Many people are interested in becoming a freelancer these days, and it makes sense when you think about the possibilities and freedoms.
For example:
- You have a flexible schedule that you can dictate.
- Now you can work from home or wherever you like
- Your earning potential is up to you and more in your control.
- You do not have a traditional boss or manager to answer to
Of course, freelancing is not all glamorous and can be tough to initially break into the job market. There are tons of people just like you who have the same interest and desire to work for themselves, and it can get a bit competitive.
But luckily, there are so many categories of freelance jobs you can choose from that any skills you potentially have can become a lucrative way to make money from home.
Below you’ll learn about some of the best freelance jobs that can pay well and freelance job sites that will help you get work much faster.
The beauty of freelancing is you can typically work from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Certainly, some freelance or contracting work may require you to meet in person, but mostly it can be done from the comfort of your own home.
This is an attractive feature if you like to make money working alone or find that you do your best work without the distractions of a traditional 9-5.
Below are a few of the best freelance jobs that are not only in demand but can pay well.
1. Digital marketing
Digital marketing is a top in-demand set of skills because every company needs marketing and an online presence. You can be a generalist. That means you do it all in digital marketing, or you can focus on specific areas like social media, paid advertising, email, etc.
Although I do digital marketing full-time, I used to do quite a bit of freelancing and contract work in various digital marketing focus areas. Plus, the more experience and track record you have, the more money you can make.
2. Writing
Probably one of the more popular freelance jobs is writing.
Again, this can be a pretty broad category, but getting paid to write can be quite lucrative as you build your portfolio.
You can make money from being a blogger or starting your own blog, a copywriter, or an editor/proofreader. Although it can be competitive, there is no shortage of writing work out there.
3. Designer
Similar to digital marketing, looking for quality design work is a much-needed area for most businesses today.
Small businesses, start-ups, solo entrepreneurs, and enterprise organizations have numerous areas where quality design work is necessary. It could be as simple as creating logos and social media banners to create various display ads, even designing a new website’s layout.
But being a freelance designer can also be areas like UX/UI design where you help create layouts and interfaces of products. Or, if you are a talented illustrator, there can be needs for your artistic creations too.
4. Data entry
Although less glamorous than some of the other freelance jobs, data entry is still an in-demand job that many organizations like to outsource.
So if you are fast with a keyboard, don’t mind crunching numbers, and are highly organized — then data entry could be decent work for you.
It might not pay the highest at first, but the better you get and the bigger data jobs, the more lucrative it can be. Plus, it’s a great way for you to test the freelance world to see if you like working from home.
5. Online teaching
Are you incredibly knowledgeable about certain subjects? Do you have previous experience teaching others? Then becoming an online teacher in a freelance capacity can be for you.
It may require a college degree and teaching experience in a specific subject, but you can help tutor anyone from anywhere with the internet.
Popular categories would be teaching a language, math, and science — but it can be anything!
6. Virtual assistant
As digital work began to grow, so did the industry of being a virtual assistant. It’s easy for many entrepreneurs or small business owners to get bogged down by daily tasks that aren’t that important.
If you like doing administrative work and learning, then a great freelance job for you could be becoming a virtual assistant.
The tasks you might do include calendar management, researching, bookings, emailing, organizing, and customer support.
7. Translator
Do you speak and write fluently in other languages? Even if you are fluent in just one other language, you can make some good money as a translator.
Many businesses have global offices and offer products or services worldwide. And because of that, they will need their information in other languages.
You might help translate ebooks, websites, blog posts, brochures, presentations, legal documents, books, and more.
Common languages would be Spanish, German, French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian — but there may be a need for any language you might be an expert in too.
8. Web developer or programmer
The digital transformation era has opened the doors for tons of freelance jobs, especially in web development and programming.
If you have expertise in coding languages like HTML/CSS, PHP, Ruby on Rails, Javascript, Python, and other categories — you can make some good money as a freelancer.
Pending the programming languages you know, you might be working on websites, apps for iOS or Android, and even unique software projects.
9. Customer service
One of the last freelance job categories I’m including is working in customer service.
While retail businesses and certain offices will require you to be in person, there is still plenty of customer service or support roles you can do from home.
Additionally, it might be a bit less flexible with your schedule, as you will need to be by your computer or phone during specific business hours. But if you thrive on helping others and looking for decent pay, a customer service freelance job could be perfect for you.
Freelance job sites to help you find work
Naturally, as you get started with freelancing, you can find work on your own. Meaning, you create your own website, start networking on social media, and begin engaging where your targets that may need to hire your skills would hangout.
But if you need money now and want to get to work a bit quicker, you may want to apply to some gigs listed on freelance job sites. There are tons of remote job boards and sites where businesses are looking for contractors to help with projects.
While there will be some competition from other freelancers, it’s a great way to get some work and build a working relationship.
So, what are some of the best freelance job sites to find work?
Upwork
Probably one of the most popular destinations for freelance jobs is UpWork. I’ve personally hired people from this website a few times, and if I were to explore freelance work full-time, this would be a place I’d list my services.
The more experience you are, and the better delivery you have with clients, the more discoverable you’ll be, and the more money you can make. You might not make a living income right away, but tons of people are doing amazing on UpWork and doing it full-time.
Fiverr
Another well-known name in the freelance marketplace is Fiverr, a great website to get your feet wet if you are exploring. This job site might have the most extensive freelance work categories, which goes beyond most websites’ traditional avenues.
However, Fiverr tends to offer services and work for cheap. While some gigs you might be able to charge a decent amount, most businesses or individuals are looking to hire for much lower prices. And there are plenty of people willing to do the work for meager costs.
This is more of a place you stay active to get some work or hone in on your freelance skills. But you might want to move on to other job listings on this list.
FlexJobs
One of my favorite online destinations to find quality freelance jobs is the website FlexJobs. This job board has been around for quite a while but provides you with the resources you need to succeed.
You’ll find flexible work from home jobs and freelance gigs in tons of categories, you’ll have access to company research, and tons of great guides to improve your freelance career.
The one difference here is to access the great freelance jobs; you’ll have to sign-up for their paid platform. They have a few paid tiers you can choose from, with their cheapest being about $15 per month. Totally worth it to find the best freelance work.
Freelancer
If you aren’t sure about signing up for a paid platform yet or want to look beyond sites like Upwork, then Freelancer might be a good option for you. With this website, you can create your free profile and start browsing jobs that look interesting to you.
You can create filters based on the work you are looking for, so you are instantly alerted of new gigs.
Here is the difference on this site: when you find a job you like, you actually place a bid on the work. Essentially, you pitch the job lister why you are the best fit, and then if they select you, you’ll start your work and get paid.
Craigslist
Oddly enough, looking at Craigslist can also lead you to find some freelance jobs.
Pending where you live and your surrounding cities, the opportunity for finding work in your niche might be more challenging than others.
If anything, you’ll definitely find some under the table jobs if you need some quick cash and want to earn some money.
But when you go to Craigslist, you can search for the “Gigs” section on the homepage and pick by category or click into the general section of it and see any job postings. Always do your due diligence with Craigslist and ask important questions before blindly accepting any work.
Remote job sites
So the above are more tailored for freelance work and contracting jobs, but you can also find some of these mixed in remote job boards.
Many remote sites’ positions are for full-time work, but it’s also a great place to find some freelance jobs.
Remote.co
This remote job board has been around for some time, and I’ve used it myself to find some work in the past. One Remote.co, you’ll find tons of categories like online data entry jobs, marketing, writing, accounting, design, customer service, developer, and more.
WeWorkRemotely
Another remote job site I’ve used often is WeWorkRemotely. You can browse through all the categories as well for different open jobs and work. Or you can even select their contract work category to find the best freelance and part-time jobs.
Remotive.io
Lastly, I’ll mention Remotive, which has quickly become a popular destination looking for legit online jobs and their next full-time career working from home.
However, you’ll also find some contract and freelance jobs scattered on the job board in various categories. It’s always good to have some additional options to find work!
Beware of freelance job scams
While there are plenty of awesome freelance jobs out there, you have to be aware of potential scams too. Since working from home and remote jobs are so popular, there naturally are people ready to take advantage of that.
While it is possible to make money while you sleep if the listing promises you that there is little to no work involved, be immediately skeptical. Many people will try to sell you the dream when it comes to freelance jobs or working from home.
But don’t fall for it!
Additionally, do not send money to anyone to get started and avoid giving personal information like your social security number (that’s a great way to become an identity theft victim). If an organization mentions you need to buy things from them to get started, that’s also a red flag.
That said, don’t be afraid to dive into freelancing! There are plenty of legit jobs, it can be a great way to make extra money, or you can even pursue freelancing full-time. So, what are you waiting for?!
This article originally appeared on Your Money Geek and has been republished with permission
