The Best Stay-at-Home Mom Jobs in 2020
If you landed here, it means you are looking for the best stay-at-home mom jobs that pay well. You want to find that gig that can replace your regular job, let you set your own hours, and let you work from home so you can stay home with your kids.
I was in the same situation as you not so long ago. When I was pregnant with my son, I knew that finding legitimate work-from-home jobs that paid well was the best option for me.
But, let’s be real–while there are lots of legit online jobs out there, not all can truly replace a full-time income.
I desperately needed real stay-at-home mom jobs that were flexible and that could help me generate a good income from home.
Thankfully, I discovered so many amazing work-at-home jobs on the internet for moms like me! Online jobs from home are definitely on the rise and many moms have also jumped on board this thing called the work-at-home revolution.
I took a leap of faith, too, and I’ve not looked back! Now, I am making a full-time income working from home while being a full-time mom to my son. I know I keep saying this here, but working from home has been one of the best decisions I made for my career and family.
If you are looking for an alternative way to make a living, you’re in the right place! In this post, I am going to share with you 15 of the best stay-at-home mom jobs that pay well.
If you are interested in anything on this list, I recommend that you put in the effort in learning the skills needed for the job. And be sure to also check out the FREE online courses and education that I’ll be recommending in this post to help you get started.
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Finding the Best Stay-at-Home Mom Jobs For You
Finding the Best Stay-at-Home Mom Jobs
There are plenty of money-making opportunities out there, from passive income ideas, home-based businesses to side gigs, and the options can get overwhelming.
However, not all online jobs from home are fit for you. To help you nail down the best stay-at-home mom jobs for you, here are some considerations:
1. Know what you are good at.
What are you really good at? If you’re pretty good at something, then that’s a skill you can build up, sell and earn money from.
2. Survey your interests.
What do you love? When you take on a side-gig, you must like what you do so that your job feels more like play than work.
3. Income potential.
The truth is, you aren’t just working at home to keep yourself busy, you also want to make money.
When you figure out how much money you need to make your goals, you’ll also figure out what kind of work and how much time you need to invest to meet those goals.
It can take some time before you figure out the best work-from-home jobs for you, and you may even have to go through a trial and error to see which one works best.
The good thing is most work-at-home gigs have plenty of resources and require minimal investment. Study your options carefully, narrow them down, and reflect upon yourself if this is the kind of opportunity that you’d want to invest yourself in.
Best Stay at Home Mom Jobs You Can Start Right Now
Wondering what stay at home mom jobs you can get into? Here are some of your options!
1.Start a blog
Blogging is an awesome work-at-home job for moms because it’s low-cost (you’ll only need to pay for hosting and domain name to start) and very flexible.
You can work in your own time and independently decide on your content. Blogging can also bring in some lucrative income, especially when you’ve established yourself in your niche, and you get people and brands to trust you. It’s also amazing how you can passively earn even for content you wrote months or years before.
I make money from this small blog, and I enjoy doing it because I get to help and inspire other people. And the best thing about blogging is you can work from anywhere!
How much you could make? If you are wondering whether blogging can replace a full-time income, yes a successful blog can! Your income is limitless with blogging, but it’s a lot of work in the beginning.
This is the type of job that needs a lot of motivation, effort, and learning, but it is so much worth it if you stick it out.
How do you make money blogging? A blog can have many sources of income such as affiliate marketing where you promote products, sponsorship, display advertising, or selling your own products.
How to get started? You only need to pay for hosting (best hosting price here) and buy a domain name to get started.
If you want to learn more about blogging, check out this detailed guide on how to start a mom blog. I wrote this guide to help my readers not only set up a blog but also learn the steps I took to grow this blog!
2. Freelance writing
I’ve also been working as a part-time freelance writer for over six years now. I’ve been doing this even when I was still working outside the home, and it remains one of my favorite work-at-home jobs.
In my first three years freelance writing part-time, I earned over $70,000 from one freelance site alone, with no previous experience in writing for websites.
You don’t have to be the best writer to start making money as a freelance writer. Trust me on that because I am not. 🙂 But since there is a huge demand for content writers online, finding writing gigs even without experience is possible.
I started out writing for content mills and while the pay wasn’t that great, it helped me gain writing experience which I used as a stepping stone to landing better freelance writing gigs.
Why try freelance writing?
As I said, there’s never a shortage of freelance writing jobs online even for beginners. Lots of brands are looking for writers to produce content to promote their business.
Freelance writing also allows you to work with different clients, set your rate, and work at your own pace.
As a writer, you’ll be working closely with these brands, but it’s usually a remote job so you wouldn’t have to leave home.
How much can you make: You could easily earn between $25,000 and $50,000 or more per year from freelance writing, depending on how much time you dedicate to it, your experience and skills.
How to get started: I wrote a guide here on how to become a freelance writer for beginners based on my experience to help you get started. I also recommend this free introductory training that teaches the techniques Holly Johnson used to build her writing income to $200,000 per year!
Don’t miss it because lots of people who are making a good living from writing are raving about Holly’s strategies!
3. Virtual Assisting
Virtual assistants are remote workers who assist their clients in day-to-day tasks, from scheduling appointments, answering customer queries, email management, producing content, and so on.
If you’re an organized person with good attention to detail, a self-starter and a willing learner, then virtual assisting can be an excellent job for you.
Another great thing about working as a VA is that most clients are willing to train so you’ll know more about their business and their operations. You’ll learn new skills which you can also use in other work-at-home opportunities.
How much can you make: According to Payscale, the average rate for virtual assistants is $15.65 but it’s possible to earn $40 to $100 per hour as a VA, depending on the tasks you offer. Gina Horkey, the creator of 30 Days to Virtual Assistant Success, gets paid $100/hour!
How to get started: I had a chance to interview Gina Horkey to learn more about virtual assisting so be sure to check it out!
4. Proofreading
If you catch yourself mentally correcting a written content and can spot punctuation, syntax, and grammar issues almost immediately, then a proofreading job is perfect for you.
You don’t need much to get started in this niche, except perhaps for a working computer and internet connection, and then you can start looking for proofreading jobs almost instantly.
How much can you make: Proofreading online rates vary–from an average of $25 to 40 per hour. Your rates may increase considerably as you establish experience as a proofreader.
How to get started: My friend Caitlyn Pile over at Proofread Anywhere made $43,000 in her first year proofreading part-time! She has a FREE proofreading workshop here if you want to know more about proofreading.
5. Transcribing Audio Files
There’s never a shortage of transcriptionist jobs because many companies and entrepreneurs require written copies of their audio materials.
Transcription is divided into three categories – general, legal, and medical. The first one is easier to get into, while the latter two are more specialized fields with stricter requirements.
Transcribing is a great way to work at home because you can work as much or as little as you like, work at your own hours and even command your own price.
See: How to Make Money as a Transciber
How much can you make: You can earn $13 to $60/ hour, depending on the type of transcription job you do.
How to get started: Check out this FREE mini-course to see if working as a transcriber is right for you. If you are more interested in legal transcription, they also have a free legal transcription mini-course.
6. Tutoring (ESL teaching)
If you love teaching kids, then working as an online tutor or ESL teacher is an excellent option for you. You’ll be paid for every class or student you book and work at schedules that best fit your lifestyle.
Some companies do require their tutors to have a teaching background, while others only need their tutors to have a great way with kids and awesome personality.
If you want to get into this kind of work, make sure your computer and internet are at par with the company’s requirements. You may also need to be creative in your teaching strategy and perhaps invest in some teaching materials.
How much can you make: Online ESL teaching companies typically pay between $15.88 per hour to $26 per hour. According to ZipRecruiter, the national average pay for tutors is $20/ hour or $41,316 a year.
How to get started: Apply to VIPKid, one of the leading and established ESL teaching companies. They pay up to $21 per hour for one-on-one classes through Skype.
Another company to consider is Magic Ears. They are a newer company but they pay up to $26 per hour.
7. Become an FBA seller
Amazon is a wonderful platform where sellers and buyers come together. And if you like to shop in physical stores, you can make a profit of your purchases by re-selling them with a markup price on Amazon.
But what’s even more wonderful with Amazon’s FBA program is that you can focus on finding great products and marketing, and then Amazon takes care of the logistics.
When someone purchases your products, Amazon handles the packing and shipping process. The FBA program is one of the best work from home jobs, and the income potential is great. Some sellers take this as a full-time job and are earning six figures!
How much can you make: There’s no limit to your income potential as an FBA seller but this side hustle idea requires a learning curve and starting capital.
How to get started: There are so many ways to make money on Amazon, but if you are interested in buying items at big-box stores like Walmart or Target and selling them on Amazon for a profit, then learn how Jessica from The Selling Family makes over $4000 in extra income per month selling items on Amazon.
Here are a few success stories of women making money on Amazon with the help of The Selling Family.
8. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is another excellent way to work from home and earn a lucrative income. In a nutshell, affiliate marketing is promoting products to other people. You receive a commission when they make a purchase through your link.
The great thing about affiliate marketing is that it’s easy to start and comes with little capital. If you own a website or blog, you can already begin promoting products by crafting content containing affiliate links. And it’s also an excellent passive income. When you get your business up and running, you’ll continue to make money even as you sleep.
Can you make money through affiliate marketing without a blog or website? Certainly but I recommend you have your own platform (a website or blog) to be able to build trust with your audience.
How much can you make: You could earn from a few dollars to thousands per month as an affiliate marketing.
How to get started: You need to start a website or blog to be able to reach more people. You could also check out Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing to learn how Michelle Schroeder makes $50,000 a month through affiliate marketing.
9. Work as a Bookkeeper from Home
Love working with numbers? Bookkeeping from home might be for you! Bookkeeping is a fantastic job, and it doesn’t even require a specific degree.
As a bookkeeper, you are in charge of a business’s financial transactions daily. A bookkeeper must update the financial records and make sure that they are accurate at all times. Additionally, a bookkeeper receives receipts, reimburses work-related expenditures, manages the payroll, pays bills, and collect payments.
How much can you make? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, entry-level bookkeepers earn an average of $19 an hour, which comes close to $40,000 a year. Meanwhile, experienced bookkeepers command around $30-40/hour, with others making as much as $60/ hour.
How to get started? There are comprehensive training and free bookkeeping courses that you can take to help you become a bookkeeper and, later on, establish your own bookkeeping business. One of the best places to obtain bookkeeping training online is through the Bookkeeper Business Launch, a program created by Ben Robinson.
Ben offers three free bookkeeping classes online to anyone who wants to start their own online bookkeeping business and earn good money from it. Check it out here.
Related: How to Become a Bookkeeper with No Experience
10. Flip items
Flipping, also known as buying and selling, has always been around. But its digital version is much more convenient than the conventional one, especially for stay at home moms.
When it comes to this kind of business, flipping houses may come to mind. However, did you know that can flip items with significantly lesser capital?
Yes, and we’re talking about flipping websites, home furniture, appliances, clothing, and novelty products. If you enjoy scouring flea markets, garage sales and dollar stores for some awesome items, consider purchasing items at a low price then sell them high on eBay, Amazon, and other online marketplaces.
How much can you make: You can easily earn hundreds more from a $100 capital. According to Rob from the Flea Market Flipper, you could easily make an extra $1000, $2000, $5000 or even $10000 buying and selling stuff online!
How to get started: Rob made hundreds of thousands as a flea market flipper and he’s sharing his knowledge on this side hustle in this free workshop where he teaches some strategies on how to make money flipping items in as little as 14 days. You can sign up here.
11. Airbnb Rental
You can earn from that extra bedroom at home by listing it up on Airbnb. As a manager, your primary role is to post and update the listing, talking to potential clients and then making sure they are comfortable once they arrive.
There is a minimal upfront cost involved in this business unless you plan to make a major renovation. The good thing is, if you provide wonderful customer service and offer a clean and comfortable place to stay, you’ll get high ratings, and positive feedback and customers will be more encouraged to book your rental.
How much can you make: $50 – $100 per night
How to get started: Prepare your extra room or rental property, take great pictures of it and list them on Airbnb.
12. Website Tester
Working as a website tester is almost a no-brainer; hence, it doesn’t require any experience at all. What you’re expected to do is test out the usability features of a website or app and provide the developer with feedback. You don’t have to be tech-savvy to qualify. Some companies even seek out beginners to test out their sites.
You’ll review the site based on their questions and concerns, and then you provide them with your feedback. You may also be asked to do simple tasks like registering into a portal or test the navigation features.
How much can you make: You can earn around $10 for just 10-15 minutes of testing.
How to get started: You can get website testing gigs at companies like Loop11, Usertesting, and WhatUsersDo.
13. Babysitting
The cost of professional daycare is one of the things many parents dread. But if you already like kids and you want to open your home for an in-home childcare business, then this is one of the legitimate work from home jobs you can consider.
The good thing about this is that you get to take care of your kids at home, at the same time, watch over other kids. You can start this business by offering your business to friends and neighbors, and then put out notices to your neighborhood’s online pages.
How much can you make: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, daycare providers made an average of $51,290 per year in 2011.
How to get started: You need certification for basic child care and child safety classes to get started. You can learn more about how to start a daycare in the US here.
Apply to Sittercity or Care.com
14. Make money as a freelancer
Aside from freelance writing, there are many other services you can offer as a freelancer, including making book illustrations for writers, bookkeeping, graphic designing, programming or virtual assisting.
How much can you make: It really depends on the type of job you do, but it’s possible to make a full-time income as a freelancer.
How to get started: First, assess your skills: what skills do you have that you can offer? Sign up at freelance sites like Upwork, Freelancer, People per Hour and Fiverr.
Peter Koch from Dollarsanity has a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to make money on Fiverr. Make sure to check out his post to read more tips on how to use Fiverr to find gigs!
15. Run an online store
Crafty moms can turn their passion into a business by putting up an online store. If you’re fond of making handcrafted products, from soaps, bow ties, personalized painted bags to jewelry, then you can turn these products into profitable items by selling them on an Etsy shop or a Shopify store.
What’s great about this business is that you can be your own CEO, you get to dictate the rates of your products, and you can open or close your online store as you please.
How much can you make: The income can get incredibly lucrative. Sarah Titus, for example, makes printables and sells them on Shopify, earning her $100K a month.
How to get started: If you are interested in selling your crafts, sign up with Shopify or Etsy!
16. Social Media Manager
Did you know that many business owners are too occupied even to manage their Facebook page? This is where a social media manager comes in.
As an SMM, your duty is to update your clients’ social media accounts with fresh new contents regularly, respond to inquiries, and build the brand’s reputation through excellent customer service. It helps if you’re already quite savvy about social media, but don’t worry if you aren’t, almost everything can be learned online.
How much can you make: This is actually a more specific virtual assisting job which can make you an average of $15.65. You may be able to earn more if you have extra skills such as designing graphics for social media.
How to get started: Check out job boards such as ZipRecuiter (my favorite job site!) for social media manager jobs!
See: ZipRecruiter Review: Is ZipRecruiter Legit?
Ready to make money with these real stay-at-home mom jobs?
Stay at home mom jobs offer you the best of both worlds – to be there for your family while earning an income. It isn’t always perfect and smooth-sailing, but it’s also rewarding in so many levels.
Fortunately, there are lots of opportunities out there that allow stay-at-home moms to put their time and skills into good use.
Whether you want to earn from blogging, teaching English, or managing your rental, you’re likely to find real stay-at-home mom jobs that work for you!
Great tips! I also make side money by renting baby gear to traveling families. Check out the link for more info!
Hi Jane, I have read many blogs on how to make money but your blog was truly descriptive and what I really like about your writing is how you try to connect with the readers keeping it simple to understand and not like rocket science. Each job has an in-depth description that every reader will be able to find something for themself
I am also a mother of two children and at a very late stage of my life decided to learn digital marketing and got my first job. Since then I have dived deep into this world and feel if I could do it so can millions of other women out there. All they need is someone to guide them and show them a direction. So I have made an attempt in inspiring and educating more women at digitalwomen.in. MORE TO WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
Hi Harmeet! Thank you for the kind words. Your site is informative as well! Like you, it’s my mission to help other women out there who want to start a home-based career. There are so many great opportunities online and all one needs is to learn them and take action. I’m glad to hear you’re in this mission with me 🙂 Thank you so much for reaching out!
Hi Jane! First and foremost, YOU ARE AMAZING! I have been looking for stay at home jobs since my son was diagnosed with Autism. I have not found anything that has been able to provide enough income to pay at least one necessary bill. I literally sat here and read your WHOLE blog, (which I can never do because most of them can’t keep my attention or hope’s high enough to keep reading) but yours, just may have saved my life! I have been on a downward spiral which has led to severe depression because as a single mother who has never had a problem being a “bread winner”, has had multiple life changing events that led me broke, homeless and desperate to provide for my children. Yes, I am in a better place now but not where I want/need to be. Coming across your blog has been a true blessing and has given me hope, courage and the self confidence I need to get back up on my feet. Not only have you listed realistic opportunities, you’ve also listed a detailed description of time and income potential, making it possible to create a plan of my own based on my skills and multitasking abilities. I cant say enough how thankful I am for you and this blog. You have also put ideas out there that I did not know was even possible! Such as turning my hobbies as a crafter and organizer into a business by selling my items on an online store or flipping items I buy and never use just to really get my money back, if anything. I can write FOREVER about you (lol) but I need to start searching. Thank you, again. ((Virtual hugs!!))
Hi Roxanne! You don’t know how much this means to me. I am happy to help people through my blog and glad you’ve found me here. Trust me, I was there too—suffering from depression and I didn’t know what to do with my life. Then my dad died and I felt like I hit rock bottom. I decided to get back up on my feet when my son was born and started working “online.” I’ve not looked back and I felt it was one of the best decisions I made for myself and family. There are so many things we can do online to make money. Flipping items or selling crafts is just one of them. I know many people who do that for a living, too. I am sure, you’ll find lots of interesting ideas here and on other places online. I even sometimes surprise myself to discover new opportunities! PLEASE let me know if there’s anything I can help you with and wish you good luck! Virtual hugs for youuu and for your son!