If you’re looking for ways to bring in extra cash, you’ve probably considered looking for a side job or a full-time job. Despite the growth of freelance work, side jobs often feel like a less-than-fulfilling option. You’re either working for someone else or for your own amusement. There’s no consistency in your paycheck, and on rare occasions, you might even make a loss. If you want to bring in the big bucks, though, there are ways to do it online.
Accounting and Auditing Jobs
From public accounting to private business consulting, accountants and auditors are in demand and bring in substantial earnings. While the specific responsibilities and working hours vary by employer, you can generally expect to earn at least $60,000 per year (plus benefits). This makes it a top 20% earner among all the jobs we track on this site.
On the surface, accounting and auditing seem like easy jobs to do from home. You just have to be organized enough to keep track of your work and be able to research the right answers for the most common questions. Since the work is mostly done online, you can log the hours wherever you want and set your own hours. The flexibility of this job makes it a popular choice among digital nomads and freelancers who want to make extra cash.
Sales Jobs
If you’re a natural salesperson or have the ability to connect with people, you can enter the sales arena and become a sales associate, commission merchant, or sales manager and earn a six-figure income. Not only that, but you can also become an entrepreneur, starting your own sales organization and taking on the responsibility of finding and qualifying prospects, creating sales material (like proposals and marketing materials), and performing sales calls.
This can be a viable option if you want to bring in the big bucks. The job requires a lot of patience and a willingness to build a business. You can expect to start paying off your debt and building up your savings within three months. Just keep in mind that the competition is always going to be tough, so you need to be prepared to work hard.
Research Jobs
If you have a scientific or technical background, you can enter the research arena and become a scientific researcher or a technology entrepreneur and earn a six-figure income. While the specific responsibilities and working hours vary by employer, you can generally expect to earn at least $60,000 per year (plus benefits).
The only difference between scientific research and technology research is the level of engagement. In scientific research, you’ll generally just be dealing with data and research materials. In technology research, you’ll often need to design experiments and collect data, analyze the results, and then interpret the findings. In both cases, the work is mostly done online, so you can log the hours wherever you want and set your own hours.
If you have a specific area of expertise—like marketing or research—you can also enter the field of data analytics and bring in hefty sums. The demand for analysts is forecast to increase by 23% year from 2020 to 2025.
Writing and Editing Jobs
If you’re a talented writer or have the ability to edit other people’s work, you can enter the writing arena and become a copywriter, an editorial assistant, or a business/corporate communications manager and earn a six-figure income. The specific responsibilities and working hours depend on the employer, but you can generally expect to earn at least $60,000 per year (plus benefits).
Aside from the flexibility of this job, many writers find the opportunity to learn as they go. You’ll often need to develop your own skills and prove your worth by becoming familiar with industry-standard tools like word processors, PDF creators, or e-mail marketing software. Since much of the work is done online, you can log the hours wherever you want and set your own hours.
If you have a scientific or technical background, you can enter the field of technical writing and earn even more money. The demand for technical writers is forecast to increase by 27% year from 2020 to 2025.
Venture Capital Jobs
If you have a love for numbers and a curious mind, you can become a venture capitalist and make a good living off of investing in new startups and helping businesses reach their full potential. While the responsibilities and working hours vary by employer, you can generally expect to earn at least $150,000 per year (plus benefits).
This is one of the more high-risk jobs you can get, but if you want to make the most of it, you’ll need to be prepared to put in the time and effort to learn the necessary skills. You’ll need to be able to find the right startups, analyze their business models, and figure out how you can provide the best possible investment opportunity. Just keep in mind that the competition is fierce and that you’ll need to be prepared to work hard to succeed.
Event Planning Jobs
If you’ve always dreamed of having a job that let you plan and organize events, such as weddings, birthday parties, or corporate gatherings, you can enter the event planning arena and design and plan special entertainment events and earn a six-figure income. The specific responsibilities and working hours vary by employer, but you can generally expect to earn at least $85,000 per year (plus benefits).
Aside from the flexibility of this job, many event planners find the ability to work remotely to be quite appealing. You can design and plan events even when you’re not physically in the same room with the participants. Some even do their work on a full-time basis while being able to take on extra projects and make a little side income.
Online Travel Agent Jobs
If you’ve always dreamed of being able to work remotely and travel the world, you can become an Online Travel Agent (OTA) and earn a six-figure income. The specific responsibilities and working hours depend on the employer, but you can generally expect to have full-time employment with earnings that range between $70,000 and $140,000 per year (plus benefits).
Travel agents have been around for a very long time, and even before the pandemic, their demand was on the rise. Thanks to the increasing demand for international travel and the rise of online travel agencies, the opportunity for OTAs emerged.
Financial Analysis Jobs
If you’re a whiz kid at crunching numbers and looking for an easy way to make money, you can enter the field of financial analysis and bring in a six-figure income. You’ll need to have a good understanding of basic finance as well as advanced knowledge in specific areas, like corporate finance or securities analysis, and you should have at least a bachelor’s degree. The specific responsibilities and working hours vary by employer, but you can generally expect to earn at least $60,000 per year (plus benefits).
This job can be fairly easy to get if you want to make the most of it, but you’ll need to put in the work to learn the necessary skills. Once you’re familiar with the general concepts of financial analysis, you can look for jobs in a bank, where you’ll process loan applications or in a corporate finance department, where you’ll assist in the preparation of financial statements.
Food Production Jobs
If you’re looking for a job that allows you to work remotely and provides lots of flexibility, you can become a food producer and start your own organic food business. The demand for locally sourced food and the growth of online grocery shopping provides a great opportunity for people looking to get into the food production business.
The only requirements you need to fulfill to get started are a desire to work remotely and have a flexible schedule, plus a few personal touches, like a passion for food and a love of nature. Once you’re up and running, you can begin researching the best ways to scale your business and expand to other regions. As an added bonus, you can have the independence to cook what you want and need, when you want, and be able to work remotely.
In some cases, you might even get to choose your own hours, so you can fit in your morning exercise session or create an extra hour or two of “me” time in the middle of the day.
Product Review Jobs
If you’ve always dreamed of being able to review products and publish your thoughts on your blog, you can enter the product review arena and be a professional reviewer. The specific responsibilities and working hours vary by employer, but you can generally expect to earn at least $60,000 per year (plus benefits).