A big question that I’m often asked is what are some legitimate part time jobs? Stay at home moms, retirees and other folks are sometimes looking for side jobs to bring in some extra cash. There are several multilevel marketing jobs available (and while many can be successful at those) some are looking to go a different path also with steady income and flexible hours. Here are some unique opportunities to check out:

VIPKid: This is a leading Chinese online education firm that offers an American elementary education experience to Chinese students aged 4-12. The company hires teachers to give 25-minute, one-on-one, fully immersive lessons delivered via the company’s learning platform. They prefer you to be available for at least 7.5 hours of teaching per week, but there is no set requirement.  They also don’t require experience in teaching.

I’ve heard so many great reviews for this company with most folks earning around $20 per hour and worknig inthe evenings so that it lines up with Chinese time zones.

Mystery Shopping: A Closer Look is a company that offers positions in Mystery Shopping as well as schedulers, editors and other part time independent contractor positions. While Mystery Shopper positions can be competitive, do be careful as come companies that offer this are not legitimate. Mystery shoppers are used for market research to perform specific tasks such as purchasing a product, asking questions, registering complaints etc, and then provide detailed reports or feedback about their experiences. You can do this undercover work for hotels, restaurants, clothing stores and more.

Transcriptionist – Transcription requires listening to audio files and typing out what you hear. This job tends to pay well compared to many part time jobs, some $15-$25 an hour to even more if you’re more experienced. Most companies will require you to take short, simple transcription tests prior to accepting you but besides that, most companies that hire newbies just require you to have a computer and high-speed internet. Some legitimate companies include Transcribe Anywhere, TranscribeMe, and Rev.

Customer Service – There are several companies that offer part-time work from home customer service jobs. Amazon is a reputable company known for this. The average amount of work scheduled hours is 20-29 hours per week, with opportunities to work additional hours during peak seasons at Amazon. You can get an hourly rate of up to $12 an hour. This is how it works with Amazon, but there are several other companies now offering a similar structure.

There are several other ways to earn money if you prefer to use your stills to work for yourself. You can do freelancing work with writing, photography, graphic design, and calligraphy. If you enjoy kids, you can babysit or if you have an Education background, tutoring can make some great income too. Consider teaching fitness classes if you enjoy exercising or open an Etsy shop to sell your arts and crafts. If you enjoy animals, you can become a dog walker or keep pets for people when they are out of town.