Micro Jobs: Easy Cash for Completing Simple Short Tasks

It’s called the grind for a reason. 

Working all day, all night, or being a stay-at-home parent can be exhausting. The idea of adding a second job doesn’t always sound like sunshine and rainbows. But extra cash? That sounds pretty sweet.

So when you’re feeling brain-drained and the last thing you want to do is go “job hunting” or “build a business” or “go sell some stuff” or anything else like that… well, guess what? There are still things you can do, from the comfort of your own home, any time of day or night, whenever you feel like it, to bring home some extra money.

What I’m talking about, specifically, is called online micro jobs, microtasks, or short jobs. Micro jobs are just that – quick odd jobs that you can do and get paid. Making money online doesn’t have to be daunting. The bonus is that you can actually have fun doing it.

The Pros and Cons of Micro Job Sites

There are some perks to working with short-task sites. This type of work requires no startup costs, assuming you’ve already got a working computer and internet connection. There are no interviews. There are no phone calls. There rarely are minimums, which means you don’t have to make a hard commitment. It requires very little experience in pretty much anything. And it’s on your schedule which minimizes stress.

On the flip side, you aren’t going to find major paydays with this stuff. If you want to see returns higher than a couple of dollars, you’ll need to build micro jobs into your routine — like micro-tasking while you watch Netflix, or while you’re waiting for your kids to fall asleep, or wherever you have pockets of time where you can add in some brainless activity.

With even the slightest commitment, however, bring in some pocket money to help fund a night on the town, a wardrobe upgrade, a little extra something for an upcoming vacation, or whatever you want. So if you want some no-strings-attached money and you don’t mind doing boring stuff in exchange for complete autonomy, micro-tasking might be a great fit!

Types of Micro Jobs

Microtasks often boil down to small jobs, things like data entry, and categorizing. You’ll also find things like surveys and no-skill-required things like that. Entry-level micro-tasking is about as entry-level as it gets. It doesn’t always have to stay so basic, however. You might find you enjoy micro-tasking, and that will open the door for faster earnings.

As you spend more time on crowdsourcing platforms and building your experience, you’ll get access to higher-paying tasks like audio transcription or graphic design. Depending on what site you’re using, you’ll probably also have the opportunity now and then to take special tests that qualify you for more complex, higher-paying work. The other benefit to “leveling up” on your favorite platforms is that you’ll face less competition for any given task. Keep in mind that this won’t move you into serious hourly rates or anything, but if you can make $10 an hour micro-tasking instead of $6 an hour, why wouldn’t you?

Legit Short Jobs Sites

These are some of the best micro job sites and best micro jobs:

1. Swagbucks. It’s no secret that I love and use Swagbucks. You can do surveys and watch videos for rewards on Swagbucks, but what you might not realize is that there’s a micro-tasking page on Swagbucks where you can do some short tasks too. Payments are made as “Swagbucks” — which you can then exchange for cash, Amazon gift cards, and more. Swagbucks is completely legitimate and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Sign up for Swagbucks here.
2. Amazon Mechanical Turk, or mTurk. Amazon has systematized its short-task site, and it’s one of the most respected sites out there for human intelligence tasks. If you focus on just one platform, this might be the one to choose because you have the opportunity to level up over time. The mTurk tasks are some of the more “traditional” short tasks — it’s things like copying hand-written information into a form or transcribing short audio clips. Payouts from Mechanical Turk are made as deposits into your Amazon account, so they’re not exactly cash but if you use Amazon a lot, it’ll still be beneficial.
3. Figure Eight. Figure Eight is very much focused on simple tasks like basic internet research, data categorization, and more. This is one of the go-to platforms for short tasks.
4. ClickWorker. This is another of the well-known short task sites. You’ll be able to choose from tasks like translation, research, and data collection at ClickWorker. They do have a minimum amount of money you need to earn before getting paid, which is not a popular requirement for many.
5. InboxDollars. I used InboxDollars for years, and the payouts were nice. With InboxDollars, some of the short tasks will be as easy as reading an email and clicking on the link. You can also take surveys, play games, and more through your profile. Payments are made via check.
6. CashCrate. CashCrate is another platform for surveys and games, but they also have more typical short tasks like watching videos and true micro-tasking opportunities. You can have your payments sent to your PayPal or by check.
7. OneSpace. If you get really into microtasks but you want to flex your brain muscle a bit more, you can check out OneSpace. Many of these tasks require a bit more from you, including things like transcription and some quick copywriting jobs. This site pays via PayPal as well.
8. Usertesting. There are several sites like Usertesting that will pay you for testing websites. These gigs take about 15 minutes in which you will be providing feedback to website owners on your experience.
9. Fancy Hands. This site is often an entry point to online virtual assistance. The tasks are varied and can run the gamut from setting an appointment to inbox management. Each task has a set rate based on the difficulty and time involved.
10. Rev.com. This site offers transcription and captioning services. They welcome beginners and those without experience provided you can pass their test. These are often small files in need of transcribing.
11. EasyShift. This opportunity will have you out and about in your city. Your task may be to take a photo of a product in a store, check a price or verify a store display. Everything is done on your smartphone. Most payments are sent within 48 hours of approval for those who like getting paid fast!
12. Gigwalk.This is another smartphone app that will have you performing small tasks in your town. These gigs pay anywhere from $3 to $100+ depending on the complexity and time a task will take. Payment is made by PayPal.
13. Field Agent. Love mystery shopping? As a buyer, this is another app you will want to check out. These tasks generally pay between $1 and $12. Get paid by direct deposit.

If you find that you really enjoy performing tasks like these, and you want to turn them into something that brings in more significant income, you might want to consider becoming a freelance virtual assistant. Many people, however, are perfectly happy keeping up with their microtask sites and avoiding that whole “starting a business” thing. That’s the great thing about the Internet — it gives us this kind of freedom!

Microworkers have plenty of flexibility. These types of short jobs are great for people who are looking for something with little commitment. I’ll often see students, moms, and caregivers working the micro jobs websites for extra income.

Whether you’re socking away your money for some fun “extras” in life, or you just plain like the idea of earning some money on the side without having to commit to anything significant, micro-tasking is worth a shot!