Five Surprising Jobs You Can Do Online

Do you have a long commute and wish you could just work from home? It could be time to explore your work from home options. Gone are the days when remote work limited job prospects to travelling consultants or door-to-door salesmen. The Internet is giving rise to non-conventional jobs that allow employees to work-from-home.

Companies in multiple industries now offer work-from-home or flexible schedule options. In fact, in the U.S., 38% of employees report that they are able to work from home at least one day a week according to a poll from flexjobs.com. And these numbers are growing. According to a Gallup survey, 43% of Americans spend at least some time working remotely each week, up 4% since 2012.

We have compiled a list of jobs that you can do from home. You might be surprised by the variety of ways you can make money online.

1. Conventional Office Jobs

If you have a skillset best suited to a traditional office setting, you might be surprised that you can still work remotely. Assistants, customer service representatives, human resources employees, and secretaries (transcriptionists and database entry) can all find work online. Many administrative opportunities can be found on contract sites such as upwork.com and flexjobs.com. Transcriptionists can find work on sites such as transcribeanywhere.com and quicktate.com.

2. Teachers

Those who love teaching others, but prefer to do so from home can reach students online. Language teachers, for individual or businesses, are some of the most sought after online educators.  Today’s global businesses are looking for corporate language teachers for their employees on sites such as GoFluent.com.  Another opportunity is tutoring via sites such as Tutor.com. Certified teachers or experts can help students with everything from everyday classwork to studying for major tests such as the SAT or subject-matter tests such as the GMAT. Check out k12 and Connections Academy for more about online teaching.

3. Creators

One of the most common jobs for those who work from home are freelance writers and graphic designers. Two out of three writers are self-employed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Graphic designers and writers can still find many remote jobs online using sites such as ProBlogger, Mediabistro, behance.net and dribbble.com. Now, the pool of at-home work has expanded beyond writing, blogging and graphic design to include additional creative pursuits.

Many editors (Proofreadingservices.com), reviewers, coders (codefights.com), website builders and operators have moved their business to a more flexible online environment. Artists and creators who create non-online items can also find specialized places to sell their goods and services. Websites such as Etsy.com provide niche places to connect customers with specific goods, from artisan jewelry to baked goods. Creativity doesn’t only occur during traditional 9am-5pm hours or in office spaces, so artists don’t have to work under those restrictions either.

4. Caregivers

One of the most hands-on jobs one can do is caring for others’ health. Now, advances in technology have allowed nurses and doctors to provide care over the Internet. This practice, called telehealth, allows for a greater reach for doctors and others providing care.  Certified nurses can find work on jobs such as flexjobs.com and indeed.com.

5. Decision Makers

Marketers and product testers have created and used focus groups for decades. There are now more ways than ever to get paid for sharing your opinion, even in an online setting. Not only can you take surveys and become focus group participants on sites such as DarwinsData.com, PineconeResearch.com and GlobalTestMarket, but you can also get paid for your opinions as well.

Websites and search engines constantly look for ways to improve user experience. Many companies will pay you for simply visiting the sites you use daily for providing feedback on your experience. Check out usertesting.com or userlytics.com for website feedback and leapforceathome.ccom for search engine testing jobs.

Marketers and website optimizers aren’t the only ones who find your opinion valuable. Even attorneys could use your feedback and advice. Websites such as eJury.com will pay you to sit through test cases and indicate how you would vote on a jury. You won’t be a real juror, but this process can allow attorneys to measure public sentiment on a case or argument before going to trial.

There are now more Americans than ever working from home or engaging in flexible work schedules, and to positive effect. One study by Leadership IQ reported that 45% of remote workers love their jobs, versus just 24% of office workers. In one study, those who were informed of flexible work options and used them reported that they felt more supported by their bosses and experienced less burnout and stress. And, according to the New York Times, these workers are more productive and work longer hours than their counterparts in the office.

If you’re ready to eliminate your commute and work on your own schedule, check out some of the amazing opportunities you can find online.