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Work is fun and all, but sometimes you might wish that you could fulfill all your professional obligations from the comfort of your couch without ever changing out of your sweats. In fact, positions with work-life balance and flexibility have become increasingly important to professionals, according to a new study from LinkedIn. Since 2016, there’s also been a 78 percent increase in job listings mentioning the term “workplace flexibility,” says LinkedIn’s resident career expert, Blair Decembrele.
While tech is the industry with the most options, says Decembrele, there are plenty of jobs that will let you make money without getting out of bed. Here, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite work-from-home gigs.
1. Online Tutor
What you’d do: Help students in a subject you mastered in high school or college (and are currently in tune with, of course). This could consist of providing homework help over video calls or editing a student’s essay in Google Docs. Did you ace any standardised tests? There’s high demand for tutors on everything from AP tests to the LSAT.
How much it pays: According to ZipRecruiter, anywhere from AED 10,2850 to AED 30,4876/year.
Who’s good at it: People with academic backgrounds who are looking for flexible hours. (Tryna finish that novel while still paying rent? Right this way, genius.)
Where to find the gig: Sign up for online tutoring sites like Chegg or Tutor, where you can start searching for gigs.
2. Transcriptionist
What you’d do: Transcribe audio recordings of everything from phone calls to conferences. People will send you audio files and then you’ll (quickly and accurately!) type up the document of everything said. Efficiency is really key, because clients will often want a fast turnaround.
How much it pays: According to ZipRecruiter, anywhere from AED 66,118 to AED 550,980/year, although the national average is AED 225,156/year.
Who’s good at it: If you are a fast typist or like to listen in on all sorts of conversations, this may be the job for you.
Where to find the gig: Companies like Scribie, Quicktate, Transcribe Me, Rev, and Amazon Mechanical Turk will hire transcribing newbs to help you get in the game.
3. Game/App Tester
What you’d do: Test new games and apps for possible bugs. You’ll get sent a test version of a new game or app and scour it for bugs. The bigger ones you find, the more money you make.
How much it pays: You get paid per test, with the maximum payout of AED1,084 if you find a “critical bug.” Number of tests you take varies depending on your schedule and availability.
Who’s good at it: People with tech experience who are looking to hone their skills or who want to get a peek at the latest apps.
Where to find the gig: Sign up to become a tester at Test IO.
4. Pet Sitter
What you’d do: Hang out with other people’s pets, feed them, and walk them. Although the pups and kitties can often come to you, you might be asked to pop by the pet owner’s home to complete your work. (But if the gig is close by that’s basically home, right?!)
How much it pays: According to Glassdoor, pet sitters can make anywhere from AED 1,837 to AED 3,673 permonth.
Who’s good at it: People who love animals, might be willing to travel locally, and are comfortable picking up poop.
Where to find the gig: Start looking for gigs on Pet Sitters International or Rover.
5. Survey Taker
What you’d do: Essentially, take surveys on all sorts of things. Based on your demographics — you sign up by linking either your Facebook or LinkedIn — you’ll get sent surveys on all sorts of things. Many companies small and large utilize these types of services for product research and focus groups.
How much it pays: Survey takers can make AED 37 – AED 55 an hour, according to Respondent.
Who’s good at it: Anyone over 18 who has strong opinions on things or likes to click through various SurveyMonkeys.
Where to find the gig: Hit up Swagbucks, MySurvey, or InboxDollars to get your survey taking career off the ground.
6. Website Tester
What you’d do: Test websites to see how easy they are to use. You’ll get sent tests of different websites with tasks—such as how easy it is to find a certain product or access a different webpage. You’ll record yourself going through the website and leave feedback at the end.
How much it pays: Testers for UserFeel earn AED 37 for every 10- to 20-minute test.
Who’s good at it: People who are pros at online shopping or like to browse the deepest crevices of websites.
Where to find the gig: Check out UserFeel, TryMyUI, or TestingTime for gigs that pay by the test.
7. Etsy Creator
What you’d do: Create an Etsy shop to sell your gorgeous, underappreciated wares, like vintage finds or ceramic bowls. Come up with a cute name, an even cuter description, and update your inventory as much as you can.
How much it pays: Some Etsy sellers earn up to AED 257,124 per month (!), but you’ll make as much as you sell, obv.
Who’s good at it: People who have legit crafting skills and web experience and are interested in operating their own business during flexible hours.
Where to get the gig: Start creating and launch your shop on Etsy.com.
8. Virtual Assistant
What you’d do: Work as a full-time assistant without having to sit in an office all day. You’d do everything from answering emails, scheduling appointments, and assisting on research. Virtual assistants primarily work on online resources, so expect lots of Excel and database-oriented tasks.
How much it pays: Anywhere from AED 477,052 to AED 290,183 per year, with the national average at AED144,684 per year, according to ZipRecruiter.
Who’s good at it: People who are very organized and enjoy office tasks, just not in an office.
Where to find the gig: Start finding clients at VA sites like Elance/oDesk or offering your services on TaskRabbit.
9. Salvage Salesperson
What you’d do: Declutter your life (or your friend’s life!) and salvage anything usable to sell online. Take pics of your items, list ’em, and interact with clients to close the sale.
How much it pays: Your earnings will totally depend on the product and inventory, but some sellers have sold cars on Facebook Marketplace, earning up to AED 3,673.
Who’s good at it: People who have junk on junk on junk (or are cleaning out a friend’s place!) and want to make a few bucks.
Where to find the gig: Sell everything on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or Mercari.
10. Customer Service Representative
What you’d do: Help brands deal with cranky customers via phone or email.
How much it pays: Anywhere from AED 844,084 to AED 143,255 per year, with AED 112,723 per year as the national average, according to Glassdoor.
Who’s good at it: People who like to problem-solve and interact with others but don’t want to go outside.
Where to find the gig: Scour LinkedIn by searching “remote customer service.” Thats how Wayfair recently hired someone to fill this role.
11. Rental Host
What you’d do: Host guests in your home, whether that’s in a spare bedroom or full rental property. You’ll be responsible for maintaining the space (keep that ish hotel clean to earn rave reviews) and keeping guests happy.
How much it pays: AirBnb hosts earn an average of AED 3,394 per month, according to Priceonomics.
Who’s good at it: People who have larger homes or recently had roommates move out. Bonus points if you’re in a great neighborhood.
Where to find the gig: List your extra space on AirBnb, VRBO, or HomeAway.
12. Software Engineer
What you’d do: You might design features, test new code, or develop new website infrastructure, based on your skill set.
How much it pays: Anywhere from AED 108,359 to AED 593,222 per year, with a national average of AED 390,211 per year, according to ZipRecruiter.
Who’s good at it: Techies who want to ~disrupt~ their office routine by working from home.
Where to find the gig: According to Decembrele, a great way to find these positions is simply adding phrases like “remote” or “work-from-home” when filtering jobs on LinkedIn.