5 of the Highest Paying Work-From-Home Jobs — No Degree Needed

Flexible hours, greater freedom, no commute — there’s a lot to love about work-from-home side gigs. Did we mention the earning potential? If you’re looking for a lucrative side hustle, there’s never been a better time to cash in from the comfort of your home. With hundreds of online platforms focused on everything from pet care to bookkeeping, the gig economy is here to stay (and pay). Whether you’re looking to boost your income or make extra money in retirement, read on to find some of the highest paying work from home jobs out there.

And for all things work-from-home, click here and here!

1. Highest paying work from home jobs: Make up to $75 an hour as a virtual assistant or bookkeeper

With remote work on the rise, the need for virtual assistants has taken off. If you have an eye for detail, you can make a mint helping support businesses of all kinds with things like administrative tasks, calendar management and data entry. Taking care of the “little things” helps free up business owners to focus on the big things, making it a rewarding gig beyond the paycheck.

No experience? No problem! To be a VA, the most important thing is having strong organizational and communication skills. It’s usually more cost-effective for companies to have a remote VA instead of in-house staff — but that doesn’t mean these roles can’t bring in the Benjamins. According to Glassdoor, VAs can make nearly $40 an hour.

Virtual bookkeeping is another high-paying option. It’s similar to being a virtual assistant, but deals specifically with the financial aspects of running a business (paying bills, tracking expenses, etc.). While bookkeeping usually requires some accounting experience, there are also online courses that can teach you the basics (such as Bookkeepers.com). According to Intuit, you can earn up to $75 an hour by starting your own bookkeeping business.

The beauty is, you get to decide “how” you want to work. Whether you’re looking for multiple short-term clients or a steady long-term gig, you can find opportunities on platforms such as Upwork, TaskRabbit, Fiverr, FlexJobs, PeoplePerHour, Zirtual, Belay Solutions, VirtuDesk, The Virtual Hub, and VANetworking.com. You can also try reaching out to local businesses to see if they need support in these areas.

It worked for me: “I earn $40,000 working just 5-10 hours a week a year as a virtual assistant!”

In 2007, Kadie Nolan, now 50, was working full-time as an office manager at a law firm. The economy was in decline, and she wanted to work from home to be with her baby. “Many business owners weren’t able to afford full-time administrative assistants, but they still needed the support,” she says. “This inspired me to start a freelance virtual assistant business, where clients can hire me for the amount of time they can afford, and I can have the flexibility to work from home!”

“To boost my offerings, I took a short online course and completed an application to become a notary, then I began networking. It was challenging to convince business owners that they didn’t need someone on-site for administrative tasks, but since the pandemic, the remote aspect has been a big benefit. Currently, I work with eight clients (including realtors, business coaches, florists, hairdressers and other small business owners). Clients find me through word of mouth, as well as local networking groups.”

“This side gig adds up to about 5 to 10 hours a week, which entails project management, data entry, real estate transactions, calendar management and travel coordination. Most of the documents I notarize are wills, trust documents and real estate documents. I also offer traveling notary services for real estate closings. I get paid as a 1099 contractor and bring in up to $40,000 per year, which helps pay for things like vacations and my kids’ activities. I love the freedom of being my own boss and being able to be home with my family while making money. It’s also exciting to get to know new clients and learn new things about a variety of fields!”

Related: If You Can Type, You Can Earn a Full-Time Salary Doing Work-From-Home Data Entry — Here’s How

2. Highest paying work from home jobs: Make up to $540 an hour as an online instructor

Demand has never been higher for online teachers of all kinds, making it one of the fastest growing remote jobs. Even better, you don’t need a degree to start cashing in. While some virtual teachers do have formal training, teaching experience isn’t required for many work from home teaching jobs.

If you can teach kids an academic subject, music or dance, consider signing up for Wyzant, recommends Kathy Kristof, founder and CEO of Sidehusl.com, a website that researches, rates and reviews more than 450 side hustles. With six million visitors each month, Wyzant connects you with students in your zip code who are seeking one-on-one instruction in your area of expertise.

“One woman who coaches kids on passing the MCAT exam on Wyzant charges $540 an hour. To be sure, most tutors charge way less (most commonly between $25 and $100 an hour), but if you have an in-demand skill, the sky’s the limit,” says Kristof. “You set your own rates; the site simply takes a commission for helping you connect with clients.”

Wyzant tutors also determine their availability and whether they’re willing to provide in-person lessons or prefer to work solely online. All you have to do is make a profile and accept incoming requests based on your schedule.

Other reputable, high-paying opportunities for teaching kids can be found on Varsity Tutors, Outschool, VIPKid, QKids, Babbel, Verbling, Berlitz and Live Lingua.

Take it from Ingrid Bayer, 70, who makes an average of $6,000 per month tutoring students on Varsity Tutors — depending on how busy she chooses to be. While she loves that her online tutoring rate is higher than her former full-time salary, she also finds it emotionally fulfilling to help students succeed.

“Often, I hear back from students and their parents who share their success in winning a scholarship, or getting into the college of their dreams,” she says. “Sometimes it is just nice to know they are gaining confidence and feeling good about themselves. When I hear this kind of positive feedback, I know that I have done my part and am grateful I have the opportunity to help the students and their families!”

Prefer to share your skills with adult learners? Check out platforms like GetSetUp (which caters to learners age 55+, see some of their free classes right here on our site!), UDemy, and SkillShare.

(You can learn more about online teaching opportunities here.)

It worked for me: “I make $500 a month as a virtual teacher!”

For years, Twyla Teitzel, 67, has taught yoga, Pilates, plant-based cooking classes and more in person. She recently took her passion for health and wellness online by signing up as a teacher on GetSetUp, a virtual learning platform for older adults.

“Getting started was super easy. I already had a computer with a camera, so I didn’t need to invest in any new equipment and simply made a profile online,” she says. “Typically, I devote about 20 hours per month teaching classes like Pilates, yoga, plant-based cooking, gentle movement for arthritis, healthy aging tips and more. My class sizes vary, from 30 to up to 100 students. At $25 per hour, this side gig brings in around $500 per month.”

“Being able to make a positive impact while working from home is the best. It’s so inspirational to see seniors make changes in their diet and lifestyle to enjoy their later years. The comments I receive from my students are so thoughtful, and it’s so rewarding to help older adults have an active, vibrant life, thanks to this platform!”

3. Highest paying work from home jobs: Make $150,000 or more a year as a blogger

Want to turn your passion into a paycheck? No matter what you’re interested in, chances are that others want to learn from your knowledge and experience — so consider starting a website or blog to cash in!

Making your own website is relatively easy, even if you’re not tech savvy. Thanks to platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, Blogger, Wix, Shopify, and GoDaddy, the process of launching a website is low-cost and fairly painless. Once you’ve secured the domain name, it’s time to start creating high-quality content. You don’t have to be a professional writer to write content that people want to read — whatever your niche is, the key is to make sure it adds value and is easy to digest (don’t forget to use strong keywords, too).

There are various ways to make money from your blog. One is through promoting product links. Every time your readers make a purchase, you can earn a commission (Amazon Associates is one of the most well-known affiliate marketing programs). You can also get paid to run ads on your blog, sell merchandise or products or through brand sponsorships or partnerships.

While blogging can require some work on the front end to get going, it can turn into a reliable source of passive income with time. Take Chanda Torrey, 52, who had zero web experience —but was bored within weeks after retiring from her job at the Red Cross. She wanted to start a website to help people find unique gifts for their loved ones, so she turned to YouTube to learn everything she could.

“At first, I would watch one sentence of a video, and then have to Google what the sentence meant and then repeat it with the next sentence, so learning was a slow process,” she said. “But as time went on, I had to research a little less each time. The day I pushed ‘publish website’ for the first time was scary and exhilarating at the same time!”

Chanda launched GifterWorld.com, and partnered with about 300 different reputable websites and companies. Each time someone buys an item, the company sends her a small percentage (which doesn’t affect the buyer’s price at all). Today, she earns about $1,000 a month through her site just from spending a few hours a week researching new gifts.

The amount of money you can earn blogging varies widely. Some bloggers bring in a few hundred per month — others bring in six-figure incomes. According to the finance blog Millennial Money, you can earn upwards of $100,000 annually after just two years of building traffic and subscribers.

It worked for me: “I make $150,000 per year with my recipe blog!”

Michele Feuerborn, 60, was sad to realize how many of her mom’s recipes were lost when she passed away in 2013. A few months later, she launched a recipe website as a place to capture beloved recipes for the rest of her family. She didn’t have any experience in web design, so her sister-in-law helped her set up FlavorMosaic.com.

“I invested in photography equipment to get started, and quickly discovered a real love for food photography,” she says. “As I started to meet other food bloggers in Facebook groups, I learned that I could earn money with advertising, so I decided to include ads on my blog.”

“Over time, the blog traffic grew as I spent about 20 hours a week adding recipes and working on marketing. Readers find my blog through Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I also drive traffic through email subscriptions. Today, my ad revenue brings in roughly $150,000 per year. This blog was a side gig for years, but it was a lifesaver when I was laid off from my full-time job. Starting Flavor Mosaic has allowed me to ‘retire’ early and care for my husband, who had major medical issues last year. It’s wonderful to hear from women who enjoy making my recipes for their own families. I truly enjoy cooking, photography, writing and being my own boss!”

4. Highest paying work from home jobs: Make up to $250 an hour freelancing in tech or marketing  

Got tech skills? The demand is high for web development, coding, search engine optimization, manual testing, script and automation, mobile app development, AI services, video editing and much more — and so is the pay! For instance, web designers on Upwork charge as much as $250 per hour.

If you want to skip the hassle of the 9-to-5 and start earning money from freelance projects, Kristof’s recommendations for top-dollar gigs and trusted clients are Braintrust, Catalant, and TopTal. Companies of all kinds are looking for people with tech skills for part-time or contract work. There’s also no shortage of online courses to help you brush up on the tech skills that companies are most interested in.

If you have marketing chops, Kristof recommends Mayple or MarketerHire. According to Mayple’s website, freelancers can earn between $50 to $200 per hour depending on the project. MarketerHire allows you to set your own rates and access a full pipeline of vetted clients. 

Related: You Can Earn Up to $80,000 a Year Working From Home as a Live Chat Agent: Here’s How

5. Highest paying work from home jobs: Make over $4,000 a month doing pet care

For animal lovers, offering doggie daycare or boarding is the ultimate rewarding side gig. Kristof recommends signing up with Rover, a popular app used by more than two million pet parents, if you’re looking for something relatively low-maintenance.

“Although you’re generally only charging $30-$50 per dog/per day, you can have multiple dogs at a time,” says Kristof. “I’ve talked to people who make well over $1,000 a month with this app, with little difficulty. If you have the space and disposition for it, it’s a great gig.”

With Rover — and platforms like Wag! and Care — it only takes a few minutes to create a profile and reach local pet owners who are ready to pay for trustworthy care. On each app, you’re able to choose what services to provide (boarding, dog-walking, house visits, etc.) and which jobs to accept. You can tailor your pet care side gig to fit your unique schedule and preferences.

According to Rover, sitters who care for pets overnight in their home can make up to two times more than sitters who don’t. Positive reviews help build trust and attract clients, so if you’re just starting out, ask family and friends who know your experience with animals to submit a testimonial for you.

Prefer to be more hands off? If you have space for it in your yard, consider signing up for Sniffspot. Known as “the Airbnb of dog parks,” this app allows you to set your own price to rent your land to dog owners in your community. Elizabeth Morosani, 49, rents three fenced-off areas on her property in Asheville, North Carolina to dogs via Sniffspot, earning around $3,000 per month.

“I typically host eight to nine furry guests each day. The bulk of my time is spent picking up any trash that’s left behind and double-checking my fencing to make sure it’s secure,” she says. “There are so many people in apartments and houses with no yards in my area, and some dogs are not a good fit for public dog parks. I’m so grateful Sniffspot allows me to help them all.”

Related: Jobs Working With Animals: How to Turn Your Love for Cats and Dogs Into Extra Cash

It worked for me: “I make $4,000 per month as a caretaker for dogs!”

Lifelong animal lover Orazie Cook, 47, decided that starting a dog-walking and sitting business was the perfect way to pay off her student loans. Online research led her to RunLoyal.com, a platform for pet businesses to create a custom branded app and manage bookings. She liked that RunLoyal was easy to set up (with pricing options starting at $89 per month), so she decided to use it to launch Praline’s Backyard (PralinesBackyard.com), inspired by her beloved dog, Praline Pecan.

“Initial start-up costs were minimal: I bought extra leashes, waste bags, and a dog-walking belt. I also invested in branded T-shirts and hoodies to advertise while walking dogs,” she says. “Thanks to social media and referrals from friends and family, I quickly began booking regular clients.”

“I spend about four hours a day, five days a week walking dogs. My clients all live within five miles of my home, and I offer monthly packages (five, 10 or 15 walks) and a two-night minimum for dog-sitting to ensure a regular routine. I earn about $4,000 per month, and all bookings, communications and payments take place on my custom app. It’s a joy for me to spend time in nature with all of my furry friends. Best of all, what started as a way to pay my student loans may actually lead to a long-term retirement plan!”

---

For more work from home ideas, click through the links below!

The Best Jobs for Women Over 50 + How to Find the Right One for You

Earn Money Working From Home in Human Resources: No Degree Required

How to Make Money Selling Your Stuff Online: Expert Tricks Get You Top Dollar