✔ No account fees or minimums ✔ Up to 4.20% APY
✔ Up to a $300 bonus.
See what better banking is like with SoFi. Learn more

Ideas for Making Money From Home

By Jamie Cattanach. August 16, 2023 · 12 minute read

We’re here to help! First and foremost, SoFi Learn strives to be a beneficial resource to you as you navigate your financial journey. We develop content that covers a variety of financial topics. Sometimes, that content may include information about products, features, or services that SoFi does not provide. We aim to break down complicated concepts, loop you in on the latest trends, and keep you up-to-date on the stuff you can use to help get your money right.

Ideas for Making Money From Home

Did you know that almost 40% of Americans say they have a side hustle, according to a recent survey? And many of those are likely performed at home, from helping a local business with their social media to crafting keychains.

If you’re looking for ways to boost your income without leaving the comforts of home, you’re in the right place. Here’s a compilation of 33 great ways to make money without budging. While how much cash you bring in will vary with what exactly you do and how much time and energy you put into it, these ideas can definitely help you get going on the path to earning income at home.

33 Easy Ways to Make Extra Money from Home

Every person has their own interests and talents. Here’s a wide-ranging list of ways to make money from home.

1. Test Websites

Most websites are well-designed and easy to use because they’re tested by real users — a service they get paid to do. Platforms like UserTesting will link you up with companies who need website testers, and you’ll earn money for each test you do, typically $10/hr or more, depending on the type of test. There are also opportunities to earn more money for live interviews about your experience.

2. Test Products

Products also need testers, and testing can be done at home, too. Companies like ProductReportCard will pay for opinions on gadgets, personal care products, and more. (Plus, you might get some free stuff in the bargain.)

3. Take Surveys

Here’s another way to make money from home: If you start poking around product testing websites, you’ll notice most of them capture your opinion by using surveys — and there are plenty of other websites that pay for your surveyed opinion, too. SurveyJunkie is one popular option, as is Swagbucks. These opps won’t get you rich quick (they can pay around 25 cents to $5 each and sometimes considerably more) , but they’re a great way to earn some extra money at home.

💡 Quick Tip: Make money easy. Enjoy the convenience of managing bills, deposits, and transfers from one online bank account with SoFi.

4. Become a Voice Actor

If you’ve got a voice for radio — or an audiobook, or a video game, or the PA announcement at your local grocery store — you may be able to earn money doing voiceover work in the comfort of your own home. (Or more accurately, the comfort of your own closet, which is probably the most noise-insulated room in the house.)

5. Do Closed Captioning

Here’s a way to make money online without selling anything: If you’re a quick typist with the ability to pay close attention to speech, you might make a great transcriptionist or captioner. Companies like Rev make it possible to get paid for captioning video content, and you get to set your own hours.

6. Become a Translator

If you are multilingual, you can put those skills to work by becoming a professional translator. Gengo is one platform where translators can find jobs, choosing the ones that fit their abilities and availability. Upwork is another option to explore.

Recommended: Good Paying Jobs Without a College Degree

7. Teach an Online Course

We’ve all got some valuable talents to share with the world — and chances are there’s someone out there who would pay to learn more about what you’re an expert in. Whether it’s creative writing, singing, or coding in JavaScript, get your knowledge out there and get paid for it with platforms like Udemy and Teachable.

8. Become a Tutor

Similar to starting your own course, tutors are paid to teach local students who may be studying for the SAT or just trying to improve their grades. Using video chat can expand your client base far beyond your neighborhood.

9. Offer Music Lessons

If you play an instrument or know the ins and outs of voice control, you can leverage those skills into cash money by offering music lessons — in person or online.

10. Write a Book

Okay, okay: This one is not a quick way to make money or a guaranteed one, by a long shot. But if you’ve got the chops and the dedication, you might just actually write the next great American novel. Or memoir. Or essay collection. Just know that as far as the money goes, it’s a slow burn.

11. Start a Blog

If you’re a writer who wants to hone their chops on an ongoing basis — or you’re just looking for a fun and audience-friendly topic like baking or being a mom — starting a blog can translate into earnings over time, thanks in large part to affiliate marketing. However, a successful blog could also land you speaking gigs, public appearances, and other earning opportunities.

12. Become a Freelance Writer

Another way to make money at home and translate your writing skills into cash: becoming a freelance writer, either on the side or full-time. It can be a tough industry to break into, but once you’ve established yourself, it’s totally possible to earn a living wage doing this work. Having examples of your published work is the best way to show a prospective client your writing skills. Some writers get started by writing a few pieces for a low fee (or no fee even) so that they have some published pieces to share.

13. Or a Freelance Copy Editor

Don’t want to create new content, but happy to read others’ work for errors? Language lovers might be able to earn a living as freelance copy editors. Fiverr is one place to find individual copy-editing jobs, though longer-term contract positions are also regularly listed on job boards like Indeed. It can be a wise move to brush up on the different style manuals (usually AP vs. Chicago) for copy editing so you’re ready to roll.

Get up to $300 when you bank with SoFi.

No account or overdraft fees. No minimum balance.

Up to 4.20% APY on savings balances.

Up to 2-day-early paycheck.

Up to $2M of additional
FDIC insurance.


14. Or a Freelance Graphic Designer

If you have design skills, you could turn your doodles into dollars by sketching logos for businesses, graphics for company websites, and more. You’ll likely need a portfolio of your work to show prospective clients.

15. Or a Freelance SEO Consultant

You can see where we’re going with this — whatever skills you have, you may be able to leverage into a freelance, at-home source of earnings. SEO in particular is a service that companies will pay mighty well for… after all, good rankings translate into more money in their pockets, too. You will likely need to be able to share success stories and metrics, whether for accounts you managed professionally in the past or your own personal account.

16. Become a Virtual Assistant

If you’re the kind of Type-A person whose Google calendar is comprehensive and color-coded, consider channeling those organizational skills into becoming a virtual assistant. Along with offering a great way to make money from home, this gig has the added bonus of a variable work day — you might be scheduling work travel or managing invoices or answering phone calls, but there’s always plenty to do! Try Fiverr, Upwork, and LinkedIn for leads.

17. Sell Your Crafts

If you already spend your downtime enjoying a craft like painting or knitting, why not consider placing your wares up for sale on a site like Etsy? Not only will your art bring smiles to other peoples’ faces, it might also be an easy way to make money from home.

18. Design a T-shirt (or Mug, or Tote Bag)

Here’s a slightly weird way to make money from home: Got a witty slogan, a riff on pop culture, or a beautiful image in mind that just has to be on a shirt somewhere? Make it happen with a website like CafePress or CustomInk, which makes it easy to create and sell your unique designs.

19. Become a YouTuber

If you’ve got something to say and are creative enough to say it with engaging video content (whether that’s dog grooming advice or cute summer outfits), YouTube can be a lucrative way to make money from home. Beware, though: this is a side-gig that can easily take a lot of time and have considerable expense in audio/video equipment.

20. Stream Your Gaming Habits on Twitch

Earning money by playing video games might sound like a fantasy, but platforms like Twitch make it possible…provided you’re actually good, or at least entertaining to watch. You’ll need to have more than 50 followers and meet other marks to become what’s known as an affiliate and start earning cash via people subscribing to watch you.

21. Get Paid to Post on Insta

Yes, you can get paid (and get free stuff) to be a brand ambassador on Instagram and other social media platforms, though you’ll likely need good personal branding and a decent following to do it. Some people spend time curating their social media content already, which means those requirements are probably within reach.

You might find this path especially enticing if you have a niche already, such as being a solo traveler on a budget or a vegan cook, for instance.

22. Sell Your Stuff

If you’re overdue for a closet clean-out, consider selling the stuff you don’t need anymore on an app like OfferUp or on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. You know how they say one person’s trash is another’s treasure? Well, in this case, that can earn you money. Just be on the lookout for money scams that can crop up when buying and selling online.

23. Sell Your Photos

If you know your way around a DSLR or honestly even just an iPhone, you might be able to sell your stock-photo-worthy snaps for money. Platforms like Alamy and GettyImages are two places to sell or license your pictures.

24. Rent Out Your Clothes

Yes, this is real! Turn that prom or bridesmaid dress in your closet into income by renting it out to others. Platforms like RentTheRunway and RentMyWardrobe can help. Designer clothes are most in demand.

25. Rent Out Your Camping Equipment

Or your lawnmower, or your bike: Basically anything you don’t use on the regular, you could be earning money by renting out. Check out the database at Loanables, which also makes it easy to list your own items for rent. Bonus: Sharing items is a way to reduce our overall carbon footprint.

26. Rent Out Your Driveway

There are lots (and lots) of cars on the road these days, which means people need lots of parking space. If you have extra room in your driveway, you can rent it out for pretty good money using platforms like Neighbor.

27. Do Data Entry

Are you a quick typist with great attention to detail? These days, companies who need data entry sometimes hire remote workers, which means you can populate those spreadsheets in the comfort of your own home.

28. Or Customer Service

Many people have some sort of customer service background, and, thanks to the magic of the internet, you don’t necessarily need to work in a crowded, noisy call center to put that resume to use. Many companies offer virtual customer service employees, including Amazon. You’ll definitely want to invest in a headset to take those calls with ease, though.

29. Do Medical Coding And Billing

The work might be tedious, but it pays quite well, and, although it’s counterintuitive, you don’t have to work at a hospital to do it. Many medical establishments outsource their coding and billing needs, and companies like Aviacode allow medical coders to work from home while earning both a salary and valuable benefits.

30. Start a Podcast

It might be a long shot, but many successful podcasts started as a casual, at-home conversation between friends. If your subject matter is interesting enough to draw advertisers, voila: at-home income!

31. Start An At-home Daycare

Love kids? You could get paid to care for them by offering at-home daycare services for parents who need time to work or meet other commitments. Starting a business like this may require licensing and home modifications, but you can also hire out your services as a babysitter using an app like UrbanSitter, Care.com, or Bambino.

32. Take Up Professional Pet-sitting

Getting paid to hang out with puppies sounds like a dream, but it can be your reality if you charge for pet-sitting services. Apps like Rover make it easy to get started, but you can also just advertise around your neighborhood and by word-of-mouth.

33. Start Your Own Business

Many of the options listed here might provide potential side income, but if your career is one whose services can easily be done without a physical storefront, the internet could be your key to freedom on a full-time basis. Although becoming your own boss certainly takes some up-front investment, as well as energy and time, your income potential won’t be limited by what your employer decides to pay you.

A major decision before taking the leap to self-employment is how to get benefits that may have been provided by an employer, such as health insurance and retirement benefits. Having a solid plan will make the path forward easier to navigate.

Pros and Cons of Making Money from Home

Before you embark upon one of the ideas listed above, take a closer look at the pros and cons of earning income at home.

Advantages

Among the benefits of working from home are:

•   Convenience

•   Save time and money on commuting

•   Don’t have to buy an office wardrobe

•   Can set your own hours

•   Not interrupted by office distractions

•   Better work-life balance

•   Potentially less stress (less “office politics”).

Disadvantages

That said, there are also downsides to working from home:

•   Isolation/lack of social interaction

•   Lack of teamwork/anyone to brainstorm with

•   May end up working longer hours

•   Communication issues if you use technology to stay in touch

•   May not have office equipment you need

•   Possibly more complicated taxes when you work from home

•   Lack of motivation.

Alternatives to Making Money From Home

Here are some options to making money from home:

•   An office job (obviously)

•   Freelance gigs that get you out of the house, such as dog walking or landscaping

•   Earning passive income from rental properties and other pursuits.

The Takeaway

Making money from home is great, and the right banking partner can help make that cash work harder for you.

Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.

Better banking is here with SoFi, NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for Best Checking Account Overall.* Enjoy up to 4.20% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

FAQ

How can I make $1000 a week from home?

There are a variety of ways you could earn $1,000 a week while working from home, such as providing coding services or being a virtual assistant. Much will depend on your skillset and the job market. Try looking on Fiverr, Indeed, LinkedIn, and Upwork for opportunities.

How can I make $200 a day from home?

There are many ways you might be able to make $200 a day working from home, often via online freelancing. You might be a writer, editor, SEO consultant, translator, medical coder, virtual assistant, or otherwise bring in cash.

How can you make money fast but legally?

There are a variety of ways to make money quickly and legally, including gigs that can be done from home, such as selling things you no longer need or items you’ve made, or providing services like transcription online. Or you might do jobs that take you out of the house, such as driving a rideshare.


SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2024 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.


SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.20% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

As an alternative to direct deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits are not eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 10/31/2024. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

SOBK0723031

TLS 1.2 Encrypted
Equal Housing Lender