Work-from-home side jobs that can earn you more than $15 an hour include transcribing audio and video or instructing an online course. The income from online side jobs can help you reach financial goals like paying off student loans faster, and with a broad selection of side hustles available, you’re likely to find one that’s a good match for your needs.

4 work-from-home online side jobs that can pay $15-plus an hour

Taking on a second job online can be an effective way to boost your cash flow, but side gigs are known for their variable pay. While the following online side jobs often pay more than $15 an hour, there’s no guarantee because of variations such as location and time spent.

1. Audio and video transcriber
2. Online course instructor
3. Social media marketer
4. Virtual assistant

1. Audio and video transcriber

If you have a few extra hours on weekends or an extra hour a day, you could generate income by transcribing audio and video recordings.

Kollin Lephart, founder and CEO of digital marketing agency Destination M+PR, earned extra money this way to pay off her student loans while traveling abroad. She used Rev, which pays up to 90 cents a minute for transcribing audio or video or up to $3 a minute for translating subtitles. A transcriber who earned the maximum 90 cents a minute would earn $54 an hour.

To get started with Rev, you must:

- Be proficient in English
- Take a grammar quiz
- Submit a transcription sample

If approved, you can start transcribing as soon as possible. Recordings might be a few minutes or several hours, so you can choose based on how much time you have. Lephart, who did the work in her spare time, said she normally saw 10 to 20 jobs available when she logged in, and transcribed while drinking coffee and eating breakfast, as well as before she went to bed.

Lephart noted that it can take awhile to get good at transcribing, but she earned an average of $250 a week. Rev pays weekly via PayPal for completed projects.

2. Online course instructor

Personal trainer and nutrition coach Niccole Hendrickson discovered her opportunity as an online course instructor by accident. When she moved from San Diego to Denver, building out the business online-enabled her clients to remain with her.

She started by creating documents that outlined basic nutrition and fitness plans, then added video clips of exercises. According to Hendrickson, her online business brought in an extra $500 to $1,000 a month.

You could consider Udemy, which doesn’t charge instructor fees, to get started. To meet Udemy’s requirements, your courses must include:

- 30 minutes of video content
- At least 5 lectures or learning modules

To offer paid courses, you’ll need to submit a premium instructor application, which is typically reviewed within two business days.

Although you have a level of control over the price of your course, Udemy has price tiers. For U.S. courses:

- The minimum price tier is $19.99
- The maximum price tier is $199.99

When a student purchases a course, the instructor receives a percentage of that amount. Instructors receive monthly payouts via PayPal or Payoneer.

3. Social media marketer

With sites like CloudPeeps, you can start a side job as a freelance social media marketer without having to chase down clients yourself.

The average Facebook user spends 38 minutes each day on the platform, while the average Instagram user is active 27 minutes a day. If you learn how to use social media for business marketing, you can help businesses develop a social media strategy that resonates with their brand. Tasks may include:

- Setting key performance indicators
- Tracking metrics across multiple social media platforms
- Reworking the content that’s posted to increase engagement

CloudPeeps notes that social media marketers are offered rates between $50 and $150 an hour. If you’re a social media marketer looking for work through CloudPeeps, there are three plans:

- Free (client transaction fee is 15%)
- Standard: $9 a month (client transaction fee is 10%)
- Plus: $29 a month (client transaction fee is 5%)

After you submit an invoice, your client has five days to review it and request changes; otherwise, their card on file is automatically charged. Clients can also opt to immediately pay the invoice. Payments are disbursed as direct deposits via Stripe.

Other sites, such as Contently, enable you to build an online marketing business as well, although that’s geared toward professional freelance writing rather than just social media.

4. Virtual assistant

If you’re detail-oriented and organized, virtual assistant work might be the perfect way to earn extra money online. There might be a challenge in fitting this side gig in with a day job, though the hours required will ultimately depend on your clients. The current hourly pay for this side hustle averages $15.70 an hour.

Blogger and virtual assistant coach Kayla Sloan earned $15 an hour out of the gate doing this work. She loved it because she could work from home, set her own schedule and skip the commute.

Sloan’s advice is to begin with your network, including any entrepreneurs or small-business owners you might know. If you come up empty, Sloan suggests finding online side jobs as a virtual assistant on job boards, though she does warn that jobs posted on such sites typically pay less.

You can also post your availability as a virtual assistant on freelance sites like Upwork and PeoplePerHour.

How to find more side hustles

Discovering work-from-home side jobs and offline gigs can be easy. The examples above are just a handful of ideas you can try that can pay at least $15 an hour.

Additional ideas for side jobs online or offline that can help you increase your monthly income include gigs as a:

- Delivery courier (e.g., DoorDash and Postmates)
- Vacation rental host (e.g., Vrbo and Airbnb)
- Ride-share driver (e.g., Lyft and Uber)
- Pet sitter or dog walker (e.g., Wag and Rover)
- In-person tutor (e.g., at a high school or through private clients)

By leveraging your existing skills or taking on an easy-to-do offline side hustle, you can start earning $15 an hour or more sooner than you realize. Whether you prefer the ease of using an established platform to find a second job online, or you want to build an online side hustle that’s entirely your own, there are many options to get started.

Jennifer Calonia contributed to this report.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided or commissioned by any financial institution. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the financial institution.

This piece originally appeared on Student Loan Hero, a media brand owned by LendingTree.

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