35+ Easy Jobs That Pay Well + Their Salary Potential -

What is an easy job that pays well?

If you just typed that question into your favorite search engine, you’ve come to the right place!

An “Easy” job could have a few different ease factors to consider. Not every job is “easy” per se because every occupation has its own set of challenges. For example, we have childcare on this list, but we know that is not an easy job. However, it might be the perfect job for someone well-versed in caretaking skills.

This list of high-earning jobs is comprised of positions with relatively easy entry status. They are largely low-stress, entry-level positions that don’t require after-hours work. Lastly, many of these jobs can be performed remotely or flexibly based on your schedule or situation.

Something else to consider is that something that comes easy to one person might be challenging for another, and vice versa.

At the end of the day, what is considered easy depends on the person, but this list should provide you with a pretty good variety of jobs that you can easily transition into while gaining a good earning potential.

Easy Entry-Level Jobs That Pay Well

Dog Walking

Dog walkers walk dogs for clients and follow agreed-upon routes and schedules.

Skills Needed: Dog walkers don’t require many skills or job training except for a love of animals, attention to detail (going into someone’s home often requires following their instructions), and being responsible and communicative with dog owners.

Earning Potential: The average salary for a Dog Walker is $21.45 per hour in the United States.

Commercial Drivers

Commercial drivers transport goods from one location to another.

Skills Needed: Commercial drivers need to have focus (drivers are often on the road for long periods of time) and the ability to move and lift heavy objects. Additionally, drivers must have a high school diploma, job training from a trucking school, and a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

Earning Potential: BLS estimates that the median annual wage for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers was $48,310 in May 2021.

Massage Therapists

Massage therapists provide services to clients to manipulate the muscles and other soft tissues of the body.

Skills Needed: Massage therapists must have a good bedside manner, must have good communication skills, and must be trained in various massage techniques.

Earning Potential: Salary.com estimates that the salary range typically falls between $49,474 and $63,486

Medical Records and Health Information Specialists

Medical records and health information specialists organize and manage health information data.

Skills Needed: A medical records specialist must have good organization skills, must be adept at working with technology and electronic medical records systems, must be proficient in medical terminology, and must be versed in HIPPA laws and regulations. There may be some on-the-job training, but the barriers to entry are pretty low.

Earning Potential: Salary Range: Salary.com notes that the base salary for Health Information Specialist ranges from $36,379 to $69,260.

Backpacking Guide

A backpacking or hiking guide builds the perfect outdoor experience for nature lovers. These individuals act as tour guides for the great outdoors.

Skills Needed: To succeed in this role, you need to demonstrate knowledge of nature, strong physical strength, and a good sense of direction. Additionally, backpacking Guides must be proficient in trip planning, outdoor/wilderness awareness, must be able to communicate clearly and lead others, and must be able to adapt based on unforeseen changes that may arise in nature.

Earning Potential: Backpacking guides make an average annual salary of $60,263.

Pro tip: This is one of those fun jobs if you love hiking and being in nature!

Camp Counselor

If you have fond memories of attending summer camp as a child, becoming a camp counselor may be the right move for you. Camp counselors provide guidance, oversee activities for campers, and ensure campers are having a blast.

Skills Needed: A camp counselor must be able to have fun, provide leadership and guidance to children, must be able to manage schedules throughout the day, and must be able to keep children as safe as possible with basic first aid knowledge.

Earning Potential: On average, camp counselors earn $49,234 per year.

Professional Au Pair

Au Pairs assist with taking care of the children, and adapt the job requirements based on each individual family’s needs.

However, most commonly, an au pair is a sitter who assists with playing with the children, preparing meals for them, taking them to and from scheduled appointments, and assisting with bathing and dressing as needed.

Skills Needed: An au pair must enjoy spending time with children, must be able to tend to their needs, must be able to play with children, and often requires some light cooking or meal preparation skills based on the family’s needs.

Earning Potential: National Average Salary: $40,418/year, but depending on the family’s needs, if you’re a live-in au pair, you may be able to score free housing.

Interpreter

Interpreters provide more effective communication methods for non-English speakers.

Skills Needed: Interpreters must demonstrate amazing language skills, cultural competence, empathetic listening, and may require specialized knowledge for a specific industry or field depending on the translation requirements and technical terms.

Earning Potential: The average salary for interpreters is $43,309 per year.

Security + Fire Alarm Installers (Electricians)

Electricians install, maintain, and repair electrical power, communications, lighting, security, fire alarm, and control systems.

Skills Needed: Electricians must have good technical knowledge, must be trained on various power modalities, and must be versed in how to read schematics and blueprints depending on the project.

Earning Potential: Intuit notes that fire alarm technician salaries in California can vary between $25,500 to $100,500.

Easy Work-from-Home Jobs That Pay Well

Virtual Executive Assistant

Virtual assistants act as remote administrative assistants. Their work involves scheduling appointments, making phone calls, planning travel arrangements, responding to emails, or conducting data entry.

Virtual assistants who love the function of their job might be on a great track to becoming executive assistants.

Skills Needed: Virtual assistants must have excellent communication skills and superior organizational skills, and must be well-versed in technology and remote work since this job requires the employee too assist others across geographical boundaries.

Earning Potential: Virtual executive assistants make an average of $26,359 annually.

Customer Support Specialist

If you like solving problems and helping clients better understand a product or service, customer support positions are for you.

Skills Needed: Many of these positions are entry-level and therefore require strong soft skills such as professionalism, friendliness, and clear communication. Depending on the industry, customer service specialists may also be required to have some level of technical knowledge.

Earning Potential: A customer support specialist makes up to $33,359 per year.

Online Tutor

Many students participated in remote learning throughout the pandemic, and while school is mostly back in session in-person, there is still a great need for online tutors.

Skills Needed: Online tutors must demonstrate patience and empathy, exhibit problem-solving skills, must be able to deliver helpful feedback, and have technical knowledge in a specific area.

Earning Potential: Online tutors make up to $42,000 per year.

Brand Ambassador

Brand ambassadors, or social media influencers, are rising in popularity as a way for brands to market their products and services. If you have a prolific blog or a high social media following, this could be a great opportunity to make some extra cash. As a bonus, you may get some cool swag from this job too.

Skills Needed: Brand ambassadors must have strong promotional skills, enthusiasm, knowledge for a specific brand, and a knack for building relationships with followers.

Earning Potential: Brand ambassadors make up to $32,000 per year.

Data Entry

If you’re one of those people who can type 200+ words per minute and enjoy working independently at your computer, a job in data entry could be a good fit.

Skills Needed: To be a strong candidate for data entry positions, you must be able to catch errors, show strong accuracy, demonstrate attention to detail, type quickly, and be knowledgeable about certain programs.

Earning Potential: The average salary for data entry positions is $28,342 per year.

Transcriber

Transcribers help ensure efficient information processing for a variety of industries from medicine and science to history and nonprofit organizations. Transcribers listen to audio or video files and write down everything they hear.

For more information on earning money transcribing, check out our guide to becoming a transcriptionist.

Skills Needed: Transcribers must possess attentive listening skills, and must type quickly and accurately with strong writing and grammar skills, and a sharp memory.

Earning Potential: The average salary for transcribers is $35,471 per year.

Remote Crisis Workers

The pandemic ushered in an era of enhanced hotline help for folks facing a crisis. As we all know, many of our biggest fears and anxieties come to a particular tipping point in the middle of the night.

Remote Crisis Workers to answer local and national crisis hotline calls, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. this is a job where someone can literally save lives by simply being there. They can counsel folks experiencing the most challenging moments of their lives.

Skills Needed: Crisis workers must be understanding, provide a strong sense of emotional support, and have active listening skills.

Earning Potential: The average salary for a Crisis Worker is $44,108 per year in US.

Community Moderator

There are lots of communities across the internet that need moderation. I mean, have you actually seen a comment section left to its own devices? Yikes.

Online community moderators monitor discussion on websites or other online forums. Moderators watch discussions to ensure compliance with set rules, deal with problematic users, and keep an overall track of the trends and conversations happening online.

Skills Needed: Community moderators must be able to resolve problems, clearly communicate, must have sharp attention to detail, and must be able to enforce rules as required.

Earning Potential: Online community moderators make, on average, $19 per hour.

Online ESL Teacher

Online ESL teachers help non-native English speakers learn to speak, read, understand, and write English. Teachers may also design lessons and prepare course materials.

Skills Needed: To be an online ESL teacher, you must have excellent speaking and writing skills, be patient, and be able to articulate how to solve problems to help students succeed.

Earning Potential: U.S. national average hourly rate: $20

Easy Gig Jobs That Pay Well

Copywriter

Copywriting is necessary for every type of business—from the smallest social media post to a mega campaign. Copy is one of those things you might not notice until you do—and that’s usually when the copy has failed. Copywriting jobs are a great flexible job for creative wordsmiths looking for dependable earning potential.

Skills Needed: To be a copywriter, you must have a way with words, be able to embody brand voice and tone, and be able to clearly communicate messaging to a variety of audiences.

Earning Potential: The average salary for a Copywriter is $54,904.

Childcare

If you’re looking to earn extra money at home and you love kids, consider starting a childcare business or acting as a sitter on occasion.

While this is one of the less flexible options, a daycare business is lucrative for a parent who is working at home. If you’re not looking to start a full-fledged in-home daycare, start with picking up flexible childcare jobs like babysitting—and expand your network as you see fit.

Skills Needed: To work in childcare, you must have excellent communication skills, skills in the realm of planning and instruction, as well as creative thinking to help keep children entertained. In addition, childcare workers must be empathetic and engaging.

Earning Potential: The average Child Care Worker’s salary in the United States is $36,127.

Photographer

Photographers can make very lucrative money by photographing events, family photoshoots, maternity photos, headshots, and much more.

Skills Needed: Photographers must be engaging when interacting with clients, must have creativity, must have attention to detail, and must possess technical photography skills to properly use a camera.

Earning Potential: Photography rates vary depending on the event, the area, and the photographer. To learn more about how to price your photography services, check out this photographer pricing guide.

The average salary for a Photographer is $17.71 per hour in United States. However, freelance photographers can make much more depending on skill and location. Once you build your client base, this could be one of the highest-paying jobs around that allows you to control your schedule.

Take Online Surveys

If you’re looking to make extra money, but your time is extremely limited, online surveys could be a good way to make money quickly.

Skills Needed: There really aren’t any skills needed here except for endurance because these can be tedious! With that said, you do need an internet connection for this role.

Earning Potential: There isn’t job growth in this job, but it can be a good way to earn cash in the present. These surveys can tend to pay low and some can be quite time-consuming.

However, if you can set aside a few hours, you can earn anything from $5 to $35 per survey. How much does an Online Survey Taker make? As of Nov 1, 2022, the average hourly pay for an Online Survey Taker in the United States is $25.95 an hour.

Notary

A notary evaluates individuals who are signing important documents to ensure their true identity, their willingness to sign without duress or intimidation, and their awareness of the contents of the document or transaction.

Skills Needed: Notaries must have strong attention to detail, must be able to complete documentation accurately, and must work in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.

Earning Potential: The average hourly wage for a Notary in the United States is $19 as of October 27, 2022. This can act as one of those part-time jobs that ends up becoming very lucrative.

Delivery Driver

Delivery drivers make local deliveries such as online orders and food orders to the given delivery address.

Skills Needed: Delivery drivers must have a good awareness of local streets, neighborhoods, and routes, as well as the ability to maintain accuracy with orders and ensure that orders get delivered to the correct location.

Earning Potential: The average Delivery Driver salary in the United States is $46,400 as of October 27, 2022, but the range typically falls between $39,700 and $53,700.

Personal Shopper for Instacart

Instacart shoppers process orders according to the customers’ specifications, needs, and budget limitations.

Skills Needed: According to Instacart, shoppers must have Consistent access to and be able to effectively use a recent smartphone (iPhone 6s / Android 5.0 or newer) and must have the ability to lift 50lbs with or without accommodation.

Earning Potential: The average Instacart Shoppers salary ranges from approximately $34,648 per year for Personal Shopper to $76,767 per year for Delivery Driver.

Easy Side Jobs That Pay Well

License or Sell Photos

If you’re not looking to spend eight hours of your Saturday shooting a wedding, consider licensing some of your existing photos. While the pay is not as lucrative as event photography, you could earn good income and exposure by selling the photos you already have.

Skills Needed: To license and sell photos, you must have creativity, must have attention to detail, and must possess technical photography skills.

Earning Potential: On average, stock photographers make $0.02 per image per month with stock photos, while professionals make $0.05–$0.25 per image per month.

Photo Editing

If you’re truly looking to stay at home with your work, photo editing is a great gig. Consider teaming up with a local photographer to streamline their process by editing their raw photography files.

Skills Needed: Photo editors must have a good eye for color, light, and attention to detail. They must also be able to follow color or technical guidelines given by the photographers.

Earning Potential: Depending on the complexity of the edits photo editors and retouchers can earn $30-$40 per hour.

Rideshare Driver

If you’re interested in creating your own work schedule, becoming a rideshare driver is a great option. Working as a driver for Uber or Lyft provides you with flexibility, allows you to meet new people, and tell your friends some fun (or not so fun) stories.

Skills Needed: There are minimum requirements other than some required documents and a driver screen to complete before becoming a driver.

Earning Potential: Rideshare drivers make up to $30,245 per year.

Health and Fitness Coach

If you’re passionate about helping others achieve their health and wellness goals, you should consider becoming a health and fitness coach.

Fitness coaches build relationships with clients and help develop specialized meal plans and workout routines.

Skills Needed: To excel in this position, you must demonstrate health and fitness knowledge, strong interpersonal leadership skills, energy and commitment, and a solutions-oriented approach.

Earning Potential: The average salary for health and fitness coaches is $59,714 per year.

Curriculum Writer

The primary duties of a curriculum writer include developing educational lessons, instructional materials, and activities for teachers. Curriculum writers may also research academic trends and review current materials.

Skills Needed: Curriculum writers must possess analytical, communication, technical, and instructional skills.

Because curriculums must help people learn and understand a given concept, curriculum writers must be able to articulate messaging clearly. Most school curriculum writers need to have some teaching or school administrator experience to be successful.

Earning Potential: U.S. national average hourly rate: $27

Easy Jobs That Pay Well In Your Industry

Accounting/ Bookkeeping

Accountants and bookkeepers are the keys to success for many businesses. Accountants and bookkeepers help manage business financial statements, track and analyze a business’s income and expenses, manage assets and liabilities in order to enact financial projections, and help with tax preparation.

Skills Needed: Accountants and bookkeepers must be good with numbers, must be analytical, must be comfortable with accounting software, and must have good problem-solving skills to identify problems and articulate solutions to those problems.

Earning Potential: A knowledgeable accountant can earn up to $400 an hour working for a small business. Bookkeepers earn anywhere from around $18 to $26 per hour.

Graphic Designer

Working with various brands, companies, government agencies, or nonprofits, graphic designers create visual concepts and design branding, web pages, print publications, marketing collateral, and other communication materials.

Skills Needed: Graphic designers must have a strong understanding of design principles. Graphic designers should be familiar with color and typography guidelines and must be able to work according to brand aesthetic and communication guidelines.

Earning Potential: U.S. national average hourly rate: $17

Medical Coder

Health insurance companies and medical providers hire medical coders to assist with medical billing by ensuring accurate and fast coding of patient visits, procedures, and related information.

Skills Needed: Medical coders must usually have a medical coding class or certification, must have knowledge of medical terminology.

Medical coders must be able to communicate with clinical and non-clinical healthcare personnel, proactively solve problems, analyze data, and have strong attention to detail.

Earning Potential: U.S. national average hourly rate: $19

Community Health Workers

Community health workers promote wellness by helping people adopt healthy behaviors.

Skills Needed: Community health workers must have strong communication and interpersonal skills, must be able to clearly educate others, and must be able to have strong advocacy skills to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

Earning Potential: Recruiter.com estimates that a community health worker will usually earn a compensation of around $28,010 and $70,790 based on experience level.

Physical Therapy Assistants

Physical therapists supervise physical therapist assistants and aides to help patients regain movement and manage pain after injuries and illnesses.

Skills Needed: Physical therapy assistants must be able to make decisions based on the patient and their needs to help them regain movement or manage pain.

They must have strong active listening skills to communicate with patients. Physical therapy assistants should possess compassion and technical knowledge of physical therapy practices and guidelines.

Earning Potential: US news estimates that physical therapist assistants make between $48,260 and $70,800.

Phlebotomists

Phlebotomists draw blood for tests, transfusions, research, or blood donations.

Skills Needed: Phlebotomists must be well-versed in venipuncture and capillary blood collection, must have empathetic customer service skills, and excellent communication skills, and must be skilled in specimen preparation.

Earning potential: Salary.com notes that the salary range for a phlebotomist typically falls between $33,280 and $41,263.

This article was written by The Salary Project writer, Michele Lando.