How to Make Money Online: 25 Examples and Ideas

With the gift of the internet, it seems everyone is eager to have a side-hustle. But, not everyone has the time or resources to get a consistent job outside of their house. And, with so many jobs that can be done virtually, getting a side job on the internet has never been easier. So, what are some ways you can make money online? 

How to Make Money Online

While some may require the use of your car or your house, these 25 online job ideas can help you earn lots of extra cash without having to exert too much energy. And, the best part? Most can be done in addition to your daytime job (read - disposable income). 

1. Use Apps Like Uber and Lyft

Yes, you will have to leave your house in your car, but using apps like Uber and Lyft can help you earn lots of extra money (up to hundreds of dollars per week). 

If you are 21 years of age and have a four-door car, you're good to go to start earning money through the apps. Simply register on Uber or Lyft, and start earning cash in your spare time. 

2. Take Online Surveys

You can get paid (or get coupons or discounts) for taking surveys online. 

With sites like Swagbucks, you can get gift cards and discounts for taking surveys - which can add up in savings. Other sites like MySurvey and SurveyJunkie offer money in exchange for surveys. 

3. Become a Virtual Assistant

A great way to earn some extra cash from the comfort of your bed is to be a virtual assistant. 

Typical duties of a virtual assistant include things like administrative tasks, booking travel, or managing calendars. Typical hourly salary of a virtual assistant is around $15.62 - posing a tempting option for an internet side-hustle. 

4. Begin Investing

If you've got a tiny bit of extra cash, starting to invest in the stock or bond market can be a great way to earn  money online. 

Using online investment sites like Fidelity (FNF) - Get Fidelity National Financial, Inc. - FNF Group Report or PNC (PNC) - Get PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Report  can potentially pay off in a big way. 

5. Sell Clothes or Items Online

Everyone has an extra coat or pair of jeans in their closet. An easy way to turn clutter into cash is to sell clothes online on sites like Poshmark or eBay (EBAY) - Get eBay Inc. Report . 

With the ease of listing items and receiving payment, selling extra items or clothes online can really give you a boost for a minimal effort. 

6. Tutor Online

If you've got smarts or expertise in a certain area, being an online tutor can be a great option to earn some extra cash on the internet. With dozens of high school, college or other level tutoring jobs available, you could potentially make up to $18 an hour from your computer. 

Definitely worth a look into using your brain. 

7. Become a Transcriptionist

If you've got a computer and fast typing skills, becoming a transcriptionist is an ultra-easy way to earn money from your home. 

While salaries vary, you can typically make about $15 per hour, with some of the bigger freelance transcribing sites like TranscribeMe or Go Transcript paying by the minute you transcribe.

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8. Become a Freelance Writer

While a knack for writing is necessary, becoming a freelance writer online can earn you hundreds of dollars - and is typically a pretty easy gig to find.

Sites like UpWork offer lots of great freelance jobs that can earn you over $1,000 - and, lots of other freelancing pays per hour as well, earning you an average of $15 to $20 per hour.

9. Sell Crafts Online

Ah, Etsy (ETSY) - Get Etsy, Inc. Report - the go-to for craft lovers Web-wide. 

If you've got a talent for making crafts, or even have crafting supplies to sell, you can potentially earn lots of money selling your items. 

Even though the site takes a 3.5% fee for every item sold, you can still generate a good amount of income for your goods (and possibly even build a small business). 

10. Start a YouTube Channel

Despite the fact that not all of us will earn YouTube stardom, some of us might - and that's exactly how you can make money for your videos on YouTube. 

The popular platform can potentially generate thousands of dollars of income - but, there is more than one hoop to jump through. Learn more about making money on YouTube here.

11. Use Online Sites Like Craigslist and UpWork 

If you've got a product or service for hire or sale, using online sites like Craigslist or UpWork can help you sell your services (or products) to make that additional buck.

However, when using sites like Craigslist, beware of scams - you can read about some of the most common Craigslist scams here. 

12. Work as a Consultant

Another way you can potentially earn big on the internet is by consulting.

According to Forbes, offering consulting services in a variety of fields can even earn you up to $100 per hour. Sites that can get you started in the field of online consulting include Clarify.fm - and it's free. 

13. Use Money-Making Apps

Some apps like Drop can help you earn extra money or cash rewards when shopping online. 

Apps like Drop let you choose your favorite stores and link a credit or debit card so you can earn points as you shop online. These points can definitely add up, giving you some extra cash or savings on the internet. 

14. Start a Blog

While there are dozens of ways to make money through online writing, creating a blog can definitely help you add to your bottom line once you've built it up.

Using your blog to build a platform and begin getting advertising or affiliate deals can help you earn money. But make sure to promote your blog on social media and gain a consistent audience while targeting money-making opportunities within your niche. 

15. Use Cash-Back Credit Cards

You can actually earn a good bit of money online by using your credit or debit cards via cash-back deals. 

In addition to percentage rewards with certain cards, many cards like Discover (DFS) - Get Discover Financial Services Report have better interest rates - and, in the case of Discover, can earn you 1.80% APY - which can add up to big dollar savings per year. 

16. Create Online Courses or Webinars

According to Entrepreneur, offering online webinars or courses can help you make lots of money by talking about areas of your interest or expertise.

Using sites like GoToWebinar can help you get started in the process of creating your own webinar. 

Additionally, you can create online courses using your experiences or knowledge to make money - with sites like Teachable.com being a useful resource. 

17. Become a Data Entry Clerk

Entering data on a freelance basis online can help you earn a good amount of extra dough for a fairly simple job.

According to Entrepreneur, the average pay for data entry is around $12 to $13 per hour. You can often find jobs for freelance data entry on sites like Fiverr and Indeed. Simply search "data entry clerk" and you'll get a handful of options.

18. Help College Applicants or Students Write Papers

Even if you're not fresh out of college, you can still help those who are trying to get in by freelancing in the area of helping students work on papers.

For most gigs, you could make around $15-$25 per hour, while some fees per essay may be much higher. Using your writing skills can potentially earn you some extra cash - and help students learn how to construct a winning essay. 

19. Write Resumes

Along the same lines, helping write or work on people's resumes to ensure they are in tip-top shape can earn you a surprising amount of extra money.

In fact, working on or writing resumes can potentially earn you between $15 and $20 an hour, or even make over $100 per resume.

20. Rent Out a Room on Airbnb

You presumably have a home or room - which means that by renting it out, you can earn some extra cash. 

While the specifics are slightly more complicated, the idea is simple - you can earn big bucks for letting people rent out an extra room (or your whole house, if you're out of town). Learn more about how Airbnb could earn you money online here. 

21. Become a Web Designer

If you've got skills with website creation, SEO, or web design, you can earn lots of money by freelancing and creating sites.

Use sites like UpWork, Fiverr, or Freelancer  to help find options - which, if you can manage full time, can potentially earn you upward of $70,000 per year as a web designer or creator. 

22. Create an ECommerce Store on Shopify

If you've got things to sell online, Shopify may very well be the online eCommerce store for you.

With a fairly easy process of setting up an online store, Shopify offers a great way to sell things you make online and earn a good amount of additional cash. 

23. Become a Brand Ambassador

If you've got a strong social media presence, becoming a brand ambassador could be just the right online job for you. Getting paid to promote products on social media is certainly appealing - and, if you create enough of a platform on sites like Instagram (FB) - Get Meta Platforms Inc. Class A Report , you could even earn thousands per year. 

Even if you aren't fortunate enough to score a deal with a brand through social media, working events and handing out goodies or promoting companies can earn you a decent amount of cash. 

If you're lucky, you can even earn up to over $17 per hour. 

24. Invest in Cryptocurrency 

Yes, this may not be an avenue for the faint of heart (or those low in cash). But if you have a little extra money to spend, investing in slightly riskier investments like cryptocurrency could possibly earn you thousands from the comfort of your home computer. 

Still, before diving in the bitcoin deep end, make sure you know the downsides and possible scams to avoid getting conned. 

25. Review Music or Videos Online 

Perhaps surprisingly, you can actually make money by reviewing music (or other forms of media like videos) online. 

You can use sites like Slice the Pie to review things like music, videos, artists or even clothing products and earn money while doing it. 

The Bottom Line

There are countless ways to earn money online - including dozens more than these 25. Do your research and use your particular talents, areas of expertise, and resources to earn money online.