Your search for the best low stress jobs starts with figuring out what you love about working (and what you don’t!).
According to CareerCast, some of the key factors predicting work stress include tight deadlines, physically demanding tasks, and frequent interaction with the public.
To help you find the side hustle that brings you joy without added stress, ask yourself these simple questions:
- Are you a people person, or do you like working alone?
- Do you want to chill out with mindless repetition or dig into your creative zone?
- Does working from home sound relaxing, or do you long to get out of the house?
- Do you want to earn money quickly or generate as much income as possible even if it takes longer?
Whatever your answers, our list of low stress jobs can help you find your zen while making money online or in person.
Best Low Stress Jobs for 2023
1. DoorDash
Food delivery can be a low stress option because you have control. You choose the hours you work and how often you work, and it’s easy to get started.
It’s also easy to get paid! With Doordash you can get paid weekly or even daily. To boost your earning potential, the app offers Challenges and Peak Pay options for driving during popular times of day.
Bonus: if you want your emotional support human to ride along with you, go for it!
Learn more in our full DoorDash review.
Be your own boss with DoorDash
Choose the days and times you work and keep 100% of your tips.
2. Bookkeeping
If you love figuring out how to split the bill at dinner, you might find bookkeeping soothing. Your clients put your organizational and math skills to work to manage their payroll or pay their bills.
As long as you can work with financial software like Quickbooks and Xero, you can learn bookkeeping. You don’t need a special degree or certification to get started, and you can earn $20 to $40/hour.
Make up to $5,000/month bookkeeping!
Learn the skills and strategies necessary to start a successful bookkeeping business from the comfort of your home.
3. Proofreading
Every content writer needs a proofreader, whether they’re writing blogs, website text, research articles, advertisements, social media posts, or menus for the bake sale.
This low stress job is relaxing for anyone who spots errors easily and enjoys the immediate gratification of fixing them. Proofreaders make sure written content is grammatically correct and free of typos and misspellings.
Proofreading can be done at home, at a coffee shop with your favorite latte, or anywhere you’ve got a decent internet connection and a laptop.
Want to get paid to proofread?
This FREE seminar teaches you the five steps to becoming a well-paid proofreader.
4. Freelance Writing
Nothing feels quite as laid back as making money while sipping coffee in your pajamas, and that’s how a lot of freelance writers work. In fact, I might just be in my pajamas right now!
If you’re a natural storyteller or have a knack for great Instagram captions, you might enjoy writing emails, articles, blog posts and more as a freelancer or ghostwriter.
Building your client base can take a little time. It’s great for people who have the patience for the long game knowing it can pay big dividends.
Freelance writing also qualifies as a low stress job because you can choose your clients, set your own hours, and be picky about how much and how often you work.
Make $1,000 to $5,000/month as a freelance writer
Go from “I don’t know what I’m doing” to “I landed my first client!”
5. Online Surveys
Taking surveys online might just be the least stressful and fastest way to make money. It’s great for natural multitaskers who pick up their phone every time they’re in line at the coffee shop or stuck in a doctor’s waiting room. You’re not going to make a ton of money, but this is a very mindless option.
Here’s how it works: you sign up with a market research company like Branded Surveys and give your opinions on products, advertisements, and services. The more surveys you take, the more points you earn, and the points convert to cash or gift cards.
Our top online survey picks are:
- Branded Surveys: Make $1 to $3 per survey on average, and Branded Surveys pays in points that convert to cash or gift cards once you have $5 worth of points.
- Survey Junkie: Similar to the previous pick, Survey Junkie lets you cash out once you have $5 in points, and you can earn $1 to $3 on average per survey.
6. Digital Marketing
It might surprise you that running social media campaigns on Facebook and Instagram does not require a marketing degree — and it pays well! Digital marketers can earn $1,000 to $2,000 a month with just a few clients.
What’s really amazing is how you can generate income in just a few hours of work per month! So, not only is it a low stress job for you, but you can actually reduce stress for local business owners who need this skill but don’t have time to learn it.
The Facebook Side Hustle Course takes the stress out of learning something new by teaching beginners how to run social media marketing campaigns, find clients, and get those clients to say “Yes!” to their services.
Make $1,000 to $2,000/month
Learn the exact steps to running Facebook and Instagram ads for small business owners.
Learn more
7. Start a Blog
This is one of our favorite low stress jobs. Granted, we’re biased because of the success of this blog. But it’s both relaxing and rewarding to write about what you love while you have complete control over your work.
Yes, it takes time to build a blog to the point you can make money from it. That makes this one of the best options when you want a creative challenge with the highest earning potential.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out:
- How to Start A Blog: Check out our step-by-step guide for launching your blog in 2023.
- Bluehost: This is the exact platform this site was built on, and you can start a blog for as little as $3/month
- Launch That Blog: This is our FREE service that sets up a professional-looking blog once you’ve purchased Bluehost through our unique link.
8. Virtual Assistance
Virtual assistants (or VAs) take on low complexity tasks for busy people. This could include answering emails, managing social media, and organizing your client’s calendar and digital files.
As a VA, you can quickly make yourself indispensable, and that makes you feel valued, which can lower stress. VAs enjoy flexible schedules, working from home, and can make $500 to $1,000 a month.
Fast track your VA success
Get the FREE resources you need to start working as a VA in 2023.
9. Data Entry
Data entry offers the convenience of working from home and the ease of repetitive work. You can put on your headphones and get in your zone.
It helps if you can type fast and accurately, but you don’t have to have experience, which makes this gig easy for beginners.
10. Medical Records Technician
If you like organizing information and have excellent communication skills, being a medical records technician offers flexibility and growth potential. In this work, you create and maintain patient files, diagnostic codes, and other technical details.
You’ll need to be detail oriented, and it usually requires an associate’s degree and/or a certification. This allows you to easily interpret medical terminology and can also help you build transferable skills for related work like medical transcription or medical billing.
11. Passive Income Investing
Making passive income through an investment app takes the intimidation out of building a portfolio. The apps guide beginner investors through the process and let you get started for as little as $10.
For some of us, generating passive income sounds way more manageable than taking on a side job. You literally make money while you’re doing other things.
12. Pet Sitter
Studies show spending time with fur babies reduces stress, especially when you’re getting paid for it. Pet owners need help with drop-in visits, doggie daycare, boarding, and dog walking.
Apps like Rover let you pick and choose your jobs and manage your business right from your phone, so it’s convenient and flexible. And you can get paid in as little as two days after a job has ended.
Most people think of their pets as family members, so when you build your profile, it’s good to emphasize the special care you’ll provide.
Learn more in our full Rover review.
13. House Sit
One path to peaceful work is doing something that offers peace of mind. House sitting is one of the simplest low stress jobs because all you do is show up and clients rest easy because you’re there.
They may ask you to water the plants or get the mail, and some apps combine pet sitting and house sitting, but you can earn more when providing both services.
Like pet sitting, you can create a profile and work through an app, or get the word out through friends and family.
14. Sell Your Stuff
The move toward a more serene life often starts with reducing our clutter. It has never been simpler to sell the clothes, shoes, and accessories that no longer spark joy.
Sites like Poshmark and ThredUp make it easy to know your niche, set a good price, and offer convenient ways to ship.
If you make jewelry, t-shirts, or other homemade goods, Etsy fans would love for you to open your online boutique.
Learn more in Best Online Selling Sites & Marketplaces.
15. Get Paid to Shop
If you’re more of a buyer than a seller, you can put your love of shopping to work for cash.
Shoppers use sites like Ibotta and Swagbucks to generate cash back on purchases, coupons, and deals that help you get the best price. This made our list of low stress jobs because it’s less like a job and more like taking advantage of habits you already have.
16. Teach Fitness Online
If working out takes you to your happy place, imagine people paying you to do it. That’s the beauty of sharing your routines and advice online. Internet fitness instructors also thrive on building a close-knit yet global community who shares their passion for health.
The benefits include working from home, setting your own schedule, and the passive income you earn while your followers watch your pre-recorded content.
It takes time to build your subscribers, sponsors, and affiliate marketing connections. But you can grow your audience and membership to your channel without ever leaving the house.
Think about how you answered the questions at the top of this article. The secret to finding low stress jobs that work for you is getting clear about your talents and your priorities.
What Are Low Stress Jobs That Pay Well?
Three of the best options are bloggingblogging, proofreading, and digital marketing.
Starting a blog can lead to the highest income from a side hustle. It may not be the fastest path to wealth, but it can be satisfying to create content about something you love. And you get to hear from readers whose lives are better because of what they learned from you.
Proofreading comes naturally to avid readers, so you’re probably going to stay committed to something you already do well. Building your client base and reputation is easier than you think.
Hands down, running Facebook and Instagram ads will yield constant opportunity for growth and takes only a few hours of your time once you get the hang of it.
FAQs
Two of the least stressful jobs are taking online surveys and getting paid to shop. Taking online surveys is low key and fun because it requires no training and it pays quickly, and getting paid to shop turns an activity you do anyway into a business with minimal effort.
Any job that has you constantly working against your natural strengths and preferences may bring anxiety. But studies show the most stressful jobs are the ones where life is at stake or deadlines are constant and tight, such as the following:
- Enlisted military personnel
- Firefighter
- Airline pilot
- Police officer
- Broadcaster/Journalist
About Ariel Gardner
Ariel Gardner is the editor-in-chief of M$M, an elder millennial, and really wants to keep her lattes. She’s seen both ends of the financial spectrum, from trust funds to a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle, and uses that experience to empathize and connect with a wide range of readers. She has been editing and writing professionally for personal finance websites since 2015.
