Whether you long to get out of debt or turn your hobby into a business, now is the perfect time to check out online side jobs. With a little research and a lot of passion, you can make more money this year.
According to Zippia, 45% of Americans have a side hustle in 2023. From stay-at-home moms to students with crazy schedules, side gigs work for almost anyone.
Start your research here with our list of 25 great side jobs to help you convert your talents into cash.
The Best Online Side Jobs for 2023
1. Proofreader
Earning potential: $15 to $40/hour
Why is proofreading one of the best online side jobs? Well, proofreaders are a necessary part of the publishing process and are needed for authors, bloggers, academics, and other types of professionals. If you love catching typos when you read, or you always use “your” and “you’re” correctly, then proofreading could be your jam.
Proofreaders enjoy flexible hours and control their rates and pay schedule. Plus, it’s an easy online job for beginners. All you need to get started is a computer and internet connection.
Want to get paid to proofread?
This FREE seminar teaches you the five steps to becoming a well-paid proofreader.
2. Freelance Writer
Earning potential: $500 to $5,000+/month
When you read something online and know you could write it better, you’re already thinking like a freelance writer. Anyone who loves to write can get started in freelancing — no English degree required!
It might take some time to establish a client base, but its high earning potential can be worth it.
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!”
3. Bookkeeping
Earning potential: $20 to $40+/hour
Do you love keeping track of money almost as much as you love making it? Bookkeepers manage bills, payroll, and incoming payments for businesses.
Bookkeepers are highly-organized people who use financial software like Quickbooks and Xero to generate the balance sheets and tax documents business owners need. No accounting degree necessary.
If you dig numbers and spreadsheets, this side job lets you be you.
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.
4. Online Surveys
Earning potential: $1 to $3/survey
Taking online surveys is one of the easiest online side jobs to get started in. You can do it on your phone, and it takes minutes, not hours, to generate income.
Market research companies use surveys to learn how consumers think, so survey sites cue up questions about your shopping habits, vacation preferences and more. Most survey sites pay in points that convert to cash, and once you have enough points, you can “cash out” via Paypal or electronic gift card.
Do be choosy and only work with trusted sites, and here are two we recommend:
- Branded Surveys: This is one of the most well-known sites, and it pays up to $3 per survey. You can cash out once you have $5 worth of points. Learn more in our full Branded Surveys Review.
- Survey Junkie: Similar to the last recommendation, Survey Junkie lets you cash out when you have $5 worth of points, and the average survey pays $1 to $3. Learn more in our full Survey Junkie Review.
This is mindless work — think of it as an alternative to playing games on your phone — and you can sign up for multiple companies for the most opportunities.
5. Run Facebook and Instagram Ads
Earning potential: $1,000 to $2,000/month
Digital marketing on Facebook and Instagram meets customers where they are when they scroll. That’s a premium way for local businesses to leverage Facebook and Instagram’s ability to deliver ads to the right customers.
Many business owners don’t have the time or knowledge to do this. That’s where you come in. By learning these ad platforms and spending a few hours a week, you can earn around $1,000 to $2,000 a month.
This is one of our favorite online side jobs because anyone can learn it and nearly every local business needs it.
Start making $1,000-$2,000 running ads
Want to learn more about running Facebook ads and how you can make $1,000+ every month? Just click on that link below.
6. Virtual Assistance
Earning potential: $19 to $30/hour
Once busy people hire virtual assistants (also known as VAs), they find they cannot live without them. As a VA, you might book travel, return phone calls, manage social media, respond to simple emails and schedule appointments. You can learn about all of the options and how to get started in How to Become a Virtual Assistant in 2023.
This is a natural fit for anyone who has a background in customer service, HR, executive assistance, or project management. Overall, it’s a great way to share your administrative talents while setting your own hours and working from home.
Fast track your VA side hustle
Get the FREE resources you need to start a successful online side job as a virtual assistant.
7. Start a Blog
Earning potential: $500 to $10,000/month
Since 77% of internet users read blogs every day, there’s probably a reader out there who needs your expertise. Bloggers make money by writing about what they love and attracting advertisers.
As side gigs go, blogging can take longer to build up your site traffic to the level you can monetize. But high earning possibilities make it worth it. It also provides multiple channels for passive income through affiliate marketing, online classes, and merch.
Creating a site used to intimidate potential bloggers, but now there’s a simple way to get up and running with Launch That Blog. This is our free blog set-up service for anyone who signs up for Bluehost using our exclusive link, and here’s why it’s a great choice for 2023:
- Bluehost costs as little as $3/month and comes with WordPress for free.
- It’s the exact platform this site was built on.
- With Bluehost and Launch That Blog, you get a professional-looking site that’s ready to go.
8. Commercial Real Estate Investor
Earning potential: Varies with the market
With just a small initial investment up front, you can get into the commercial real estate market. Even if you’re not an experienced investor, you can get started with a company that gives great guidance along the way.
This online side job helps you build passive income, meaning you could earn money even while you’re not actively working.
We recommend the following articles if you’re interested in learning more:
Fundrise is giving new users $10
With as little as $10, you can start investing in real estate, and new Fundrise users get an additional $10 investment for signing up.
9. Printables on Etsy
Earning potential: $500 to $1000/month
Creative types already know they can sell homemade crafts on Etsy. But did you know you can sell digital files of printable resources?
If you enjoy designing digital resources that look good and keep people organized, an online side job selling printables might not even feel like work! There’s a market for calendars, checklists, trackers, business cards and more.
Unlike crafts you have to keep producing, once you’ve made a printable you’re proud of, customers can buy it over and over with no overhead cost for you.
M$M Tip: There’s a fantastic free ebook called the Seasonal Products Secret that outlines printable ideas for each month of the year and how to capitalize on each idea. You should definitely grab a copy of that free ebook if you’re interested in learning more.
10. Set up an Ecommerce Shop
Earning potential: $500 to $5,000+/month
Ecommerce shop owners set up an online “boutique space” to market and sell products. If you have an eye for knowing what will sell but don’t want the headache of storing and shipping inventory, you can use drop ship capabilities.
Sites like Shopify make it easy for entrepreneurs looking for online side jobs. This work requires maintaining your site and driving traffic to it, but once you’re established it can produce a steady passive income.
Learn more in Shopify for Beginners: How to Create & Launch Your Shopify Site.
11. Create Online Courses
Earning potential: $500 to $10,000/month
Maybe you’re great at smartphone photography, you know exactly how to season everything you cook, or you excel at spreadsheets. Those are just a few examples of the types of online courses out there, and by building engaging on-demand courses, you can share your gifts with a paying community of learners.
The ease and affordability of taking an online course leads to profitability for the course creators, and the latest research by Technavio shows the e-learning market will grow by $21.64 billion by 2024!
12. Data Entry
Earning potential: $15 to $20/hour
If you’re searching for online side jobs to make some bank and not because you want a creative outlet, data entry work delivers.
With data entry, you enter information into a company’s software accurately and on time — that’s pretty much it. It’s great for someone who has high standards for detailed work and enjoys repetitive tasks.
A surprising amount of info requires manual entry into a database. That means there is a steady demand for this skill.
You can learn about the best platforms to get started with in Best Online Data Entry Jobs From Home.
13. Transcription
Earning potential: $15 to $30/hour
If you ever attempted speech-to-text and accidentally told your boss you love them, you know why there’s still a market for transcription. In this job, you listen to recorded audio or video and type what you hear.
With great listening skills and impeccable spelling and grammar, you can earn clients in the medical and legal fields. It helps to be a fast, accurate typist and have some knowledge of dictation software.
Learn more in Online Transcription Jobs for Beginners.
14. Brand Ambassador
Earning potential: $15 to $30/hour
Brand ambassadors are at ease with all major social media platforms. They produce posts or live stream events that generate brand attention and increase sales.
Ambassadors love to talk to people and answer questions, so online side jobs like this are great for extroverts and influencers.
To get started, think about what brands you already love and look for online events and promotions. You’ve got a leg up if you have retail experience.
15. Social Media Manager
Earning potential: $15 to $40/hour
Companies hire social media managers for the same reasons they hire someone to run their Facebook ads: They don’t know how, and they don’t have time.
You monitor social, generate posts, reply to comments, and even analyze the site traffic to see what’s getting attention. You would also ensure that the brand is represented consistently across all major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest.
Learn more in How to Become a Social Media Manager in 2023.
16. Pinterest Virtual Assistant
Earning potential: $500 to $1,000/month
For online side jobs that combine creativity with social media savvy, think Pinterest virtual assistants (or VAs for short). These VAs generate content and schedule posts to keep the brand top of mind. But this assistant focuses 100% on Pinterest.
As a niche virtual assistant, you can build your deep skills to maximize a brand’s presence on this single platform. You design every pin and board with the goal of directing traffic to your client’s website.
Learn more in How to Make Money on Pinterest.
17. Teach English as a Foreign Language
Earning potential: $15 to $40/hour
Companies who provide courses in English look for current and former teachers, or those with natural teaching skills and a certification Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).
Most TEFL certification courses take about three months to complete, and there are costs associated with taking one.
18. Write Dating Profiles
Earning potential: $14 to $18/hour
You can find your niche as a ghostwriter by creating online dating profiles. If you have ever scrolled through them, you know many people could use some help.
People looking for love are willing to pay someone to write their profile. Search specialty sites like Vida, or any site that posts jobs for freelance writers.
19. Type Closed Captions
Earning potential: $20 to $30/hour
Like transcription, closed captioning work requires listening and typing what you hear. But instead of medical or legal recordings, you watch movies, videos, and TV shows. This is great for anyone with lightning fast, accurate typing skills.
Closed captioners transcribe recorded or live shows and find job leads on websites like CaptionMax.
20. Sell Used Clothes
Earning potential: $15 to $30/hour
Selling jeans you don’t wear or that winter coat that never goes out of style can be an easy way to make money. Recycled fashion keeps clothes out of landfills, so the Earth wins too.
Sites like thredUP and Poshmark have made it easier than ever to post, ship, and get paid. It’s also one of the online side jobs that you can launch fast. Be sure to review each site’s target market and top selling brands so you know how to get the most green for your goods.
Learn more in Best Online Selling Sites & Marketplaces.
21. Lose Weight for Money
Earning potential: Prizes range from $100 to $10,000/goal
Weight loss competition sites capitalize on the idea that if people have a financial incentive and a time-based goal, they’re more likely to stick with their diet or exercise plans.
You make money from this online side job through sites like HealthyWage, which allows participants to bet on their own weight loss goal and get paid for results. If you’re more motivated by group competition, you can invite coworkers or friends to team up with you.
This can be a great option if you are already planning to lose weight. Why not get paid to do it?
22. Tutor
Earning potential: $15 to $40/hour
If you have ever watched a kid struggle with schoolwork, you know how badly tutors are needed. Put your teaching skills to work online and enjoy the reward that comes from watching the lightbulb go on.
Parents look for tutors in every major subject like math, science, language arts, and more. The hourly pay is decent and several online platforms make it easy to build your client base. For this side job you’ll have to meet some minimum requirements, which usually includes teaching experience and a bachelor’s degree.
23. Virtual Stylist
Earning potential: $15 to $50/hour
The market for online side jobs has a lot to do with taking work off the shoulders of busy people. Virtual styling meets that need for those who want to look great but don’t have time to curate the clothes and accessories that best suit them.
You can combine your trendspotting power with your knack for customer service together to hire out as an online stylist for companies like StitchFix.
24. Medical Coding Specialist
Earning potential: $15 to $30/hour
Medical coding specialists review diagnostic codes to help insurance companies process claims. You need an eye for spotting errors and a love for working with spreadsheets and databases.
You will also need to communicate clearly with doctor’s offices, insurance companies, hospitals, and billing departments.
You can get certified as a medical coder through sites that hire for these jobs.
25. Grade Tests
Earning potential: $10 to $20/hour
Teachers looking for a side job can put their skills to work remotely grading tests and papers. Just like human proofreaders can spot errors that AI can’t, human test scorers are needed to review schoolwork a computer can’t grade, like essays.
You will need a minimum of an associate's degree, a computer and an internet connection. Some positions don’t require teaching experience.
The Final Word: What’s The Best Online Side Job in 2023?
Figuring out which online side jobs are best for you depends on your priorities. If you need to make money as fast as possible while spending the least amount of time, then taking online surveys with Branded Surveys or Survey Junkie is a great choice.
But if you have an eye for detail or a head for numbers, you might love proofreading or bookkeeping.
Whatever you choose, the secret to making money online is to pick your favorite and dive in. The only guaranteed way to fail is not to try.
FAQs
The short answer? Yes. Online side jobs are legal in every state. But there are some circumstances to watch out for:
- NDAs and Non-competes: If you work for another employer, make sure you’re in compliance with any non-disclosure agreements or non-compete language in your employment contract.
- Taxes: Side jobs generate taxable income. Check with your tax professional on the best way to manage and report your new income stream. For side gigs selling products, look for websites like Shopify that help you manage sales tax requirements.
You can generate $1,000 a month or more through several of the jobs listed above. Running Facebook/Instagram ads, bookkeeping and blogging capitalize on passive income so you can make the most money in the least amount of time.
About Ariel Gardner
Ariel Gardner is the editor-in-chief of M$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.
