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INSIDE: Looking for stay at home mom jobs? Here are some great ideas to get you started on your search!
Many of my readers are stay at home moms who want to make money from home. If that describes you, this post should be a big help!
Whether you’re looking for ways to replace your previous income, supplement the family budget, or just have some extra spending money, there are tons of flexible work from home jobs for moms.
And that can be a bit daunting. As a SAHM (with only so much time, right?!), it can be deeply frustrating to try to sort through all the information out there, on remote job boards and elsewhere. You’ll see job openings for freelance writing, teaching English online, proofreading, and even being a social media manager or virtual assistant. All the SAHM job possibilities can make your head spin.
Also see: How to work from home with a baby
I’ve been there, so I’m paying it forward and breaking down everything I know in this post.
How to Start Looking for a Stay at Home Mom Job
Before you begin your job search, you need to decide are how much money you want to make and how much time you have to perform the work.
There’s a big difference between:
- Being a contractor (having an at-home job with a regular employer)
- Running your own business on your own flexible schedule
- Doing one-off tasks that pay a little bit here and there
Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can make money in each of those categories.
Also see: Will my homeowner’s insurance cover working from home?
Great Stay at Home Mom Jobs for Contractors
Many of the at-home jobs you hear about are very job-like in nature. If you’re a contractor with one of the big companies that hires for remote work, you’ll often have a set schedule or at least be required to work a certain number of hours per week within a schedule you create.
The benefits of contracting with one of these work-at-home jobs is that there is often no investment or marketing involved, as there would be when starting your own business.
So many companies hire remote workers today, including big names you likely know: Amazon, American Express, Apple, Enterprise and more.
Below are a few suggestions if you’re looking for a more traditional work-at-home j-o-b.
1. Telecommute for Your Current Employer
This is the easiest option when it comes to jobs for stay-at-home moms, if you can make it happen. More and more employers are giving their workers the freedom to do their jobs from home, so ask your boss about this possibility.
Even if you can’t convince your boss to let you telecommute full-time, you may be able to work from home a few days a week. That part-time telecommuting can cut your commuting expenses in half and give you additional freedom and flexibility, all without giving up your full-time paycheck.
2. Work as a Virtual Assistant
If you have experience as a secretary or an administrative assistant, you might be able to find a virtual assistant job. These indispensable online workers do everything that administrative assistants do, from setting up appointments to booking travel for their bosses. The difference is they do it online and from the comfort of their homes. Companies that hire virtual assistant jobs for stay-at-home moms include:
Belay
Belay hires for part-time and full-time work-from-home positions. Currently, they are only considering candidates who have full daytime availability (Monday-Friday during business hours). These positions include executive assistant, bookkeeper and web specialist. If you prefer part-time work, check their website regularly for updates or consider one of the other companies listed below.
To begin the application process with Belay, click the “apply now” button on the website and complete the assessment process. Once you’re approved, they’ll match you with your ideal client.
Boldly
Boldly (previously known as Worldwide 101) provides premium staffing to small and medium-size businesses around the world. They are 100% remote and offer a flexible workday, ongoing mentorship and learning, and paid holidays and parental leave.
Boldly is currently hiring executive assistants, marketing & social media specialists, project managers and paralegals. Positions start at 20 hours per week, with the opportunity to become full-time based on performance. Pay ranges from $20 to $22 per hour, based on skills, experience and seniority.
Time Etc
Time Etc is hiring virtual assistants with at least two to three years of experience as an assistant to do jobs such as schedule management, travel management, document editing, content writing and other tasks.
They will provide you with consistent work, pay and support from the comfort of your own home. Set your own schedule and earn $11 an hour starting pay.
3. Be a Remote Customer Service Representative
More and more companies are outsourcing their call centers to remote workers, which makes a great opportunity for jobs for stay-at-home moms. Anytime you call to place an order or get technical help, you may be speaking with a remote worker.
At-home customer service jobs are some of the most plentiful plentiful work at home positions and are where many job seekers get their start. These companies are frequently hiring. Most also offer a set hourly rate, making them an attractive option for people who need a steady paycheck. Some even offer benefits!
One thing to note is that these gigs typically require a quiet work environment. If you have little ones who are not yet in school, you may need to work only during naptime or after the kids go to bed. Many moms are doing that. As a stay at home mom, you just need to develop a schedule that accommodates both your job and your family.
In addition to those “as seen on TV” sales roles, you’ll find companies from every industry outsourcing to remote workers, such as …
American Express
American Express is currently hiring remote employees for concierge services, such as customer care, and travel agents. All of their work-from-home positions are as employees. A major benefit! That means you’ll have access to great employee benefits, as well as competitive base pay.
- Learn more about working from home for American Express.
Apple
Apple is hiring At-Home Advisors and Chat Agents as part of their customer support wing. You’ll be taking customer inquiries, troubleshooting technical issues, answering questions and solving problems.
Compensation ranges from $14 to $16 per hour, and you’ll have access to paid time off, product discounts and an employee discount package, even if you’re only working part-time!
- Get more about Apple home jobs.
Alorica
Alorica is currently hiring employees to work as customer service agents from home. That’s right: employees. You’ll be paid your local minimum wage and have access to both medical and dental insurance! Of course, you also get all of the benefits of working at home – no commute, no dress code and all the privacy you could want.
You must have a quiet home office to qualify, as well as a reliable email address and phone. And let’s not forget excellent customer service skills! Before being hired, you must pass their application process and pay for a background check.
- See more about Alorica at home.
Working Solutions
You may want to consider working as an independent contractor for Working Solutions. They have a number of remote jobs in customer service and sales available at any given time. As an independent contractor, you’ll be able to set your own schedule.
Williams-Sonoma
If you live within 1.5 hours of Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Reno or Tulsa, you could qualify for a holiday job with Williams-Sonoma! These remote positions provide assistance to customers by way of placing orders, processing returns, locating products and setting up deliveries.
These seasonal positions are listed online by location because they require you to come into an office for meetings and training on occasion with advance notice. At the time of writing this post, they are advertising pay of $12 per hour. Overtime will likely be available.
NexRep
Earn up to $25 per hour from home taking inbound sales calls without a landline. NexRep is hiring independent contractors as inbound sales representatives. In this stay at home mom job, you’ll have the ability to set your own hours, work from your home and develop your good customer service skills in your own fashion.
Pay starts at $13 per hour, but productive agents are earning about $25! Begin the application process by filling out a series of questions broken down into sections on an online portal. If your application demonstrates that you have what they’re looking for, you’ll be invited to set up an appointment for a phone assessment. Finally, you’ll be offered a contract and given information on how to sign up for their next free certification class.
KellyConnect
KellyConnect is offering temporary and temp-to-hire positions in a variety of fields, including Creative Services, Education, Contact Center, Healthcare, Law, Information Technology, Electronic Assembly, Finance and Accounting, Marketing, Office, Science and Engineering.
The salary ranges from $13 to $15 per hour, based on skill set and scope of support. The pay scale for a remote job increases from there as the position level advances. KellyConnect also offers employees performance-based incentives, earned paid time off and career advancement opportunities.
- Learn more about working with KellyConnect.
Xerox
Xerox has been offering job flexibility to employees through a Virtual Office Program for the past 30 years! Join the work-from-home team by applying for positions such as Customer Care or Tech Support.
- Get more on at home jobs with Xerox.
4. Teach English Online
If you have a teaching background or a bachelor’s degree in any subject, you may find a fulfilling remote career teaching English online as a second language, or ESL. This has been a growing field the past few years as more parents embrace virtual learning.
Becoming an online English tutor can also be a great gig for those with young kids at home who don’t want to worry about child care and are seeking an alternative schedule. As many of the students are living in China and other countries abroad, the need for teachers is typically in the early morning or late evening hours.
Tutoring pay can be lucrative, though most companies in this industry pay by the minute. Oftentimes, however, there are bonus and incentive programs available.
A few companies to consider:
- Magic Ears
- Qkids
- EF Education First
5. Transcription
If you have a good ear, great typing skills and an eye for detail, consider an at-home transcription job. In this role, you will be listening to video or audio files and typing the content into a text file. Most companies have a strict style guide that needs to be followed. This is where being a naturally detail-oriented person comes into play. You are also going to need a stellar grasp on grammar and be a native English speaker in most cases.
Transcription usually pays differently than most stay-at-home jobs. Instead of being paid by the hour, you are paid by the audio hour or audio minute. For example, if a company pays $100 per audio hour, $100 is what you are going to earn regardless of whether it takes you four hours or eight hours to turn around that file. It’s very much what is called “production-based pay.” The faster and more accurately you type, the more you can get paid.
VIQ Solutions
VIQ Solutions specializes in corporate, financial, legal and law enforcement transcription. You will need transcription experience and be able to pass not only an entrance exam but also a background check.
SpeakWrite
SpeakWrite specializes in general and legal transcription. They require a minimum of 60 words per minute and 90% accuracy. Regardless of whether you are applying for a general or legal transcription position, you will need at least one year of transcription experience. Legal transcription positions also require at least one year of experience at a law firm.
TranscribeMe
TranscribeMe was recently on FlexJobs’s annual Top 100 remote companies list. They have jobs for beginner transcribers, though you will need to pass an entrance exam. Pay starts at $15 to $22 per audio hour. As you gain experience, you could also move up into quality assurance and proofreading. Per the company’s website, the average transcriber earns around $250 per month and the top earnings is $2,200. Therefore, this may be a place to test the waters and if you like transcribing move quickly onto more lucrative positions.
Rev.com
Also a company open to transcription newcomers, Rev.com’s starting wage is $0.30 to $1.10 per audio minute. Captioning pays slightly more. If you know a foreign language, you may want to also consider a position translating subtitles.
6. Bookkeeping
As a stay-at-home mom, you may know your way around a bank account and financial transaction ledger like nobody’s business. If numbers are your middle name, bookkeeping may quickly become your remote work game.
Bookkeeping gigs have been on the rise as more people start their own small businesses. A small business owner may not have a need, or budget, for a full-time accounting department. Instead, they can easily outsource bookkeeping to someone remotely and pay for only the hours and services they need.
If you have accounting or bookkeeping experience, you can always check out companies such as:
- VaVa Virtual
- KellyConnect
- BELAY
- And more
If you are just starting out, however, or would like to work for yourself, there are a few legit courses that will teach you the ins and outs of starting a professional bookkeeping business. I recommend Bookkeeper Launch.
Home Jobs for Moms Who Want to Start Their Own Business
If your idea of a truly flexible job is being your own boss, considering starting a home business. The sky’s the limit on what you can do or sell. Here are a few suggestions that could work well for moms.
1. Become an Event Planner
Many moms naturally become masters at planning parties, playdates and other kid-friendly events. What if you could take those skills and turn them into a paycheck planning special occasions for adults as well? You could become an event planner!
Event planners can make a great living though this can be a stressful job. The devil is in the details as they say. The details is where your passion must thrive.
QC Career School offers some great online courses to help you learn everything from the fundamentals of starting an event planning business to specializations like weddings and corporate events.
2. Photography
If you are a member of any local Facebook Buy-Sell Groups, you likely see postings offering affordable photography sessions for families, seniors and weddings. It’s even common these days to splurge on fun child- or pet-centric pictures.
Long gone are the days when capturing those special moments was regulated to one or two professional photographers in town that charged several hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Many moms have now picked up a digital camera as a part-time job for extra money.
If you would like to learn your way around shutter speeds and photo-editing software, there are so many ways to get those skills. From local community colleges offering non-credit courses you can learn in 4 to 6 weeks to online classes through websites like Skillshare, there’s something for every schedule and budget.
3. Be a Freelance Proofreader
Are you the friend always spell checking your bestie’s texts or social media postings? Perhaps you could make some money as an online proofreader.
The majority of online proofreading jobs at big companies like CACTUS Communications and Dotdash require a degree in journalism, English or communications.
However, many more doors open as a freelance proofreader offering your proofreading service directly to small business owners. If you need some help getting started on your own, Proofread Anywhere is a rightfully popular online course that can get you going.
4. Blogging
Many stay-at-home moms today are still earning a good living blogging. This opportunity isn’t a guaranteed or always dependable paycheck, but it can be a great way for those who love to write, educate and tell stories to nurture their creative side for extra money.
To start a successful blog from the get-go, you will want to do your research and educate yourself as much as possible about things like self-hosted WordPress and blogging statistics so you can make sure you are moving in the right direction. Once your blog is up and running, you will need to learn your way around content marketing and affiliate marketing to make sure you are getting eyes on your website and making money when online visitors stop by.
Blogging is a great online job because it can also open other avenues of revenue. You’ve probably heard success stories of bloggers going on to become social media influencers and brand ambassadors. Those things require a large and engaged audience, so you will want to start building your fan base early through social media marketing.
5. Sell Stuff Online
Believe it or not, you can make decent money reselling things online. I’ve had success with selling on Poshmark, and others have started whole businesses selling stuff on Amazon.
If you’re a crafty mom, you can open your own Etsy shop. Selling digital downloads there is an awesome way to earn passive income again and again!
6. Start an In-Home Daycare
Even though you cherish being home with your kids all day, not everyone aspires to be a stay at home parent. You can use that to your advantage by starting a small in-home daycare! If you’re willing to go through the licensing requirements to become a childcare provider, you can get paid to spend the day with your children — along with new neighborhood friends.
Easy Ways for SAHMs to Make Extra Cash
If you’re more interested in getting extra income than getting a job, there are plenty of ways you can do one-off tasks to earn a little cash here and there. Here are some ideas to get you thinking:
- 5 Legit Side Hustles for Moms
- 16 Side Jobs Near Me (and You!)
- Micro Jobs: Easy Cash for for Completing Simple Short Tasks
- Great Apps That Will Pay You Real Money
My Final Thoughts About Stay at Home Mom Jobs
With a SAHM job, you can have the flexibility and work life balance you need to work from home while raising your kids.
Finding the right job may take you some time, but with effort, I know you can find a way to make good money while working at home. Good luck!
Published March 2020. Updated November 2021.
Brenda Pace says
These are really great ideas! I’m building my own VA/Freelance business and although it’s taking time, I know it’s going to be well worth it!
Thanks for sharing!
Bren
Angie Nelson says
Thank you, Bren. And keep at it! 😉
Corina Ramos says
Hi Angie,
This is a great list. I was in sales for over ten years. The day I decided to work from home, I knew I didn’t want anything to do with sales. 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Already passed this along. Have a great week!
Cori
Kristie @Girl Momm Chaos says
I have been working at home for longer than I care to admit. This is a great list with new ideas that I haven’t necessarily seen before. Even if some of the jobs were ones I’ve seen, you have a great list of companies and websites that I haven’t heard of before to help.