Are you searching for a lucrative online job?
In this digital age, more and more people are embracing fully freelance careers. Studies indicate that nearly half of the American public works remotely at least part of the time.
In fact, the future workforce may be dominated by self-employed individuals!
There are scores of ways to make money from home. What’s more: many online jobs don’t require technical degrees.
In this post, we look closely at the top online jobs likely to generate hefty and consistent paychecks.
Read on for insight!
1. ESL Instructor
Do you enjoy instruction of any kind? Are you a native English speaker? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to both of these questions, ESL instruction may be for you.
Teaching English as a second language to international students enables any native English speaker to make significant income — all from the comfort of their home. You may not even need teaching experience to qualify.
Most ESL platforms will rely on video conferencing like Skype or Zoom to conduct sessions. You may or may not need to follow a set curriculum.
In fact, it’s possible to work for an online ESL company that simply offers conversational practice to students.
Check out companies like VipKid to learn more. Be prepared to teach at odd hours to accommodate time differences, and be sure you have a stable internet connection.
2. Affiliate Marketer
Affiliate marketing involves becoming an informal salesperson for a company, product, or brand.
Affiliate marketers may write reviews for products on an online platform (such as a blog). Or they may promote products or brands on social media or other sites.
You may not even need to “be online” to work as an affiliate. Cosmetics and beauty companies like Mary Kay often have affiliates who sell physical products locally to generate commission.
Marketers earn a percentage from product purchases made as a result of their efforts. Some affiliate marketers can generate over $100,000 in affiliate commission per month!
There are countless ways to dive into the world of affiliate marketing. If you want to be an online affiliate marketer, we recommend taking a webinar or crash course in affiliate marketing — both of which are widely available online resources.
3. Transcriber
Do you have a knack for fast typing? If so, transcription may be in your future. Transcribers replicate audio files into text for a variety of purposes.
Depending on the industry you work for, it’s possible to generate up to $30 (if not more) per hour working as a transcriber. Exceptional transcriptionists can generate stable, consistent cash at this income bracket.
We recommend becoming licensed as a transcriber as this can qualify you for more high-paying transcription jobs.
However, you don’t need a license to qualify for entry-level transcription positions.
4. Virtual Assistant
As a virtual assistant, you can perform professional administrative assistance for individuals from the comfort of your home.
This may mean becoming an assistant to a politician and managing her campaign from a home office. Or you could be a virtual assistant for a busy family needing aid with travel affairs.
Some virtual assistant positions are contracted through companies. Others may be more informal, based off of the individual (or company) needing aid.
However, most virtual assistants can expect to make a minimum of $40,000 a year in addition to other perks.
5. Day Trader
Day trading offers anyone a chance to make tons of money in a matter of days — if not hours.
Day traders buy and sell financial instruments in one given day. To be an effective day trader, you will need to get savvy with market analysis and appropriate risk-taking.
However, the payoff can be extremely high, totaling in the tens and thousands (if not millions) of dollars.
Check out these day trading strategies to learn more.
6. Social Media Manager
77% of U.S. adults have a social media profile of some kind. Businesses of all kinds are taking advantage of this statistic by implementing social media marketing.
Social media marketing involves using platforms like Instagram or Facebook to market to customers. It also requires constant management.
As a social media manager, you can work from home and effectively manage social media marketing campaigns for professionals. This may involve content development, promotion, and strategizing.
You may or may not need a background in marketing to qualify for some of these positions. However, a social media manager can easily make over $80,000 a year.
7. SEO Specialist
In a similar vein, SEO specialists help companies boost their online visibility. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) refers to the practice of optimizing content for search terms customers are likely to enter into Google.
Effective SEO campaigns can grant companies higher rankings for their content, making it easier for searchers to find them.
As an SEO specialist, you can work remotely to help companies develop SEO campaigns designed to increase their online reach. Most SEO specialists will also act as consultants, advising and crafting campaigns that align with industry trends and company needs.
Average salaries for SEO specialists start at $60,000 / year.
8. Web Developer & Designer
A web developer and designer tackles the technical building and integration of a website. Yes, this position does require some advanced knowledge of CSS and HTML.
However, freelance developers can make up to $76,000 a year. And did we mention that web development can be completed 100% remotely?
9. Webinar Host
The world of webinars in growing as marketers recognize the power of video engagement.
As a webinar host, you can promote products and services from any location in the world and generate hefty income. This functions much like affiliate marketing.
Consider becoming a webinar host to use this medium for selling high-valued products.
10. PPC Ad Manager
Much like a social media marketing manager, PPC ad managers monitor online advertising campaigns. Specifically, they manage Pay-Per-Click campaigns, those that charge businesses per client click on content.
Successful PPC campaigns do require some Google AdWords savvy, including some SEO strategies. For this reason, many companies are willing to outsource PPC management services to freelance professionals.
PPC manager salaries vary, but most can expect to take home at least $50,000 a year.
Final Thoughts: Lucrative Online Jobs
Now is the time to launch your freelance career, and to launch one that will give you the cash flow you need for success.
The positions in this post can enable annual salaries pushing three digits. Most are ideal for self-starting individuals, regardless of technical background.
If any of the online jobs in these post sounded intriguing, make sure your current finances are in good order before you apply.
Check out this post on getting your credit in shape!