16 Best Freelance Jobs & How To Get Started

Are you looking for the best freelance jobs?

Freelancers are people who own their own business and contract out their services to other business owners or clients. They are considered independent contractors for tax purposes.

According to Upwork’s Freelance Forward Study, there were over 60 million freelancers in America in 2022, representing 39% of the entire U.S. workforce.

As a freelancer, a business may hire you for one-time gigs or you may get a long-term contract job with a company.

These days, the best freelance jobs allow you to work remotely, so you are able to work from home, while traveling, or wherever you have a good internet connection. Occasionally, companies hire you to do on-site work. 

But like I said, many freelancers are able to travel full-time or whenever they like, and that’s because you most likely won’t be bound to one place. Many freelancers travel all over the world and work right from their laptop!

The ability to work wherever you like is one of the biggest perks of freelancing. It means you can live the way you want — traveling, working while you’re at home with kids, and more.

Another thing you may like about being a freelancer is that you will most likely be able to create your own hours and have a flexible schedule.

You will still have to keep up with the work the company has contracted you for, but the best freelance jobs allow you to create your own schedule. Because of this flexibility, freelancing can be a great side job if you’re already working full time, going to school, staying at home with kids, etc.

If you are looking for the kind of location and time freedom that comes with freelancing, I’m sharing the best freelance jobs with you today. 

Related content:

16 Best Freelance Jobs

 

1. Virtual assistant

Virtual assistants (VAs) are in high demand.

I know working as a virtual assistant is one of the best freelance jobs from home because I used to be a virtual assistant, and I now have one of my own. I also know many, many people who have virtual assistants.

Not only does the internet allow us to complete more daily tasks online, but more and more people are also working stay-at-home jobs, such as running websites, social media, real estate, advertising, etc. That’s why virtual assistant jobs are one of the most in-demand freelance gigs right now.

As a virtual assistant, you may be helping with social media management, formatting and editing content (such as blog posts or social media posts), scheduling appointments or travel for the person you work for, managing someone’s email inbox, and so on. There are many, many different types of freelance virtual assistant work.

My friend Kayla is a full-time blogger, virtual assistant, and project manager who earns over $10,000 per month while working from home. She is also the founder of $10K VA, a course where she teaches you exactly how to regularly earn $10,000 per month as a virtual assistant!

I interviewed her at How Kayla Earns $10K/Month From Home as a Virtual Assistant, and we talk about:

• How much money you can earn as a virtual assistant
• How you can find your first virtual assistant freelance gig
• How to become a virtual assistant

 

2. Bookkeeper

A bookkeeper is someone who tracks the finances of a business.

Now, before you skip this one because you think you’re not qualified, you might be surprised to learn that you don’t need to be an accountant, have any previous experience, or even have a college degree. This is a freelance skill that you can learn starting today.

I have an article where you can learn why bookkeeping is one of the best freelance jobs, and it answers questions such as:

• What a bookkeeper does
• How much a bookkeeper can earn
• What’s the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?
• How to find a bookkeeping job
• Can I become a bookkeeper with no degree? How do I become a virtual bookkeeper with no experience?

You can learn more at Online Bookkeeping Jobs: Learn How To Get Started Today.

If you are interested in finding a freelance bookkeeping job, I recommend signing up for a free workshop all about finding a virtual bookkeeping job. Here, you will learn how to start a freelance bookkeeping business. You can sign up for free here.

3. Freelance writer 

A freelance writer is someone who writes for a number of different clients, such as websites, blogs, magazines, advertising, books, and more.

And you can easily work from home as a freelance writer.

I was an online freelance writer for many years, and I enjoyed it a lot. I wrote for a variety of websites and companies, and I earned a great income doing so.

As a freelance writer, you may be writing a blog post, writing content for a company’s sales page, press releases, SEO content for a business (writing content for search engines, such as Google), ebooks, essays, and more.

You may be creating newsletters, a technical writer, a copywriter, a staff writer, a journalist, doing academic writing, writing emails, and more.

You can learn more at 14 Places To Find Freelance Writing Jobs – (Start With No Experience!).

 

4. Book reviewer

As a freelance book reviewer, you can get paid review books. Now, this may not always be a full-time freelancing gig, but it can be a great part-time option if that’s what you are looking for.

There are websites that will pay you to review books, or you could even start your own book review blog. Each site varies, but you are typically paid cash via PayPal or bank transfer, or you may receive a free book in exchange for your review.

Here are some websites that will pay for you to review books:

• Online Book Club – With Online Book Club, the first review you complete is only paid via a free book. After the first book review, you are eligible for paid book review opportunities, plus the books that you review are given to you at no cost. With this website, you can get paid around $5 to $60 for each book review that you submit.
• Kirkus – This platform is looking for book reviewers of English and Spanish language books. They need reviews that are about 350 words long, and they are due two weeks after you are assigned to read the book.
• Upwork – With Upwork, you would need to create your own profile and make a listing as a book reviewer. This way, clients and authors can find you and hire you directly to read their book and review it. Plus, on Upwork, you can set your own pricing and decide which clients you want to work with.
• The US Review of Books – This website uses freelance writers to review books and write reviews that are around 250-300 words long.
• Reedsy – Here, you can review hundreds of different books before they are published and earn money at the same time. Authors submit their books to Reedsy, specifically to be reviewed by book reviewers. You then get paid by readers (those who buy a book) as a tip for the review. These tips can be $1, $3, or $5.
• Booklist – This website pays for book reviews that are around 150 to 175 words long that describe the plot and suggest an ideal audience. This website pays $15 for each published book review.

Related content: 7 Best Ways To Get Paid To Read Books

 

5. Transcriptionist

A freelance transcription job is when you turn audio or video content into a text document.

There are many businesses looking for transcriptionists too – since transcriptionists convert audio and video to text for virtually any industry, there are many clients in many different industries.

You may be working for digital marketers, authors, filmmakers, academics, speakers, and conferences of all types.

New transcriptionists can expect to make around $15 an hour to start.

If you’re interested in learning more, read Make Money At Home By Becoming A Transcriptionist. Here, you will learn things such as:

• What kind of work a transcriptionist does
• The type of training you need to become a transcriptionist
• How to find the best freelance jobs for transcriptionists

 

6. Proofreader

Proofreading is one of the best freelance jobs for good reason!

Proofreading is a flexible and detail-oriented job that only requires a laptop or tablet, an internet connection, and a good eye for finding grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes.

Proofreaders are responsible for putting the finishing touches on written content, from blog posts, web copy, marketing materials, resumes and cover letters to academic articles, legal briefs, and much more.

You can learn more about how to become a proofreader at How To Start A Proofreading Business And Make $4,000+ Monthly.

 

7. Business consultant

A consultant is someone who helps improve your business, and consultants can focus on many different aspects of your business.

They have an outside view on how to solve challenges and issues that you may be dealing with so that you can improve your revenues and profit, as well as other areas of your business that you are hoping to improve on.

As a business consultant, your salary and income can be quite high. Many consultants earn a six-figure income.

 

8. Digital marketer

As a freelance digital marketer, your goal would be to help companies improve their reach and find new customers.

This means that you may be helping a company get traffic and/or customers to their website, social media platform, their email list, through search engine optimization, advertising, and more.

Important skills as a freelance digital marketer would be marketing skills, technology skills (because you may be using different platforms in order to improve the company’s reach), and creativity.

 

9. Translator

If you are fluent in another language, then you may be able to find a freelance translating job where you translate articles, books, text, and more.

Your expertise is important here, and this is probably one of the harder freelance jobs because you need to be fluent in another language, and that can take a long time to learn!

Here are some sites where you can find the best freelance jobs for translators:

• Upwork – Freelance professionals can simply create a free profile and apply for translation jobs on this website.
• Babelcube – This is a website that sends freelance translation projects to you. You select which books you translate, translate them to one of more than 15 different languages, and partner with published authors.
• Guru – Guru is a website that lists freelance writing and translation jobs.
• Indeed – Indeed lists translation jobs that they find from job boards, staffing firms, company websites, and more.
• Today Translations – This is a website that is looking for translators to freelance for them.
• Fiverr – Fiverr is an online marketplace where you can find freelance jobs all over the world. You can list your translation services and have clients find you.
• Ulatus – This is a website that provides translation services. Due to that, they frequently hire translators.

 

10. Voice over actor

A voice over actor is the person you hear but don’t usually see on radio advertising, YouTube videos, explainer videos, corporate narration, documentaries, e-learning courses, audiobooks, commercials, movies, cartoons, and more.

No, you don’t need to be a famous person to become a voice over actor – most aren’t!

This is one of the best freelance jobs because it doesn’t require previous experience or special skills – you just need to have the voice the company is looking for.

And before you think that this isn’t for you – you should give it another change! I actually know a few people who work as voice over actors, and it’s a very interesting and fun field to get into.

If you have questions, such as:

• What does a voice over actor do?
• How much money can a new voice over actor make?
• How can a person find their first freelance voice acting job?

Please head to How To Become A Voice Over Actor And Work From Anywhere to read further.

 

11. Facebook ads manager

By running Facebook ads for local businesses, you can help small businesses reach new customers.

Facebook is one of the largest advertising spaces that exists, so this is an area that will just continue to grow and be popular. Many, many businesses run Facebook advertising in order to reach new customers, and they use a Facebook ads manager to do so!

If you have questions, such as:

• Why small businesses need Facebook advertising to find new customers
• How you can find your first Facebook ads client
• How much you can make doing this type of work – the average is around $1,000 extra a month per client

You can head to How To Make $1,000 Extra With Facebook Each Month to learn more about why this is one of the best freelance jobs.

 

12. Scopist

As a scopist, you are editing legal documents for court reporters.

Scopists who are working with a court reporter tend to earn around $30,000 to $45,000 each year working full-time hours.

If you are wondering what a scopist does or more information on how much money they can earn, please head to How To Become A Scopist And Make $40,000 Per Year Working From Home to learn more.

 

13. Food photographer

You can make money from home by becoming a freelance food photographer, such as for food blogs, magazines, advertising materials, and more.

Bloggers hire freelance photographers to recreate recipes and take pictures of the recipes so that the professional photography can be shared on their blog.

Many food photographers are making $50,000 a year – even over $100,000 each year – working for bloggers.

You can learn more at How To Become a Food Blog Photographer And Earn Over $50,000 Each Year.

 

14. Social media manager

With a social media management business, you would be managing the social media accounts for a business.

You may be working directly for the business as an employee, or you may be a freelance social media manager and managing several different company’s social media platforms at once.

As a social media manager, you may be managing a company’s TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and so on. You may specialize in one platform (such as TikTok), or you may help a company in more than one area.

Social media marketing is one of the best freelance jobs because it’s a fun and fast-paced industry, and social media is a great great way to bring new customers to a business, and helping a business grow can be very rewarding.

14. Graphic designer

Graphic designers are responsible for creating logos and other visual elements that are used by a business. 

This is one of the best freelance jobs if you are artistic or have a background in design. You definitely don’t need a degree to work as a graphic designer because most clients are only concerned about your ability to create the elements they need for their business.

15. Web designer

Working as a web designer is one of the best freelance jobs for people who are both creative and tech savvy. 

Web design is similar to graphic design, except that you are creating visual elements that appear on websites and apps. You may be responsible for the overall visual look of a website and choose things like fonts, colors, and images. 

You can make in the range of $30 to $80/hour+ working as a freelance web designer.

16. Web developer

This is one of the best paying freelance jobs, and web developers can make in the range of $40 to $100/hour. 

You can work as a front-end, back-end, or full-stack developer. You may choose to work with one coding language or multiple, and because more and more people are using the internet and technology, there’s a high demand for web developers.

Years ago, you used to need a degree in computer science to work as a web developer, but now many are self taught or attend months-long coding bootcamp to learn the basics.

 

Common questions about the best freelance jobs

Here are answers to common questions that you may have about finding the best freelance job.

 

How much does a beginner freelancer earn?

The amount of money new freelancers make varies because the type of freelance work varies widely, so of course, the pay will vary widely as well.

I have listed some average incomes above, but it can range widely still. This is also because as a freelancer, you can determine your own hours, schedule, the clients and work you do, and more. So, salaries are all over the place.

 

What is the highest-paying freelance job?

As you gain experience and improve your skills, the above freelance jobs may all have the ability to be high paying. If you stick to one and provide high-quality work, your income potential can be high.

 

What freelance jobs are most in demand?

The freelance jobs above are all in demand currently, and I believe most of them will continue to grow well into the future.

 

Which skill is best for freelancing?

The best freelance skill depends on what type of freelance job that you want.

For example, as a virtual assistant, the most basic skills are knowing how to use a computer. Depending on your client’s needs, you may need to know how to manage social media accounts, create slideshow presentations, how to create spreadsheets, and so on.

However, as a proofreader, the basic skills you need are to be able to find spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes.

For the best freelance jobs, other important skills may include:

• Good communication
• Organizational skills (because you are probably working on your own and need to stay on task and on schedule)
• Being reliable (the company or person is paying you to complete your tasks, after all, and to make their life easier)

 

What is the easiest freelance job?

The easiest freelance job will be the one that you are most interested in and already have skills related to the industry. This is because you will have a little less to learn as you start out.

 

Can I freelance without experience?

Yes! Everyone has to start somewhere. I started as a freelancer with absolutely no experience, and I simply learned as I went.

You can think about the skills you have and how you can translate them into finding your first freelance gigs. It’s all about marketing yourself.

Then, I recommend looking at platforms like Fiverr or Upwork. You can also reach out to business owners you know and see if you can build referrals that way.

You may find that taking courses will help you a lot if you are starting with no experience. This is because a course will teach you what you need to do, common mistakes to avoid, and anything you may not have thought of.

Below is a list of free freelance job courses and resources that you may be interested in.

1. Build A Voiceover Action Plan From Scratch Minicourse
2. Start A Facebook Advertising Business From Scratch
3. Start Your Virtual Bookkeeping Business
4. General Transcription Mini-Course
5. Become a Proofreader 76-Minute Webinar
6. Court Transcript Proofreading Mini Course
7. Pinterest Virtual Assistant Training Workshop
8. Intro to Scoping Mini-Course
9. 5 Steps To Become a Virtual Assistant

You can also learn more at 20 Best Entry Level Work From Home Jobs.

 

How do I become a freelancer?

There are many other ways to start freelancing, and below is an idea of how to get started. Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But here’s what I recommend:

• Ask friends who already have freelance jobs if they recommend what they do. Chances are that you probably know someone who is freelancing, especially in today’s world. If that is the case, see if they know of have any recommendations to get started.
• Creating a quick website of your own that details your work experience. Having a website of your own allows companies and employers to find you, and you can also display a sample portfolio so that potential clients can learn more about you. You’ll most likely have to share your website with others so that it can be seen, but this can be an easy way to get the word out there that you have experience in a certain field. Plus, it’s not hard to create. You can learn how to make a website of your own here.
• Start an online business of your own. You can start your own freelance business and work remotely as an independent contractor. There are lots of different types of freelance work online, such as writing, editing, graphic design, transcription, web development, virtual assistance, bookkeeping, and more.
• Find freelance jobs on a freelance website (more on this below).

 

Which freelancing website is best?

There are many different freelancing websites that may list freelance jobs that you can apply for. Some of the below also may allow you to post your services so that people and companies can find you.

1. Fiverr – For freelance jobs, Fiverr.com can be a place to start looking at entry-level freelance jobs.
2. FlexJobs – FlexJobs has many freelance jobs from virtual assisting, proofreading, writing, bookkeeping, data entry, transcription, and more
3. Upwork – With Upwork, you can find freelance jobs online for beginners.
4. Freelance Writers Den – This website has a job board where you can find freelance writing jobs. They post new writing job listings twice a week.
5. ProBlogger Job Board – This is a job board where you can find various positions, such as (and mainly) freelance writing jobs.
6. Freelance Writing – This website started in 1997 and they have a job board which lists freelance writing jobs, including those in journalism, copywriting, blogging, and more.
7. Scribendi – Scribendi is a website that provides editing and proofreading services, which means that they are pretty much always looking for proofreaders.
8. Freelancer – Freelancer.com posts freelance jobs, similar to how UpWork does.
9. Scribbr – Scribbr.com is always looking for proofreaders and editors, and they have an application process that tests your language and editing skills. Once you pass that, you will be able to fill out the Scribbr application, join the Scribbr Academy, and more.
10. Craigslist – By searching available jobs and gigs, you may find local freelance jobs. Local businesses need freelancers too!
11. Intuit – Intuit (Quickbooks) hires Quickbooks Live Bookkeepers to help small businesses manage their finances. The jobs they offer are typically around 20 to 40 hours each week.

 

The Best Freelance Jobs – Summary

I hope you enjoyed today’s article on the best freelance jobs.

As you can see, there are many different freelance gigs that you may want to try out. Plus, the list definitely does not end here. There are many, many different types of freelance jobs that exist out there and many people all over the world are freelancers!

After all, there are so many great benefits of being a freelancer. Flexibility, being your own boss, the potential to earn a high pay, and more may be why you want to pursue a freelance job.

The best freelance jobs that we discussed today include:

1. Virtual assistant
2. Bookkeeper
3. Freelance writer
4. Book reviewer
5. Transcriptionist
6. Proofreader
7. Consultant
8. Translator
9. Voice over actor
10. Facebook ads manager
11. Scopist
12. Food photographer
13. Social media manager
14. Graphic designer
15. Web designer
16. Web developer

Remember, as a freelancer, even if you work from home, you still have a job! So I wanted to share some tips so that you can start a successful freelancing career:

• Set working hours for yourself. This means having a start time, lunch break, end time, and so on. You can still have a flexible schedule, but you may want to have at least some kind of idea of what your hours are.
• Have a dedicated work area. This may mean a separate office, a desk in your bedroom, or something else. You will want a place where you can keep your work-life organized.
• Try to cut out distractions. Working from home can be hard due to the amount of distractions that you may have. Do what you can to cut down on distractions, such as noise, social media, TV, and so on, so that you can have a productive work day and produce high-quality work.

You can learn more at 15 Of My Best Working From Home Tips So You Can Succeed.

What do you think are the best freelance jobs?

*Statistic from Upwork