Looking for typing jobs from home? You’re not alone. Typing-based remote jobs are some of the most popular around. In fact, typing-heavy jobs were what got me into remote work almost a decade ago.
I was always a fast typist. When I was eight, we got a brand new Compaq computer. I was thrilled.
I quickly expressed interest in learning to type. My ever-supportive mom bought me computer software called Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. I loved it. I honed my typing skills and always tried to get faster.
Eventually, I carried my typing skills through high school and even used them to do data entry work for a medical office during the afternoons and summer.
It was only natural that when I decided to kick my cubicle to the curb that I would try to capitalize on my fast fingers.
What I quickly learned was that, if you’re a fast and accurate typist, you can definitely put your fingers to work.
Typing Jobs From Home: Options Available
Almost all remote jobs require typing skills. Since you’re not in an office, most of your communication will be done in writing. You’ll send tons of emails, instant messages, and do a lot of typing to communicate.
But, there are those remote career paths that require a lot more typing than the average position. So, if you’ve always been a fast typist you should definitely look into these typing jobs from home.
1. Bookkeeper
A bookkeeper keeps daily records of money coming in and money going out. Unlike an accountant, a bookkeeper doesn’t need accreditation or a degree. Instead, they need to be accurate typists as they work to keep true financial records.
Bookkeepers can work for a single company or outsource their services to different clients. A bookkeeping service is a great option for fast typists since the quicker you work the more you can earn. In fact, Entrepreneur named bookkeeping as one of the most profitable businesses.
So, if you’re a fast and accurate typer, you can earn a living from home as a bookkeeper.
2. Medical Billing and Coding
As far as typing jobs from home, medical billing and coding is incredibly in demand. A recent CNBC report found there are far more medical billing and coding job openings than professionals to fill them.
Needless to say, you can definitely earn a living from home typing as a medical billing and coding pro. But, keep in mind, you need some training and certification to get started.
Medical billing and coding professionals assign specific codes to patients’ charts. These codes are used by insurance companies to issue payment for procedures and services. Because these codes become a permanent part of a patient’s medical records, certification is required as an entry level candidate.
Fortunately, you can complete medical billing and coding training online (and in less than a year). Career Step has a comprehensive medical billing and coding program that partners with companies that hire remote workers. So, in as little as a year, you can land one of many typings jobs from home as a medical billing and coding pro.
3. Transcription
There are tons of opportunities to work from home in transcription. True story, my very first remote job was as a legal typist. I listened to recorded depositions and phone interviews for insurance companies. Then, I transcribed them word for word. These transcripts were typically used in lawsuits where insurance claims were involved — think car accidents, theft, fire, vandalism, etc.
Needless to say, it was very interesting! And, it was a remote career path that perfectly played into my typing skills.
But, legal transcribing is just one of the typing jobs from home in transcription. (If you’re seriously interested in legal typing jobs, though, I highly recommend you take this free legal transcription course first!) You can also find work as a general typist and medical typist.
General Transcription
A general transcriptionist usually transcribes audio ranging from focus groups to financial calls and even sermons or lectures. Really, there are all types of professionals and businesses that use general typists to turn recordings into written documents.
General transcriptionists typically don’t have to transcribe verbatim. Instead, they produce cleaned up transcripts that don’t have “ums” and “uhs,” false starts and stutters from speakers.
To be a general transcriptionist, you don’t need special training. In fact, many companies will take a chance on beginners. However, to make the most of your time, you need to be a fast and accurate typist. Plus, you have to get used to typing while listening to audio and using a foot pedal.
I highly recommend a free transcription course before you jump into transcribing head first. Doing so will give you a good overview of transcribing for a living and help you decide if it’s right for you. Did I mention it’s free?
Medical Transcription
Medical typing jobs from home are some of the most lucrative. However, you need training to be considered.
As a medical transcriptionist, you listen to doctor dictation and transcribe what is being said. Often, there are specific medical and anatomy terms that would be difficult to understand without proper training.
The good news is, medical transcription and editing training can be completed online and in less than a year through Career Step. Upon graduation, you’ll be ready to take on work as a home-based typist in the medical field.
4. Data Entry
As a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) specializing in remote work, I get a TON of questions about data entry work. Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough real openings to keep up with the demand.
Often, there are tons of jobs posted online looking for home-based data entry clerks. But, more often than not, these postings are scams. On occasion, there are legit data entry positions posted. However, these often pay very little — I’m talking pennies for hundreds of characters typed.
For example, I signed up for data entry work at Virtual Bee (it’s now called SmartCrowd). Again, I was always looking for typing jobs from home that would let me earn money just for being a quick typist and it seemed like a good option. As it turns out, it wasn’t. I threw in the towel after a week of work and only earning $7.00. Yep, you read that right — a measly $7.00.
If you’re truly interested in data entry work from home, you can check out different platforms and marketplaces that frequently post these type of jobs. Some popular options include Amazon Mechanical Turk, SigTrack, Fancy Hands, and Upwork.
Keep in mind, the pay rate will vary quite a bit. And like the other typing jobs from home listed, the faster you can type, the more you’ll earn!
5. Captioning
As a captioner, you’ll sync captions to video so they show up on screen at the right time. To do this, you have to accurately type what is being said and time it just so.
Captioners can find work captioning pre-recorded video or live broadcasts. Of course, when it comes to live broadcasts, you’ll need to type quickly enough to keep up with speech in real time, as it happens. This requires quite a bit of skill and extremely fast fingers.
If you’re new to captioning, Rev is a good place to start. While the pay is on the lower side, you can gain experience as a beginner. From there, you can go onto higher-paid positions.
6. Email & Chat Agents
Any non-phone jobs are always popular among remote job seekers. That’s why email and chat agent positions are some of the most coveted positions around! Fortunately, there are a number of companies that hire email reps and chat agents to support customers.
Typically, virtual reps will primarily handle customer inquiries via email and chat. However, there may be times when you have to take calls, so keep that in mind.
In addition to being a fast typist, you also must have a strong grasp of grammar. You will always need to respond to customers in complete, error-free sentences.
Apple is a well-known company that hires chat agents, but there are some less-common companies that hire email representatives. If you’re a fast typist, it’s a good idea to check them all out!
7. Virtual Assistant
Finally, don’t forget about virtual assistant work as a source of typing jobs from home. A virtual assistant tackles a variety of tasks depending on skills and clients. For example, VAs can do graphic design, social media, email management, marketing, ecommerce, and so much more!
You can work for one of the many virtual assistant companies or start your own business as a virtual assistant. In fact, grab this FREE Guide to 275+ In-Demand VA Services for inspiration.
Typing Jobs From Home
Think you have what it takes to successfully perform typing jobs from home? Keep in mind, you really do need to be fast and accurate to make these jobs worth your time.
Some companies will only require a typing speed of 30 words per minute or greater. But, for transcription jobs or medical billing and coding gigs, a minimum 70 words per minute is pretty standard.
Before getting started, test your typing speed. If you struggle to maintain a high word per minute rate or your accuracy is lacking, you can always brush up on your skills.
There are free sites you can use, like How To Type, to refine your abilities. Before you know it, you’ll be ready to tackle all the typing jobs from home.
Happily,
Ashlee
P.S. This post contains affiliate links. Check out my disclosure statement to learn more.
