The shifting business landscape caused by various environmental, social, and political changes has more people considering careers they can do from home. Whether you’re ready to start your own business or are just looking for a job where you won’t have to make a long commute into the office each day, there’s a variety of online opportunities available.
We’ve outlined 25 different work from home opportunities to explore. Our list covers everything from customer service to more technical jobs. There’s also discussion about what to look out for when applying for a work from home position and information on where you can look for opportunities that best suit your existing skillset.
Best Work From Home Opportunities as Employee or Contractor
It may be easier to adjust to at-home work by taking a position with an established company as a contractor or employee. Here are some jobs that might fall into your specific skill set or can take you down a path to a new career.
1. Customer Service Representative
There’s always a need for customer service representatives (CSRs) to assist customers. Companies like Citi, American Express, and Microsoft use CSRs who work from home to address the concerns of customers. The salary can vary from company to company, but those who work in more specialized areas of customer service may be able to earn more. Most positions can range from hourly, full-time, or part-time, depending on the needs of the business.
Most work at home customer service rep positions requires you to have a high school diploma or GED. Basic communication and interpersonal skills are a must to be successful at the job. Many companies offer training to new candidates that typically last from a week to a month. Most are geared toward helping new recruits adjust to the process of handling calls remotely and how to handle different situations that might arise with customers.
You should have basic computer skills and the ability to quickly retrieve information from different sources. Many work at home CSRs also use word processing, spreadsheet, and email to assist them in performing tasks. Many companies make use of CRM software that allows CSRs to create and monitor tickets to track problems for customers.
2. Data Entry Clerk
Work at home data entry clerks responsible for handling routine clerical tasks tied to typing in and updating data from a business into a computer system. They must verify the accuracy of any information entered, and make sure a company’s database remains up-to-date. Some data entry clerks may be asked to assist with other responsibilities like helping accounts receivable processing payout invoices or process order returns.
The salary for a work at home data entry clerk depends on a person’s experience, any certifications they have, and the specific responsibilities of the position. Companies may offer additional training for data entry clerks depending on the requirements of the job and the industry in which they work. It typically consists of showing work at home clerks how to navigate the system and to learn the rules and processes of the organization.
Most businesses require only a high school diploma or GED to apply for a data entry position. The job usually does not require a person to have specific certifications. However, you should understand the basics of using computers and be proficient and accurate when it comes to typing.
3. Transcriptionist
Transcriptionists function as documentation specialists responsible for translating voice and video recording into written form. You can find transcriptionists in a variety of fields, including legal and medical. Many of the recordings you receive will likely be of lower quality, which means you’ll need a lot of patience and excellent listening skills to succeed as a work at home transcriptionist.
General transcription positions are great for people who are just starting in the field. It lets you gain experience while you figure out if you’d like to work in a more specialized area. Most general transcriptions help companies and organizations with tasks like listening to and transcribing court hearings, college lectures, personal conversations, business meetings, and other recordings.
You may be able to find online courses that help you learn transcribing skills. The company who hires you may also provide additional help in bringing you up to speed as a quality transcriptionist. If you want to find work in more specialized positions like a court reporter or medical transcriptionist, you’ll need to look into certificate or degree programs. Your state may require you to have a license or certification, even if you’re doing work for a company in a different area of the country.
4. Telemedicine Nurse
You don’t need to see patients in an office or hospital setting to put your nursing skills to good use. Telemedicine nurses are those who work from home or remotely from another location to counsel patients. Many have access to additional technology aids like computers, video cameras and other accessories that let them accurately assess a patient’s condition.
You can learn to deliver quality medical care from the comfort of your home, even emergency care. Telemedicine nurses can still perform essential tasks like monitoring a patient’s blood pressure, oxygen levels, respiration, heart rate, and blood sugar. They can also provide instruction on how patients can treat minor injuries that typically do not require a visit to the hospital.
Most managed health organizations offer telemedicine services for patients. It’s a way of allowing them to receive faster access to care while reducing the burden placed on emergency rooms. Check out the requirements in your state when it comes to working in telemedicine before applying for a position. Some require you to have a special license that complies with local regulations.
5. Technical Writer
Technical writers break down complex topics and turn them into documents like manuals, articles, guides, or other supporting documentation. You’ll find technical writers in many industries, from finance to technology to aviation. They’re responsible for maintaining the accuracy of documentation for various projects, researching topics to ensure accuracy. You’ll likely need to coordinate with other specialists in that area to ensure you have a sound understanding of the product or procedure being documented.
It’s possible to make a nice living as a work from home technical writer depending on the industry and the complexity of the documents created. Factors like where you live, and a company or client’s budget also play a role in what you can earn.
Most technical writers have a bachelor’s degree that ties back to technical writing. Many technology writers have degrees in computer science, programming, or engineering. A technology background can also help technical writers find more opportunities in various fields. Many companies will train qualified candidates on the intricacies of creating specific kinds of content.
6. Event Planner
Are you good at helping your friends organize parties or other events? If so, you might consider looking for an event planner work from home position. Others hire you to help them plan, organize, and conduct events like parties, weddings, fundraisers, corporate gatherings, and ceremonies.
You’ll need a good head for managing a budget, keeping track of important dates, and locating just the right space to hold an event. Many event planners also find themselves responsible for arranging places for guests to stay and transporting them to and from an event. Your specific duties will depend on your given budget, the overall size, and the complexity involved in successfully staging the event.
Event planners meet with clients to lay out the scope of the event, settle on a budget, and to pick a time and place. Work at home event planners often conduct these sessions online via video conferencing. You’ll be the one making sure that hired staff understand their role in making sure the client is satisfied with the services received. Regular communication with the client via phone calls and other technology is key to keeping them informed about your progress and addressing their concerns.
7. Online Video Instructor
If you’re good with a camera and have the desire to educate others, you might want to consider becoming a work at home online video instructor. Instead of standing in front of a class, you’ll be delivering instruction via your camera from the comfort of your home.
Online video instructors do everything from showing people how to install drywall installation to teaching the basics of mathematics. You can find a position at a local school or college who need someone with your background to provide video instruction. They typically require that you have at least a bachelor’s degree or can show your experience as an expert in your field.
If you’re going to make a go at becoming an online instructor, you will need to learn techniques on effective content delivery. It helps to understand how to record video, correct sound issues, and edit the video until you create your final product.
8. Freelance Content Writer
Content writers assist businesses and individual clients who need content in the form of articles, blogs, and other written assets. Work at home content writers often communicate with clients through email, phone conferences, and video sessions when needed. It can help to understand the basics of digital marketing and how to craft content that speaks to the kind of audience a business wants to reach.
Content writers need the ability to adapt the tone of their pieces to suit the needs of the customer. For example, you may be called upon to create standard text for the landing page of a company website, then be asked to create an article that promotes a new product offering.
Consistently delivering quality written content requires you to have a good grasp of sentence structure, grammar, and spelling. You’ll also need good research skills to ensure your final draft hits all the needs of a client. Clients can change their minds when it comes to what they need, so it takes good people skills to navigate those adjustments. This is an easy job to start making money from your own home.
9. Editor
If you’re interested in working as an editor, there are several different paths you could take. Many companies hire editors to provide a critical eye to written content and make changes where necessary. They typically offer feedback to writers to help them improve the quality of a piece to make it ready for consumption. You can find positions as a work at home editor in many fields that hire writers to produce written contents.
Editors go over pieces of writing to ensure there is proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar. They are also responsible for that an article conforms to the standards of the client and is factually correct. Many authors rely on editors to help them create a stronger manuscript and offer insight on improvements to plot, characterization, setting, tone, and other elements.
Other editors are responsible for evaluating manuscripts sent to them by writers and determining if it’s a good fit for their publishing house. They pitch the pieces and often act as a go-between for the writer and the publisher.
10. Social Media Coordinator
A social media coordinator, also called a social media manager, helps with the management of social media accounts for various clients. That could be anyone from a large corporation to a social media influencer. Social media coordinators help in promoting and increasing engagement with a specific brand.
They look for the best target markets for their clients and make sure there is social media content available through those channels. Work at home social media coordinators track responses from their audience and how well they respond to different media efforts.
Social media coordinators should understand how to use technology that helps them track and report on engagement through different social media channels. They must stay on top of emerging trends and adjust any ads or other creative content efforts.
It’s possible to land a work from home position as a social media coordinator without an advanced degree. However, if you’re applying for jobs at a larger company, they may prefer that you have at least a bachelor’s degree in a field like marketing.
11. Proofreader
Proofreaders make sure that written copy is free of errors before it is sent for publication. Unlike editors, proofreaders do not make any changes to the flow of an article by rewriting it or making other revisions. Instead, proofreaders focus on the structure of sentences and whether the syntax is correct. That includes making sure there are no extra spaces after periods and noting the missing hyphen in a compound adjective.
Working as a proofreader is an excellent work from home opportunity to those with a knack for detecting grammatical and spelling errors in writing. Your goal is to make sure that the content reads fluidly so that the ideas contained in the piece are clear to the reader.
Proofreaders should be familiar with popular style guides like the AP Stylebook or Chicago Manual of Style. You should be familiar with using word-processing software like Microsoft Word or an online application like Google Docs for tracking changes.
12. Graphic Designer
If you’ve found yourself entranced by an eye-catching visual in a brochure or website, it was likely created by a graphic designer. They’re responsible for creating digital and print media visuals to place in advertisements, publications, digital media, newsletters, websites, apps, and other content. As a work from home graphic designer, you coordinate with an art director, editor, or other person charged with guiding you through the idea or message the graphic should convey.
Becoming a graphic designer requires having some training in visual design. You can look for degree or certificate programs that offer certification and guidance in the field. Some employers will hire individuals with just an associate degree, while others may want you to have a Fine Arts or other similar degree.
It helps to have a portfolio available to showcase your work when applying for positions as a work at home graphic designer. Skills like artistry, creativity, time-management, and effective communication go a long way in helping you establish yourself as a successful work from home graphic designer.
13. Pet Sitter or Dog Walker
If you’re someone who loves animals and wants an excuse to get out into the sunshine every day, then you should look into becoming a pet sitter or a dog walker. Clients can drop their beloved pets off each when they go on vacation so you can provide care. Pet sitters can expand their clientele by offering services for pet types beyond cats and dogs by looking after other types like birds, small mammals, and reptiles.
Most pet sitters provide basic services like making sure an animal receives sufficient food and water along with any needed medications. They typically perform grooming services like brushing teeth and fur. You should communicate with the client if any issues arise while the pet is under your care.
Many pet-sitters supplement their business by offering dog walking services. Dog walkers make sure dogs charged to their care receive regular daily exercise via walks. They can take them to the park, along a hiking trail, or anywhere they can allow the dog to explore while getting some fresh air.
14. Web Developer
Web developers come up with the code needed to build websites and the backends responsible for managing data flow. If you end up working for an individual client or a smaller company, they may call upon you to provide some level of web design.
Many companies now hire web developers to work from home. You must have good communication skills and a knack for working with people from different technical backgrounds. Web developers typically receive requirements to use as the basis for their project. They often work with web designers to come up with the appearance of the website.
Other skills needed a good work from home developer include the ability to provide fixes for errors, make software updates, and monitor a website once it’s launched. Other responsibilities often include making sure websites remain secure while giving users a good experience with the site.
A lot of companies prefer to hire web developers with a four-year college degree, though some will hire those with just an associate degree. Other employers may overlook degree requirements entirely based on your specific skillset and years of experience.
15. Systems Analyst
Systems analysts make sure that an organization has what they need to operate at maximum efficiency. You may find yourself looking out for issues in a data warehouse, researching whether a new technology might be beneficial to the company, and identifying areas of improvement.
Other responsibilities typically handled by work at home systems analysts include conducting online instruction for new users and maintaining employee instruction manuals. The salary for systems analysts varies depending on the industry and location.
Companies hiring work at home systems analysts look for them to have at least a bachelor’s degree in information systems, computer science, or another related degree. Having an MBA can be a big boost to career prospects and give you a hiring edge over other candidates.
16. Virtual Assistant
While people typically think of virtual assistants as helping people who work in an office, they can perform online administrative tasks for anyone. Most help make their client’s lives easier by sending emails on their behalf, scheduling appointments, managing social media, taking calls, and dealing with customer service issues.
Virtual assistants should have skills like organization, effective communication, good time management, the ability to work with different online administrative tools, and reliability. You should be ready and able to respond to the needs of clients when on the clock.
The educational requirements for a virtual assistant vary depending on the needs of a client. Some may want you to have at least an associate degree in business, finance, or related field. It can help to have more specialized technology skills like working with cloud technology or securing files to prevent hacking.
17. Translator
If you speak more than one language, you might be interested in finding a position as a work from home translator. You’ll be responsible for translating text written in one language to another. Many translators interpret the text from a different language to their native tongue. However, if you’re skilled at writing in a language other than your own, you can open yourself up to a lot more opportunities.
Companies in industries like government, healthcare, and education hire work from home translators. You can work directly through a company, agency, or a single employer. Many work from home translators prefer having flexibility in how they work, whether it’s on a full-time, part-time, or contractual basis
18. Travel Agent
People looking to finally take their dream vacation often turn to travel agents to help them with arrangements. Work from home travel agent responsibilities includes looking up travel options for clients. They start by interviewing the client to get a good sense of their travel preferences. From there, they look through different databases to find transportation and vacation housing options.
Most travel agents have at least a high-school diploma and receive on-the-job training. Essential skills like effective communication and organization are needed to work from home successfully as a travel agent. Getting additional travel agent certification can provide a boost to your job prospects.
19. Online Recruiter
Recruiters help match people with the right job openings for different companies. It’s a great way to help people find work while working from home. Online recruiter responsibilities include screening and interviewing job candidates, acting as a go-between for employees and applicants, and sending out job offerings to prospects.
You’ll need good research skills as a recruiter to make sure you find people with the right educational and professional background to fill a job role. Many online recruiters use video conferencing to conduct more in-depth interviews with job candidates. Most companies who employ work from home online recruiters want them to have at least a bachelor’s degree.
20. Insurance Agent
Insurance agents help customers find insurance policies that fit their current needs. You can become a work from home insurance agent who sells policies like life, health, vision, dental, and disability insurance. There are also insurance agents who specialize in offering property and casualty insurance that provide financial protection for incidents like fire, accident damage, and theft.
The responsibilities of a work from home insurance agent include calling customers to discuss different policy options, making suggestions on any potential policy upgrades or changes, and maintaining records related to insurance transactions. You could work directly for a company or set up an independent agency.
Most agencies provide on-the-job training for new hires. You should also look into any requirements your state may have for operating as an insurance agent.
21. Medical Coder
Medical coders prepare medical claims for hospitals and providers, so they receive reimbursement from insurance companies for patient services. Other responsibilities for medical coders include making sure the claims are accurate and complete, that the codes used to meet all insurance and legal requirements, and that they contain the necessary authorization and signatures.
Other tasks work from home medical coders often perform include coordinating with a provider’s billing department to ensure claims are paid and contacting insurance companies about coding errors. Work from home medical coders use special medical classification software designed to assign the correct coding for different procedures rendered by a provider.
Most medical coders have a high school diploma along with an associate’s degree or certificate in a related field like health information technology or medical coding. The training program typically provides most of the training needed to navigate the field of medical coding. Obtaining additional certifications for medical coding through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) can also help job prospects.
22. Bookkeeper
As a work from home bookkeeper, you can help companies and single clients maintain their finances. The responsibilities of a bookkeeper typically include keeping up with receipts, invoices, and all financial transactions. Most rely on computer software for tracking and organizing records.
Many bookkeepers also audit financial records to ensure their accuracy and bring any inconsistencies to light. You may also be asked to process payroll and make sure everyone receives the correct compensation. Most bookkeepers have at least a high school diploma and GED. Some companies may only hire people who have at least an associate’s degree in a field like accounting or finance.
23. Tax Preparation Specialist
Many people and businesses need help when it comes to getting their tax returns in order. As a work from home tax preparation specialist, you would communicate with clients to make sure you have all relevant tax information required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You would need to make sure that all necessary forms received a valid signature and conformed to local, state, and federal tax codes.
You would need to understand how to work with finance and accounting software and have a head for math equations. Tax preparation specialists must pay attention to fine details that could impact a client’s tax status. If you’re looking to get hired on at an accounting firm, they may require you to have at least an associate’s degree along with equivalent experience.
24. Computer Support Technician
As a work at home computer support technician, you would offer trouble-shooting advice to people calling in with technical issues. You can find work from home computer support technicians working in various business sectors. They help walk customers through the installation of software, answer technical questions, and can even remote in a client’s computer to do a deeper dive into system issues.
Most computer technicians have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field. However, some companies are willing to hire people with only an associate’s degree. You can expand your work from home prospects as a computer support technician by getting certifications through the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).
25. Freelance Writer
If you have a knack with the written word, you could apply your skills in a variety of ways as a freelance writer. Many websites, blogs, newspapers, and businesses contract freelance writers to create blogs, articles, and various written content. One way of getting started as a work from home freelance writer is to start a blog that showcases your writing style. You can also keep a portfolio of spec and bylined work provided to other clients.
There are no specific educational requirements for becoming a work from home freelance writer. You need a good grasp of spelling, basic grammar, sentence structure, and the ability to adapt your writing to suit the needs of a client. It can help to have a degree or work experience in a target field if you want to start specializing in one area.
Resources for Work From Home Opportunities
Below, we’ve outlined some places you can go to start researching potential work from home jobs as an employee or contractor.
Business Websites
A lot of companies have sections on their website where they post open positions. You should be able to view information for any work from home jobs you might qualify for, including how to apply, the salary, and the deadline for applying. With smaller companies, you might try a more personalized approach by reaching out to the company owner through their LinkedIn profile. You can also look for job openings on a business’s social media outlets.
Job Boards
There are quite a few job boards that advertise job openings. Start with places like ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, or Indeed.com. They let you filter for specifics like job location, salary, and hours. Sites like ProBlogger and Mediabistro post information on jobs related to writing or media positions that can be done at home.
Personal Networking
You can reach out to people you know for information on available work from home positions. They can also be a good resource to start with if you’re looking to start your own business. You can also try calling or emailing companies asking about potential employment or contract opportunities.
How to Avoid Getting Sucked Into a Work From Home Scam
The abundance of work from home opportunities has led to a rise in scammers attempting to take advantage of people. Make sure you do your research on a company and make sure they are legitimate. Some will pretend they represent a real company to gain access to personal information like your bank account and social security number. Follow up with a company to make sure the person who contacts you is actually a representative.
