Legitimate work-from-home typing jobs (that pay more than data entry jobs)
If you’re good at typing, there are a lot of work-from-home jobs that pay more than data entry. This guide will help you secure those jobs so you can start earning good money quickly.
Preparing for these jobs
A good thing about most work from home typing jobs is that you don’t need any specific qualifications to land them, just some experience and preparation.
Test your typing speed and accuracy
In the typing world, speed and accuracy are key qualifications. Luckily, there are many tests you can take online such as:
The average speed for professional typists range from 50 WPM (words per minute) to 80 WPM. If your score falls short of these averages, keep practicing. It’s also important to note that speed isn’t everything—aim for accuracy as well.
Build a portfolio
A portfolio can be as simple as a bunch of links you keep privately, and then send out when you’re pitching work. It can also be more detailed like Caitlin Reid on Clippings or Jake Bleiberg on Clippings.
To start a portfolio, gather examples of the best work you’ve done and get them into a document or spreadsheet. You can liven it up with pictures or art if you’d like, but the important part is the work. If you haven’t written anything online yet, you can start for free by writing posts on LinkedIn blogging and Medium, or posting on your own social media accounts.
Build a presence online
Make sure you’re easy to find online. In specific, you need:
- A personal website: Tools like WordPress or Carrd streamline the process for you.
- Active social media profiles: Platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter are well-built for writing.
Make sure your profiles are filled out properly so people know what kind of work you offer.
19 different kinds of work-from-home typing jobs
Not sure what kind of typing job you might be suited for? Here are 19 different kinds of roles you can take on with typing skills.
For each job, we’ve highlighted:
- What kind of work it is.
- The pay range.
- Additional skills or experience you’ll need beyond just typing quickly and accurately.
1 - Ghostwriting
What it is: Ghostwriting involves writing a variety of content (usually blogs or press releases) for executives, companies, or public figures. An important thing to note is that this kind of content doesn’t get published under your name, hence the name “ghost” writing.
Pay range: From $15 to $45+ per hour.
Additional skills beyond typing: Ghostwriting gigs require you to write things as if you were someone else, so make sure you know how to embody someone else’s tone and style.
2 - Blogging
What it is: Blogging is an interesting work-from-home writing gig because it allows you to write on a wide range of topics. You can pitch to write for someone else’s blog, or start your own and monetize it through sponsored posts or advertisements.
Pay range: Anywhere from $50 to $1,000+ per article depending on length and required expertise.
Additional skills beyond typing: Blogging requires subject matter expertise or research skills. You’ll also have to be familiar with content management systems (CMS).
3 - Newsletter writing
What it is: Like blogs, you can write content on someone else’s behalf—this time in newsletter format. You’ll also have to find engaging ways to interact with the community you build.
Pay range: Similar rates to blogging.
Additional skills beyond typing: Ideally, you’ll know how to use various newsletter platforms (like Mailchimp or Substack), and how to write for a specific audience.
4 - Social media copywriter
What it is: As a social media copywriter, you’ll write posts for various social media platforms on your client’s behalf.
Pay range: Anywhere from $15 to $100+ per hour.
Additional skills beyond typing: It helps to know how to write across different social media platforms, and the unique intricacies of each. You’ll also have to know different ways people like to engage on different platforms (for example: conversations on LinkedIn or hashtags on Twitter).
5 - Ad copywriter
What it is: An ad copywriter is responsible for writing out words, slogans, and scripts a company uses for advertising.
Pay range: Anywhere from $20 to $100+ per hour depending on experience and past results.
Additional skills beyond typing: You need to have incredibly concise writing and motivate people with as few words as possible. These skills can translate into many other copywriting jobs.
6 - Landing page copywriter
What it is: A landing page copywriter will focus on writing out copy for landing pages that brands will use to advertise specific offerings, products, webinars, or any other services.
Pay range: Typically $20 to $35 per hour to start. Experienced copywriters can charge anywhere from $250 to $750+ per landing page.
Additional skills beyond typing: You’ll need to know how to write in a way that motivates people to take action (usually buying something).
7 - Email marketing copywriter
What it is: This job involves writing emails for your clients, whether transactional emails like purchase confirmations or a drip campaign to keep customers engaged and drive purchases.
Pay range: Similar to an ad copywriter.
Additional skills beyond typing: You need to be capable of writing different styles of emails that catch people’s attention.
8 - Script writing
What it is: Script writers will write scripts for all kinds of things—commercials, video content, shows, films, and even video games.
Pay range: Anywhere from $15 to $75+ per hour.
Additional skills beyond typing: You’ll need to know how to structure a story, since scripts need to pull the reader through and keep them engaged.
9 - Podcast transcription
What it is: As a podcast transcriber, you’ll be transcribing full podcasts and interviews for your clients.
Pay range: Usually around $30 to $45 per hour.
Additional skills beyond typing: Ideally, you’re a good listener that’s able to process information quickly and efficiently.
Did you know?
Working remotely can increase productivity up to 77%.
- ApolloTechnical
10 - Proofreading and editing
What it is: A proofreader or editor will look over someone’s work for any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, and clean it up so it can be published.
Pay range: Usually around $25 to $85+ per hour (or $50 to $200+ per 1,000 words).
Additional skills beyond typing: You’re able to quickly pick up on any grammar, spelling, and prose errors. It also helps to know different writing style books like AP or CP.
11 - Virtual assistant
What it is: A virtual assistant is a worker who offers various services to businesses and entrepreneurs remotely. They help cover tasks that business owners don’t have the time for, so they can focus on other work. This can include various online typing jobs.
Pay range: $20 to $30 an hour for general tasks, and higher for specialized tasks.
Additional skills beyond typing: It depends on the work you are assigned, but it helps to know how to write for things like social media, emails, and ads.
12 - Captioning or subtitle writing
What it is: Writing out subtitles or captions for videos that will be available for watchers.
Pay range: Usually around $30 to $45 per hour.
Additional skills beyond typing: This writing gig requires you to be a good listener. It also helps to know how to incorporate captions using video editing software (for example, YouTube’s closed captioning tool).
13 - Customer support live chat agent
What it is: Customer support chat agents quickly help customers with any basic questions they have about a product or purchase through an online chat.
Pay range: $15 to $25 per hour.
Additional skills beyond typing: You need a deep understanding of your client’s products and services so you can help customers in an efficient and friendly way.
14 - Medical transcription
What it is: A medical transcriber will transcribe medical reports that are dictated by healthcare professionals.
Pay range: $20 to $50+ per hour depending on experience.
Additional skills beyond typing: It can be helpful to come in with some background or experience related to healthcare. Knowing how to write in a style catered to healthcare professionals is also a bonus.
15 - Scopist
What it is: A scopist will write and edit court transcripts for lawyers, judges, and other people involved in the legal process.
Pay range: $15 to $35+ per hour depending on experience.
Additional skills beyond typing: You’ll likely need some basic legal knowledge, and have to be comfortable listening under pressure.
Fast fact:
Employees working from home spent 15%less time avoiding work.
- ApolloTechnical
16 - Research report production
What it is: Typing jobs within research report production will have you process research and turn them into reports so that people can better understand the data.
Pay range: Anywhere from $100 to $1,000+ per research report depending on length.
Additional skills beyond typing: You need to be able to simplify complicated ideas. This writing gig will have you skim large amounts of research to find the most important bits.
17 - Market research data collector
What it is: A market research data collector takes survey or interview data and compresses that information into a report. It’s another writing job that requires you to make larger amounts of research more digestible for others (research reporters).
Pay range: $20 to $40+ per hour.
Additional skills beyond typing: Organizational and structural skills are the most important part of this job. You need to be able to structure large amounts of data so they can be easily understood.
18 - Translator
What it is: If you know another language, translation is a great money making opportunity. You’ll be translating scripts from different kinds of work into another language for clients.
Pay range: $25 to $50+ per hour depending on client needs and your fluency levels in different languages.
Additional skills beyond typing: A high level written fluency in at least two languages, including common euphemisms or turns of phrase in each language.
19 - Community manager or moderator
What it is: A community manager or moderator will manage and moderate a private online community so that things run smoothly.
Pay range: $30 to $100+ per hour depending on your experience and past results.
Additional skills beyond typing: You need to be able to supervise a group of people, and find the right ways to engage them. It can also help if you’re already an active member of that community.
Where (and how) to find work-from-home typing jobs
Although there are plenty of jobs available, it takes some work to find them. Start by choosing your focus, then look for roles in the right places, and don’t forget to tell your network.
1. Choose your focus
Think about what work you enjoy doing, particularly any additional skills on top of typing. This can help narrow down your options, so you can find typing jobs more tailored to you. It can also help you when you pitch because you can be more specific about the things you're strongest at and showcase skills that differentiate you from other candidates.
2. Look in the right places:
After choosing a focus, there are multiple freelance marketplaces, managed services, and job boards you can use to find gigs.
Marketplaces
- Freelance Writing Gigs: Freelance Writing Gigs rounds up job postings each week and sends one big email. They also provide guides for building your online portfolio.
- Contenta: Contenta helps find freelance writing gigs and offers a writer training course to help you up your game.
- Guru: Guru offers one of the larger marketplaces for online writing jobs.
- Problogger: Problogger only focuses on blog-related work from home freelance gigs.
- Copify: Copify will let you offer your services for different kinds of content.
- The Writer Finder: The Writer Finder offers a more personalized approach to finding you matches for work. You fill out a survey, and they’ll come to you with the best matches that you can pitch.
When you start a profile on a marketplace, make sure it’s comprehensive. Name every kind of typing service you want to offer and provide examples of your work. This process gets easier as you collect more work and get reviews.
Managed services
If you don’t like managing clients, freelance managed services might be a good fit. These platforms will find you gigs, place you for work, and handle all the administrative tasks so you can focus on getting the job done. In return, they take a small percentage of your pay.
- Magic: Magic will take into account the work you want to focus on, and assign you to the best fit clients.
- Virtual Gurus: If you’ve built up a decent portfolio of work, Virtual Gurus is worth applying to for more experienced typists.
- Marketer Hire: A managed service exclusively for marketers, you can sign up as a writer on the platform and get placed with clients almost immediately.
Job boards
Many companies post work-from-home typing gigs on job boards.
- FlexJobs: FlexJobs looks over every job that’s posted on the platform to ensure you’re getting the safest remote listings.
- Remote OK: Remote OK offers one of the most intuitive UIs for job searches so you can browse hundreds of potential typing jobs quickly.
- WeWorkRemotely: If you like a straightforward search, We Work Remotely has one of the most simplistic and easy-to-use search engines on the job board market.
- Dynamite Jobs: On certain postings, Dynamite Jobs allows you to connect directly with hiring managers so you can connect to them faster.
- Custom LinkedIn search: Many hiring managers will share their job postings on LinkedIn, and a custom search can help direct you to many of those posts.
3 - Tell your network
Make it clear on your LinkedIn or social media pages that you’re offering writing services, but don’t be too pushy with your network. Even if people don’t have an immediate need for your services, at the very least they’ll know they have someone they can go to if the opportunity presents itself.
Did you know?
30% of telecommuters save upward of $5,000 per year.
-Review42
Crafting your pitch to get the gig
Once you’ve found the opportunity (or opportunities!) you want, here are some tips on crafting the perfect pitch to help you land the job:
If you got an inbound lead: Ask about the individual’s goals and needs. This will help you tailor your proposal so it best fits what they want.
If you saw the opportunity on a freelance marketplace: Follow all the rules for applying that the marketplace sets out. Also, make sure you follow any instructions laid out by the person posting the gig.
If you got the opportunity from a managed service: Take the same approach as a marketplace, but follow the rules of the managed service. Each platform will likely have its own process for taking on new work, so be prepared to make the necessary adjustments across different outlets.
If you saw the opportunity on a job board: Apply like you would if it was a full time job. This could include writing out a cover letter, and adding a short introduction note to the hiring manager before you apply. Some job boards have their own instructions, so be sure to follow those as well.
Managing clients
Once you get the gig, it’s important to prioritize client management. This will help you get the best outcome from your projects and ensure you are paid on time. Here are a few points to keep in mind:
Project scoping: Make sure the project outcome is clear before you start work. Ask what a successful outcome looks like and what metrics you’re expected to hit.
Communication: Be transparent about timelines and delivery dates. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you aren’t clear on anything. Communication is a big key to making sure everybody is on the same page.
Invoicing and payments: Make sure you have a good payment system that allows you to create professional invoices quickly and accept payments efficiently. If you accept work through a marketplace or managed service, make sure you’re aware of their rules when it comes to payments (including fees).
Thinking long term: Think ahead about your client’s bigger business goals (and don’t be afraid to ask your clients what they’re planning). This will help you figure out ways you can improve how you work with them or to provide add-on services. Additionally, if you do a great job for a client, and they’re happy about the work you did, don’t be afraid to ask them for a referral.
Making money working from home
If you want to make money working from home, remember, you’re not just limited to just data entry. If you can type, there’s a huge opportunity to make money. There are tons of marketplaces and niches you focus on, and you can start building up a portfolio in no time. Work from home typing jobs can be the start of a beneficial side gig - or even a thriving full-time freelance business.
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