Making money from home doesn’t only happen when you work for an employer. Today, there are hundreds of ways to earn an income while sitting on your couch rather than in an office with a boss breathing down your neck.
I’ve located the best ways to make money from home to help you see how easy it is to put your skills to work and earn an income. Many of these options won’t make you rich, but offer nice supplemental income.
Best Ways to Make Money from Home
The following are various ways to start making money from home legitimately, get a second job, launch a full-time solo career, or start your own small business — all from the comfort of your home.
Some of these opportunities build upon hobbies you might already pursue without economic gain (but have significant money-making potential).
Just take care to avoid distressingly common work-from-home scams that can actually cost you money.
1. Rent Out Extra Space at Your Home
If you have space sitting unused in your home, consider renting it to tenants to make money. You don’t have to find a long-term tenant to earn income from your home’s unused square footage. Apps like Airbnb, Vrbo, and HomeAway let you rent out your home to business and leisure travelers on a nightly or weekly basis.
Depending on prevailing rents in your local market and your space’s size, amenities, and privacy, you could earn anywhere from $40 or $50 to $500 or more per night. It’s the ultimate passive income side hustle. Before listing your space for rent, check out your local regulations, choose your pet policy (allowed or not), and determine the fees you’ll charge for cleaning and potential damage.
Not keen on having tenants? Do you have an underutilized garage, shed, basement, or attic? Then you’re a good fit for Neighbor.com, a peer-to-peer (P2P) platform that connects folks who need extra storage space with those who have it in spades and aren’t using it.
Neighbor.com advertises rental rates at 50% of the going rate for self-storage units, although you’ll earn a bit less than that after the platform takes its cut. Still, that’s quite a bit of passive income for doing basically nothing at all.
2. Sell Your Unwanted Stuff Online
Selling your unwanted stuff is a great way to downsize and declutter your life and is one of the best ways to make money from home.
Examples include old kids’ clothing and toys, sporting goods you no longer use, out-of-fashion wardrobe accessories, electronics, watches and jewelry, old furniture, dusty tools, outdoor equipment, and perhaps even big-ticket items like a motorcycle or second car.
You can sell your unwanted stuff in several ways, including digital marketplaces like eBay and Amazon. Both offer an array of tools and capabilities for merchants, though you do have to pay for them — commissions come in at around 10% of the sales price on eBay and between about 6% and 20% of the sales price on Amazon.
Other strong choices include Craigslist for occasional sellers and marketplaces like SellCell, Gazelle, and Decluttr for high-margin electronics sellers, or you could always have an old-fashioned garage sale.
3. Make and Sell Your Crafts Online
The sky’s the limit for at-home crafters. Running a successful at-home crafts business no longer means schlepping your wares to flea markets every weekend or begging for space at your local art gallery. All you need is a reliable Internet connection, a decent camera, and a modest startup fund.
Legitimate places to sell your creations online include:
- Etsy. Selling on Etsy is a fantastic way to monetize your crafting hobby. It has a transaction fee of just 6.5%, so it’s along the lines of eBay and Amazon but with a more focused approach.
- E-Commerce Portals. Launching your own website is a great way to sell your items, especially when adding a turnkey e-commerce portal. Shopify is a relatively cost-effective, feature-rich option for serious sellers — you can build and maintain a decent store for $15 to $20 per month. Volusion and Squarespace are also worthy, comparably-priced competitors.
- Niche Websites. Depending on what you’re selling, niche websites could be cheaper and more effective than Etsy and on-site e-commerce portals.
4. Retail Arbitrage
“Buy low, sell high” is an expression more commonly heard in the noisy bullpen of an investment bank or brokerage house than the relative quiet of one’s home office.
But retail arbitrage has become one of the top careers for self-employed introverts. To succeed at retail arbitrage, you must buy products for pennies on the dollar at auctions, from online retailers, even at garage and yard sales, and then sell them online for a profit. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is the most popular platform for U.S. sellers, but other options work too
5. Sell Your Cooking Skills
Once upon a time, being a professional-grade cook meant squat without startup capital to open a restaurant or launch a food truck business.
Not anymore. Today, you can run a small-scale eatery — and earn a tidy profit without leaving your home. The secret is a rapidly multiplying cohort of meal-sharing startups connecting budding chefs with hungry diners willing to shell out money for authentic, restaurant-quality home cooking.
But first, a caveat: Meal-sharing platforms operate in a legal gray area. The food service industry is heavily regulated, and many jurisdictions make it all but impossible for home cooks to profit from their passions.
Depending on your platform choice, guest capacity, and local market, you can expect to rake in anywhere from $50 to several hundred dollars per meal after accounting for expenses. Hosting opportunities are more plentiful in major cities.
Here are some of the top platforms you can look into:
6. Rent Out Your Car
Don’t have a spare bedroom or second unit to rent out on a nightly basis? If you have a personal vehicle, you can rent it out to travelers and people who don’t own their own cars — without getting behind the wheel or even leaving your house.
There are many car rental apps, but before choosing one, ensure they provide adequate insurance and vet their renters carefully before matching you with a potential client.
Getaround has a good reputation and a relatively long track record. According to its website, car owners can earn up to $1,000 per month. Turo, another reputable option, also advertises potential earnings of $7,000 – $10,000 per year per car. That’s a pretty impressive passive income stream.
7. Rent Out a Parking Spot
Another vehicle-related passive income opportunity is your home’s parking space. In crowded cities like Chicago and Boston, parking spaces are valuable commodities. If you’re fortunate enough to own or have guaranteed access to an on- or off-street parking space, you can earn money by renting it out to folks visiting or passing through your neighborhood.
Check out Neighbor.com, an increasingly popular app that connects drivers and parking spot owners in the same way Airbnb connects travelers and homeowners. Neighbor.com won’t make you rich overnight, but it could help you earn a few hundred bucks per month on an in-demand parking spot.
8. Pet Sitting
As fun and rewarding as it can be, pet sitting is a business. Successful pet sitters — those operating legit doggy day cares out of their homes — invest in local marketing, commercial insurance, formal accounting, organized recordkeeping, and perhaps even legal services to manage contracts and reduce liability.
You can juggle all these obligations yourself, or you can outsource much of the heavy lifting to a pet-sitting platform like Rover. Think of Rover as the Airbnb of pet sitting — a platform that handles a lot of the behind-the-scenes work of running a profitable home-based enterprise without micromanaging your work.
Rover claims its pet sitters earn up to $1,000 per month, although actual earnings vary by client volume and the amount of time you put into the business.
9. Take Online Surveys
Online surveys and focus groups are great ways to earn money from home. You can take surveys in your free time anywhere you have an internet connection and earn money. Surveys can take only a couple minutes or up to an hour; the more in-depth the survey, the more they pay, but most are only a couple minutes long.
You won’t get rich taking online surveys, as they pay a few dollars each, on average. Focus groups may pay more, but they require more of your time and you must participate face-to-face, either in-person or via video chat. They can pay $100 or more, depending on the group.
The online survey landscape is pretty crowded. These are among the most reputable and potentially lucrative opportunities for U.S.-based consumers:
- Branded Surveys. Branded Surveys specializes in consumer surveys from major brands — names you probably encounter in your day-to-day anyway. Its surveys are easy to complete in your spare time, and compensation is fair, delivered via cash and gift cards.
- Survey Junkie. Survey Junkie is a popular online survey site with lots of survey-taking opportunities. You’ll earn points for each completed survey and can cash out your account balance once it reaches 500 points ($5). Learn more about Survey Junkie in our Survey Junkie review.
- Swagbucks. Swagbucks offers multiple opportunities to earn extra income online, including paid surveys. Narrowly targeted, time-intensive surveys can pay pretty well, but some of the more basic opportunities — which take only a minute or two to complete — pay next to nothing. Learn more about Swagbucks in our Swagbucks review.
- HeyPiggy. Get access to the largest number of online surveys you can complete in a few minutes on HeyPiggy. Anyone 14 or over can join (with parental consent), and earnings are paid out usually the same day you request them. The site is user-friendly and completely transparent, so you know what to expect.
- Freecash. Freecash gives you access to thousands of online games and surveys that can pay up to $1-$5. Once you sign up, you can filter through available surveys and see popularity ratings from users who’ve completed them. Rewards are redeemable as cash, gift cards, or crypto.
10. Make Money Blogging
Blogging is a great way to make money if you have thoughts and expertise to share on a topic. Before starting a blog, check out what your target audience already has at their disposal and determine what you can do differently.
There’s no right or wrong way to blog as long as you use keywords and provide relevant and valuable content that excites your audience. The larger the audience you build, the more income-producing opportunities you have, such as affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and pay-per-click advertising.
11. Virtual Tutoring
Virtual tutoring is a more personal way to earn money by sharing your subject matter expertise. As with online teaching, stick to subjects you know well to maximize your chances of success as an online tutor. Use a reputable and high-visibility venue, structure your sessions sensibly, price your services in line with the market, follow scheduling best practices, and promote yourself.
The best places to find online tutoring jobs are platforms focusing specifically on tutoring, such as Wyzant and Tutor.com. Wyzant lets you set your own prices, and Tutor.com has a set price for each subject matter.
Before signing up, ensure your computer meets your chosen platform’s system requirements — you’ll need a reasonably fast processor and real-time video-chatting capabilities. In most cases, if you’re teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) online, you’ll also need to earn a TEFL certification. We recommend Premier TEFL.
12. Data Entry
Data entry is one of the best ways to make money from home that doesn’t add more pressure or stress to your day. All you need to qualify is quick typing skills and good grammar. You’ll also need a reliable computer and a fast internet connection to make the most money. The faster you type, the more you can earn per day.
The easiest way to find data entry gigs is to sign up on sites like Fiverr or Upwork and advertise your services. If you have past clients that can leave you a testimonial, use that in your profile so future clients can see your capabilities. Depending on your speed and experience, you can make $10 – $20 an hour doing data entry from home.
13. Freelance Writing
If you have a way with words, writing blog articles and web copy is an easy and fun way to pad your full-time income with freelance writing gigs.
You can find freelance writing jobs on general-purpose freelance platforms like Upwork and writing-only portals such as Textbroker.
As you gain experience (and confidence) in the freelance writing trenches, stretch out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to increase your freelance writing rates, draft freelance contracts to protect yourself from unscrupulous clients, and send queries to the sorts of publications where you’d be proud to see your byline. If writing isn’t your thing, but you’re like the grammar police, consider offering proofreading or editing services on the same sites, and for the same or even better rates.
14. E-books and Audiobooks
Even the most diligent freelance writers get bored after a while. If you’re tired of writing web content or blog posts for companies, consider writing e-books either in your name or as a ghostwriter.
If writing isn’t your thing, but you have a great reading voice, you can get paid to read audiobooks. This method won’t make you rich, but it can be a good way to regularly add supplemental income.How much you make depends on how much you promote your audiobook and its visibility on platforms such as Audible and iTunes.
15. Create Online Classes or Webinars
You don’t have to be a professor at your local university to share your knowledge with students and earn extra cash. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can cut out the middleman and teach classes directly to lifelong learners without leaving the house.
To be the most successful, stick to topics for which you have the credentials to consider yourself an expert. For example, a CPA could teach accounting classes, or a lawyer could teach small business owners about different legal structures. When choosing your platform, choose one with a large audience, like Udemy or YouTube. Determine where your target audience spends the most time and position your class there.
When pricing your course, see what your competitors do and find a way to stand out from them with promotions or a better offer. Determine if you’ll provide live support or strictly an FAQ that’s provided with the course. Also, ensure your courses are within your specific niche and reach the right audience by using the keywords your audience uses.
16. Become a Social Media Influencer
You don’t need millions of followers to become a social media influencer. You just need to follow the basic rules of social media etiquette and find a reputable platform that pays you to share sponsored content from its clients or promote affiliate products.
If you’re serious about making real, sustainable money on social media, here are a few options:
- YouTube Partner Program: The YouTube Partner program empowers YouTube channel operators to monetize certain types of videos. You’ll need a sizable following before companies will pay you for direct or indirect promotion. Your videos must also meet YouTube’s monetization criteria.
- Affiliate Marketing: Just like monetizing a blog or website, you can generate income by sharing links to products or services you want to promote. ClickBank is a good place to start, and pay is directly proportional to your follower count and audience demographics.
17. Test Video Games
Getting paid to test new video games and consoles sounds like a dream come true for gamers. But video game testing is a job like any other. It requires significant time and energy commitments. It’s not something you can do with a few spare minutes or with less than your undivided attention.
To get started as a game tester, sign up with a reputable network such as Keywords Studio, whose Global Beta Test Network (GBTN) helps game developers push their products to the limit and ensure they go to market with as few bugs as possible.
Pay varies but typically ranges from $20 to $50 per hour. Diligent, skilled testers who work part-time can earn $10,000 to $20,000 per year; testers who work at or near full-time can easily exceed $50,000 per year. To be successful, you must have a professional-grade gaming setup, great attention to detail, and long blocks of uninterrupted time to dedicate to game testing.
18. Test Products
Websites and products need testing too.If you’re not much of a gamer or can’t spare the long blocks of time and unwavering attention required of professional game testers, consider signing up with UserTesting to try out new websites and mobile apps.
UserTesting’s website testing gigs do require focus and rigor, but they’re far shorter and don’t need to happen simultaneously, making them much easier to fit into your schedule.
If you’re diligent, you can reliably earn $10 – $20 per hour, although the overall work volume is sometimes thin. You need a decent, relatively new computer or smartphone to complete tests.
If testing websites isn’t your thing, consider testing products with sites like Toluna, where you can try real product prototypes and beta versions before they’re released to the general public.
19. Sell Translation Services
Despite the threat from automation and artificial intelligence, there’s still a lively market for translators, particularly those with above-average wordsmithing skills or fluency in obscure languages.
Earning potential varies widely, with entry-level, non specialized translation work paying less than $10 per hour and highly technical jobs paying more than $50 per hour. Generally speaking, you’ll earn more as you gain experience, improve your fluency, and attain vertical-specific credentials.
Popular sites for transcription include:
- Gengo: Gengo is a beginner-friendly platform that covers a range of subjects and project types. Pay tends to be low, but payment is frequent and predictable — it comes via PayPal twice per month.
- ProTranslating: ProTranslating is a boutique agency with a sophisticated digital presence and an in-house marketing apparatus that adds value to its core services. ProTranslating focuses on expert-level content at the upper end of the market, so if you’re a professional translator with verifiable subject matter expertise, you can do very well.
- Blend Express: Blend Express is a bulk translation service that’s great for entry-level translators. It pays by the word, with hourly rates working out to $10 to $20, depending on skill and speed.
- Unbabel: Unbabel is another entry-level option. It pays as little as $8 per hour, but the work is more plentiful and steady than on some competing platforms.
20. Remote Technical Support Services
You could make a good technical support rep if you love chatting with people and have above-average technical or troubleshooting skills. While many customer service and technical support reps still work in centralized call centers, at-home workers have plenty of opportunities.
The downside is that the hiring process is highly competitive, so you’ll likely need to demonstrate prior experience or make a great impression on the hiring manager. If you’re hired, you’ll need to complete a training course that can last for weeks, though you’ll be paid during that time.
There are lots of tech support work-at-home opportunities out there. Before choosing one, research on sites like the Better Business Bureau and cross-reference it with first-person testimonials at watchdog sites such as Ripoff Report and career boards such as Indeed.
21. At-Home Customer Service Representative
Although they vary somewhat from company to company, remote customer service operators’ technical and equipment requirements are comparable to remote customer support companies. You need a headset, a fast Internet connection, an above-average desktop or laptop computer, and any proprietary software necessary to do your job.
Remote call center opportunities are more varied than remote technical support gigs. Many call center companies serve as outside sales contractors for companies without internal sales teams of their own.
As an at-home operator, you work as an independent contractor selling on the client’s behalf. A popular platform for call center jobs is LiveOps, but keep in mind they don’t pay for training and require you to cover the cost of your background check ($50).
22. Become a Virtual Assistant
Busy professionals and small-business owners often lack the resources or office space to employ an on-site assistant. Many choose to hire virtual assistants (VAs) on a part-time or contract basis, getting all the benefits of a trusty assistant while saving the expense and regulatory headaches of a full-time employee.
As a virtual assistant, you may take calls, schedule appointments, conduct basic clerical tasks, run reports, manage social media, or write blog posts. You’ll need a stable internet connection, a fast computer, and a reliable phone setup.
You can work a few hours a week to full-time and offer services to one client or many. You may begin by charging $10 to $20 an hour and increase your rates as you become more experienced. You can advertise on sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer to get jobs, but consider launching your own website for maximum profits
23. Medical Transcription Services
If you’re a fast, accurate typist, you can earn decent income as a medical transcriptionist by transcribing physicians’ spoken notes into legible, accurate text.
Medical transcription is semiskilled work. While you don’t have to be a doctor or nurse, you do need to complete an intensive training course that can last a year or more and cost several thousand dollars. During periods of increased demand, some employers may be willing to finance your training course or at least partially or fully reimburse you after the fact.
Once you’re employed, you can expect to earn about $18 per hour on average, according to PayScale. To boost your attractiveness to employers, consider working as an on-site scribe at your local hospital or clinic. Although they pay less, most jobs require less prior experience than full-fledged transcription jobs.
24. Offer Consulting Services
At-home consulting is one of the best ways to make money from home for new parents who’ve scaled back their hours or sidelined their careers to keep their skills sharp and their names out there. It’s also a great side gig for professionals and digital artisans, like graphic design pros, who’ve grown stifled in their current roles but don’t yet have the confidence or client base to quit their 9-to-5s and strike out on their own.
Launching an at-home consulting business means getting comfortable with marketing yourself. Start by modifying your LinkedIn profile to emphasize your consulting services and relevant professional experience. Set up a website that describes your consulting work in more detail, features testimonials from former colleagues and clients, and includes a blog that shows your expertise.
25. Website Flipping
Flipping a website is a lot like building and monetizing a personal blog. The key difference is that when you flip, you’re selling it for profit. You can and should earn money through advertising and affiliate relationships along the way, but you’re not looking to hold the site over the long term.
Successful website flippers typically hone in on a niche that’s popular with Internet users (as measured by search interest) and has ample potential to support informative, engaging content. They use low-cost domain warehouses like GoDaddy to find domains that don’t already exist, low-cost hosting services with built-in website building tools, and reasonably priced contract labor for help with site development and content creation.
Once they’ve reached their traffic and monetization goals, they use website brokers like Flippa (a flipper-oriented platform) or FE International (a higher-end agency for more valuable online businesses) to find buyers at the right price.
FAQs
What kind of freelance work can I do from home?
The Internet makes it possible to do almost any type of freelance work from home, such as writing, consulting, web design, or even working as a virtual assistant. Anything you can do with a computer and stable internet connection can be done at home using platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
How do you start a side hustle with no experience?
Not all side hustles require experience. Data entry, for example, only requires that you have typing skills. You could even try your hand at freelance writing and see how you do. If you want something that requires no experience at all, consider things like renting out space in your home, garage, or renting your car.
How can I make money fast at home?
The best way to make money fast at home is to diversify your efforts. Don’t rely on one source of income. Try things like selling items you don’t need, answering surveys, and teaching a course, as a few examples. Get multiple active and passive income streams coming in to make money fast.
Final Word
Many of these best ways to make money at home involve either passive income or spare-time endeavors — side hustles, really — that aren’t likely to turn into full-time pursuits.
However, some, such as freelance writing and editing, are readily scalable.
If you’re willing to pound the pavement in search of paying clients and remain productive while working from home, there’s nothing stopping you from turning your at-home side hustle into a full-fledged career.
