Freelance workers make up about 33% of the global workforce. Many of these jobs can be done solely online.
Some folks will recoil at the idea of working an uncertain number of hours for a project, but there are plenty of online jobs that pay hourly rather than per project.
This is a guide to some of the best online jobs that pay hourly, as well as ways you can break into these careers today.
Freelance Proofreader
As more and more written content gets made for websites, bloggers and companies are looking for extra eyes to go over their work for errors before publishing.
This is where freelance proofreaders enter; they review documents for grammar and syntax issues before the content is launched.
Proofreading has a low barrier to entry. It just asks that you have a computer you can work from, a stable Internet connection, and an understanding of good grammar and spelling for whatever language you are reviewing in.
Access to premium accounts with spellchecking software such as Grammarly can help you identify problem areas in the piece, but aren’t mandatory.
Freelance proofreaders can potentially earn $20/hour or more, depending on what kind of projects you proofread, and what clients you can snag!
Some websites, such as American Journal Experts and Cactus Communications, offer proofreading jobs that pay hourly so that you don’t have to worry about figuring out project timing or pay rates.
Virtual Bookkeeper
When a company needs another set of hands to manage its finances, a virtual bookkeeper works with that company to get everything straight.
Most virtual bookkeepers will work with a small business or organization that doesn’t have a dedicated finance department to keep their financial statements accurate and current.
Virtual bookkeepers also take care of:
- Account payables and receivables
- Managing payroll
- Financial reports for meetings and proposals
Although bookkeeping doesn’t always require a degree or certification to start, some companies will ask for these qualifications to make sure you’re able to handle the math and complexity of the job.
This means that virtual bookkeepers can charge more for their services, sometimes reaching up to $80/hour.
An eye for detail and care for your clients will go a long way in this position. An understanding of booking software like Quickbooks can go a long way, as well!
Online Teacher
With the connectivity that the Internet provides, teaching can be done inside your own home, as well. With a good pair of headphones and a reliable computer and the Internet, you can teach English and other subjects to students in different countries.
There are many tutoring and teaching sites like this out there. VIPKid allows you to teach children English one-on-one using premade lesson plans, while Magic Ears has you teaching English in a virtual classroom.
Teaching experience isn’t always required for these tutoring sites, but expertise or a college degree in a field can help land a position. Access to a reliable Internet connection is key so that you aren’t dropping your connection in the middle of a class or lesson.
These online jobs generally pay between $16 and $26/hour.
Online Virtual Assistant
This is an online job that pays hourly and is seeing a major spike in growth right now. A virtual assistant is someone who works with another individual, such as an executive or business owner, and helps them to manage their day-to-day tasks.
These tasks could be answering and reading emails, scheduling meetings and appointments, or even data entry and analysis.
A myriad of websites offers paid virtual assistant work for those that sign up for them. Places like PeoplePerHour, Remote.co, and Worldwide 101 offer hourly rates for virtual assistant work.
While your tasks each day will depend on your clients, you can expect to earn around $15-25/hour for your hard work.
Most virtual assistant jobs only expect you to have a computer and Internet access, but knowledge of computer software suites like Microsoft Office can go a long way in landing an online hourly job.
In fact, being a virtual assistant is one of the easiest freelancing online jobs available.
Web Designer
As more businesses look to build and manage an online presence, the need for web designers has increased, too. Web designers are the folks that pull together the websites you see for your favorite businesses.
They use coding and an eye for what looks good to create a website that fits the brand of the company they work for.
Web designing does require knowledge of coding, generally HTML and CSS. These are the computer languages of websites and website design, respectively, and work together to create the pages you see from the lines of code.
Having access to a computer and a reliable Internet connection helps as well.
Web designers can see a broad range in their pay depending on where they work and for whom, but the average salary of $51,000 a year would work out to $16/hour. Depending on your level of experience and clients, you could earn multiple figures.
Social Media Manager
While a business’s website acts like its virtual storefront, a social media presence is like the Internet equivalent of marketing and word of mouth. Not every business can afford to staff a dedicated social media manager, so they will bring in a virtual or remote manager instead.
Social media managers will manage a company’s social media accounts, like Facebook and Twitter.
This management would include the generation of posts for these accounts, scheduling their release to the Web, and working with any marketing tools or team the business has to make sure posts go up in line with what the business is trying to sell or promote.
While previous experience or certifications aren’t required, social media managers tend to have a head for what trends well or is shared often online. Having access to a computer and a reliable Internet connection is needed, too.
Access to services that can track post analytics like engagement and shares can help you make informed decisions on your practices, too.
Online Translator
As more and more people globally gain readily available Internet connections, the need to translate between languages becomes more important. There are nearly 6,500 spoken languages in the world, and moving between these languages is a must online!
Online translators will use their knowledge of two or more languages to translate text and subtitles from one language to another. This is a hard requirement for the job – you can’t translate to a different language if you only know one language!
Access to a computer and Internet connection is needed as well, as that is how you get your jobs as an online translator.
The American Journal Experts website offers a lot of hourly translation work. This is so their journal articles can be read by more people across the world, allowing that information to spread.
Online translators can be paid hourly and can expect to make $15-$30/hour. Although, you could also find translation jobs that pay per word.
Online Transcriptionist
Audio content is seeing a continued rise in hourly jobs online. An online transcriptionist listens to these audio recordings and types out a script of what is said and by whom. This task is important for a few reasons:
- It removes audible noise clutter from the conversation.
- It creates a searchable document that can be referred to later.
- It allows for hard-of-hearing folks to follow along.
Transcription work generally doesn’t require any previous experience or degrees. It just asks for a computer, Internet connection, and the ability to type at a moderate to fast pace. A USB foot pedal for pausing and starting recordings can help improve your productivity.
Online Medical Coder
When a doctor’s office or hospital goes to bill an insurance company, they use a special code that relates to the service or procedure that the patient had done for them.
The insurance company uses this code to track what procedures are asked for by different hospitals and how frequently. Online medical coders work for these companies to make sure that insurance codes get used correctly.
An online medical coder position doesn’t usually require any degree or certification, but most will ask for a USB foot pedal that can control transcription software used in these services. Many online medical coders get paid between $20 and $25/hour for their efforts.
Final Thoughts On Online Jobs That Pay Hourly
More and more people are finding their way to these online positions. The ability to work from home, or anywhere else, and your own pace, is a great luxury that numerous people search for today in their careers.
This trend has only increased as time has gone on, and could soon be the norm for many different industries.
Take a look at some of these jobs that interest you today, and see if they are options for you.
By making a name for yourself in these fields before they get oversaturated, you might be able to come out ahead as an expert before you realize it!
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