33 Legit Online Jobs For Beginners That Pay $50K+ In 2021
Working remotely doesn’t have to mean taking a pay cut. There are more legit online jobs than ever. All it takes is being aware of the possibilities.
Below are 33 legitimate online jobs where you can earn over $50,000 a year without a degree — and most of them allow you to make your own schedule. Whether you’re looking to escape the cubicle or just earn extra cash, these options can help.
Best Full-Time Online Jobs For Beginners
These top online jobs have the ideal mix of high demand, a low supply of talented individuals and the opportunity to start earning fast.
Have an interest in a particular online job? In the Learn More section at the bottom of each listing, we’ve included a free, beginner-friendly resource to help you kickstart your journey.
#1. Proofreading
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $18/Hour | $30+/Hour |
If you’re the type of person who spots every typo and grammar mistake in the articles you read, consider a career as a proofreader. This is a great example of a job that needs no certification, and you can use your set of eagle eyes to make solid money.
With the explosion of web content that has occurred in recent years, it’s a job that’s in super-high demand. That means you can land your first client today.
Learn more: How to Become a Proofreader and Earn $40+ Per Hour Working From Home.
Suggested resource: Caitlin Pyle — who has earned over $40,000 per year proofreading part-time — has a free introductory workshop: Learn the Skills You Need to Start Your Freelance Proofreading Hustle.
#2. Bookkeeping
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $18/Hour | $60+/Hour |
At the top of most business owners’ list of “Least Favorite Work Activities” is bookkeeping. Of course, it’s a critical task for ensuring that a business runs smoothly and survives into the future.
If you’re someone who loves to work with numbers, you can earn very good money in the field. There are also a lot of opportunities to charge higher hourly wages the more you specialize. And, just like proofreading, bookkeeping doesn’t require a certification.
Learn more: How to Become a Bookkeeper at Home: A Beginner’s Guide.
Suggested resource: Ben Robinson, who has now helped thousands of beginner bookkeepers launch their own careers, has a free three-class series on how to get started as a bookkeeper.
#3. Virtual Assistant
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $15/Hour | $50+/Hour |
For years, most people thought of virtual assistants as low-paid overseas workers that could be trusted to handle basic administrative tasks. But now the trend isn’t to hire a VA for $5 an hour; it’s to find the highest-quality VA possible — someone who will really add value to your business.
And because of that, businesses of all sizes are willing to pay significantly higher wages to the right person with the right skills. So instead of just doing boring, repetitive tasks, you’ll be working for a successful business owner as a remote executive assistant.
Common tasks carried out by VAs include:
- Answering emails.
- Managing social media.
- Scheduling appointments.
- Some VAs take on multiple clients, allowing them to earn over six figures a year.
Learn more: How to Make Money as a Virtual Assistant.
Suggested resource: Check out Esther Inman’s free online class “How to Work From Anywhere as a Virtual Assistant.”
#4. Blogging
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| Varies widely | $100+/Hour |
Blogging used to be seen as a hobby. But online media has evolved. Now, everyone from major publishers to parenting bloggers are earning serious cash with their websites.
Case in point: I started this blog in 2016, and a little over a year later, left a job I held for 10 years due to its growth. While there’s a steep learning curve with blogging, it certainly has a lot of potential.
Learn more: How to Start a Blog and Make Money.
Suggested resource: To get a more in-depth look at what it takes to build a successful blog, we created a comprehensive email course titled “How To Make Your First $1,000 Blogging.” It goes over everything you need to know to get started — from how to pick a domain name to how to actually monetize your content
#5. Freelance Writing
| Entry-Level Pay | Expert-Level Pay |
| $15/Hour | $75+/Hour |
Freelance writing is one of the more lucrative side hustles I’ve tried. I started small, but in a year I was earning over $100 an hour. And thanks to the growth of content marketing, it’s also a skill that’s more in-demand than ever.
In the beginning, you can expect to earn around $10 to $20 per hour for online writing jobs. But over time, as you build your portfolio and client base, you’ll be able to charge significantly more (and even make six figures a year).
Learn more: How to Make Money as a Freelance Writer.
#6. Website Design
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $30/Hour | $100+/Hour |
Web designers have been in high demand for some time, and job growth is expected to be even higher than average over the next 10 years. Traditional coding experience isn’t required to get started, since there are a number of high-quality, no-code design platforms that allow beginners to create beautiful websites (which they can charge a premium for).
In fact, before starting this website, I freelanced as a no-code designer (using Unbounce). I was able to command rates of over $150 per hour on Upwork. Mastering the ins and outs of one of the many no-code platforms available is a great way to build a lucrative freelance business.
Learn More: How to Make Money Building Websites (A Beginner’s Guide).
#7. Graphic Design
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $26/Hour | $75+/Hour |
For the artists out there, graphic design is a great way to monetize your hobby. The web is becoming more visual, especially as mobile devices become the primary method of browsing.
The highest-paid graphic designers combine multiple skills into their designs. Knowledge in branding, sales and direct response marketing allow many graphic designers to charge over $100 per hour.
Learn more: How to Make Money as a Freelance Graphic Designer.
#8. E-Commerce Store And/Or Amazon FBA
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| Varies | $100+/Hour |
Amazon FBA is a business idea that’s getting a lot of attention lately. The idea is to buy products directly from a manufacturer or wholesaler, then sell them online via Amazon. The most popular option is to use Amazon FBA, which handles all the warehousing and shipping (the “fulfillment”) for you. In fact, you can even have the manufacturer or distributor send the products directly to Amazon, so that you never have to physically touch the items.
But you don’t have to limit your selling to Amazon. You can also use FBA to ship products you sell on eBay or your own website. It’s much easier than packing and shipping everything yourself, and the shipping rates Amazon charges you are much lower than you’d pay to UPS or FedEx.
Learn more: How to Make Money With Amazon FBA.
#9. Coding (Developing And Programming)
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $40/Hour | $125+/Hour |
There’s huge demand for coders (i.e., developers and programmers). And while it helps to have a computer science background, many people today are entering coding as a second career choice, even without a technical background.
There are now dozens of coding bootcamps — which are short, intensive programs that build competency in a particular coding skill — that allow you to go from beginner to job-worthy in weeks. And like most of the jobs on this list, you can do this work as both a full-time work-from-home gig for a major company, or as a side hustle from smaller projects you find on freelance sites like Upwork.
Learn more: How to Become a Coder Online — A Guide to Coding Career Paths and Salaries.
#10 Sales Copywriting
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $30/Hour | $100+/Hour |
Copywriting is the ability to write text that gets someone to take action. It’s a skill that can be used online (through ads, landing pages and email) or offline (in things like sales letters and brochures).
There are simply not enough skilled copywriters out there today, so once you’ve established yourself as someone who can get results, the opportunity is plentiful.
Learn more: How to Become a Copywriter (Even With No Experience).
#11. Social Media Marketing
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $20/Hour | $100+/Hour |
Many business owners don’t have the time to make consistent updates to their social media platforms or to respond promptly to customer requests made via social media. That’s why so many businesses today are looking to hire social media managers. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 6% job growth rate is expected for social media marketing managers through 2029.
As long as you have the ability to post, curate and manage content on social media channels, you can start taking on clients today. But the big money is in learning how to effectively deploy paid advertising, such as Facebook ads. Businesses need new customer leads, and you can earn premium wages if you know how to use things like micro-targeting to deliver ads to just the right audience.
Learn more: The Best Social Media Jobs (and How to Apply).
Related Reading: The 10 Best Online Jobs For College Students.
#12. Search Engine Optimization
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $22/Hour | $100+/Hour |
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of helping businesses get found online (primarily via Google searches). In fact, a recent study by Microsoft listed SEO as the most important hard skill for marketers to learn going forward.
In my experience, having managed local SEO campaigns in the past, there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit. That means you can drive a lot of revenue to a business just by implementing a basic set of SEO best practices. Therefore, you can charge a high hourly or project rate, knowing you’ll deliver results.
Learn more: The best way to learn SEO is with hands-on experience. Personally, I learned SEO by starting a blog and seeing what worked and what didn’t. With real proof of results on my resume, I was then able to obtain clients and earn a high rate for my work.
#13. Marketing Automation Specialist
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $39/Hour | $100+/Hour |
Another beginner-level opportunity on Microsoft’s list of most important hard skills for marketers is automation. Online marketing automation platforms like Ontraport and HubSpot are seeing incredible growth right now, and more platforms are emerging all the time. Some other examples are Aweber, Convert Kit and Mailchimp.
Taking a certification course to become a specialist can often land you in the $60 to $100 per hour range fast.
Learn more: Check out HubSpot’s free marketing automation courses to get started.
#14. Video Editing And Production
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $21/Hour | $75+/Hour |
Another online trend that’s picking up more steam with every passing year is video editing. Video editors with prior experience are in high demand, with the potential to earn over $50 per hour the more you specialize. In fact, in LinkedIn’s annual report on the most in-demand hard skills, video production placed in the top 10.
There’s no certification required to get into video editing, as the work itself becomes your resume. As such, a few fun experimental videos you publish can help you land a job or a freelancing opportunity fast.
Learn more: How to Become a Freelance Video Editor.
#15. Online Tutoring
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $15/Hour | $40/Hour |
One high-growth industry right now is online education. And one of the fastest-growing niches in the field is online tutoring jobs. There are now multiple websites that connect you with students all over the world who are looking to be tutored in a range of subjects.
A few things to like about online tutoring are that, in most cases:
- The lesson plans and course materials are provided.
- You can start teaching classes as quickly as two weeks after applying.
- You can work when you want, where you want, with no need to worry about marketing your services.
Learn more: Check out our article on the best online tutoring sites, which goes into more detail on each of the leading companies in the field.
#16. Stock Photography
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $18/Hour | $50/Hour |
Businesses need quality stock photos for their websites, client presentations and more. If you love being behind a camera — even the one on your smartphone — you can get paid for uploading quality photos to stock photo sites.
You’ll earn anywhere between 20 and 50 cents per image sold. So the goal is to have dozens of photos for sale, each generating daily commissions. This makes selling stock photography a great source of passive income, because you can get paid over and over again for work you only did once.
Learn more: How to Get Paid to Take Pictures.
#17. Voiceover Artist
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $21/Hour | $300+/Hour |
Voice acting is the art of reading a script and using your voice to bring that script to life. It’s a skill, and a valuable one at that, as rates can get as high as $300 for the first hour (and between $200 and $350 for each subsequent hour), according to the U.S. Beauru of Labor Statistics.
As a voice actor, you’ll find yourself working on commercials, videos and narrating audiobooks, among many other projects. This work can be done at home, with just a few hundred dollars of equipment.
Learn more: The best way to learn SEO is with hands-on experience. Personally, I learned SEO by starting a blog and seeing what worked and what didn’t. With real proof of results on my resume, I was then able to obtain clients and earn a high rate for my work.
#13. Marketing Automation Specialist
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $39/Hour | $100+/Hour |
Another beginner-level opportunity on Microsoft’s list of most important hard skills for marketers is automation. Online marketing automation platforms like Ontraport and HubSpot are seeing incredible growth right now, and more platforms are emerging all the time. Some other examples are Aweber, Convert Kit and Mailchimp.
Taking a certification course to become a specialist can often land you in the $60 to $100 per hour range fast.
Learn more: Check out HubSpot’s free marketing automation courses to get started.
#14. Video Editing And Production
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $21/Hour | $75+/Hour |
Another online trend that’s picking up more steam with every passing year is video editing. Video editors with prior experience are in high demand, with the potential to earn over $50 per hour the more you specialize. In fact, in LinkedIn’s annual report on the most in-demand hard skills, video production placed in the top 10.
There’s no certification required to get into video editing, as the work itself becomes your resume. As such, a few fun experimental videos you publish can help you land a job or a freelancing opportunity fast.
Learn more: How to Become a Freelance Video Editor.
#15. Online Tutoring
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $15/Hour | $40/Hour |
One high-growth industry right now is online education. And one of the fastest-growing niches in the field is online tutoring jobs. There are now multiple websites that connect you with students all over the world who are looking to be tutored in a range of subjects.
A few things to like about online tutoring are that, in most cases:
- The lesson plans and course materials are provided.
- You can start teaching classes as quickly as two weeks after applying.
- You can work when you want, where you want, with no need to worry about marketing your services.
Learn more: Check out our article on the best online tutoring sites, which goes into more detail on each of the leading companies in the field.
#16. Stock Photography
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $18/Hour | $50/Hour |
Businesses need quality stock photos for their websites, client presentations and more. If you love being behind a camera — even the one on your smartphone — you can get paid for uploading quality photos to stock photo sites.
You’ll earn anywhere between 20 and 50 cents per image sold. So the goal is to have dozens of photos for sale, each generating daily commissions. This makes selling stock photography a great source of passive income, because you can get paid over and over again for work you only did once.
Learn more: How to Get Paid to Take Pictures.
#17. Voiceover Artist
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $21/Hour | $300+/Hour |
Voice acting is the art of reading a script and using your voice to bring that script to life. It’s a skill, and a valuable one at that, as rates can get as high as $300 for the first hour (and between $200 and $350 for each subsequent hour), according to the U.S. Beauru of Labor Statistics.
As a voice actor, you’ll find yourself working on commercials, videos and narrating audiobooks, among many other projects. This work can be done at home, with just a few hundred dollars of equipment.
#22. Retail Arbitrage
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| Varies | $100+/Hour |
You can make money online by flipping items for profit. Think of this online business idea as buying an asset and selling it for a higher price. Your inventory can be anything you find at a garage sale or on a clearance rack.
The goal — and the key to making retail arbitrage work — is having an information advantage. This means understanding the market for what you’re buying better than the person who is selling that item.
Remember, the concept of arbitrage is based on the principle that a particular good has a higher price in one place than it does in another. That might mean it sells for more in California than it does in New York. But it might also mean that it sells for more online than it does in a brick-and-mortar store. Winning at arbitrage means knowing how to figure out which items to buy and which ones to walk away from.
Learn more: See Mellissa and Rob Stephenson’s free workshop on retail arbitrage for actionable steps on building a profitable reselling business.
#23. Etsy Store Owner
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| Varies | $100+/Hour |
When it comes to legit jobs for stay-at-home moms, Etsy is a very popular choice. Think of Etsy as eBay for creative people, as some of the most popular products on the platform include arts, crafts and jewelry.
You can either do Etsy as a business (there are many full-time sellers) or use it as a way to make extra money in your spare time.
Learn more: See our complete guide to making money on Etsy, which explains how to get started and offers tips from successful shop owners.
#23. Create A Course
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| Varies | $100+/Hour |
If you have expertise others may find valuable, you can create a course online and sell it. This used to be very hard, as you had to build your audience from scratch. But two websites, Udemy and Skillshare, now provide access to an audience of people who are eager to learn about almost everything under the sun. Also, platforms like Teachable make it easy to launch your own course if you already have an audience who knows and trusts you.
No niche is too small when it comes to creating a course. There are courses on Udemy that have over 1,000 sales about niche topics like baking sourdough bread, brewing beer and knitting.
Learn more: How to Create an Awesome Online Course in 2021.
#25. Virtual Recruiter
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $18/Hour | $100+/Hour |
If you love to network, this is a great low-cost business to start. What you’re doing here is finding talent for employers. Payouts can be quite large, as some placement firms charge upwards of 25% of the employee’s annual salary.
Avoid this online business idea if you aren’t a naturally outgoing person. You’ll be cold-calling employers and constantly building your network, so that you can act as a liaison and help find the right people to hire; in other words, it’s important that you enjoy the art of communicating.
Learn more: How to Become a Recruiter — The Beginner’s Guide.
#26. Transcriptionist
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $16/Hour | $35+/Hour |
There are dozens of online data entry jobs. Sites like Clickworker and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk provide typists with a lot of work opportunities, but they’re often micro-jobs — quick tasks that pay almost nothing.
In order to make over $50,000 per year with data entry jobs, you’ll need to specialize. See our list of transcription jobs that pay well to learn about the best options.
If you’re not looking for a career and just want to make some extra income, there are a number of websites where you can get started with transcription jobs on a more casual basis.
The most popular sites are:
- Rev — make 36 to 65 cents per minute of audio transcribed.
- Go Transcript — earn up to 60 cents per minute of audio transcribed.
- Scribie — pay starts at $5 to $25 per hour of audio transcribed.
Learn more: Check out our list of 11 Online Transcription Jobs For Beginners.
#27. Influencer
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| Varies | $100+/Hour |
You can’t deny the amounts of money influencers are commanding today, even beyond Instagram. As we detail in our article about making money on Snapchat, the popular social media app pays out more than $1 million per day through their Spotlight program. There are just as many (if not more) opportunities to make money on TikTok. And of course, there’s also YouTube.
Becoming an influencer isn’t a money-making idea where you’re able to earn quickly (although the dream is often sold that way). It does take time to build an audience. But it teaches you a lot of valuable skills, which can help you build a career. It’s for this reason that it’s a good online job for teens to generate some income and expand career options down the road.
Learn more: Read our in-depth guides about how to make money on TikTok and how to make money on Snapchat.
#28. Financial Clerk
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $18/Hour | $50+/Hour |
The term “financial clerk” is a bit of a catch-all phrase that describes jobs including things like payroll, accounts payable and credit manager. Most businesses require these services, and they’re increasingly hiring contractors as opposed to bringing in-house employees on board.
This is a great field for those who don’t have a college degree, as one is not typically required. Thanks to technology, what used to take several hours now can be done in minutes. While the tasks are essential for businesses they often don’t require full-time employees, so those looking to make some extra money will find that these jobs fit into their spare time.
Learn more: What a Finance Clerk Is (And How to Become One).
#29. Paralegals Or Legal Assistant
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $20/Hour | $30+/Hour |
Paralegals and legal assistants work alongside attorneys to conduct research, maintain case files and draft legal documents. The BLS lists the job growth for paralegals and legal assistants at 10% through 2029, much faster than average.
Many employers require only an associate degree or a certificate in paralegal studies. However, this is a job that requires some experience. To avoid the old conundrum of not being able to get experience if you can’t get hired, and not being hired because you lack experience, find an internship. In this field, internships usually pay and are open to people of all ages.
Learn more: Can You Become a Paralegal with No Job Experience?
#30. Medical Assistant
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $17/Hour | $27+/Hour |
With telehealth becoming a major trend, the ability to work as a remote medical assistant is also growing. Medical assistants handle administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, billing and ordering supplies for private practices, hospitals and medical facilities like rehabilitation centers and elderly care homes.
No college degree is required to become a medical assistant. However, since billing is typically one of the main responsibilities of the role, taking a medical coding and billing course can increase your chances of getting a job quickly. There are even online courses you can take, and some programs have job placement assistance for students that have graduated.
Learn more: How to Become a Medical Assistant: The Steps You Can’t Ignore.
#31. Tax Preparer
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $23/Hour | $50+/Hour |
Tax preparers prepare and file tax returns for individuals and businesses. You don’t need a degree or license to work as a tax preparer, but some states do impose some regulations.
This is a smart choice for those looking for a seasonal or part-time job, as the peak demand for tax preparers comes in the first quarter of every year. If you’re looking for more steady work, consider becoming a bookkeeper.
Learn more: Check out our list of 11 Online Transcription Jobs For Beginners.
#27. Influencer
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| Varies | $100+/Hour |
You can’t deny the amounts of money influencers are commanding today, even beyond Instagram. As we detail in our article about making money on Snapchat, the popular social media app pays out more than $1 million per day through their Spotlight program. There are just as many (if not more) opportunities to make money on TikTok. And of course, there’s also YouTube.
Becoming an influencer isn’t a money-making idea where you’re able to earn quickly (although the dream is often sold that way). It does take time to build an audience. But it teaches you a lot of valuable skills, which can help you build a career. It’s for this reason that it’s a good online job for teens to generate some income and expand career options down the road.
Learn more: Read our in-depth guides about how to make money on TikTok and how to make money on Snapchat.
#28. Financial Clerk
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $18/Hour | $50+/Hour |
The term “financial clerk” is a bit of a catch-all phrase that describes jobs including things like payroll, accounts payable and credit manager. Most businesses require these services, and they’re increasingly hiring contractors as opposed to bringing in-house employees on board.
This is a great field for those who don’t have a college degree, as one is not typically required. Thanks to technology, what used to take several hours now can be done in minutes. While the tasks are essential for businesses they often don’t require full-time employees, so those looking to make some extra money will find that these jobs fit into their spare time.
Learn more: What a Finance Clerk Is (And How to Become One).
#29. Paralegals Or Legal Assistant
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $20/Hour | $30+/Hour |
Paralegals and legal assistants work alongside attorneys to conduct research, maintain case files and draft legal documents. The BLS lists the job growth for paralegals and legal assistants at 10% through 2029, much faster than average.
Many employers require only an associate degree or a certificate in paralegal studies. However, this is a job that requires some experience. To avoid the old conundrum of not being able to get experience if you can’t get hired, and not being hired because you lack experience, find an internship. In this field, internships usually pay and are open to people of all ages.
Learn more: Can You Become a Paralegal with No Job Experience?
#30. Medical Assistant
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $17/Hour | $27+/Hour |
With telehealth becoming a major trend, the ability to work as a remote medical assistant is also growing. Medical assistants handle administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, billing and ordering supplies for private practices, hospitals and medical facilities like rehabilitation centers and elderly care homes.
No college degree is required to become a medical assistant. However, since billing is typically one of the main responsibilities of the role, taking a medical coding and billing course can increase your chances of getting a job quickly. There are even online courses you can take, and some programs have job placement assistance for students that have graduated.
Learn more: How to Become a Medical Assistant: The Steps You Can’t Ignore.
#31. Tax Preparer
| Entry-Level Pay | Top Earners |
| $23/Hour | $50+/Hour |
Tax preparers prepare and file tax returns for individuals and businesses. You don’t need a degree or license to work as a tax preparer, but some states do impose some regulations.
This is a smart choice for those looking for a seasonal or part-time job, as the peak demand for tax preparers comes in the first quarter of every year. If you’re looking for more steady work, consider becoming a bookkeeper.
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