Working Online in 2019: 6 Careers to Consider

Whether you want to take your first foray into working from home full-time, or you simply want to supplement your income with a few online gigs, now is a better time than ever to take advantage of the countless income opportunities that the internet offers us in this day and age.

While working online comes with its potential pitfalls, such as job security and a lack of benefits, there are many reasons why it's a non-negotiable career path for many people. For example, most gigs don't require a Master's degree in exchange for minimum wage, something that's becoming terrifyingly popular in the American job market.

In fact, just about every side-income opportunity and most full-time online careers require little more than proof of your competence, such as a sample of past work. Couple this with flexible hours, no commute times, a stress-free environment, being able to work in your pajamas, and you have yourself a rather compelling way to pay the bills!

Of course, it's worth noting that the internet is still infested with plenty of "opportunities" that are simply too good to be true. For this post, we'll steer clear of those and focus on jobs that are dependable, lucrative and most importantly, legitimate. So, without further ado, here are six online careers worth considering in 2019 and beyond.

Aside from the average person who wants to have one for their own reasons, every business needs a website. This keeps the skills of a web developer in high demand at every level of proficiency. With the plethora of learning material, community forums and web development courses available online, you don't need a degree to get into this field either.

For example, you can find web development courses here on findcourses.com with information on the length, location and cost (if there is one) for each course. Once you've obtained a marketable level of skills, you can either start applying to work for a company or simply work for yourself as a freelancer. Either way, web development can be highly lucrative career.

Depending on your skills and creativity, writing can be one of the easier online careers to get into - though this largely depends on the route you choose to take. For example, writing eBooks to sell online can be extremely profitable, but only if you're able to write and market a story that stands out.

On the flip side, writing web content can prove lucrative even for beginners. In the content writing industry, experience is usually valued above qualifications. So, in order to land your first few clients, you can build a portfolio and gain some experience at the same time by writing content for yourself.

There are many different paths to take when becoming a writer. If you don't feel like hunting for clients yourself, you can head to job boards such as Upwork and Freelancer. Alternatively, you could start your own blog, earning money from ad placements, sponsored posts and affiliate commissions.

The median salary for a data entry worker in the U.S. sits at just over $30,000 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While this puts it at a lower level than some other work-from-home careers, data entry is the type of job anyone with a computer and decent typing skills can get into.

This makes it ideal for people who want to leave their nine-to-five and get a taste for what it's like to work for themselves. Alternatively, you can take advantage of the flexible terms and work in data entry during your spare time. Countless data entry jobs are posted daily on websites such as SimplyHired and Reddit's /r/ForHire subreddit.

The job of a virtual assistant is very similar to that of a personal assistant in a regular office building, with the obvious difference being that everything is done on a computer from home. Typical duties involve tasks such as bookkeeping, editing, handling emails, data entry, customer service and so forth.

Generally speaking, most virtual assistants obtain clients through word-of-mouth. But starting off, you can find VA gigs on websites such as Freelancer and Upwork. As for earning expectations, it varies greatly depending on your responsibilities. Some VA's make $20 per hour, while others earn upwards of $70 for their hourly efforts.

To be a transcriber (or transcriptionist, which is used for more technical work such as medical transcription), you'll need little more than a good command of the English language, good typing skills and an eye for detail. Your job will involve listening to dialogue in audio or video files and then typing it out in a specific format.

This type of job is in high demand as content creators feel a greater need to use different mediums to communicate with their audience. For example, someone who has their own podcast may want a written version of it for record keeping or publishing purposes.

It's worth noting that transcribing has a rather significant learning curve to get over before you can churn out a decent hourly wage. However, some people are naturals at this and can earn over $25 per hour. While it's not recommended that you resign from your job and start transcribing today, it's worth considering as a good side-gig.

If one were to be brutally honest about "work abroad opportunities" that ship you off to the East to teach English, they're not as glamorous as they seem on the surface. Many aspiring teachers reported coming back home with serious health problems due to the pollution in the countries where they worked.

A good alternative for those who want to teach for a living would be to tutor online from home. Earning expectations will vary depending on your educational background, but most tutors make upwards of $20 per hour. An online TEFL certificate is usually the only qualification you'll need in the case of teaching English to foreigners.

Listed below are a few side gigs that you can take up in your spare time to get a taste of what it's like working from home. Few, if any, will make a massive dent in your bottom line, but it's always good to have a spare dollar here and there, so they're worth checking out.

Surveys: There are countless websites where you can earn money for filling out simple surveys. Provided you pass the screening test that determines whether you're the demographic they're looking for, you'll need nothing more than your computer to earn some extra cash.

Amazon MTURK: Run by the online retail giant, Amazon Mechanical TURK offers anyone in the U.S. the opportunity to earn money for completing simple tasks such as data entry or internet research. It'll take some time to get a grasp of the system, but many people report earning upwards of $1000 per month.

UserTesting: This is a platform where users are paid to review their experience using a provided website or app. It takes around 20 minutes per review, and while the pay isn't particularly glamorous, it's a fun and simple way to earn some extra cash.

With a bit of experience and creativity, you could forge your own path to success using the opportunities that the internet provides today. It's all up to you to put in the necessary time and effort - so start now!