The Best Remote Side Jobs (2023)

Deepti Nickam

December 31, 2022

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Side hustles are gifts that keep on giving. Most have flexible work schedules and great earning potential. Dabbling with one is the perfect way to diversify your income stream. 

And most Americans seem to agree. According to Zapier’s 2022 report, a whopping 40% of Americans work on a side hustle. This is a jump from 34% in 2020. 

It’s only logical to attribute this uptick to the astronomical rise of the remote work culture over the past two years. We got cornered by the pandemic, and boom—we’re now coming up with more flexible, high-paying side hustles to do from home.  

If you’re on the hunt for one, you’re in the right place!

We’ve shortlisted more than 20 lucrative and practical side hustles you can easily do from the comfort of your living room. We’ve also answered some key FAQs on finding the best ones.

List of 20+ Side Hustle From Home And Their Hourly Pay in 2023

The end goal of any side hustle is to increase your income. You may be concerned that side hustles from your abode may not be as profitable as on-site side gig opportunities.

There’s no way a convenient, flexible, and easy-to-do side job is high paying, right?

Wrong. You can have it all.

A study by Preply.com says remote side hustles like freelance designing ($32), freelance writing ($29), proofreading ($22), resume writing ($19), blogging ($19), and online teaching ($17), take the top spots in the list of the highest paid side hustles in 2022.

Let’s talk more numbers. Here’s a table that breaks down over 20 side hustles from home and their hourly earning potential (listed from highest to lowest):

Looking for profitable remote side jobs? Here’s a list of 20+ side hustles you can do from home, along with answers to key FAQs.

Source: Trust me, bro.

Joking. We’ve scoured the internet and picked these numbers from Glassdoor.com, Payscale.com, Salary.com, Indeed, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

20+ Legitimate Online Side Hustles to Make Money From Home

Get some ideas for your remote side hustle with this list of suggestions.

1. Become a social media manager

Income potential: $47–$60/hour

As a social media manager, you’ll be in charge of everything that goes on in your client’s social profiles. Some of the services you’d offer include: 

• Strategizing social media campaigns.
• Crafting posts and curating content for different platforms.
• Responding to comments and engaging with the client’s key customers.
• Continuously finding ways to monetize social media platforms.
• Manage groups or subscriptions.
• Going hulk mode on nasty trolls. You get the picture.

Sometimes, you’d also run and manage ad campaigns on sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more.

Things to keep in mind:

• A social media marketing certification can help you fetch better job opportunities. 
• Although not necessary, you can build your social media presence to showcase your abilities.
• The best way to find great work opportunities is to build a strong client portfolio.
• The pay for this role is generally high, but it can also be a demanding side gig with lesser flexibility in terms of work hours.

Get started:

2. Lend money

Income potential: $40–$50

Peer-to-peer (P2P) money lending can be a high-paying side hustle if you have some capital to get things going. By cutting out the middlemen (like traditional banks), P2P lending gives you a chance to earn more on your investments.

According to Enoch Omololu, Personal Finance Expert at Savvy New Canadians,

“It’s easy to lend money on popular peer-to-peer lending platforms like LendingClub, Fundrise, and Prosper. These lending platforms evaluate the risk investors face when they finance individuals and businesses. They then set the potential returns based on this risk. Remember, the higher the risk of a borrower defaulting on paying back debt, the higher the interest rate they pay.”

Things to keep in mind:

• The government doesn’t provide insurance or any form of protection to the lenders in case of the borrower default.
• Peer-to-peer loans come with high credit risks.

Get started: 

3. Create an online course

Income potential: $26–$40

It’s simple. If you have marketable skills that other people want to learn, you’re in for a profitable side job. Course creators have made thousands of dollars by selling their lessons online.

An online course should ideally cover a particular topic in-depth. That’s why it’s key that you narrow down your area of expertise and build a detailed course around it. 

Thinkific, Teachable, and Learndash are some platforms that let you create and sell your online courses.

Things to keep in mind:

• Some skills are more marketable and in demand than others. And the success of your course depends on this factor.
• Courses need to be high quality and updated all the time. Let’s say your course explains how different social media platforms work. You’d have to update the section on Twitter twice a day. Now that’s a time-consuming task that may require you to hire staff in the future.

Get started:

4. Proofread

Income potential: $21–$35

People and organizations hire freelance proofreaders who ensure their content is clean, readable, and grammatically sound.

This is one of the best side hustles because aside from working remotely, you can also choose your work hours. Plus, this side hustle rarely requires an English degree or special certification.

All you need is a personal computer, a stable internet connection, and excellent grammar skills.

Things to keep in mind:

• Analyzing text can be taxing. And after a point, this work can get very repetitive. 
• A proofreader’s income largely depends on their experience level.

Get started:

5. Rent out a room or a vacation home

Income potential: $20–$228

If you have an extra bedroom, a vacation home, or a garage apartment, consider renting out your space on platforms like Airbnb.

According to Airbnb’s data from March 2022, there are currently over 4 million rental hosts registered on the site. This high number indicates that renting out spaces can be a great passive income gig.

Worried about opening up your home to strangers? Platforms like Airbnb offer host damage protection on your home—up to $1 million in coverage.

Things to keep in mind:

• Remember that hosting or renting out a space can be hard work. Customers expect top-notch service and a well-maintained stay.
• This side gig is usually very lucrative, but the rent you charge and your rental occupancy rate will depend on your location and the quality of the space. Picture renting a Miami beach house vs. a family home in Austin. You know which will burn a hole through your pocket.

Get started:

6. Try freelance designing

Income potential: $20–$40

Here’s the thing: small businesses, entrepreneurs, and non-profits all want talented designers, but they often can’t afford an agency. This is where freelance designers, with no overhead costs, come into play.

Formal certifications rarely play a key role here. What matters more is a great portfolio that shows off your design capabilities.

Things to keep in mind:

• Client expectations can sometimes be unrealistic. As a result, your work timelines and quality may suffer.
• You’ll have to build a solid professional network to ensure a steady inflow of work.

Get started:

7. Start a YouTube channel

Income potential: $19–$29

According to the Hootsuite Global State of Digital 2022 report, YouTube gets 14.3 billion visits per month—that’s more than Facebook, Wikipedia, Amazon, and Instagram. Starting a YouTube channel is one of the most effective ways to build an audience big enough to profit from YouTube ads. 

It’s important to figure out your niche, and continuously come up with quality content. Once you cross the minimum subscription threshold, you can start monetizing your channel.

Things to keep in mind:

• This is a crowded space with high competition.
• You typically pay self-employment taxes on your gains from a YouTube channel.
• Earnings can fluctuate and be inconsistent.

Get started:

8. Become a bookkeeper

Income potential: $16–$25

Freelance bookkeepers help businesses record and manage their financial transactions—this usually includes paying bills, managing payroll, and collecting necessary payments—all the exciting stuff.

It’s not the same as accounting, though—so you can kick-start your remote bookkeeping journey without a degree or certification.

Things to keep in mind:

• You’ll need to be familiar with popular financial software like Quickbooks and Xero and know how to read and create balance sheets.
• Collecting records, tracking errors, and so on can be time-consuming, even with automated financial software.

Get started:

9. Write resumes

Income potential: $16–$24

You’d be surprised by how many people don’t know how to write a good resume. They may struggle with skills to highlight, what format to pick, or simply don’t have the time to work on it. 

You can help these people by specializing in writing eye-catching and detailed resumes that highlight the best qualities of a candidate. 

Resume writers usually have experience in a particular industry or profession. They’ll often interview candidates to know more about their skills before digging into their resumes. 

Things to keep in mind:

• Just like other freelancing jobs, you’ll need to actively look for work opportunities.
• This is fast becoming a competitive space—many freelancers see the large earning potential.

Get started:

10. Take up a data entry job 

Income potential: $16–$20

Simply put, data entry gigs mean entering data. This can mean different things to different organizations. 

But all data entry specialists do this:

• They receive some sort of raw data from a source (such as a web form or a stack of papers).
• They enter this raw data into a computer (or in another format, so it can be processed).

The raw data can be text, codes, numbers, images, or even audio and video files.

Things to keep in mind:

• This is usually a tedious job—you’ll have to sit in front of a computer for hours.
• You’ll need to type at lightning speed to earn more in this profession. 

Get started:

11. Tutor online

Income potential: $15–$38

If you’re already a teacher of a particular subject, you probably meet all the requirements for becoming an online tutor. 

This side hustle lets you earn by the hour by tutoring students online in your spare time. You can check out online tutoring companies like Chegg Tutors, VIPKid, and Qkids, to get started. 

Things to keep in mind:

• Some subjects have a higher demand for online tutoring than others.
• Your income will be directly proportional to how many hours you can teach online.

Get started:

12. Become a mystery shopper

Income potential: $15–$36

What if we told you you could get paid to shop? 

Yup. That’s an actual thing in the world of retail. And the best part? You can do this from home.

As an online mystery shopper, you’ll have to make online orders and answer questionnaires to give feedback about your shopping experience. You may also have to ask for customer assistance and report back if the employees were helpful. 

This lets businesses improve their shopping processes and customer experience.

Things to keep in mind:

• This side gig is unlikely to fetch you a regular paycheck.
• Scams and fraudulent job ads are common in this industry.

Get started:

13. Become an Instagram influencer

Income potential: $15–$20

AugustaFreePress.com says brands will spend a whopping $32.5 billion on influencer advertising in 2023. This is a hot space, so why not give it a go, especially if you already have a knack for creating content on Instagram.

You can monetize your Instagram through sponsored posts, selling products, takeovers, and other fun things. 

Things to keep in mind:

• The amount of money you can charge for sponsored content will vary depending on your follower count and engagement rates. 
• “Virality” is never a given. And Instagram does tons of experiments every day. It’s safe to say the algorithm is unpredictable.
• Your Instagram account may take some time to gain momentum. 

Get started:

14. Test apps and websites

Income potential: $13–$41

Testing apps and websites is a great side hustle because you don’t need programming experience or any other educational qualification. 

App and website testers look for errors and inconsistencies in the functionality and design of the software. This side gig can also give you quality analysis skills and experience. 

For websites like User Testing, UTest, and Enroll, you’ll need to take a few practice tests. 

Things to keep in mind:

• This job can get monotonous.
• Work opportunities are not consistent.

Get started:

15. Run an online thrift store

Income potential: $10–$100

This one is for those dreaming of starting their own retail business but have limited capital. Online thrift stores are a more economical business option, as they have upfront costs. 

Opening a thrift store can also be a great way to clean out your overflowing collection, earn passive income, or even expand into a booming retail business.

Things to keep in mind:

• Thrift stores ethically source their product, so their gross margins tend to be low.
• You’ll typically have to pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high.
• If your business grows, handling the packaging and logistics can be frustrating to do from home.

Get started:

16. Sell art

Income potential: $10–$37

If you’re an artist, selling your artwork is a great way to make more money. You can market your drawings, paintings, and other art pieces online via websites like Etsy, Redbubble, and Society6.

Etsy is a global marketplace where you can set up your own shop for your art. Redbubble is a print-on-demand service that helps artists sell their designs on products like t-shirts, stickers, mugs, and phone cases.

Things to keep in mind:

• Your customers may want to see or feel your product in person, so they’ll hesitate to make a purchase.
• The market for your art may be limited, especially when you’re starting out.

Get started: 

17. Become a virtual assistant

Income potential: $10–$26

A virtual assistant helps clients with administrative services while working remotely. They have access to the planning documents, and use their skills to assist clients with key tasks, like:

• Scheduling appointments
• Organizing emails
• Arranging travels
• Handling social media channels

Things to keep in mind:

• As a VA, your work hours are completely “plugged in, at the computer.” So, you need to be realistic about how many hours you can take on.
• Training courses aren’t mandatory, but they prepare you for running your online VA business.

Get Started:

18. Transcribe

Income potential: $10–$26

You’ll receive audio files from your clients and type what you hear. These can be audio notes, videos, zoom meetings, phone calls, or even legal proceedings. 

You need to have a good ear and quick fingers to ace it. Check out freelancer sites like Rev, TranscribeMe, and GoTranscript for paid transcription opportunities.

Things to keep in mind:

• Transcription contracts come and go, so your income won’t be consistent.
• Time management is crucial for this side gig, as it’s easy to spend too much time on a single client file.

Get started:

19. Start an affiliate marketing blog

Income potential: $9–$43

You’ll be advertising someone else’s products or services on your platform and getting a commission from any sale that comes from your referral link or code. This is a great add-on for some side hustles. 

If you have a store of your own, a podcast—or you’re an influencer—get into affiliate marketing. It’s a great way to gain passive income while you’re working on a different side hustle. 

Start with an affiliate marketplace like Leadpages, ConvertKit, or ShareASale and find the right products for you.

Things to keep in mind:

• You can lose credibility if you associate with the wrong products or brands.
• This is a very competitive space, which directly impacts the income you can make.

Get started:

20. Sell stock photos

Income potential: $5–$15

Have a knack for capturing beautiful images? Now, these captures can rust away in photo frames on your shelves, OR you can sell them on stock photography sites.

This is a great way to turn files sitting on your hard drive into extra money, without much effort or investment.

You can sell your images on different platforms, like Foap, Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, and more. 

Things to keep in mind:

• Getting started as a professional photographer can be an expensive affair if you’re buying new gear.
• You’re unlikely to make big money early on.

Get started:

21. Participate in paid online surveys

Income potential: $0.50–$2

Companies and market researchers want to know what people think of their products. You can make side money by filling out simple surveys for them. Platforms like InboxDollars, Opinion Outpost, and LifePoints, pay in exchange for information. 

Things to keep in mind:

• Some surveys may have specific demographic requirements.
• Low potential earnings.

Get started:

Key FAQs on Finding the Best Side Hustles from Home

1. What makes a good side hustle from home?

Each one will come with its own set of pros and cons, but good work-from-home side jobs have some features in common:

• Flexible work schedule that lets you pick your working hours.
• Good hourly earning potential.
• Potential to grow into a full-time or primary job.
• Significant compound potential—the longer you work on the side hustle, the more money you make.
• Continuously generated passive income with minimal effort from your end.

2. How do you find side jobs to make money?

Here are some tips to help you find profitable and suitable side hustles:

• Take stock of your skills, experience, and passions to narrow down which side hustle would suit you best.
• Consider how much time you can set aside to take up a side gig.
• Look at the market trends and see how other side hustlers are making extra cash. Check out this list of 15 subreddits on side hustles to get more insights. 
• Find job portals and websites of companies that hire part-time workers. Search for opportunities on Upwork, Fiverr, LinkedIn‌, and so on.
• Invest some money, if necessary, to kick-start the perfect side hustle.

3. How to make an extra 2,000 a month?

Let’s say you can work 20 hours a week. You’ll be making an extra $2000 a month and $24,000 a year with a $23 hourly wage.

We went through some solid sources and studies which say these side jobs can make you an extra $2000 a month:

• Social media management
• Peer-to-peer money lending
• Creating an online course
• Proofreading
• Renting out a room or a vacation home
• Freelance designing
• Freelance writing

Keep in mind the above list is based on the minimum hourly wage paid by these side hustles. If you look at average hourly wages instead, other side gigs like bookkeeping, tutoring online, or affiliate marketing, can also make you an additional $2000 a month.

Key Takeaways

• The pandemic caused an uptick in the number of people looking for flexible side hustles they can do from home.
• Preply’s study points out that remote side hustles like freelance designing, freelance writing, and proofreading, are America’s top-paying side hustles for 2022.
• Good work-from-home side jobs offer great potential for growth and hourly earnings.
• Look for opportunities on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and LinkedIn, and check out related subreddits to see what other side hustlers are up to.

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