Real Legit Money From Home Jobs That Pay Well

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Employment just ain’t what it used to be.

In fact, the days of working at the same company for your entire life is no longer the American dream.

With the rise of the Internet, most people today prefer being their own boss and the ability to have control over their own lives.

It’s no wonder work at home jobs and freelancing have become really popular.

Unfortunately, when it comes down to it, there is no shortage of scam artists looking to make a quick buck off of honest people looking to making a living online.

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If you want to work from home, steer clear of companies who ask for some sort of “start-up fee” or investment.

Now, whether you are a stay at home mom or dad wanting to help with the income, a student trying to pay off his or her student loan debt by taking on jobs, or someone who has just lost his or her job and is looking for a new job, I have gathered a small list of reputable and trusted companies that offer all kinds of home based jobs.

I have published a list of companies that hire people to work from home in the past, but this list is a little bigger. I am hoping it will help more people.

Working from home for the companies mentioned below can be a great way to earn extra cash. The good thing is that none of them require you to pay any fees.

Keep in mind that these are not get-rich-quick jobs. You’ll find most projects will just pay enough for supplementary income.

Real legit money from home jobs that pay well without

Let’s get started!

1. Search Evaluator

Search evaluator jobs are becoming popular mainly because they are very easy to do. All you have to do is search for certain keywords and terms and verify that the results shown are actually helpful to that specific query.

Normally, this freelance job pays about $13 to $15 per hour.

Most companies will allow you to work on your time, but will ask for a minimum time commitment.

While this sounds like a great job that you can do on your own time, you may want to think carefully because many of these companies require you to pass long and difficult two-part exams just to qualify.

Not only are these tests unpaid and take a minimum of 10 hours to get ready for, but most companies will not allow you to take it again if you do not pass the first time around.

Companies with real Search Evaluator jobs:

2. Call Center Agent

Problem solvers who love helping out people should consider working as a call center agent.

While you may not have as much flexibility as you want with your schedule, you can talk to your employer about the number of hours you can commit to the project.

In general, this is a good job for those who do not travel a lot, but if you need to have the flexibility of being able to drop things for a crying baby or an audition, you may want to consider other types of work like transcription or writing.

Normally, the hourly rate for call center agents ranges from $9 to $12.

You may also want to search “virtual call center” on Google, Monster, or Indeed.com to see what job opportunities are available.

Keep in mind though that this type of job requires you to have a broadband or DSL connection with a Windows OS.

Before wasting your time applying to these jobs, make sure that you have the technical requirements.

Companies with real Call Center Agent jobs:

3. Virtual Assistant

When you’re a virtual assistant, you can pretty much be tasked to do anything that an executive wants you to do.

From sending birthday wishes and flowers on behalf of your boss to doing market research and answering emails, this can be an interesting and challenging job for the right person.

Normally, you can expect to be paid about $5 to $20 per hour.

Because the competition for virtual assistants is high, you may want to focus on a specific skill when marketing yourself to potential employers.

Are you good at copy editing, capable of proofreading and polishing reports, emails, and more?

Or does your particular expertise lie with PowerPoint presentations that your boss can use for potential investors and clients?

Depending on the nature of the business, some employers value certain skills over others.

Companies with real Virtual Assistant jobs:

4. Legal Transcriptionist

Legit online transcription jobs are hard to find but they are out there.

Legal transcriptionists are sent an audio file, and they proceed to transcribe what they hear.

Compared to medical transcription where you need a certificate, legal transcription does not require you to have an extensive knowledge of legal terminology. Even so, the best transcriptionists have a wide vocabulary and an excellent grasp of the English language.

While you can probably book a wide range of one-time transcription projects, some employers also offer long-term projects.

In general, legal transcriptionists can earn about $20 for every hour of audio.

They often work their own hours but will be required to meet client deadlines.

Companies with Real Legal Transcriptionist Jobs:

5. ESL Instructor

I’ve talked about making money teaching English online before.

Being able to read, write, and speak fluent English can open a lot of doors for many people.

It’s no wonder then that ESL tutors are in demand because so many people are looking to enhance their grasp of the language.

Being able to speak another language is a plus, but isn’t always necessary, especially if your role is to read college essay applications, for example.

The hourly rates for this type of job normally range from $20 to $40.

You can choose the time you want to work, but may need to arrange it with the student.

Take a look at websites like TutorTutors, Italki, and Wyzant if you want to book jobs.

Some of these sites, however, may ask for a commission or a membership fee.

If you want to avoid paying fees, find a student at Monster, Craigslist, or Elance.

Companies with real ESL Instructor jobs:

Work from Home scams: What you should know

Unfortunately for all of us, the Internet is littered with work-from-home scams, so you need to watch out.

Here are some red flags that you need to pay attention to so you don’t fall for one.

  • Upfront Costs

This type of scheme will need you to buy company equipment like hardware, machines, software, and other things before you make money.

You’ll find medical billing projects to be a nasty variant of this kind of scam, especially since it requires you to spend so much.

  • Training Investment

Some companies charge you for training you on medical transcription, graphic design, or article writing before you are even allowed to take a job with them.

After you have sunk hundreds of dollars into your training and have completed the course, you’ll find that there is hardly anything to do.

Processing rebates and stuffing envelopes are two of the most common work at home jobs that scammers use to get money from you in the name of “start up fee”.

  • Multi-level Marketing

Sure, there are products to sell, but the sad truth is you’ll earn more money when you recruit new people under you.

Think Avon, Herbalife, and Amway…

While some people are able to resell products from these companies, earning using this method is slow compared to recruiting people.

Unfortunately, with this type of scam, you not only lose money, but you can also lose your friends as well, especially if they are never able to get their money back.

How not to get scammed

The good news is you can make sure that you do not become a victim of work-from-home scams by taking note of the following:

  1. Check if the company is registered with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
  2. If equipment needs to be purchased, make sure that the company has no financial gain to be made from the purchase. In other words, they should not earn from the equipment purchase.
  3. Review their terms and conditions. Make sure you know the payment milestones, method, and how much. If the company gives pay estimates, are they talking about an hourly rate or a commission? Are their figures based on senior employees who are faster than average?
  4. You may also want to know the grounds for contract cancellation, or if they can choose not to pay you.
  5. Knowing how the company makes money will also help you know categorically if they are scamming you.
  6. Are they charging you membership fees? Normally, membership fees are something that you avoid.
  7. Lastly, search the particular company name on Google to get a picture of the place’s bad press.

What to do if you do get scammed?

If you are among the hundreds and thousands of people who do fall for work at home scams every year, be sure to report it.

It may very well help stop the scammer, while also saving others from falling victim.

You can file your complaint with the following organizations:

  • The Better Business Bureau

The bottom line

As you can see, there are many legitimate sources of work from home opportunities, you just have to look in the right places.

Do you work from home?

Do you work for any of the companies mentioned in this post?

If so, I would love to hear your opinion about your experience working for these work at home companies.

So you want to work from home, and you don't have more than a few dollars (or less) to your name. You find some information online that appears to be legit and you get all excited — until you see that the company charges you $30 (or more) for a background check before you can even start working.

Suddenly the wind has been taken completely out of your sails.

Sound familiar? This is a typical scenario for many home job seekers.

The following is a list of companies you can work at home for that do not make you pay them for anything prior to starting work. Still, that doesn't mean you won't have to have certain equipment (headsets, etc.) or have a background check or drug test done. It just means that either they pay for you to have these checks done, or that it's your responsibility to acquire your own equipment for working if you need something you don't already have.

Work From Home – Companies With No Fees

It's worth noting before we begin that *most* freelance positions do not come with attached fees — freelance writing, short tasks, work at home data entry jobs, search evaluation, and some transcription companies.

You are mainly going to see the fees with employee positions — particularly call center work from home. Still, the list below is a mix of freelance and employee positions.

VIPKid – Read VIPKid Review – Work from home as an ESL teacher for Chinese children. No fees are mentioned for the application process. Cannot currently accept people in the state of California.

3 Play Media – Read 3 Play Media Review – Work from home transcription editing. No fee to start.

Accurate Background – They occasionally have openings for work from home background checkers. There should be no fees to get started.

Amazon – Read Amazon Review – Amazon regularly hires people for customer service jobs from home. It's usually necessary to live in or close to various locations nationwide in order to be considered, but they hire in many different locations. There are no fees associated with applying for this job.

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When Amazon does have work at home jobs posted, they are often pulled within a day because they get so many applicants, so be quick if you see they are hiring.

Apple – Read Apple Review – You can work at home for Apple as a chat or phone support agent. They do not charge you any fees to apply and in fact if you are accepted, they will supply you with equipment to do the work.

Babbletype – Read Babbletype Review – This company hires home-based workers for transcription and transcription editing. You are not required to pay them any fees to start.

Blooms Today – Read Blooms Today Review – Absolutely no fees to start. They hire people to work from home taking flower orders for their customers. It's usually temporary, seasonal work.

Capital One – Read Capital One Review – This popular credit card company hires people to work from home handling their customer service. They charge no fees to get started. However, this is usually a location-based position (Virginia and Florida most of the time).

Convergys – Read Convergys Review – They hire at-home agents to answer incoming calls from home for their clients. There are no upfront fees to get started.

Fancy Hands – Read Fancy Hands Review – Work from home virtual assisting. There are no fees to start. Pay is per task, paid twice monthly.

Hilton Worldwide – Read Hilton Worldwide Review – Work from home reservation sales and customer care. They only hire in certain states (Texas and sometimes Florida) but I've been told they do not have any upfront fees. They also may not always be hiring.

HSN – Read HSN Review – Home Shopping Network. They only hire people to work in a few different locations from home nationwide. From what I understand if you work for them directly, you shouldn't have to pay anything.

Metaverse Mod Squad – Read Metaverse Review – They hire for work from home moderation and a few other moderation positions. They don't charge you anything to apply and get started.

NextWave Advocacy – Read NextWave Review – This company hires work from home outreach callers and writers. They charge absolutely no fees to get started working. I do not believe they do a background check at all. Pay is $12 hourly.

OnPoint Advocacy – Read OnPoint Review – Similar to NextWave (above). You do work from home writing and calling for political outreach. No fee whatsoever.

Sitel Work at Home – Read Sitel Review – They hire work from home call center agents. It states plainly in their FAQ that they pay for the cost of your background screening, credit check, and drug screen. You need no money to get through the application process and begin working.

Support – Read Support Review – They hire work from home tech support reps, sometimes entry-level. There are no fees to get started.

Sutherland – Read Sutherland Review – This company hires home call center agents regularly. They may or may conduct a background check just depending on the client you're servicing. Their website does not mention a charge if a check is conducted, but feel free to correct me if there is one.

OneSupport – Read OneSupport Review – This company hires work from home agents for tech support positions. There are no fees associated with applying.

TeleTech – Read TeleTech Review – This is a company that hires work from home call center agents. There are no fees to start — they pay for the cost of your drug screening and background check.

Real legit money from home jobs that pay well for teens

Textbroker – Read Textbroker Review – You can work at home doing freelance writing for this company. They accept people with no experience, and they do not charge fees.

Time Etc. – Read Time Etc. Review – Work from home virtual assisting. It doesn't look like there are any fees associated with the application process.

Real Jobs That Pay From Home

Transcom – Read Transcom Review – This company hires work at home call center agents. They do credit checks, background checks, and often drug screens depending on the client you are servicing, but you may not have to cover the cost for these checks.

Money From Home Movie

Tutor.com – Read Tutor.com Review – Work from home as an online tutor. There are no fees associated with applying. A background check is done, but they pay for it.

Money From Home 1953

World Travel Holdings – Read World Travel Holdings Review – Work from home vacation sales. A $500 deposit is required for your computer which they send you, but this is taken out of your first five checks so you don't have to worry about coming up with it out of pocket. This company will also pay for your background check.

For More, Check Out FlexJobs

Most of the time when a work at home job charges any sort of fee, there is a concern it's a scam. FlexJobs is the only work at home job leads site that absolutely guarantees their listings will be scam-free.

Real Money Making Jobs From Home

They've been recommended by major media outlets like CNN, Forbes, and USA Today. I've also been a member and have never seen a single scam listed. It costs $14.95 a month, but you can use promo code AFFILPROMO to get it for 30 percent off.

Real Legit Money From Home Jobs That Pay Well 2020

Also, please let me know if any of these companies actually do charge some sort of fee and I will look into it and get it removed.

Real Online Jobs That Pay Well

Post originally published on October 24, 2014. Updated and republished on March 30, 2020.

Image Credit – Copyright: rawpixel / 123RF Stock Photo