’s available, of course.
Getaround will also give you $20 for every successful referral, and for every car listed by those referrals, you’ll earn an extra $200.
11. Peer-to-Peer Lending
Peer-to-peer lending does require some investment on your part, but it also allows you to earn money by financing (or contributing to the total of) loans that ordinary citizens need. You could be helping someone consolidate debt or buy a new car – and earn interest doing so!
With these two platforms, you can make the most of this opportunity. Even if all you have to offer is $2,500, in a year you could make up to $353.25.
Lending Club
In order to make money as a peer-to-peer investor through Lending Club, you need to register and purchase “notes.” These correspond to loan fractions. Borrowers sign up and request notes worth a certain amount, and Lending Club will match you with them.
All borrowers are properly screened by Lending Club to ensure a safe investment. As an industry requirement, they’ll also facilitate the loan using WebBank, an FDIC member, and insure your notes. With an investment as small as $2,500, you could earn $75-$200/year in returns.
Prosper
Working with a similar principle, Prosper allows you to invest in peer-to-peer lending safely and securely. In fact, Prosper is so sure of their success that 92% of their employees are registered as active lenders. All loans are facilitated by the company via WebBank, and they’ll screen applicant borrowers.
Prosper offers the added benefit of allowing you to choose the loans you want to fund. You’ll also be able to see exactly what your projected yield will be. For example, risk-dependant, by investing $2,500 in 3 and 5-year notes, your seasoned returns could be $135.25-$353.25/year.
12. Invest in Crowdfunded Real Estate
Once upon a time, only the wealthy were able to invest in real estate. But nowadays, with a bit of starting capital and one of these 3 resources, you too can invest in crowdfunded real estate and earn a passive income!
Depending on the platform you choose, you can make $620/year doing so.
Fundrise
Starting with a small investment of $500, the Fundrise Starter Portfolio will help you break into the commercial real estate market.
Fundrise sometimes waives their 0.15%/year investment advisory fee under special circumstances, but even if they don’t, your running costs are as low as 1%. This makes the Starter Portfolio 40% more cost-effective than most public investments.
There’s no guarantee of returns, but even if you make a $500 investment, you can earn $43.50-$62/year (8.7-12.4%).
RealtyShares
It’s admittedly harder to join RealtyShares, both as an investor and an investment opportunity. In fact, fewer than 10% of the opportunities they review actually make it onto the platform, and they close application forms for new investors periodically.
Still, considering a $5,000 investment (minimum, though sometimes there are $1,000 opportunities) can generate an average of $450-$550/year (9-11%) in returns, it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on their registration page.
Peerstreet
Peerstreet is an interesting platform to consider. Instead of investing directly into real estate, you’ll be investing in private real estate loans. You could consider it a crowdfunding peer-to-peer real estate investing market.
With the minimum investment deposit set at $1,000 and average returns of 6-9%, you could earn $60-$90/year. It may not seem like much, but it’s a good way to get your foot in the door.
13. Earn Money as an Airbnb Host
If you have a spare room available, you can earn money as an Airbnb host. All you need to do is register and list your room (or rooms) – at no cost to you – and provide a few details. Details could include how many rooms are available, for how many guests, and what area you live in.
Your potential earnings would depend heavily on these details, but as an example, a single private room in New York City, hired on average 15 nights/month, will earn you at least $1,017/year.
14. Invest in Dividend Paying Stocks
Dividend stocks are a popular investment. How they work is by distributing a portion of a company’s profits to their investors, generally on a quarterly basis but often annually too. They’re less volatile than growth stocks (another popular investment avenue, though with added risk).
Using either of these two resources, you can invest in dividend paying stocks and earn $225/year.
Acorns
You’ll get a $5 singup bonus just for joining Acorns, and once you’ve linked your bank card (debit or credit), you can choose how you’d like to invest. If you want a truly passive income, simply activate the Round-Up feature and let Acorns automate the process.
Round-Up works by taking your expenses and rounding them up to the next dollar. A $27.35 grocery bill becomes $28, with the $0.65 “change” automatically invested.
Earnings will depend on your expenses, but with $100 in round-up/month you should see $7-$30/year in returns.
Ally Invest
You have two options for investing in dividend paying stocks with Ally Invest: Self-Directed Trading and Alley Invest Managed Portfolios.
While the former enjoys one of the industry’s lowest trading fees and no minimum or hidden costs involved, it’s the latter that best suits a beginning investor. There is a $2,500 minimum starting investment, but Ally Invest will automate your portfolio’s management and help earn that extra $175-$225/year in returns.
15. Earn Money Using Robo-Advisors
With moderate (or even minimal) human intervention – and therefore less room for human error too – you can earn money using robo-advisors. These are an anomaly of the digital age, being computer-based financial advisors that base their input on algorithmic data analysis.
You don’t need to be tech-savvy to benefit though. Simply take a look at the two platforms we’ve picked out for you and choose one to help make an extra $177.75/year.
Wealthfront
Wealthfront was one of the two pioneers of the robo-advisor industry, and has since developed their model to entirely eliminate human interaction. If you’re wanting purely digital advice, Wealthfront is the platform for you.
You’ll need an account minimum of $500 and pay 0.25% management fee, but there are a wide range of investment accounts to choose from. On an investment of $2,500, you can expect an average return of $177.75/year.
Betterment
In case you were wondering who the second robo-advisory pioneer was, your curiosity is about to be satiated. Our second recommendation happens to be that very brokerage: Betterment.
Betterment’s growth was very different to Wealthfront, despite the two being highly similar in the beginning. Their range of investment accounts excludes college savings accounts, and their management fees vary from 0.25% to 0.40%.
But their advantage may lie in the fact that Betterment investors also have access to human financial advisors. There’s no account minimum, but with a $2,500 investment, your returns should average $150/year.
Earn Money as a Freelancer
More than 54 million Americans have foregone traditional careers in favor of starting a freelance business. Doing so gives you greater flexibility in how you make a money and can give you the freedom to create the lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of.
Because many traditional businesses find hiring freelancers to supplement their permanent workforce an attractive solution, you can easily start earning money as a freelancer part-time. As you establish yourself, you’ll be able to turn it into your full-time career. Earning potential varies, but working part-time following any one of the following paths, you could make $2,600-$84,000/year as a freelancer.
16. Freelance Writer
As a wordsmith, you may be finding it soul-destroying to work in a traditional office doing everything but writing. Thankfully, the market for freelance writers is booming. Whether you offer your services part-time or full-time, you’ll largely get to choose your own schedule. You’ll also have the freedom to specialize in a niche of your choosing.
If becoming a freelance writer sounds like the career path for you, these resources will help you become established. The best part: you can earn as much as $84,000/year by working only part-time.
Earn More Writing
No matter your level of skill – passionate beginner or advanced professional – Earn More Writing is the resource you’ve been waiting for.
Not many people realize it, but you can turn your part-time passion into a full-time job that pays six-figures a year. It takes hard work and dedication, but with the free Earn More Writing workshop, you’ll have all the tools you need to improve efficiency and get paid what you’re worth – and much more.
SmartBlogger
SmartBlogger is the brainchild of Jon Morrow, who decided his disability shouldn’t stop him from living the life he’d always dreamed of. Jon soon developed something of an empire with his freelance writing career – and he wants to help you do the same.
The blog is jam-packed with articles, advice, in-depth tutorials, and dedicated resources for freelance writers of every skill level. If you’re considering earning money as a guest blogger (which can be very lucrative: think $4,000/month potential), you should seriously consider the $499 once-off investment into the Guest Blogging Certification Program.
Related: 33 Legit Ways To Make Money Fast In 2019 ($100+ Quickly)
ProBlogger
ProBlogger is yet another fantastic resource for freelance writers – and was actually started by a SmartBlogger student. Here you’ll find even more helpful posts, tutorials, and tips, as well as a podcast where other real-life success stories are showcased. ProBlogger also hosts courses and workshops worth looking into.
Another great feature of ProBlogger is its jobs board, where you can find freelance writer opportunities that can potentially pay part-timers between $2,000 and $3,000/month.
Upwork
As the world’s number-one platform for freelancers, Upwork allows you to find and connect with hundreds of employers looking to hire freelance writers. While there is a sliding commission fee, the platform is otherwise free to use.
While many decry Upwork as just another content mill, we suspect it’s simply because they’ve never taken the time to utilize the platform properly. As you build your experience, success rate, and portfolio, you’ll be able to earn approximately $2,000/month working part-time as a freelance writer.
17. Resume Writer
Becoming a resume writer can be a surprisingly lucrative endeavor. Starting off with just a little training to make sure you have all the particular details down to a T, you can easily open up a lot of opportunities.
Just working part-time, users have earned as much as $30,000/year – and according to Fiverr’s PR firm, going full-time could bring in up to $320,000/year.
Skillshare
Before you get all starry-eyed at the thought of earning $320,000/year as a full-time freelance resume writer, understand that it can take years of part-time groundwork to get there. It’s also a good idea to make sure you have your skills properly honed even before you start taking on resume writing gigs part-time.
Doing so doesn’t require an expensive college degree. All you need to do is sign-up for a free Skillshare profile and use their related online courses and workshops. And with a $99/year investment to join Skillshare Premium, you can access them all.
Fiverr
While you won’t start off raking in $320,000/year on the platform, Fiverr definitely shows the potential – and if done right, earning $320,000/year is definitely possible.
To join Fiverr, simply sign up and start posting gigs offering your services as a freelance resume writer. The platform also has a Gig Packaging feature, which lets you offer scaled pricing. This way, you can post 3 different packages with separate pricing (between $5-$995) as one gig.
As a part-time resume writer, you can expect to make between $6,000 and $30,000/year through Fiverr.
18. Freelance Proofreader
Let’s face it – not everyone who has an eye for grammar, syntax, and spelling in the written form wants to be a writer. And even if you do have a passion for writing, while you’re still building up to that sweet $84,000/year part-time income, you may want to utilize those same skills as a freelance proofreader.
While it’s not necessarily as lucrative as writing, being a freelance proofreader can help you make an extra $8,200/year part-time.
Proofread Anywhere
Before you can make money as a proofreader, you’ll want to make sure you have all the necessary know-how. Proofread Anywhere is a great resource for this, as the site has a section on how-to posts and tools, as well as a motivational section on productivity and mindset.
Best of all, however, are the credited courses. $597 may seem like an expensive investment, but it’s actually relatively cheap compared to other resources. If you’re still not sure (or able to afford it yet), Proofread Anywhere also has a free introductory workshop where you’ll get a crash course introduction and a free ebook.
Domainite
Domainite is a major content provider, relying on thousands of freelance writers and copy editors. While proofreaders simply mark errors, copy editors also correct them, using the Track Changes feature of Microsoft Word (or any other word processor you use).
You can expect to earn $0.25/100 words as a Domainite editor. Working part-time to complete an average of 12,000 words/day, you could make $8,200/year. And if you work faster, or later go full-time, at 30,000/words a day you can earn $27,300/year.
ProofreadingServices
ProofreadingServices are almost always looking for proofreaders and editors alike to join their team. They allow you to set your own schedule, giving you the freedom to start off part-time and (potentially) become full-time later.
You’ll earn competitive pay, generally determined by your turnaround time. Urgent deadlines also boost the pay, so you’re looking at $19-$46/hour. Working part-time at 30 hours a week potentially earns you between $29,640 and $71,760/year!
19. Virtual Assistant
If you’ve got previous experience as an in-office assistant but want the freedom to work from home, you could search for opportunities as a freelance virtual assistant. The two jobs are almost identical, with the main difference being that virtual assistants interact with clients purely online (and occasionally on the telephone).
Your earning potential will vary depending on how many clients you take on and whether any of them want you to work full-time for them. But as a virtual assistant, with as little as 30 hours a week, you could easily make $18,720-$54,600/year.
Horkey Handbook Course
Whether or not you have previous experience as an assistant, before starting out as a freelance virtual assistant, you’ll want to make sure you have all the necessary skills.
The Horkey Handbook 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success course only costs $397 (once-off), and you’ll learn everything you need to know at your own pace. While you’ll want to finish the course in a month, you can easily complete it in a couple of weeks if you work diligently.
Upwork
Upwork isn’t only for freelance writers – you can easily find part-time and permanent virtual assistant work on the platform too.
Most Upwork clients are looking for virtual assistants for a short period of time – typically 3 months or less – but others need a more long-term solution.
On average, you can expect to be paid $12-$35/hour as a beginner or intermediate. This translates to $18,720-$54,600/year working just 30 hours a week. As you gain experience and take on more than one client, or work longer hours, your earnings will (clearly) increase.
20. Online English Teacher
Not everyone is cut out to be an educator. But almost anyone can become an online English teacher, even if you have no prior experience.
These four platforms can help you earn a part-time income of $21,924-$43,000/year as an English teacher — provided you combine at least two of them. Be sure to pay attention to their requirements, as some are more exclusive about the applicant tutors they accept.
VIPKID
VIPKID specializes in offering English tutoring to Chinese students, and their only requirement is that you have a Bachelor’s degree. They’re not overly concerned with the subject or field of your degree – they just want to know you have the necessary level of education. VIPKID provides the lesson plans for you, based on the US Common Core State Standards.
You’ll get to choose your own hours and work 1-on-1 from home, earning $14-22/hour. If you tutor part-time for just 6 hours a day, 261 days a year, you could make $21,924-$34,452/year.
K12
You’ll need to keep an eye on the K12 job board, as they don’t always accept new English tutors, but with K12 you get to work with school-goers from around the world. That being said, most of K12’s clients are US-based, and either looking to supplement their homeschooling program or partake in public/private tutoring.
Depending on your experience and availability (K12 generally prefer tutors who can work on a semi-full-time basis), you could earn $32,000-$43,000/year.
Chegg
Chegg is another fantastic opportunity to teach English online. Chegg focuses on students in grades K-12. As you gain more experience with the platform, they may also offer opportunities to tutor college students or workforce professionals.
You’ll get to choose your own hours and earn $20/hour (sometimes more – Chegg also offers bonuses on occasion). According to their site, their average English tutor makes $42,670-$67,210/year working 8 hours a day.
Wyzant
Wyzant has a network spanning across the entirety of the US. The site works a little like Upwork, but for tutors of all subjects. Some of the jobs will be online, but most require you to visit the student’s home.
You can expect to make about $20-$30/hour, which can total $23,000-$37,000/year depending on your hours (which are based on the number of jobs you accept). Wyzant recently changed their commissions policy, so instead of charging 40% on your first 20 hours, they now deduct a flat 25% fee.
21. Website Designer
Becoming a part-time freelance website designer has become an incredibly popular option in recent years. Because it’s a lucrative niche – you can easily make $300 to $900 per website once you’re established – many freelance web designers eventually go full-time.
Within your first year as a part-time freelance website designer, you could be averaging $10,000/month. A lot of people want to get into website design on a part-time basis precisely because it has the potential to pay so well. But they hesitate to break into the market because they don’t have any prior experience or training.
SkillShare
Instead of losing the opportunity, rest assured that most clients hire a web developer to tackle easy platforms like WordPress or Wix – so even with no previous experience in web design, you can still make a successful part-time career out of it.
Though, to make it even easier, you should consider getting some measure of training. SkillShare offers a host of web design courses, ranging from 15 minutes to over an hour long. Many of them are available for free, but it’s still worth considering the $99/year investment for SkillShare Premium to access the best courses.
Hubstaff Talent
Now that you have the necessary skills, you’ll also want to know where you can start finding clients.
That’s where Hubstaff Talent comes in. It’s free to use, and once you’ve created a profile, clients will contact you if they feel your listed skill, experience, availability, and/or location makes you a good fit for them. You’ll also be able to browse the Hubstaff Talent Remote Job Board for freelance web design opportunities.
22. Data Entry
If you’re a fairly fast typist (most employer-mandated keystrokes-per-hour speed requirements are around 60 words/minute) and have at least a high school diploma or GED equivalent, you can do freelance data entry jobs. Better yet: most companies accepting beginners will train you and help you move up the pay scale.
With as little as 10-20 hours/week, you could make as much as $15,600/year using one of the following resources:
Clickworker
To start accepting micro-jobs doing data entry on Clickworker, all you need to do is register and create a small profile. Clickworker recommends keeping your dashboard open in your browser as a pinned tab, as new jobs are posted throughout the day.
It can be difficult to estimate earning potential, as individual jobs pay differently, but Clickworkers generally make an average of $9/hour. Working part-time, with 10-20 hours/week, you’ll be able to supplement your income with an extra $4,680-$9,360/year.
DionData Solutions
DionData Solutions most often requires you to transcribe scanned images, online sources, and typed copies for their clients. However, you shouldn’t be surprised if they also ask you to do data entry from hard copies and handwritten originals. While Clickworker doesn’t officially have a keystrokes-per-hour speed requirement (though individual micro-jobs may), DionData Solutions asks for a minimum of 60 words/minute.
Data entry freelancers who can work fast are promised a maximum of $15/hour, which translates to $7,800-$15,600/year at 10-20 hours/week.
The Smart Crowd
Lionbridge is a private company based in the US, but they hire freelancers from all over the world. Their Smart Crowd initiative allows for workers to enjoy freedom in choosing the tasks they want to and can complete, meaning you’ll get to choose your own hours.
Pay is calculated per task, which can range from $0.20-$0.60/1,000 keystrokes. If you’re working at a keystrokes-per-hour rate of 50 words/minute, you’ll be earning $3-$9/hour. It isn’t much, but you could use it for an hour a day, 261 days a year to make an extra $783-$2,349.
23. Graphic Designer
If you’re more of a visual person and you’ve been waiting for a freelance opportunity that fits your bill, you’ll be happy to know that doing web design isn’t your only option. With these graphic designing opportunities, you can create visual concepts by hand and (more commonly) use software on your computer or tablet to complete gigs.
The idea is to create visual media that companies can use for their advertising campaigns – and you may even get asked to do the entire layout and production design for them too.
SkillShare
Freelance graphic designers make an average of $25.85/hour, or $26,000-$41,500/year part-time ($41,500-$64,500 full-time, but some even as high as $92,000/year). However, to get there, you’re going to need some training.
As always, SkillShare comes to the rescue with a great course: Graphic Design for Beginners Part 1 – Learn and Apply Graphic Design Principles in Projects. It’s a paid course, so you’ll have to sign-up for the $99/year Premium Membership. However, VTX Capital is currently offering 2 free months of SkillShare Premium if you sign-up through them.
Related: Start A Blog That Makes Money: The Definitive Guide
DesignHill
If you’re looking for freelance opportunities as a graphic designer, DesignHill could be your solution. The platform showcases design contests for members to enter, allows you to advertise yourself, respond to job postings, perform small paid tasks, and even sell logo templates. It’s free to join, and you’ll start finding clients almost immediately!
You’ll be competing with a lot of other graphic designers on the platform, but considering contests pay $199 to $699 to the winning designer, it’s a good way to get your name out there.
24. Transcriber
Data entry and freelance writing aren’t the only online opportunities for freelancers with a fast keystrokes-per-hour rate. If you also have a good set of headphones and don’t mind sitting through the occasional bad audio, you can become a transcriber.
The job often entails sitting and listening to the same piece of audio over and over again trying to discern what Speaker 3 is mumbling through her English muffin. But most of the time the subject matter is at least interesting – and you could make $13,000-$26,400/year in your spare time.
Scribie
Scribie is yet another great place to get started as a freelance transcriber, and submitting and application is rather quick.
Depending on your skill level, Scribie pays anywhere from $5 to $25 per audio hour, which means the faster and better you transcribe, the more money you’ll make. Industry standard rests at 4 hours transcribing for every audio hour transcribed. If you’re incredibly slow, you’ll only make $2,600/year – but if you work hard, you’ll be earning a low estimate of $13,000.
TranscribeMe
TranscribeMe is possibly the best freelance transcription service to sign up with. Although average earnings reported can be as low as $250/month, TranscribeMe definitely rewards good transcribers. In fact, you can make up to $2,200/month – especially if you have a background in medical or legal.
In general though, you can expect $15-$22/audio hour. TranscribeMe also offers a $2/audio hour bonus to transcribers who submit files that require no additional editing.
Make Money With an Online Business
If you’re looking to get away from working for others and freelancing doesn’t sound like an appealing solution to you, then this section just might hit home. All you need is an entrepreneurial spirit and the perseverance to see things through – no matter how hard they get. With these tools at hand, you can make money with an online business of your own.
You’ll need to invest some start-up capital to get things going, but it can be very rewarding in the end. While it’s unlikely to follow all of these avenues at once, you can still stack a few of them and earn upwards of $420,000/year.
25. Start a Blog
So freelance writing isn’t for you, but you do want to write for a living. That’s where blogging comes in.
It takes hard work and dedication to start a blog and run it successfully, especially if you want to monetize it. In fact, it can take 3-6 months before you’ll start making a good part-time income with your blog, and 1-2 years to start earning a livable, full-time income. But there are many ways to make money. Even though you’ll start with around $1,280/year, after 3 years you could be earning more than $120,000/year.
BlueHost
First things first – you need a blog. And that means you need a website, domain name, and web hosting.
BlueHost is one of the best web hosting services out there (if not the best). With their hosting package special at $2.95/month, you’ll get great server management and customer care, a free domain name, and SSL encryption security. With a few clicks, you’ll have WordPress installed and you can start propagating your blog with content.
GiddyUp
One of the easiest ways to monetize your blog is through affiliate marketing. You’ll get paid an agreed-upon portion of profits from sales made as a result of clients clicking through to your partner’s site via yours. GiddyUp is the best marketing company in the US to use for finding affiliate partners.
It’s difficult to give a proper estimate for your earning potential through affiliate marketing. Once your blog is receiving lots of traffic (usually by your second or third year), you should start to average $80,665/year.
SmartBlogger
Remember SmartBlogger from earlier? They have the best course you’ll ever take if you want to make money as a blogger. The Guest Blogging Certification Program may cost $499, but that’s a once-off payment and you’ll have lifetime access to the material.
One particular feature of the course will come in especially handy if you decide to do guest blogging posts: the Big Black Book. Here, you’ll find hundreds of sites across several different niches that pay guest bloggers good money. This one resource alone will easily pay for the course dozens of times over!
26. Start an eCommerce Site
If you’re looking to make money with a profitable online business by selling products rather than services, you should start an ecommerce site rather than a blog (though you can always combine the two if appropriate).
Most people with access to the internet are heading online to make purchases anyway, so ecommerce has become the fastest growing retail market. By starting your own ecommerce site, you can join that market and make as much as $62,400/year (and sometimes more)!
Sell Your Own Product
Selling your own product (or products) can be rewarding, especially if you have something that you know people will love. But of course, there’s a lot of expenses involved. Not only do you have to pay to host your ecommerce site, but you’ll need to have somewhere to store your stock.
As your business gets busier, you may even have to start hiring other people to help with production. Regardless, it does have the potential to make money – at least an average of $28,800/year.
Sell Other People’s Products
If the first option sounds like too much risk, you can consider selling other people’s products instead. Known in the industry as dropshipping, it can be even more lucrative – as in $62,400/year pure profit.
All you’re doing is selling products via direct delivery. Instead of ordering or creating a warehouse of stock, you simply accept orders and play middle man by ordering the same products from a marketplace like AliExpress. The retailers will ship the products to your client on your behalf, and you both walk away with profit.
Dropshipping Course
Dropshipping looks like the more profitable course on the outset, but remember that both models can be equally profitable after you’ve put a few years into your ecommerce site. Still, dropshipping can be easier, especially at first.
But that doesn’t mean you should go in guns half-cocked. Especially if this is your first ecommerce venture, you’ll want all the necessary information before starting. If you want to make a success out of your dropshipping business, you should reserve a seat on this free dropshipping course powered by Shopify.
Shopify
Original products or dropshipping – either way, you are going to need an ecommerce site. And while it is possible to take your blog and add an ecommerce section using plugins, it’s much cheaper (and easier) to use Shopify.
Basic Shopify only costs $29/month and gives you everything you need to get started. With just a few clicks, you can have your entire ecommerce site setup – all you’ll need to do is add the products. If you start needing more scope, you can always upgrade to Shopify’s $79/month package.
27. Create and Sell How-To Courses
Do you find excitement in creating and selling courses? All it takes is a desire to impart knowledge on a topic you’re experienced in and passionate about. Everything else about creating and selling how-to courses is a technicality: recording equipment and software.
Well, not quite. You’re still going to want a resource that will make the process easier for you. After all, even though there’s a huge money-making potential, it still takes time and dedication. If applicable, you can even integrate your course (or courses) with your blog.
Teachable
Teachable is a resource that will help streamline the setting-up process. With just a few clicks, you’ll have a fully functional course up and running in no time.
It’s not free to use, but you’ll definitely get your money’s worth at $39/month plus 5% transaction fees for the Basic Package, $99/month for the Professional, and $499/month for the Business plan.
Earnings depend largely on the number of courses you create, your marketing strategies, and how many students you get (and at what price). But you can easily make an average of $300,000-$480,000/year.
Other Jobs to Earn Money Online
Still haven’t found an option that resonates? Don’t worry – we’ve got a few other jobs on this list to help you earn money online – and a couple of great resources to pack the punch!
Potential income for this last section can vary quite a bit depending on how many ideas you use – and how much time you dedicate to them. Still, you’re looking at (at least) $42,475/year’s worth of suggestions.
28. Search Engine Evaluator
Becoming a search engine evaluator is a relatively simple undertaking that turns your web surfing time into earning time. In fact, its become a very popular online job for stay-at-home parents and part-time employees looking to boost their income.
All you need to do is register with a company hiring freelance search engine evaluators, accept tasks, and head over to Google, Yahoo!, and/or Bing. These search engines use their machinated algorithms to create, archive, and display search engine results pages. You’ll be evaluating how well those algorithms are doing in terms of relevancy and quality.
iSoftStone
iSoftStone is a China-based recruitment agency that is almost always looking for search engine evaluators to join their US team. They post openings on Indeed Now, where interested parties can apply.
Most evaluators recommend taking a look at task postings in the morning, when there tend to be more available. You’d be more likely to get at least 25 hours of evaluating work in a week this way, as opposed to just 10 if you try to work solely in the afternoons and evenings. In a year, you could make $6,240-$15,600 as part of the iSoftStone team.
29. Budgeter / Bookkeeper
While most people tend to struggle with bookkeeping and making budgets (and sticking to them), that can be a good thing for those of us that don’t struggle. After all, it creates the opportunity for you to offer your services as a budgeter and/or bookkeeper!
Although most jobs in this industry are office-based, you can easily do the same work from home. Granted, you’ll need to have the appropriate credentials, and you may have to work full-time rather than part-time. But it’s still possible to make a living wage while sitting in your pajamas all day!
AccountingDepartment
AccountingDepartment is easily the largest and most reliable platform for businesses in the US to outsource their budget control and bookkeeping gigs. You’ll absolutely be able to work from home, as the company specializes solely in virtual accounting.
Hours are full-time unfortunately, so you won’t be able to work part-time. You’ll have to be online and logged in from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday – but you’ll have an hour’s lunch and two 15-minute coffee breaks. Pay ranges from $35,235-$44,631/year.
Upwork
If you’re looking for a part-time solution however, Upwork once again comes to the rescue. You’ll find plenty of bookkeeping and budgeting job postings that are suitable for those only able to work 10-30 hours/week.
You’ll largely be setting your own rates. Upwork recommends the following averages: $10-$35/per for junior bookkeepers, $40-75/hour for senior bookkeepers, and for those offering bookkeeping as well as accounting services, $20-$150/hour.
Assuming you’re an accredited senior bookkeeper working 30 hours/week, you could earn $62,400-$117,000/year – minus Upwork’s commission, of course.
30. Amazon Book Publisher
If you have a book (or books) you’ve been wanting to get published, most authors today will recommend you go the self-publishing route. It can be difficult, but certainly rewarding – especially if you become an Amazon book publisher. You can publish to Kindle within minutes and earn up to 70% in royalties, up to 80% in royalties for print copies, and an undisclosed percentage of royalties for audiobook versions.
This obviously makes it difficult to calculate projected earnings per book, but the average self-published author tends to make about $1,000/year in the beginning, while selling several books at once.
Flip Domain For Profit
Flipping domains for profit has become a lucrative venture in the digital age. With strategic research and market insight, individuals can buy undervalued domain names and sell them for a handsome profit. By identifying emerging trends, popular keywords, and potential buyers, savvy investors can leverage the growing demand for online presence. Flipping domains offers a low-risk, high-reward opportunity for entrepreneurial minds in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Flip Websites For Profit
Website flipping for profit has grown in popularity as a profitable online business strategy. Entrepreneurs buy underperforming or undervalued websites, redesign their design, content, and functionality, and then resell them for a profit. They increase the site’s value by leveraging their expertise in web development, SEO, and digital marketing, attracting potential buyers looking for ready-made online ventures. You will have to do lots of research to know how to flip websites for profit especially if you’re a beginner.
How to Earn Money Online: Conclusion
It’s surprisingly easy to earn money online if you have all of the necessary resources. Luckily, this article gives you a large variety of different resources to utilize in your online money-making journey.
All it takes is hard work, dedication, and the occasional investment (financial, intellectual, and sometimes both). In the end, it’s easy to see that earning good money with opportunities online is possible. The only thing holding you back is yourself.
