Top 60 Independent Contractor Jobs to Start Your Career from Home

In a world ruled by the 9-5 rut, you may find the lack of flexibility is really getting to you. If you are looking to start your own flexible online career, becoming an independent contractor may be the perfect opportunity for you.

As an independent contractor, you will be able to work around your own schedule and have a little more control over your finances.

However, it is important to realize that as an independent contractor, you are basically starting your own work from home business.

In the world of working online, there is a lot of variety in the career path that you choose. So, you may be taking on various projects.

This means you can work with a different client or on a different project every day of the week. But, how does all this work?

What Exactly is an Independent Contractor?

Although an independent contractor is different than a typical employee, it does involve work. Sometimes even a little more work than as an employee.

This is because as an independent contractor, you are getting paid for the work you do instead of an hourly rate. Your employer does not pay taxes, and neither do you.

Taxes

Though taxes are not taken out when you get paid, you are still responsible for paying and reporting taxes on your tax return.

It is important to keep in mind that as an independent contractor, you will be paying both the employer tax and your taxes at the end of the year.

However, there are many tax breaks, credits, and deductions for independent contractors that can lower the amount of taxes you owe at the end of the year.

The Jobs

The perks to being an independent contractor are the plethora of jobs available to you. You can do whatever you want whenever you want (within reason).

Majority of independent contractor jobs offer you much more flexibility than a traditional 9-5 job. However, some may want you to work a certain number of hours per week or during certain time slots.

If you are ready to start your career as an independent contractor, there is no limit to the jobs you can find.

Here are just a few of our favorite independent contractor jobs!

Writing Jobs

I have found my Niche in writing from home. What I love about being an independent contractor as a writer is the ability to continue learning.

As a writer, you have to be knowledgeable on a lot of different topics including, but not limited to health topics, work from home topics, family topics, crafts, recipes, and so much more.

As a writer, you get paid for each piece you write or each writing project you complete. Many writers also get paid up front which is a great perk!

I have found my passion in getting my own clientele and building rapport; however, there are a lot of places you can go to get paid to write.

Here are a few of my favorite independent contractor writing gigs:

#1 Currently, there is an increase in order volume, and Ultius is hiring writers in all areas of study. They are looking for talented independent contract writers who can write in an academic style.

There is no bidding on work. Instead, you are given a login to your website where you can view orders, track compensation, and communicate with your clients.

If you want to be successful with Utilius as a writer, it is important to pay close attention to order instructions as well as deadlines. You can view this before accepting the order.

#2 If you are looking for a clientele base that offers you the ability to choose who you work for, I would recommend scoping out some Facebook Groups! Here are some great ones:

• VAs for Hire and Pinterest Friendly Content
• VAs Buy, Sell, Barter Group
• VAs for Hire-Content Group
• Sell Your Content and Services

#3 If you like the idea of upfront pay, you will love Internet Brands. They have over 200 websites that they provide content for which means you will have a lot to do.

#4 I would only recommend iWriter as a beginning platform to starting your independent contractor writing career.

Although they cover everything from blog posts and rewrites to ebooks and academic writing, the pay is pretty low for the experienced writer.

#5 There are actively 3.5k clients seeking content at Article Document. However, there are 17k content creators signed up.

You won’t get rich working from Article Document, but they are a great resource to have in your bag of tricks.

#6 Apply for jobs on Problogger. If you want to know where the big bucks are, then you have to become a Pro! Check out Problogger for higher paying gigs.

Read More: 30+ Freelance Online Writing Jobs for Beginners With No Experience

Education and Teaching Jobs

I have also dabbled in education and teaching jobs as I have a teaching degree. If you are looking to be an independent contractor, tutoring jobs are the best options.

You can apply to be a full-time teacher with places like Connections Academy and K12, but keep in mind these are not independent contractor jobs. They are 9-5.

If you are looking for independent contractor work in the area of education, here are some of the best sites to delve into:

#7 I know you have heard of VIPKIDS! They are a great way to make money teaching kids English. Don’t worry, you don’t even have to be a teacher to do this job. Check it out!

#8 ITutor is a great platform where you can tutor kids all over the world on different subjects. So, if you aren’t keen on teaching English, this might be great for you!

#9 Of course, if you know what works in the classroom, but just want to sit on the sidelines, Chegg is the best way to make money doing what you love; creating curriculum.

#10 If you like working with younger kids, you can work with kids from China on QKids helping them to learn English.  It isn’t as popular as VIPKID and may have more work available.

#11 If you would rather work with adults who are serious about their education, you can tutor college students with University Tutor.

Read More: These Top 3 Sites Will Pay You Up to $30 an Hour to Teach English

Virtual Assistant Jobs

Being a virtual assistant is a lot like writing. You build up a clientele base in which you get paid for the services you offer. This could be anything including:

• Writing
• Data entry
• Email support
• Social media help
• Digital media help
• Anything you feel passionate about.

Here are some companies that help match your virtual assistant expertise with clients:

#12 Start your virtual assistant career with 24/7 virtual assistant! Send in your resume and get matched with clients that match your skills. The more skills you have, the better your chances.

#13 If you are specifically skilled in social media tasks, 99Dollarsocial is just the gig for you. You must be able to get your full workload done each day.

#14 Belay is looking for part-time and full-time VAs. Not only do they match you with the perfect client for your skills, but they are there if a problem ever arises.

#15 If you have some “Fancy Hands” you can find various paid tasks working with Fancy Hands. They pay $3 to $7 per task you complete. It isn’t a get rich quick job, but it adds to the pot.

#16 If you want a VA position that really wants to get to know you, NS Virtual Services will only do a Skype interview if they think you are a good fit for their company.

#17 Do you like making plans? If you are a planner, Paragon Planners needs skilled appointment setters, event planners, and marketers.

Read More: 130 Best Companies Hiring Agents for Virtual Call Center Jobs

Social Media Jobs

I have also delved into social media jobs, but have found they are a lot harder to come by than other independent contractor jobs.

This is because everyone wants to do these jobs. Here are some of my favorite social media gigs that you can add to your basket:

#18 Every social platform need eModeration. As a moderator, you will be responsible for moderating social media platforms.

You make sure that questions are answered or sent to the proper member, scams and spam are deleted, and talk is kept G-rated.

#19 ICUC really likes for their independent contractors to be bilingual (knowing at least 2 languages).

To increase your knowledge of social media, you can get a free certification from Hubspot Academy!

#20 ModSquad is another moderating company that also offers various other services to their customers. If you can get in, they are a great egg to put in your basket.

#21 There are always open positions through Liveworld. However, you will need to pass their moderation test before being approved. Good Luck!

#22 You can occasionally find work from home on Lithium. They are a great company to get into.

Chat and Email Jobs

Chat jobs are jobs in which you talk with people who visit sites via chat. This is a great way to provide customer service without the need to be on the phone.

However, like social media jobs, these can be hard to come by because they are ideal for work at home mothers. Here are a few that you should check out!

#23 Site5

#24 With Support.com you will have to set your schedule in advance so they know when you can work.

#25 The Chat Shop team provides you with training, clients, and pay is $10 per hour. You won’t get rich, but you will have some extra cash.

#26 If you are looking to make some extra cash for the Holiday season, Amazon typically hires during its busiest months for chat agents. Check it out from September to January.

#27 Platforms like SiteStaff require you to work shifts of 4-5 hours, but you still maintain your flexibility.

Read More: 32 Best Work at Home Online Chat and Email Support Jobs

Customer Service Jobs

You can provide customer service in a number of ways. Although many of them require you to use the phone, this is a good niche to get into.

Check out these customer service jobs for independent contractors. Snatch them up before they are gone!

#28 At Active Network, you will be responsible for providing customer support for sporting goods companies.

#29 If you have a passion for nonprofits, you will enjoy working for Causeworx. Make a great wage while changing the world.

#30 ConnectandSell is a call center platform providing customer service such as appointment setting, lead generation, and sales.

#31 ContractWorld is a way for you to connect with great brands like Pizza Hut and ADT to provide customers with excellent customer service.

#32 Work from home providing virtual customer service like social media management with Great Virtual Works. Social media management is a great way to add some extra cash to your pot.

#33 Join the staffing company Kelly Services to find various work from home customer service jobs that fit your lifestyle. You may be an employee of Kelly Services depending on the job you apply for.

Read More: 6 Things to Know About Becoming a Chat Agent With Apple Work From Home Jobs

Independent Contractor Phone Jobs

Many phone jobs require you to be an actual employee and work set hours from home. This is a job, not an independent contractor.

However, if you want the flexibility of an independent contractor, here are 6 independent contractor phone jobs to take a look at:

#34 One of the best independent contractor phone jobs is Take2Telecom. The pay is $18 per hour of talk time.

#35 Help plan someone’s next vacation by being a travel agent for Carnival Cruise Line. Unlike customer service jobs, book cruises is a fun way to talk to people on the phone.

#36 If you want to work for hotels, but don’t like being there, Hilton offers work from home reservation positions. You may even get some hotel deals!

#37 Work from home with Enterprise taking reservations, assisting customers with questions, and providing great phone service.

#38 With ACD Direct, you will help nonprofits to raise money for their fundraisers. This is a great way to get your foot into the business.

#39 Gone are the days of mundane desk work. Start your independent contractor career with Alorica. You will receive and process phone calls.

Read More: Top 8 Work at Home Phone Sales Jobs Paying Base Plus Commission

Data Entry Jobs

Data entry is another one of those jobs that can be hard to snatch onto, but a very lucrative way to make money being an independent contractor.

Many businesses need their data organized, and you can be the one to do it….on your time of course. Here are some companies actively seeking data entry jobs:

#40 If you have a knack for research, First National Acceptance Company hires independent contractors to locate and record real estate names and addresses.

#41 Sign up as a courthouse researcher and record information such as tax liens, bankruptcy and more for Information Technologies.

#42 Become a background researcher for Sentinel Data Retriever. They have enough work to keep you busy, but you still maintain your flexibility.

#43 Great American Opportunity is a company that works with fundraisers. Your job would be to complete data entry by submitting content that is handwritten on order forms.

#44 One of the most popular data entry companies is Axion. However, it can be difficult to get into Axion, so keep your eyes peeled.

#45 Among other work from home tasks, Capital Typing offers data entry tasks that you can do from the comfort of your own home.

Read More: Your Guide to Legit Companies Offering Work From Home Data Entry Jobs

Search Engine Evaluation Jobs

Search Engine evaluation jobs can be found for independent contractors as well as offer you W-2 employee status.

The great thing about search engine evaluation jobs is that even if you work as an employee, you still set your own hours making it more flexible than a 9-5 rut job.

I like search engine evaluating because it is a fairly easy way to make money. All you do is determine whether or not the pages brought up for a search would be what a user is looking for.

They typically pay hourly, and you can work as much or as little as you want. Although they may not be completely an independent contractor job, they are good egg to have in your basket.

Here are a few of my favorite companies:

#46 Do evaluating for content or social media with Appen. Keep in mind that jobs on Appen are location specific so you will need to find a job in your area.

#47 What is great about iSoftStone is that they provide training which is great if you are just starting out.

#48 With Leapforce you usually get up to 20 hours per week worth of work. Hours are flexible, and you make up to $15 per hour.

#49 Get paid $13 per hour just to use your Smartphone for LionBridge. You will also get paid to test apps and products.

Read More: 9 Ways to Find the Best Search Engine Evaluator Jobs, Today!

Transcription Jobs

If you can type at least 65 words per minute and have great listening skills, transcription is a fairly lucrative business.

Most transcription companies will pay you based on each piece you transcribe. Pay varies based on your level of experience.

The better you get at listening, and the faster you get at typing, the more money you can potentially make.

Although you won’t make 6-figures a year transcribing videos and audio files, it is a great way to make some extra cash, especially around the holidays.

Check out these transcription companies for independent contractors:

#50 If you have a passion for typing and great auditory skills, CastingWords has a plethora of different types of transcription tasks.

#51 You will be an employee of Birch Creek when transcribing for them. However, you still have the ability to work from home and choose your own hours.

#52 For those who are just starting out with transcription, Quicktate offers a great way for newbies to get into the field.

#53 Turn audio and video into words when you work with TranscribeMe! It is one of the top rated work from home job sites out there and a great egg to put in your basket.

#54 Getting paid to watch videos and caption them is as easy as applying with CrowdSurf.

#55 Send a resume to bam@bamtranscription to be considered for a transcription job with BAM! Transcription.

#56 Join the Daily Transcription team, today. It is perfect for stay at home parents or those that are trying to get away from the dreaded 9-5 routine.

You create your own schedule and get paid up to .85 cents per audio minute you transcribe which means the money can add up.

#57 In order to work from home with Eight Crossings, you will need two years of medical transcription experience.

You must also have the ability to process a minimum of 1,000 lines per day. Send a resume to [email protected] to apply for a position.

#58 GMR Transcriptions provides transcription in legal, general, and medical making this a great entry-level gig for a medical transcriptionist.

#59 Medical transcriptionists are in high demand. Although you do need experience, M* Modal is making an impact in the healthcare community.

You will get paid a competitive salary. Even though you will be an employee, you can make your own hours. You must be able to fit into deadlines.

Read More: 33 Best General Transcription Jobs From Home, For Beginners

Alternate Avenues for Independent Contractors

Keep in mind that you can find work from home contractor jobs on popular job search engines. Take a look at the following sites to find new work from home jobs near you:

• Search for work at home jobs on
• Flexjobs offers a great deal of flexible work at home jobs.
• Find companies and individuals looking for experienced independent contractors on UpWork.
• Find random jobs, projects, and contract work on Freelancer
• Look for independent contractor jobs on Ziprecruiter.

Have you found a great gig as an independent contractor?

What are you doing? Share your experiences in the comments below!