It seems like everywhere you go nowadays, you see things like: “Travel the world making an income from your laptop!” or “Work from the comfort of your home!”
And it always seem to sound a little ‘too good to be true’, doesn’t it?
Maybe you start to visualize yourself working from your laptop on the beach, having more time to spend with your family, and never enduring a long commute to work again.
But then you start looking into available online jobs, and all you’re seeing are positions that pay $10 – 15/hr. And you’re like, ‘Umm, I have a career and bills and kids and can’t afford to transition to something that doesn’t pay well!’
Or maybe you’re willing to start at a lower hourly rate if that’s what it takes to break into working online, but you’re wondering what kind of potential there is to grow that income. Especially if you live in a place like the U.S. or the U.K. where the cost of living is higher, you’re going to want to move towards the $30/hr (or more) range quickly.
I feel so incredibly fortunate that working online has given me the freedom to travel all over the world with my family – and now we’re based in Bali! If this sounds too good to be true, or like I just got lucky, think again.
Since I started working online 7 years ago, I’ve helped over 1,500 women start working online as virtual assistants in exactly the types of jobs that I’ll be sharing with you.
I think you’ll be surprised at these 5 awesome online jobs that pay $30/hr or more (no degree or previous experience required)!
1. Content Writing & Editing
Content writing is not to be confused with copywriting or any kind of fancy, technical marketing copy. Just think about the sheer amount of content you come across on a daily basis: social media posts, blog posts, ebooks, informative web pages, email newsletters, the list goes on.
As an online business owner myself, the amount of writing I have to do in a week is ridiculous. And you bet your butt that I hire out for help with a lot of this writing (and I do not pay a small amount of money – I think I pay her more than $30/hr, to be honest).
With all this content writing going on, someone also has to be editing all of it. Anyone who is publishing something on the internet wants to be sure that their content is grammatically correct and formatted well. Tons of businesses need copy editors, and it doesn’t make sense to hire someone to sit in the office to do this – or maybe the business doesn’t even have an office! This is where you, the amazing virtual assistant, come in.
The best part is that to be a copy editor you don’t need a degree in English or anything like that. You just need to learn the skills and have some references or testimonials to show for yourself.
In fact, in our free Work from Anywhere Virtual Summit, we actually talk to a copywriter who is making high six-figures and very well known in the industry. She shares real tips on how you can get started, too! Grab a free ticket to the Summit here!
2. Graphic Design
I know what you’re thinking. “Ugh! I have to get a degree for that!” I’m here to tell you that you don’t. Nobody cares anymore if you have a degree in graphic design, they just care about what you’ve made before.
And the great news is that most graphic design software programs are totally affordable, easy to download, and have tons of tutorials available to learn how to use them. You can also use websites like Skillshare or Lynda to take classes on graphic design – no degree or night classes required!
Just keep practicing, get better and better, and eventually, you can make $30/hr or more doing graphic design. If you think this sounds impossible, here’s a story for you.
One of my 90 Day VA students, Morgan, was making $12/hr working in an office when she first joined my program. She was fine with it, but at the same time, she knew the job wasn’t going anywhere and she decided she wanted something more with her life.
While working through my program, Morgan realized she really loved graphic design. With no previous experience or degree, she threw herself into learning graphic design, built up her skill set, and created an awesome portfolio that helps her land clients all the time.
It’s been about two years since she joined 90 Day VA, and in that time, she has moved to Bali, started a 6-figure agency, retired her boyfriend from his job (now he does web development for her agency), and charges clients $60/hr for her time. Incredible, right?
3. Social Media Management
Having a social media presence requires constant upkeep that most business owners simply do not have time for. Between posting content, engaging with their audience, and responding to messages, there’s just so much to do. As a business owner myself, I have a team that helps me with a lot of this stuff because there is no way I could do all that and run all of my programs.
You don’t need a degree or certificate in social media management. In fact, the social media world changes so quickly that by the time you graduated from a program on social media, it would be completely outdated.
One of the cool things about social media management is that you can be as broad or as specialized as you want. If you really love Pinterest, you can be a Pinterest Strategist and work solely in that field. Or if you have more varied interests, you can work with YouTube and Snapchat and Instagram and other platforms. The social media world is your oyster!
4. Web Maintenance
To be clear, I’m not talking about coding or web development here – although that is a route you can take that pays well over $30/hr and doesn’t require a degree.
What I’m talking about is web maintenance, where someone already has a website built and they might not want to keep their web developer on retainer just for some basic upkeep of their site. This upkeep includes things like updating plugins, removing spam comments on the blog, and responding to inquiries. Your job is to keep the website running smoothly and staying up-to-date.
You might even realize that you enjoy playing with websites on platforms like WordPress or Squarespace, in which case you can start offering services on the web design side of things (and raise your rates even more!). But simple web maintenance is a great place to start making $30/hr by offering this service to businesses on a monthly basis.
5. Email Marketing or CRM Management
Working in email marketing doesn’t mean you have to be some email copywriting all-star. Most of the time you’ll be given the email copy, and your job is to put it into software like MailChimp or ConvertKit. You might add some emojis, hyperlinks, and images, and then you make sure it gets sent to the right people at the right time.
I send so many emails every week, and I’m telling you that if I didn’t have a team to help me manage them, I would lose my mind!
Along similar lines, CRM (Customer Relations Management) systems help a business keep its customers organized. The more a business grows its email list, the more work it takes to manage current customers and potential customers and the different types of emails they all want to receive from the business.
For example, if someone has already bought my 90 Day VA program, I don’t want them to keep getting the same emails as someone who hasn’t bought the program yet. That doesn’t make sense, right? So CRM systems help make sure that everyone is on the right list and getting the right information.
CRM management can be done using simpler software I mentioned before like ConvertKit or Mailchimp, or it can be done in higher-end software like Infusionsoft or Ontreport. Until recently, I thought Infusionsoft was only for online business, but it turns out all kinds of businesses use this system.
For example, I met a handyman who actually uses Infusionsoft to log any client who has ever contacted his business. When he works with a client, he’s able to keep track of their information and make notes on the client or the project for future reference. If someone doesn’t immediately hire his services, he is still able to follow up with that person until they do turn into a client.
Now, do you think the handyman is doing all of that admin? No way! He hires a full-time virtual assistant to keep up with it. That could be you!
Ready to Venture into the Online Work World this year?
It’s okay, take one step at a time.
Join our Work From Anywhere Facebook group! In the Facebook group, we post daily remote jobs and tons of tips for how to get started on your remote work journey!
If you are new to the online world and you are still wondering where to begin from in terms of offering services. We have a 100% free Work from Anywhere Virtual Summit that features over 10+ experts in the field of remote work and over 20 classes on all types of jobs and services you can offer.
So if you’re thinking of dipping your toes into the online work world, head on over to the summit to grab your free ticket!
Kelsey Giganti is a virtual assistant here to help businesses grow their online presence with targeted and purposeful content. When she’s not helping busy entrepreneurs grow their brand, she loves to spend her free time picking up heavy things and putting them back down (also known as ‘powerlifting’). She’s a member of 90 Day VA and assists with everything from writing blogs, to repurposing content, to crafting killer social media posts. To see all the services she offers and how she can help you, check out her website here.
