*There are affiliate links in this post. I get paid a small commission when you purchase products and services from this content, but all opinions are expressly my own.
Thinking of moonlighting with freelance work while still in your 9-5?
Whether your day job doesn’t pay enough to make your ends meet or you’re looking to supplement your income to pay for a car, a house or a dream vacation, moonlighting is a solution many people turn towards to make some extra cash. Moonlighting is also seen as a way to earn money doing something you love without having to quit your job. In any case, freelance moonlighting jobs can pay a decent amount of money while offering flexible timings so you can manage a full time day job along with a side gig.
So how does one find a side job that not only offers the flexibility of working from your laptop but also pays well? In today’s blog post, I’ve put together the complete list of freelance moonlighting jobs you can do from your laptop while still working at your day job.
Let’s dig in!
Website development:
If you’ve done the hard work and mastered coding, you’re in luck! Website development is one of the most in-demands skills right now and there’s a huge market for freelance software developers. Build your portfolio while still working at a day job and start earning per project through online marketplaces such as Upwork, Guru and Freelancer. These sites offer a great platform for new developers to gain experience and earn extra money by working in the evenings or at weekends.
Graphic design:
Freelance graphic designing is another great moonlighting option if you want to set your own timings and work from your laptop. You’ll need a reliable computer, Adobe Creative Cloud Programs such as InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator, and kick-ass design skills. There’s a huge demand for freelance graphic designers on sites such as 99Designs and Fiverr. Again, you’ll need to build your portfolio if you want consistent work. Once you have 4-6 samples, getting clients should not be a problem.
Search Engine Optimization:
With the explosion of flourishing online businesses, there’s a great need for SEO specialists. The good news is that you don’t need a fancy degree to qualify for an SEO specialist job. You only need to be willing to learn and put in your maximum effort. There are thousands of resources available online completely free of cost that you can use to learn search engine optimization. Once you’ve built up your SEO skills, you can find clients through Facebook groups, networking or sites like Upwork, People Per Hour and Freelancer.
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Video Editing:
Freelance video editing is one of the most fun ways to earn money from your laptop in your free time. All you need is a powerful laptop with headphones, a hard drive for footage and a great editing software. If you’re just starting out and don’t have clients, simply help out people you know by offering your services for free. If you know someone with a huge social media following, that’s even better! Once you have a few samples, you can find clients by using resources such as ProductionHub, Creative Cow Job Search and Mandy.com.
Online/Digital Marketing:
Internet marketing is one of the most in-demand skills in the world today. Businesses need to market their services effectively and they’d rather pay an expert to do it than learn all the nuts and bolts of digital marketing themselves. Since most service providers are swamped with the daily tasks of managing their businesses, that’s where an online marketing specialist comes in. As a freelance digital marketer, you can set your own timings and rates and can earn a significant second income while still working at your day job. In fact, we have several resources on this site. Start by watching our free Digital Marketing workshop. 🙂
Social Media Management:
Social media management is another great side job option. This is a flexible occupation that requires creating and scheduling posts for social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, running ad campaigns and community management. Although it takes time to build your credibility as a social media manager, you can start by creating a community of your own, which you can showcase to get clients. By using tools such as Hootsuite and Buffer to create and schedule posts, social media management shouldn’t take more than 2-3 hours of your time per day.
Sales:
If you have kick-ass communication skills, a career as a freelance sales agent might be the perfect second job for you. Sales agents make money by selling products for companies and earning a commission from each sale. This is the perfect job for those who don’t want to be tied down to specific work hours. Most companies pay between 10 and 25 percent commission of the total sale value. The more products you sell, the more money you earn. All you need is a laptop, a headset and a quiet place to make calls.
Virtual Assistants Work:
If you’re good at administrative tasks, then moonlighting as a virtual assistant could be a lucrative option for you. There’s unlimited potential to earn revenue in this field if you can handle assigned tasks efficiently and deliver work on time. Virtual assistants with positive reviews and great portfolios charge around $50 to $100 per hour. Initially, you’ll need to set realistic rates and can charge $20 to $40 an hour. Once you’ve worked with a number of clients and business gets going, there’s potential to turn this into a decent second revenue stream. The Freelance Business Planning Bundle is a great way to get started.
Copywriting:
A copywriter is someone who writes content for commercial use. This content is always focused towards a specific goal, such as convincing people to buy a product/service or providing information. You’ll need proven writing experience to find work, which you can get by either writing articles relevant to your niche or doing some unpaid work for good causes such as charities. Once you have a few samples to show, you can find clients by networking, joining relevant Facebook groups, sending cold emails to companies or through freelance job boards. Copywriting is a great way to supplement your income as it provides the flexibility to set your own timings and take only as much work as you can handle.
Online Teaching:
Online teaching jobs offer great flexibility and freedom in addition to an opportunity to shape young minds. If you have skills or knowledge in a specific subject, you can make money by teaching others in your spare time. You can even teach your mother tongue on sites such as iTalki and VIPkid. Native English speakers make a lot of money teaching English to kids from non-native speaking countries through these sites. You can also teach other subjects online such as math, chemistry, physics, economics etc. Remember, most sites require at least a Bachelor’s degree. Pay ranges from $10 to $25 per hour and most sites let you set your own schedule.
Transcription:
Transcription jobs require you to listen to a video or an audio file and then transcribe the contents. Generally, transcription jobs are found within three categories: market research, legal research and medical transcription. These jobs are mostly posted by agencies that first test your typing speed and then set you up with jobs. You can expect to make around $15 an hour initially. However, those with legal or medical experience can earn $25 to $30 per hour. Not a bad option to make some extra cash as a second job.
Proofreading:
There are two main types of proofreading – one is proofreading court reporter transcripts. The other one is general proofreading for blogs, books, and other types of content. Caitlin Pyle, over at Proofread Anywhere, is a great resource for people looking to start their proofreading hustle. In fact, she has a free workshop and free class to get you started!
There are TONS of other types of online work – some of them are a bit tricky to do moonlighting, but you can read this post for more information!
*There are affiliate links in this post. I get paid a small commission when you purchase products and services from this content, but all opinions are expressly my own.