Last updated on October 1st, 2017 at 09:59 pm



Working online from home or while traveling is a dream for many these days. You may think that it’s difficult to find remote work that pays well, and that may be true if you’re looking for corporations on LinkedIn that are looking for remote workers, but times have changed yet again and people are flocking to platforms where they can connect directly with small business owners and make some extra money on the side as freelancers or independent contractors. There are many well-paying jobs out there that need to be fulfilled by experienced people. Even without experience, you can climb your way up the career ladder by adding valuable skill sets to your portfolio and start earning a decent and reliable income. Read on to learn about online jobs that pay more than 20$ an hour.

Virtual Assistant

Being a virtual assistant is a great way to start your online career because it is a relatively “easy” job to start with. The term virtual assistant has evolved to include any task that can be done virtually, or online, and in today’s digital age – that’s pretty much anything from data entry to social media management to WordPress updates and maintenance. Without experience you can find jobs paying $10 an hour, working your way up to $40 an hour if you have more experience or specialized skills.

Where to find virtual assistant jobs: Upwork, Zirtual, virtual assistant or remote work groups on Facebook.

Related: 23 Business Tasks to Outsource to a Virtual Assistant

Remote Translator Jobs

This is a great job if you grew up bilingual or are native in more than 2 languages. When it comes to online content, you’re always going to find people who are looking to translate their recordings, documents, or articles into another language and Google Translate can only get you so far. Most corporate jobs in this field require a bachelor’s degree but using freelance platforms, you can definitely get by solely by being able to demonstrate fluency in at least 2 languages. Snag that first client and you’re well on your way to building your portfolio as a translator.

Depending on the language as well as on your experience and the type of content being translated (if you translate technical and scientific content you can command higher prices), expect to earn between $25,000 and $75,000 annually.

Where to find translator jobs: Upwork, Translatorsbase, Translatorscafe.

Remote Web Developer Jobs

Another language related job, which pays very well! However, this time we’re talking about the language of the Internet: HTML5, CSS, Javascript. A freelance web developer might be one of the oldest and well-known remote jobs out there since you literally never needed anything except a computer and your programming skills to get the job done. Those of you working from 9 to 5 as a developer in-office: pack your bags. You can earn tons while traveling the world and being your own boss.

But note that starting out as a developer on your own isn’t easy. Although there are many free resources online to learn how to code, you won’t be able to pick it up in a day or two. It will take time, commitment, and trials and errors to hone your skills and be ready to take on clients professionally. Once you’re confident enough with your coding skills, the real work begins. It’s a whole other ball game to be able to pitch to clients and get their business. Ths is why a lot of web developers are cautious to venture out on their own and prefer the security of a steady salary with an established business or organization. The average annual salary is around $77,254. Not bad – but keep in mind that as a freelancer, you have the opportunity to earn more.

Free resources to learn coding: Khan Academy, Codecademy 

Where to find web developer jobs: RemoteOK, CyberCoders

Remote Freelance Writer Jobs

To write online content, you need to have strong writing skills, know a thing or two about SEO, and have a strong portfolio or writing samples to show your prospects.

Related: SEO: A Guide For Performing Keyword Research

Finding freelance writing jobs can be relatively easy these days because nearly everyone is trying to have an online presence. Statistically, the blog page is a website’s most visited page and so businesses require writers to keep it updated with fresh and relevant content.

As a freelance writer, you can choose to charge per word or a flat fee per article that includes X amount of words. If the article is specialized, technical, or requires a good amount of research, you can definitely command a higher price.

Where to find paid writing jobs: BloggingPro, Freelancewriting.com, JournalismJobs

Other Interesting Well Paying Remote Jobs

  • Email marketer
  • Web or graphic designer
  • Data entry
  • Customer service management
  • App developer
  • E-book publisher
  • Data Analyst
  • Social Media Manager
  • Accountant
  • Project Manager
  • UI/UX Design
  • SEO Strategist
  • PPC Adwords Account Manager
  • Online (English) Teacher
  • Resume Writer
  • Niche Blogger

Work from Home While Being Contracted by a Company

Another option is to find a company that wants to hire you, giving you the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world. This article on Forbes lists the top 100 companies offering remote positions to employees. This may be the best option out there as it allows you to work as a traditional employee in non-traditional settings while raking in a stable income. These types of companies often pay very well and give you the type of freedom you crave. You can find contracted remote jobs on traditional job searching platforms such as monster.com, guru.com, indeed.com, and linkedin.com when you use the search function.

And you, would you like to find an online job? Have you thought about talking to your employer to convince him or her to give you the opportunity to do so? There are benefits for employers as well, including less overhead expenses. Let me know in the comments below.