10 Best Part-Time Online Jobs Hiring in 2023 (Non-Phone!)

Back in 2010, I landed my first part-time online job transcribing academic research for $22 an hour. It was a dream come true: Not only did I love the work, but I could work whenever and wherever I wanted. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to work from home – and even as I write this post, telecommuting is becoming the norm, mainly because of COVID.

But in the meantime, it can be a challenge landing your first work-from-home gig if you’re unfamiliar with the opportunities that are available. So I’ve rounded up a list of the most in-demand online jobs that can be done part time. Whether you’re looking for something to do in quarantine besides bingeing Netflix or you want a part-time online job that fits around your 9-to-5, you’ll find it here.

And if you hate talking on the phone, you’re in luck – most or all of these are non-phone work-from-home jobs. (You won’t have to sell anything to your family and friends either!)

We’ll cover:

  • The top legitimate part-time online jobs
  • How much they pay
  • How to get started
  • Companies that are hiring

This post focuses on how to get an actual online job and start working right away, rather than how to start a freelance career or small business, which takes a lot more upfront work. That said, many of the opportunities listed here are things you can build your own business around if you choose to.

A quick note before we get into the post: If you have a very specific skill set or work experience, I recommend checking out FlexJobs – a huge database of pre-screened remote, flexible, and part-time jobs. There’s something for everyone here, and some of the jobs pay very well. 

Now, on to the top part-time online jobs!

Note: All dollar values noted below are in USD.

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure for more info.

Transcription jobs

Applying to work as an independent contractor for a transcription company is one of the fastest ways to land a flexible part-time online job. As a transcriptionist, you’ll listen to audio recordings – for example, interviews, podcasts, and conferences – and type what you hear. You can work whenever you want and as much as you want.

Other part-time online job opportunities closely related to transcription are captioning/subtitling – that is, typing the onscreen text for videos – and translation. Many companies that offer remote transcription positions also hire captioners and translators.

How much does transcription pay?

Transcriptionists are usually paid per minute of audio transcribed, with typical rates ranging from 17 cents on the low end to as high as $1 and up per audio minute. It takes practice to build up your transcribing speed, but there are tricks that pro transcriptionists use to transcribe very fast. Take it from me – I’m not a super-fast typist, but I’m a very efficient transcriptionist!

Working for transcription agencies, you might make anywhere between $10 and $25 an hour (or more for legal transcription), depending on your speed and the rate of pay. (That’s per hour of your time, not per hour of audio transcribed.) If you transcribe for your own clients, you can earn a lot more: Many independent transcriptionists charge per-audio-minute rates that work out to $30-40 a man-hour.

How to get a part-time online transcription job

If you’d like to try your hand at audio transcription, see my in-depth guide about how to become a transcriptionist and then start applying to transcription companies. The application process usually involves taking an online transcription test. Many higher-paying transcription companies prefer to hire people with both general and legal transcription experience.

If you’re interested in learning legal transcription, I recommend Janet Shaughnessy’s training program, which can be completed in two to four months.

Many transcription companies require you to provide your own transcription software. You can get the professional transcription software I use here for free. If you want to transcribe even faster, you’ll also need a foot pedal and some headphones designed for transcription.

Companies that hire transcriptionists

I’ve written a lot about this topic! In the following posts, you’ll find enough online transcription contracts to keep you busy for years:

Proofreading jobs

If you’re skilled in grammar and punctuation, you can put those skills to use as a part-time proofreader or copyeditor. There’s an endless amount of written material that needs proofreading: books, academic research papers, blog posts, resumes, business documents like annual reports and proposals, etc. Successful proofreaders often focus on a specific niche or type of client – for example, independent authors.

How much do proofreaders make?

Proofreading and editing rates vary depending on the type of client you’re working for and what level of editing you’re doing.

Most part-time online jobs with proofreading agencies pay $10-25 per hour. If you seek out your own clients, you can earn more. According to Writer’s Market, average rates for proofreading in the book publishing industry are $31 per hour on average, with $15 an hour on the low end and $75 an hour on the high end.

As another example, rates for copyediting business material are $60 an hour on average, with $25 an hour on the low end and $125 an hour on the high end.

If you want to earn top rates as a proofreader, you’ll need to find your own clients. Caitlin Pyle of Proofread Anywhere writes about how she consistently made between $3,000 and $4,000 per month working just 20-30 hours a week as a proofreader.  Check out her free workshop to learn whether proofreading would make a good career for you, as well as how to attract your own proofreading clients.

How to get started as a proofreader

There are several ways to get part-time (or full-time) online proofreading work.

If you’re interested in proofreading fiction or non-fiction books as a freelancer, grab a copy of the latest Writer’s Market or Literary Marketplace and start contacting production and managing editors. Submit a resume and cover letter with any relevant experience and ask the editor if they have a proofreading test for you to complete.

The quickest way to get a part-time online job as a proofreader is to apply for work as an independent contractor with a proofreading agency. Below are some companies that hire proofreaders and editors:

Virtual assistant jobs

Virtual assistants (VAs) provide administrative and/or marketing support services to businesses. They are sometimes called remote administrative assistants or remote executive assistants. Typical service offerings include transcription, proofreading, data entry, copywriting, social media management, and email management. As a VA, you can specialize in one or two services or be a jack of all trades.

How much do virtual assistants make?

Virtual assistant pay rates vary widely depending on the services offered. Online virtual assistant jobs typically pay in the range of $10-25 per hour, whereas independent VAs might charge $25-40 per hour for basic services and more for higher-value services like marketing. (If you’re considering offering primarily marketing services, consider whether it might make more sense to position yourself as a marketing or PR agency rather than a virtual assistant. While in the past, marketing was largely a male-dominated field, women-owned digital marketing agencies are becoming more common.)

If you want to learn how to start your own virtual assistant business and charge premium rates, make sure to visit Gina Horkey’s blog, which contains a ton of info and training for VAs, including a list of more than 50 in-demand services you can start selling today. Gina started her VA business as a side hustle and within a few months was earning $4,000 a month while still working her day job and raising two toddlers. (Needless to say, she quit her day job shortly after that!)

How to get a part-time online VA job

If you’re interested in getting a VA job, learn about the different services you can offer as a VA and upgrade your skills as necessary. At the very least, you should know your way around Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Then create a virtual assistant resume and apply to VA agencies like the ones listed below.

Blogging

Blogging isn’t a job in the traditional sense, but it’s a fun way to generate passive income that can supplement your earnings from other online jobs. In fact, blogging has the potential to be one of the highest-paying opportunities on this list, if you’re willing to put in a lot of work without an immediate payoff.

You can monetize your blog in several ways:

  • Affiliate marketing (selling products for other companies – Amazon Associates is the most well-known affiliate program, but there are countless others)
  • Signing up with an ad network like Mediavine
  • Selling your own digital products like e-books or courses
  • Offering consulting or creative services
  • Publishing sponsored posts on behalf of businesses and brands

How much do bloggers earn?

Generally speaking, more blog traffic means higher earnings. A small blog might earn a few extra bucks per month, while popular, high-traffic blogs can earn thousands. The nice thing about blogging is that you can grow your blog on the side of your day job: I sell transcription services on this site, and I also earn a bit of affiliate cash every month from my business blog – a welcome supplement to my freelance income!

Many bloggers have proved that with dedication and a solid strategy, it’s possible to earn a full-time income from blogging within a few months to a year.

How to start your own blog

Most professional bloggers build their blogs on the “self-hosted” version of WordPress – that is, WordPress.org, not WordPress.com. Setting up a WordPress website is relatively quick and painless, even for the technically challenged.

The first step is to sign up for web hosting and install the WordPress software. Once you’ve set up your blog, you’ll need a marketing strategy to drive traffic to your posts. SEO and Pinterest are two popular traffic-driving methods for bloggers.

For help choosing topics to blog about, I’m a big fan of Long Tail Pro. It suggests keywords my site can rank for, so I never run out of ideas – plus, it’s beginner friendly and affordable compared to other SEO tools.

Freelance writing jobs

A career in freelance writing used to mean tirelessly pitching articles to magazines and trade journals. Nowadays, opportunities are much more widespread, with an unquenchable demand for digital content like blog posts and advertising copy.

How much do freelance writers earn?

Broadly speaking, there are two types of online freelance writing work – let’s call them the low end and the high end. Content writing companies (a.k.a. “content mills”), while easy to sign up with, often fall on the low end of the pay spectrum, with typical pay rates ranging from 5 to 10 cents per word, or $25-50 per 500-word article.

On the other end of the spectrum, successful copywriters routinely earn five figures and up per month. If you want to be among them, you’ll have to market yourself to clients that have a lot of money, such as technology companies and brands.

How to get started as a freelance writer

If you want to earn good money as a writer, consider starting a freelance career as a copywriter. Then create a portfolio and start cold emailing businesses that have money. You’ll also want to learn about how to pitch retainers so you can avoid the cycle of writing one-off blog posts.

If selling isn’t your thing and you just want to land a part-time online job writing or proofreading articles as quickly as possible, check out the content writing websites below.

Bookkeeping jobs

If you have a knack with numbers or a background in finance, consider getting a part-time remote job as a bookkeeper. Virtual bookkeepers help companies with bookkeeping and accounting tasks and may also manage payroll.

How much do bookkeepers earn?

Most online bookkeeping jobs fall in the $25-45 per hour range, and higher for online accountant jobs.

Independent bookkeepers can earn $60 an hour and up.

How to get an online bookkeeping job

FlexJobs has an entire category dedicated to virtual bookkeeping, QuickBooks consulting, and accounting jobs. (Click on the dropdown arrow next to Accounting & Finance to see the online Bookkeeping jobs.) You can apply to work with companies directly from the site. BELAY also hires remote bookkeepers.

If you’re prepared to do the initial footwork, consider starting an online bookkeeping business. Every business needs to track income and expenses, so this skill never goes out of demand – and it can be very profitable.

Ben Robinson of Bookkeeper Launch recommends that his students set a target of at least $60 an hour for bookkeeping services. His highly rated program teaches students how to start a bookkeeping business from scratch, even if they know nothing about bookkeeping or running a business. Learn more about what it’s like to run your own bookkeeping business in his free workshop.

Online tutoring and teaching jobs

If you have good communication skills, tutoring can be a rewarding and well-paying part-time online job. ESL tutors are in especially high demand; however, some positions require you to teach specific subjects.

Most online tutoring jobs require a degree or teaching certification and previous teaching experience, but there are a few that only require fluency in English. As with many of the jobs on this list, as an online tutor, you can work where you want, when you want, and as much as you want.

Best of all – you won’t have to plan lessons!

How much are online tutors paid?

Typical pay rates for online tutors range from $15-26 per hour.

How to get an online tutoring job

Each online tutoring company has its own application process. For example, you may be asked to answer some questions, review some instructions, and do a demo lesson.

Below are some companies that hire online tutors:

Search engine evaluator jobs

Google is continuously updating its algorithm to provide high-quality, relevant search results that match a searcher’s intent. But algorithms aren’t perfect, so Google uses human feedback too, and that’s where search engine evaluators come in.

Also known as a web search evaluator or Google Ads quality rater, search engine evaluators assess search results, Google ads, and social media ads for relevancy and quality, checking them against quality guidelines and giving feedback.

Note that Google itself doesn’t hire for these positions – you’ll have to apply through one of the third-party agencies listed below. Agencies in this field tend to have a non-compete clause in their contract, so you can’t work for one of their competitors as a search engine evaluator at the same time.

As a quality rater, you must commit to a certain number of hours per week, but scheduling is flexible. You’ll be an independent contractor, not an employee, so there’s no guarantee as to how much work you’ll get in a given week.

How much are web search evaluators paid?

Pay rates for web search evaluators range from $12-15 per hour.

How to become a search engine evaluator

To get a part-time online job as a web search evaluator, apply with one of the companies below. If you’re eligible for the position, you’ll need to complete an initial unpaid training and testing process.

Website testing jobs

As a website tester, you’ll be paid to “test drive” websites and mobile apps and provide feedback about how easy they are to navigate or how appealing they look. The job involves completing a set of tasks on the website or app and talking about your experience while recording your screen. Companies use this information to fix problems with user experience.

Perks of being a website tester? It’s fun, it pays a decent hourly rate, and you don’t have to commit to a minimum number of hours.

How much do website testing jobs pay?

Pay per website test ranges from $10-60, and the tests only take 5-25 minutes to complete. Some companies pay weekly via PayPal.

How to get paid to test websites

If you’re interested in getting paid to test websites and apps, apply to the companies below. You’ll need to successfully complete a sample test, and then the company will email you when assignments become available.

Since you’ll be providing audio feedback about the websites and apps you’re tasked with visiting, you’ll need a computer equipped with a mic.

Cashback and rewards apps and paid surveys

Cashback and rewards apps reward users for shopping at certain stores or collect information about their buying habits for the purpose of market research. For example, businesses may want to understand their target customers better so they can improve their products.

As a user of one of these apps, you’ll be awarded redeemable points, gift cards, coupons, and/or cash for doing things like shopping online, surfing the Internet, watching videos, taking surveys, and testing products (you get to keep the products).

Some of these companies pay you in bonuses to sign up.

Now, for obvious reasons, “we’ll pay you for your opinion” offers aren’t always legit, so always do your research and check out new companies on TrustPilot before signing up. This is best practice for all work-from-home opportunities. The cashback and survey apps I’ve listed below are some of the most well-known and favorably reviewed, and several of them offer signup bonuses.

How much do cashback apps and online surveys pay?

You won’t earn a lot of money from cashback and paid survey apps. Most of these opportunities pay far below minimum wage, and others only pay you in points that you can redeem for gift cards.

But it can a good way to earn a few bucks (or Starbucks) doing things you normally do anyway.

How to make money with cashback and rewards apps

It’s super easy to get started with cashback apps and paid surveys. Just sign up on one or more of the sites below and you’re in business. (You’ll want to use a different email address than the one you normally use, because you’ll get a lot of email invites for taking paid surveys and so on.) Once you’ve tried out a few different apps, you can stick with the ones that give the best return for your lifestyle.

  • Rakuten Rewards (formerly Ebates) – a highly popular shopping app with a $10 welcome bonus
  • Survey Junkie – one of the most popular legitimate paid survey opportunities – get gift cards or PayPal cashouts for taking online and phone surveys, participating in focus groups, and testing products
  • Ibotta – currently the most popular cashback shopping app in the iOS store; earn up to $20 in welcome bonuses
  • InboxDollars – $5 signup bonus
  • MyPoints – $10 signup bonus
  • Swagbucks – get gift cards and PayPal cashouts for the everyday things you do online

Where to find the best-paying part-time online jobs

There are a lot of part-time online jobs that I haven’t covered in this list. Many jobs can be done remotely nowadays, and some of the highest-paying and most interesting opportunities crop up when regular businesses and brands post listings for remote positions. You just need to know where to look. So here are a few of my top-recommended sources of work-from-home jobs:

  • LinkedIn Job Search – use keywords like “telecommute” or “remote”
  • Remote.co – a free remote work board with high-quality listings
  • Upwork – the Internet’s biggest freelance marketplace, where you can provide services like writing, graphic design, coding, audio and video editing, writing, consulting, etc.
  • FlexJobs

I will be updating this post as I discover more legitimate part-time work-from-home opportunities. In the meantime, all the best landing a part-time online job that suits your skill set!

Anything you’d like to see here that I didn’t include? Let me know in the comments!

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4 Comments

  2. I love your content. I wish you had a Youtube channel so my clan and I can always follow you for updates. Good job, Chloe.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for your support, Maggie! If enough people are interested, I may just set up a YouTube channel in the near future. 🙂

      Reply

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