This article highlights some of the best stay-at-home mom jobs, broken down into five categories:
- Writing, editing and typing jobs
- Administrative and customer service jobs
- Creative and design jobs
- Teaching and tutoring jobs
- Small business ideas
The factors we considered when compiling this list include:
- Schedule flexibility, including whether a job allows you to set your own schedule and change your schedule on short notice.
- Research into each job’s earning potential and industry growth trends.
- First-hand experience from our team of writers.
- Interviews with stay-at-home moms who have launched successful side hustles, full-time careers, and thriving small businesses.
We’ll also cover why multi-level marketing businesses often lead to disappointing results and list some common ideas that we don’t recommend.
Writing, Editing and Typing Jobs
Writing, editing, and typing jobs are three distinct areas of work, but you’ll often find them grouped together on remote job boards and freelancing sites.
These jobs are relatively easy to get started with and usually have no training or educational requirements. Additionally, these jobs are often on a per-project basis, allowing you to tailor your workload to your schedule and availability.
#1. Freelance Writing
Freelance writers work on all types of projects, from blog and magazine articles to marketing emails and even ghostwriting entire books. And you don’t need professional writing experience to get started — especially if you have knowledge or experience in an in-demand topic area, like education, nursing, personal finance or many others.
For example, I had never written for a paycheck prior to 2014, when I joined Upwork (a popular freelance marketplace) with the goal of starting a side hustle. However, I did have experience working as a financial planner, which made me valuable to clients who were looking for someone to produce accurate personal finance content.
Here’s the Upwork review from my second client, back when I started out as a freelance writer in 2014.
If you love writing and are willing to consider starting your own work-from-home business (rather than working for clients as a freelancer), launching a blog can be a rewarding and lucrative idea. Jump to the section of this article on blogging to learn more.
Freelance writing generally pays 5-10 cents per word for beginners, with significant upside as you gain experience. Refer to our freelance writing rates article for more detailed information on the potential earnings.
If you’re ready to take the next steps, read our eight-step guide on how to get started in freelance writing and check out our list of the best freelance writing job sites.
#2. Proofreading & Copyediting
In traditional media, the term “copyeditor” refers to someone who finds and corrects spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage, and basic fact errors. In contrast, a proofreader is the last person to see a book or other content before it’s released, giving it a final review and fixing any errors they find.
But today — at least when it comes to freelancing and contract work — the two roles tend to cover the same ground. Most clients expect their copyeditors to turn in publication-ready work, and vice versa. So you can think of this as more of an overall editing job.
There’s a ton of opportunity to get your foot in the door in this field. Nearly all businesses have some sort of written content they produce, so it’s not hard to find work both online and offline.
Plus, we ranked it as one of the easiest ways to make $20 per hour with limited experience.
One of the best places to start looking online is Upwork, the web’s largest freelance marketplace. You can also find more good options in our list of the best online proofreading jobs.
If you’re ready to get started, read our seven-step guide to becoming a highly-paid online proofreader, and consider signing up for Proofread Anywhere’s free 76-minute workshop, which teaches even more about becoming a freelance proofreader.
Learn How to Become a Proofreader
Proofread Anywhere is the go-to resource for people looking to break into the work-from-home proofreading industry. The free 76-minute workshop explains how to know whether proofreading is a good fit for you, and how to get started if you decide that it is.
#3. Transcription
Transcription is turning audio into text. There are a lot of opportunities across the board in this field, but the most lucrative tend to be in the medical transcription niche; doctors read their medical notes into a recorder, and a transcriptionist types them up for insurance companies and law firms.
While this job can be done at home it does require concentration, so moms may need to work when their children are sleeping or occupied.
Read our list of the best online transcription jobs for beginners to see companies that are currently hiring.
#4. Translation
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a 20% increase in employment opportunities for translators from 2019 to 2029. This is 16% above normal industry job growth.
Translation can be one of the most lucrative jobs on this list, and the only reason we ranked it below transcription is because it requires a more advanced skill-set.
It should go without saying, but to work as a translator you’ll need to be fluent in English and at least one foreign language — and the more in-demand that language is, the better.
Translators work in a number of different roles. The most common is simply converting text from one language to another, but government contractors also hire researchers to comb foreign language internet results (which is referred to as open source intelligence gathering), and private companies sometimes hire translators to take at-home customer service calls.
You can find work as a translator in almost any language, but the most highly-sought are Spanish, Arabic and Russian.
As for where to find translation jobs: there are thousands listed on freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr, but you can also find remote translation opportunities on FlexJobs.
Indeed and LinkedIn are also good sources to scan, but keep in mind that on-site work will be mixed in with stay-at-home job listings.
#5. Data Entry
Data entry is a form of clerical work that usually involves transferring data from one state into another — such as from a text document into a spreadsheet.
The downside is that there are limited growth opportunities in the field, as the skill-set is widely available.
Here are the pay ranges of the most common data entry jobs according to PayScale, as of January 5, 2023:
| Job Type | Average | Top 10% |
| Data Entry Clerk | $14.97 | $19.80 |
| Word Processor/Typist | $19.08 | $24.28 |
| Data Entry Analysis | $15.66 | $22.53 |
Here’s an article that lists some of the best online typing jobs, including data entry work.
Administrative and Customer Service Jobs
Businesses are increasingly outsourcing their administrative work, making at-home clerical, scheduling and customer service positions easy to find. In fact, the remote work site FlexJobs ranked this category as the best overall option for stay-at-home parents, thanks to its combination of plentiful opportunities, flexibility and minimal barriers to entry.
#6. Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant does a lot of the same things a real-world assistant does, like sending and responding to emails, making travel arrangements, performing light bookkeeping, and scheduling meetings and appointments.
A single client can provide a full-time job, but many VAs work part-time for a few different clients or businesses.
For a stay-at-home mom, having multiple clients who don’t need a full-time dedicated VA can offer the opportunity to create your own schedule and tailor your workload to your availability.
Additionally, as Clever Girl Finance points out, this can be an ideal job for moms without a degree, since you can earn $15-$20 per hour with minimal experience and no educational requirements.
Learn more in our article on how to become a virtual assistant.
#7. Bookkeeping
Every business needs bookkeeping services, but because of programs like QuickBooks that make accounting tasks fast and easy to handle, many smaller businesses don’t require a full-time employee.
This means there are many opportunities in the field of remote/online bookkeeping.
Keep in mind that if you work for local businesses, some clients require their bookkeepers to come into the office periodically, so those jobs may not be 100% remote.
Check out our guide on how to become an online bookkeeper to learn about what’s required, then sign up to get three free online classes that’ll teach you more about specifically how to get started.
How to Start a Virtual Bookkeeping Business
Learn how to launch a work-from-home bookkeeping business in 90 days, even with no accounting experience.
#8. Sales
Sales may not be the easiest job on this list, but for the right person, it can be the most lucrative. Companies of all types and sizes utilize salespeople, and since you’re usually paid on commission, the earning potential can be nearly unlimited.
For traditional sales jobs — like selling air conditioners — you have to be on-site so you can visit the customer’s location and write up an estimate. But there are plenty of online and service-based companies for which your location is irrelevant.
Some examples include businesses like internet marketing agencies and online publications that are looking for advertisers, but another common category is high-end brokers of luxury goods like boats and airplanes.
Plus, getting started in sales is easier than you might think. Most people hate making cold calls, which means your pool of competition is more limited than in some other fields.
And since your employer is most likely only paying you when you sell something, they’re more willing to take a chance on someone with limited experience.
FlexJobs and Upwork are both great places to find remote sales jobs. It’s also worth noting that many clients would love to hire a virtual assistant who can make effective sales calls.
If you can add sales to your skill-set, you can up your value in that role.
#9. Telephone Support
If you need a full-time income, a telephone support/customer service representative job can be ideal. Many large companies allow these jobs to be done completely from home and some hire on an employee (rather than contractor) basis, offering stability and (sometimes) the same benefits as their on-site staff.
This post lists some of the best work-from-home customer service jobs.
#10. Chat Support
Many people dislike talking on the phone. If you’re one of them, chat support might be a great option.
Chats are easier for customers too, as they have a record of any steps or instructions the support agent has given them and can reference it if they have a similar problem in the future.
Chat support jobs are also better than telephone-based jobs for stay at home moms with younger children, because while you still have to be present to do your job, the person on the other end of the chat isn’t going to hear any interruptions your child might make.
Amazon utilizes chat support agents but doesn’t always have openings, so you have to monitor their jobs page. You can learn more about how to find these sought-after positions in our Amazon work-from-home jobs article.
One thing to keep in mind with chat support jobs is that you’re often competing against outsourced positions (i.e., people working in places like India and the Philippines), so the wages can be quite low.
Learn about companies that hire in our list of the best at-home chat support jobs.
Creative and Design Jobs
As with freelance writing and editing, many of the jobs in this section are great work-at-home opportunities because of the overwhelming demand for new online content. Just like people need blog posts and website content, they also need graphics, videos and other audio/visual assets.
This category also includes a couple of offline creative jobs that are a little bit less typical, but which could be great for a mom with the right skill-set.
#11. Social Media Manager
Companies small and large realize the potential value of a good social media presence, but that doesn’t mean they know how to best utilize the various platforms.
If you have previous PR experience, transitioning to social media management can be a natural fit that allows for remote work.
You don’t need to be an expert in any particular tool or skill to succeed in social media management, but you do need some proficiency in a few different areas. For example, you don’t need to be a professional writer, but you do need to be able to draft clean, compelling copy for posts.
Similarly, while you don’t need to be a graphic designer, most clients are looking for someone who can create good-looking (if basic) visuals.
Learn about the different types of social media jobs (and how to get them).
#12. Graphic Design
While many companies still hire in-house graphic designers, you’ll find no shortage of remote and freelance work in the field. And if you’re talented, you can make great money — over $100 per hour, in some cases.
Most clients who hire graphic designers online are looking for a few very specific things, such as creating images for social media (and especially Pinterest), creating infographics, and creating visual overlays to use in their videos. If you can master those niches, you’ll set yourself up for success.
Learn more in our article about how to make money as a freelance graphic designer.
#13. Voiceover Work
You’ve probably heard that more and more internet content is video rather than text. However, video content isn’t always a person’s face on the screen. Every day, there are hundreds of thousands of videos produced that utilize voiceover artists — from slideshows to advertisements and everything in between.
Think you need to have a particular type of voice? Think again. You just have to have the right voice for the client’s project. And finding clients is easier than you might think. Fiverr has an entire section dedicated to voiceover work, allowing clients to come to you.
You will need a good microphone (about $100 on Amazon) and recording software (ranging from free to $20 per month) to get started, but you don’t need a lot of experience — just the ability to read text the way the client envisions it sounding.
One of the reasons this job is great for moms is because many of the projects you’ll be working on are aimed at moms, who are one of the highest-spending consumer groups.
That means there’s strong demand for your type of voice, as it’s relatable to potential customers.
#14. Painting
If you have some talent and training as a painter, this can be a shockingly good side hustle idea. A single piece of original artwork can easily sell for $500, even if it’s not exactly going to find its way into a museum.
Farmers’ markets and local galleries are great places to sell your work, but you can also sell it on websites like Amazon and eBay, where people buy millions of dollars of original art every year.
Obviously, this is only a good fit for a small subset of women. But you don’t have to be a master to monetize your talent (and you probably don’t need to be as talented as you think).
#15. Interior Design and Decoration
Instagram has fueled a booming demand for interior designers, with people willing to pay good money for help making their space photo-ready.
It’s a crowded field, so you may have to hustle for clients at first. But it’s also heavily fueled by word of mouth, and many small-scale designers and decorators stay as busy as they want by working for friends and their extended social networks.
Keep in mind that this job will require a lot of time out of the house, as you’ll be going to the job site and shopping for furniture, art, fixtures, etc.
It also requires a lot of coordination with clients and any tradespeople involved, so this is one for moms of older kids or those who have the option of part-time daycare.
Teaching and Tutoring Jobs
Those who have given up teaching careers to stay at home may long to work with students again, and there are plenty of opportunities to do so.
But even if you don’t have prior teaching experience, it can be a great way to work from home, make solid money and gain a sense of fulfillment (though you will need a bachelor’s degree in most cases).
#16. Tutor
When you work as an online tutor, you can make $15-$20 on average to start, and you don’t need a teaching degree or prior experience.
Learn more about how to get started as an online English teacher (as well as other in-demand subjects) in our complete guide to the best online tutoring sites for freelancers.
#17. Music Instructor
Teaching music or voice lessons has been a long-time job for stay at home moms. And with average rates of $50 per session and higher, you’ll be surprised how fast the extra income adds up.
#18. Cooking Instructor
You don’t have to be a professional to give cooking lessons! You don’t even have to be a “fancy” cook. Sure, it’s fun to learn how to make complex dishes, but given how many people rely on processed and fast foods, just some basic lessons would go a long way towards helping them improve their cooking skills.
There are a couple of main ways to set this up.
First, Airbnb now allows people to offer “experiences,” like cooking lessons. Guests won’t stay at your house — they’ll just come for the lessons and the food. (You can also create online experiences instead of physically hosting an event.)
As usual, those who are most successful on the platform are those who work within a niche. If your grandma immigrated from Poland and you grew up eating homemade golumpki and pierogi, there are people who will pay a pretty penny to learn those recipes and techniques.
The second way is to set up events on the website/app called MeetUp.
Many people advertise cooking classes on the site, although “dinner clubs” are also popular. With dinner clubs, people pay a set fee to come to your house and eat a freshly-prepared meal.
Small Businesses Moms Can Start From Home
If you have young kids, it can seem like they need all of your attention all of the time. But even if that’s true, they won’t need so much attention forever. If you start a business now in the free time you do have, by the time the kids are older, it can grow into something that provides a full-time income.
#19. Reselling
There are so many platforms for reselling — eBay, Amazon, Poshmark and Etsy, to name a few — that you can sell almost anything. But to make things easier on yourself (not to mention more enjoyable), choose a niche that you have some knowledge of.
If you don’t know anything about antiques, you’ll have to do a lot of research before buying something to resell. And you won’t have much fun shopping for inventory.
We’ve written in-depth guides to selling on Amazon, selling on eBay and selling on Etsy to help you get started.
#20. Dropshipping
Dropshipping means selling products but not keeping them in stock, shipping them out, or handling returns. With this business model, you create an online store, either on your own or by using a service like Shopify. Then, you find a dropship supplier (which is not difficult); when an order comes into your site, you simply create an order with your supplier, who then ships the product directly to your customer.
You can read our guide to starting a dropshipping business to learn more. Shopify offers various training programs with the $1 free trial, including one on dropshipping, to assist you in starting your online selling journey.
#21. Tailoring
Because clothing sizes and fits vary so widely from brand to brand and are mass-produced, it can be hard to find clothes that fit well. And even if you’re not a master seamstress, people need all kinds of basic alterations like hemming pant legs and fixing broken seams.
This job makes the list in large part because tailoring can be done from home, as there aren’t likely to be many restrictions on a from-home tailoring business.
Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are good places to advertise your services, but avoid print newspapers and local classified ads — they’re no longer widely read and not a good use of your advertising budget.
#22. Crafting
Setting up an Etsy shop is easy, and you can sell anything from jewelry to candles to bath products. Depending on what you choose to make, you can even involve your children in your work.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to create dozens of products — you can just produce one of each thing you sell, post photos and descriptions, and then make additional items as orders come in.
See our guide to making money on Etsy to learn more.
#23. Blogging
I spent a decade working in the financial services industry, and choosing to leave that steady job to work on this blog full-time is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Blogging is a great at-home business for many reasons, including the fact that there are a number of different ways a blog can generate income.
For example, you can focus on affiliate marketing, selling digital products (like courses and e-books), or generating revenue through display advertising. Or, you can do like this site does and leverage a combination of these and other methods.
The mix of flexibility and income potential is why Whitney Bond, the creator of the popular blog Tried and True Mom Jobs, listed blogging as the #1 option on her version of this list.
We’ve ranked it lower than some other options because while starting a blog is fast, easy and cheap, you won’t start making money right away. It usually takes between six and 12 months before you’ll see much traffic.
But over time, and with consistent effort, your site can grow into anything from a part time job that brings in a little extra cash to a full time operation that employs a team of writers, editors, graphic designers and others.
It can even be a source of passive income, as a blog post can keep generating income long after it’s been published.
If you’d like to learn more, sign up for my free, 14-lesson email course titled “How To Make Your First $1,000 Blogging.”
Join over 10,000 others and get the step-by-step blueprint to make your first $1,000 blogging. Opt-in below to have it sent straight to your inbox! 100% Free!
MLMs and “Be Your Own CEO” Businesses
MLM stands for multi-level marketing, and these “own your own business opportunities” are often targeted specifically to stay-at-home moms. Long-running examples of MLMs are Avon and Tupperware, while newer MLMs include Beachbody and LuLaRoe.
These businesses claim to be legitimate ways to make money online, and they can be attractive for a variety of compelling reasons.
For example, they tend to revolve around types of products and services that moms use and like, and they’re designed to tap into your existing social networks as a starting point from which to build a customer base.
But they also come with costs. Sometimes you have to pay to join. There may be required training and certifications. And, most importantly, you almost always have to buy your own samples and inventory.
On top of that, most programs have minimum sales thresholds that you need to maintain in order to stay active, which can all but force you to buy yet more samples and inventory.
Some women do very well with MLMs. However, a study conducted by AARP found that about half of those involved in an MLM lost money, while about a quarter broke even. Just a quarter of MLM entrepreneurs made money.
Of those who made money:
- 14% made less than $5,000.
- 6% made between $5,000 and $9,999.
- 3% made between $10,000 and $24,999.
- 3% made $25,000 or more.
- 0.05% made $100,000 or more.
The same study found that the average number of hours per week dedicated to the MLM was about 13. For those in the 14% of people making $5,000 or less, their hourly earnings amounted to about $7, which is less than the federal minimum wage.
And that number doesn’t include the opportunity cost, which is the fact that those hours could be used in other, more valuable ways — whether working for better wages or furthering your education so you can earn more money in the future.
As a result, we think these programs — while not exactly scams — are not worthwhile legitimate work from home opportunities for most people.
You can learn more about the pros, cons and statistics in our in-depth article about whether MLMs are a good idea for moms.
Other Frequently Recommended Jobs for Stay at Home Moms
The jobs below are commonly recommended as good options for stay at home moms, and while they may work for some people, they didn’t make our list for the following reasons.
- Baker. This appears on almost every list of “mom jobs,” but selling baked goods as more than a hobby requires licensing, a health-code-compliant kitchen and proper packaging/storage procedures. Depending on your location, a from-home baking business may also be subject to health department inspection.
- Beauty. Practicing cosmetology from home is illegal in most states, even if you have a license.
- Child Care/Day Care. This can be a legit stay-at-home job, but the licensing and liability concerns are enormous. If this is something you’re interested in doing, take a deep dive into your state’s requirements and plan on making serious investments of time and money.
- Event Planner. This is often recommended as an “at-home” job, which doesn’t make a lot of sense since much of the work involves scouting locations and staffing them on the day of the event.
- Life Coach. There are many people on the internet who want you to believe that you can make a living as a life coach. And all you have to do is sign up for their course. But for most people, this ends up being a money pit.
- Matchmaker. There have been ads for this job in women’s magazines forever. And while the positions do exist, the chances of landing one are one in a million and usually require a degree in a related field (like psychology).
- Online Stylist. This is a real job, but there are few companies that hire for it. The main one is StichFix, and you have to live within one of a few specific areas to qualify.
- Renting Baby Gear. This is another suggestion that inexplicably pops up on almost every list. But just because you happen to have a baby doesn’t mean you want to get into the equipment rental business.
- Secret Shopper. Secret shopping is real! Market Force is a great option for getting assignments that will pay you a few bucks here and there (along with some free food or products). But it’s a hobby, not a job, and it should be categorized as a way to make extra money on the side rather than a main source of income.
- Travel Agent. It’s hard to imagine you’ll have much success as a stay-at-home travel agent in a world where people have access to travel aggregators like Expedia. The one exception might be if you have a ton of travel experience and can market yourself as an expert in a particular country or region.
