make money online
9 ways to make money online
Earn some cash right from your computer or phone.
If you want to learn how to make money online, you will be happy to know that there are many options for earning cash. While your earning potential will depend on your talent and time investment, it doesn't take much effort to put a little money in your wallet.
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9 Ways to Make Money Online
play games
Ready to make money while having fun? Multiple apps and websites will pay you to download and play games – in cash or gift cards to popular retailers. Some sites require you to reach a certain game level or achievement within a certain time frame to earn rewards. Others track your gaming time. The more you play, the more you earn.
How easy it is to earn cash: Easy, but it may take some time to reach the app's payout threshold.
How much you can earn: As little as a few dollars a day.
HOT TIP: To avoid surprises, review the payout threshold and redemption options for any get-paid-to-play app or site before making your pledge.
Take the survey
Everyone has an opinion. Why not get paid for yours? Paid survey sites can turn free time into a decent payment. Most sites require you to share some demographic information before matching you with a suitable survey. Some profiles may get more survey opportunities than others.
How easy it is to earn cash: Easy
How much you can earn: One survey site says that taking 3 surveys per day can earn $40 per month. 1 Another estimates $100 or more per month for "motivated earners."
Hot Tip: Research and sign up on multiple survey sites to get more opportunities and increase your earning potential
Become a virtual assistant
Do you have superior organizational skills? Love making travel arrangements—and don't mind data entry? If so, virtual assistants can stop being. There are many sites that hire virtual assistants and handle placements, payments and other logistics. You can set up a profile on talent marketplaces and reach out to potential clients through their platform.
How easy it is to earn cash: Medium difficulty. Prospective clients usually want assistants with some relevant experience.
How much you can earn: Rates start at around $17 per hour.3
Hot tip: If you're new to virtual assistance, consider working for family and friends first to build your resume and provide references for future clients.
Sell stock photography
If you have a great eye and a camera, your photos can become an income stream. You can set up your own online stock image store through an existing platform or upload photos to a stock photography site and get paid per download.
How easy it is to earn cash: Hard; You need to be a talented photographer and take pictures of things or people that customers, such as publications and advertising agencies, want to pay to download.
How much you can earn: This varies by site and how many people want to buy your photos. Commissions range from 8% to 85% per download. 4
Hot Tip: Look for sites that market your photos on multiple stock photography sites to increase your earning potential
Sell other things
Whether you have something lying around that you no longer use or you're crafty enough to get people to like it, you can post your castoffs and creations on an official marketplace or just on social media.
How easy it is to earn cash: Medium difficulty; You need to have good-looking and/or practical things that other people want and access to those who want them.
How much you can earn: Some people earn enough to quit their job. Others make a little money here and there.
Hot Tip: Some marketplaces charge per listing; Others take a cut of the sale. Still others charge nothing up to a certain threshold. If you don't expect a lot of sales, the last option might be your best bet. Bonus tip: Be sure to factor in shipping costs if you're not delivering the product in person
Become a tutor
Get paid to share your knowledge through online tutoring. Whether your talent is in K-to-12 education or college-level and beyond, companies have virtual tutoring gigs available—and on your schedule.
How easy it is to earn cash: Hard; You must meet subject-specific education, experience and skill requirements. You may even be required to provide interviews, background checks, or college transcripts. Then you need to schedule time to chat with your clients.
How much you can earn: Varies by site and your specialty, but typically ranges from $16 to $35 per hour.5,6
Hot Tip: The application and approval process for new tutors can take some time. Check out other teachers' online reviews to help you identify the platforms that best fit your schedule
Accept copy work
While there are apps that can turn spoken audio files into typed-out text, they aren't as accurate as a human transcriber. The result: plenty of replica gigs to go around. If you don't mind listening to legal proceedings, interviews, and other types of discussions—and then typing what you hear into an easy-to-read format—transcription work may be for you.
How easy it is to earn cash: Modest; You will need to take a test and/or send a sample of your transcription work to prove you are an accurate transcriber.
How Much You Can Earn: A popular transcription site says their users earn an average of $245.7 per month.
Hot tip: Many transcription clients pay by the project, not the hour, so you can quickly get more work (and potentially more money) as a typist.
Provide voiceover
Like your own voice? If you suspect others might, you can pay to read scripts used in commercials, instructional videos, audiobooks, and more. You need to create a demo—or better yet, a few different samples—and then post your work on sites where people need voiceover talent.
How easy it is to earn cash: Hard. There's a lot of competition, and it may take some practice until you're good enough to get noticed. Also, some sites charge a premium membership to close your demo bubble while searching for clients. It may be more difficult to discover without paying for the boost.
How much you can earn: This is a wide range, depending on the client and your skills and experience. Expect $5 to hundreds for a single, quick gig.8
Hot tip: You don't have to record samples in the studio. You can get great sound in a small space at home, such as a closet, with a high-quality microphone
Become an online translator
Calling all multilingual people. Your fluency can be a side gig or a full-time online job. From translation agencies to talent marketplaces, there are many places to find work and get paid for your language skills.
How easy it is to earn cash: Hard; You need to prove fluency and translation skills.
How much you can earn: Varies by language, marketplace and available gigs.
Hot Tip: Translation gigs can include text typing, live consulting, or a recorded translation—you need to find sites that match your interests and skills.
Easy tips to earn money online
Now that you know how to make money online—and in a variety of ways—it's time for a few reminders. These tips can help you potentially increase your income and maintain your financial discipline.
Track your earnings. Whether it's a simple spreadsheet or an online bookkeeping program, keep tabs on your payouts along with other rewards like cash and gift cards. You may need to check in with the client or the site you're working on when you don't receive the expected payment.
Consider a separate checking account. To better track cash payouts, you may want to set up a checking account dedicated to your online earnings. Your monthly statement can help you easily see revenue per site over time and drive you to focus your efforts on more profitable outlets.
Stay on top of your taxes. Even if your online income is a fraction of your total monthly income, you are responsible for reporting what you make. The IRS typically requires self-employed individuals (that's you if you make money online) to file quarterly taxes. Sites that ask you for money.
Use the income toward your retirement savings. If you bring in a modest monthly income, consider setting up a small business retirement plan such as a SEP IRA or a self-employed 401(k). You can contribute to these accounts in addition to your personal IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k), as another way to save for retirement.
Consider professional liability insurance. You might want an extra layer of protection if there's even a small chance something goes wrong with the assignment or the client. A professional liability policy – also known as errors and omissions insurance – can help protect your personal assets from client or company losses.
