Part Time
Mock Juror
Attorneys often practice before their big cases, and sometimes it’s helpful to get feedback from a pool of people similar to those who may be selected to sit on a trial jury. Through companies such as
eJury and
Online Verdict, attorneys can access interested people to review materials from the case and render their (mock) verdict. It helps the lawyers refine their arguments and gives them insight as to how the real-deal jury might behave. Mock jurors can be paid anywhere from $10 to $150 per case, depending on the work involved. You should know that this is very part-time, irregular work. Mock jurors in metropolitan areas will find more work than those in more rural jurisdictions.
Data Entry
Amazon’s
Mechanical Turk can be a good source of part-time data entry work. People or companies who need brief tasks done, such as typing in information from handwritten forms, post the jobs on the site. Workers (or “Turkers,” as they call themselves), choose from a variety of tasks that take a varying amount of time to do, anywhere from a few seconds to 15 or more minutes. Many of the tasks pay just a few pennies, but experienced Turkers can build up to making a good wage per hour on the site. One big plus of the Mechanical Turk marketplace is that you can work anytime you want, for as long as you want, which makes it a great part-time gig.
Survey Taker
Many companies gather information called market research to decide on new product development and marketing campaigns, among other things. Survey sites such as
Pinecone Research,
IpSos and
SwagBucks, will pay you to answer their surveys. Pay attention to the payment method for survey sites, many of them pay in gift cards to mass market retailers rather than in cash. Be sure you can use what you will earn. One other note on survey sites, they are a prime area for scams and identity thieves. You should not be required to provide personally identifying information, such as your Social Security or Driver’s License number, street address, etc. when completing a survey. Be sure you are working with a reputable company.
Tutor
Many students are turning to online tutoring services as a more convenient way of getting extra help with their homework. If you have expertise in any academic subject, you can apply through companies such as
Tutor.com and
Tutor Vista to work with students online. Some online tutoring companies do require you to work a minimum number of hours per week, while others are more flexible.
Search Engine Evaluator
Search engine evaluation jobs are some of the most highly paid per hour online jobs available. That said, the work can be project-based, and there is not always work available, so you can’t rely on it as your sole source of income. Search engine evaluators are paid to run searches for certain terms and rate whether or not the results are a good match for the search. If you’re interested in this job, check into companies such as
Appen and
LeapForce.
Full Time
Telephone Customer Service Representative
When you’re sitting on your couch calling a company with a customer service issue, you probably imagine you’re talking to someone sitting in a cubicle in an office building, but you may be talking to someone else who is sitting at their couch. Many companies hire customer service representatives who answer their calls from home. Check the job listings at
Liveops,
Amazon and the
Home Shopping Network for these jobs. Some of them even offer health insurance and other benefits.
Transcriptionist
If you type quickly and have good grammar skills, taking transcription jobs from home is a good entry into the work-at-home world. If you have a medical or legal background, you may be able to take higher paying jobs, but there is plenty of work available for anyone who can pass a transcription test.
Ubiqus,
GMR Transcriptions and
Rev are all great places to start.
Virtual Assistant
Busy executives rely on their assistants. The internet has allowed many busy people to delegate tasks such as email management, correspondence, record-keeping and travel arrangements to people who work for them remotely. Find job listings for virtual assistants at
Zirtual,
Aspire Global and
Time Etc.
English Teacher
Many children, teens and even business executives in other countries seek out conversational English courses through online companies. Some of these companies require a college degree for the jobs, but you are not required to speak any foreign languages. Most companies have their own curriculum and requirements. Check out
Cambly,
VIP Kid and
Rosetta Stone.
Interpreter/Translator
If you are bilingual, there are many opportunities to work from home, both as an interpreter on three-way calls and in translating written documents. Translation companies tend to specialize in certain languages or certain global regions, so you may need to experiment with several companies to find the right fit. Some companies to look into include
Appen,
Acclaro,
Lionbridge and
Language Line.
While some common ways to earn cash online such as buying and re-selling used goods or mystery shopping require you to leave the house, for our purposes here we’ve focused only on the jobs you can do from start to finish in your pajamas. Just don’t tell anyone we suggested it!