Navigating the world as a stay-at-home mom (SAHM) comes with its unique set of challenges and rewards.

While you’re dedicated to nurturing your family, you might also be exploring ways to contribute to your household’s financial well-being without sacrificing invaluable time spent with your loved ones.

When my daughter was born, I wanted nothing more than to stay home with her. Unfortunately, living on a single income wasn’t going to work for our family. Debt and other fixed expenses meant that we had to be a two-income household.

If you’re similarly on the lookout for flexible, fulfilling work that aligns with your skillset, schedule, and financial goals, you’re in the right place.

This guide is tailored specifically for stay-at-home moms like you, aiming to uncover a variety of job opportunities that not only offer the flexibility you need but also tap into your unique talents and interests.

Online Jobs for Stay-at-Home Moms

If you prefer to work while your kids sleep or during odd hours, these virtual stay-at-home mom job ideas are great options to consider.

1. Proofreader 

Do you have a good eye for detail and a knack for spotting spelling and punctuation errors? Becoming a freelance proofreader might be the perfect work-from-home opportunity.

Proofreaders check over documents and transcripts to ensure there are no mistakes. Many proofreaders are self-employed and have the freedom to choose when and how much to work. You can work anywhere from a few hours per week to full-time by working as a general proofreader or in a specific industry.

Veteran proofreader and entrepreneur Caitlin Pyle offers a free workshop for those considering proofreading as a career. Her workshop covers five signs proofreading could be a good fit for you and how to start booking clients.

Related: How to Become a Proofreader in 5 Easy Steps (Beginner’s Guide)

2. E-commerce store owner

For stay-at-home moms, launching an e-commerce store on platforms like Shopify or Etsy allows for the selling of handmade jewelry, vintage finds, or curated products directly to consumers.

Key steps include choosing a niche, such as jewelry, home decor, or eco-friendly products, and sourcing items through wholesale suppliers, dropshipping services, or creating them yourself. Success hinges on understanding your market, optimizing your online store for search engines, and leveraging social media for marketing.

This approach provides a practical, high-ceiling avenue for financial contribution that looks and feels like running a real business, all while accommodating the demands of family life.

Related:

• How to Start a Dropshipping Business in 8 Simple Steps
• How to Start an Online Thrift Store in 7 Simple Steps
• How This Flea Market Flipper Couple Makes $133,000/Year

3. Blogger

By starting your own blog, you control how much work you do and what kind of content you create.

You can write about what you’re passionate or knowledgeable about including cooking, travel, personal finance, parenting, or books. Focus on creating useful, helpful, and well-written posts regularly.

You can earn money blogging through affiliate marketing, display advertising, and sponsored posts or ads. 

• Potential Earnings: Earnings can be quite variable; some make $100 – $10,000+ per month through ads, affiliate marketing, and sponsored content.
• How to Get Started: Choose a niche you’re passionate about, start a blog using platforms like WordPress, and create high-quality content to attract readers and advertisers.

Related:

• How This “Mom Blogger” Makes Nearly $2,000 per Month From Her Blog
• These 5 Millennials Make Over $1,000 per Month Blogging. Here’s How
• Blog Income Report: How We Made $347,675 Blogging in 2 Months

4. Transcriptionist 

For stay-at-home moms with strong typing skills and a good ear, transcription offers flexible, home-based work. Transcriptionists convert audio recordings into written documents, serving various sectors like legal, medical, and media.

To start, familiarize yourself with transcription software and practice to increase typing speed and accuracy. Certification through a transcription training course, while not always required, can be beneficial, especially for specialized fields. Finding work can be as straightforward as signing up on transcription platforms or freelancing sites. 

• Potential Earnings: $10 – $25 per hour, with specialized fields like legal or medical transcription paying more.
• How to Get Started: Improve your typing speed and accuracy, familiarize yourself with transcription software, and apply for positions on transcription service websites.

Related: 9 Legitimate Places to Find Transcription Jobs

5. Bookkeeper 

Bookkeeping is an ideal profession for SAHMs with a penchant for numbers and organization, offering a high degree of flexibility and the option to work remotely for various clients.

With the advent of cloud-based accounting software, moms can easily manage clients’ finances, from invoicing and payroll to reporting and reconciliation. The ability to take on as many or as few clients as desired allows for a customizable workload, making bookkeeping a lucrative and fulfilling career choice.

• Potential Earnings: $20 – $50 per hour, varies with client size and task complexity.
• How to Get Started: Learn bookkeeping basics online and begin pitching services to small businesses.

6. Virtual assistant

An increasing number of business owners are hiring virtual assistants or VAs to complete tasks like booking travel, answering customer emails, sending invoices, or editing website content.

Their value shows, too. VA work has quickly become one of the most profitable jobs for stay-at-home moms in America, with gross incomes hitting $5,227 per month according to Indeed._[1] 

Most VAs work as freelancers, giving them the flexibility to earn money while staying home with their kids. How much you earn depends on your rates, the hours you work, and how many clients you’re able to take on. Better yet, you don’t need a degree or certification to work as a VA. 

• Potential Earnings: $10 – $30 per hour, with specialized skills commanding higher rates.
• How to Get Started: Gain familiarity with common online business tools, consider a VA training course, create a detailed LinkedIn profile or a listing on freelance platforms, and offer your services to potential clients.

Related: How One Woman Makes $3,000 per Month as a Virtual Assistant

7. Freelance writer

Freelance writing is a great way to earn money while working from home. There are tons of jobs available, and you have the opportunity to use your unique skills and experience to find the right niche for you.

If you become a freelance writer, you’ll create original, creative, and informative content for online and print publications. This can include blog or website content, newsletters, email marketing campaigns, white papers, or marketing copy.

The more versatile you are with the type of content you can write will help expand your opportunities to make money, but if you’re just beginning, it’s best to stick with one topic.

• Potential Earnings: $15 – $100+ per hour, depending on experience and niche.
• How to Get Started: Create a portfolio of any past writing, consider a freelance writing course, set up a profile on freelance job platforms, and start pitching to potential clients or responding to job postings related to your interests and expertise.

8. Social media manager

It’s more important than ever for brands to have a strong social media presence, and they need people to manage it. Many companies hire social media managers to run their social media pages or to help them build their brand online. And there’s a lot more to establishing an online presence than just creating a Facebook page.

A social media manager ensures brands have up-to-date posts that engage fans and consumers. They create online profiles, post pictures on Instagram, curate collections on Pinterest, and respond to questions on Twitter. They can even moderate comments, edit videos, or manage Facebook ads.

Since the tasks are so varied, many find the skills acquired from social media management translate well when it comes to paid influencer work as well. 

• Potential Earnings: $15 – $50 per hour, based on experience and client base.
• How to Get Started: Build a strong personal social media presence to showcase your skills, and offer your services on freelance websites or directly contact businesses you’re interested in working for.

9. Graphic designer

If you have an eye for design and color, are creative, and can put together eye-catching logos or other graphics, working as a graphic designer is a great stay-at-home mom job to consider.

The hours are flexible, you can set your own rates, and then decide how many clients you want. It also has a low start-up cost, with many graphic design programs offering free options. You can also deduct at-home work-related expenses on your taxes.

You can also use these design skills to earn money creating websites for clients. While there are free themes and designs for website owners to choose from, many still opt for custom designs. You would work with your clients on unique layouts and color schemes along with logos and other images, as well as provide website maintenance.

• Potential Earnings: $20 – $75 per hour, with rates varying by project complexity and designer’s experience.
• How to Get Started: Develop a strong portfolio showcasing your design work, and create profiles on freelance platforms or your own website to attract clients.

10. Freelance photographer 

Photography offers stay-at-home moms a flexible and creative outlet to express themselves while also capturing life’s precious moments. It’s also a profession that can easily adapt to a mom’s schedule, allowing for work during odd hours or around family commitments. 

Additionally, there are websites that will pay you to use your photos as stock photos. It’s easy to get started with these sites – just upload your photos. When an individual or company selects your photo, you get paid.

You have less control over how much you make because the site you’re using is responsible for promoting your pictures. It also depends on the type of photo licenses you’re selling, and the commission or royalties structure of the site. Some of the most popular places to sell your photos include Shutterstock, iStock Photo, and Etsy.

• Potential Earnings: $25 – $200+ per hour for shoots; selling photos online can yield variable income based on sales.
• How to Get Started: Build a portfolio of your photography, set up a professional website, and offer your services for events or sell your photos on stock photography sites.

11. Online tutor

Online tutoring jobs have seen a remarkable surge in demand since the onset of the pandemic, transforming it into a highly sought-after profession for stay-at-home moms.

With schools having moved to more remote-focused learning, parents have increasingly sought out additional academic support for their children — specifically the need for personalized, one-on-one tutoring.

This shift has not only opened up new avenues for those skilled in specific subjects but also highlighted the invaluable role online tutors play in the educational landscape today. The flexibility to work from anywhere, coupled with the increased demand, makes online tutoring an even more attractive and viable career path for stay-at-home moms looking to contribute financially while supporting their family’s educational needs.

• Potential Earnings: $15 – $50 per hour, varying by subject and level of expertise.
• How to Get Started: Acquire certification if necessary for specialized subjects, sign up with online tutoring platforms or create your own website to offer your services.

Related: This ESL Tutor Makes $2,000 per Month Online. Here’s How

12. Customer service representative 

As a way to manage overhead and provide 24-hour support, more companies are moving toward hiring work-from-home customer service representatives.

This position is great for stay-at-home moms because it allows you the ability to work overnight when your kids are sleeping or during the day when they’re at school. You can also work part-time or full-time hours, giving you the flexibility you need.

You can work as an online chat agent, call center agent, or with technical assistance.

• Potential Earnings: $10 – $20 per hour, depending on the company and complexity of support.
• How to Get Started: Develop strong communication skills, familiarize yourself with customer service software, and apply for remote positions on job boards.

13. Health coach

Health and wellness coaching is a growing industry. With more people looking for ways to get healthy and fit, there’s a need for coaches who can help guide them on their fitness journey.

An online health coach gives advice, checks in with clients, and provides encouragement. In most cases, all you need to get started is a passion for health and a desire to help others. Check with your local laws and regulations to make sure you don’t need any certifications or licenses to work as a health coach.

As a health coach, you can choose to work for a company or on a freelance basis. There are several companies that offer health coaching services online. On the other hand, you may want to work as a freelance health coach so you can have more freedom in setting your own hours.

• Potential Earnings: $20 – $70 per hour for virtual sessions, depending on certifications and specialties.
• How to Get Started: Obtain certification from a reputable organization, set up a website or profile on fitness platforms, and offer virtual training sessions or personalized workout plans.

Related: How to Start a Personal Trainer Side Hustle (Up to $75,000 per Year)

14. Language translator

Language translators offer a critical service, bridging communication gaps between cultures and industries. For stay-at-home moms fluent in more than one language, this career path provides an opportunity to work flexibly from home, translating documents, websites, or video content. Starting involves identifying your language pairs and specialization areas, such as legal, medical, or technical translation.

Building a portfolio and gaining certification, if available, can enhance credibility. Freelance translators typically find work through online platforms, direct client outreach, or translation agencies. This role not only capitalizes on linguistic skills but also contributes significantly to global communication, all while maintaining the work-life balance essential for parenting.

• Potential Earnings: $0.10 – $0.50 per word or $20 – $50 per hour for freelance translators.
• How to Get Started: Become fluent in at least two languages, earn certification if possible, and apply for gigs on translation websites or offer services directly to businesses.

Offline Jobs for Stay-At-Home Moms

If you have the opportunity to get out of the house for short bursts or you want to include your children in your work, consider one of these legitimate gigs.

15. Child care provider 

If you stay home with your kids, you can earn income by watching other people’s children at the same time. You can offer before or after-school care for older kids or full-time hours for parents with young kids. Extra services can include transportation to and from school or weekend hours for parents who do shift work or want some kid-free time for date night.

You can advertise your services on Facebook, community bulletin boards, or by signing up with a service like Care.com. Make sure you check with local and state regulations that might apply to watching kids in your home.

• Potential Earnings: $10 – $25 per hour, depending on location and number of children.
• How to Get Started: Meet any local licensing requirements, create a safe and engaging space in your home, and advertise your services to local parents or through online platforms.

16. Pet sitter

People need someone to care for their pets when they’re away from home. If you’re looking for an easy work-from-home job you can do with kids in tow, starting a pet-sitting business is a solid option.

You can offer dog walking or boarding services, cat feeding and litter box changing services, or even small rodent care. It’s up to you what services you provide and to what kinds of animals. Use a website like Rover.com to find clients or you can advertise your pet care services locally or through social media.

What makes this stay-at-home mom job great is that you’ll earn money and teach your kids how to care for pets and grow a business at the same time.

• Potential Earnings: $15 to $25 per visit, $50 to $75 overnight. Rates vary by location and services offered.
• How to Get Started: Gain pet care experience, create a profile on platforms like Rover, get pet first aid certified, and use testimonials to build trust.

17. Laundry service provider

Most people don’t like to do laundry or have the time to do it as often as they’d like. You can provide a valuable service by washing, drying, and folding their laundry for them. You can even offer alterations and ironing to earn additional income.

This works as a great in-home job, especially if you don’t have a car or limited access to public transportation as you can have your customers drop their laundry off (and pick it up) directly at your house. You can do the work at any time, and you can have your kids help you with the task.

Word-of-mouth is best for advertising this kind of service, but you can use social media, Care.com, or other job boards to promote your washing and folding business.

• Potential Earnings: $15 – $30 per hour, depending on services offered and local demand.
• How to Get Started: Learn laundry care techniques, market locally and online, and set competitive rates based on services like washing, folding, and ironing.

18. Craft seller

Selling homemade crafts like quilts, picture frames, T-shirts, and jewelry is a fun way to make money as a stay-at-home mom. There are a number of places to sell your wares such as Etsy, craft shows, or your own Facebook business page. You control everything from inventory and price, to how many hours you spend working.

If you want to make it easier and don’t want to manage any inventory, you can use a dropshipping site like Shopify to host your store and send products to your customers.

You can have your kids help you make your crafts or give them their own section to sell their crafts. It’s a great way to spend time together and make money at the same time.

• Potential Earnings: Earnings vary widely; profit margins depend on product, pricing, and sales channels.
• How to Get Started: Create unique items or curate a collection, then set up a shop on platforms like Etsy, eBay, or Shopify to sell your crafts.

19. Data entry clerk

Data entry clerks input information into databases, a role well-suited for stay-at-home moms looking for flexible work they can pick up and put down at a moment’s notice. These jobs require basic computer skills and attention to detail.

To get started, proficiency in typing and familiarity with spreadsheet and word processing software are essential. Opportunities for data entry jobs can be found on various online job boards and freelance platforms. It’s an ideal position for those seeking to work at their own pace, offering the ability to balance work with family commitments while contributing financially from home.

• Potential Earnings: $10 – $20 per hour, based on the speed and complexity of the data being entered.
• How to Get Started: Practice typing and data entry skills, familiarize yourself with common data management systems, and look for data entry job postings online.

Stay-at-Home Mom Side Hustles

The careers we’ve listed here are great stay-at-home mom jobs for those who want or need a full-time setup. But what about moms who just want to earn a little extra money on the side?

There are plenty of good side hustles for stay-at-home moms to make money without the commitment of a new career. You won’t make as much money, but these ideas can help you get extra cash.

Market researcher

Market research companies need to know what consumers think and they find out by conducting research through paid online surveys. You can sign up to take these surveys and earn cash and rewards. It’s a quick and easy way to make money from home.

There are lots of sites that claim to pay you for taking surveys, but many offer very low pay or are just plain scams. Survey Junkie and Swagbucks are both reliable companies that pay you to take surveys.

Food delivery driver

If you have kids in school and access to a car, you might be able to make some money during those hours by delivering food for companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats, or by shopping for groceries with Instacart.

The money you earn depends on how many orders you accept, any tips you receive, and the hours you work (i.e. peak delivery times pay more than off-peak). Make sure you read the requirements and payment schedule for each program before you apply, and factor in expenses like gas and car maintenance.

Flipper

By selling items you no longer need or sourcing undervalued goods to sell at a profit, you can tap into the growing market for pre-owned items.

This approach not only helps in decluttering and organizing your home but remains one of the precious few income ideas that require minimal upfront investment. 

Source items on places like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, local thrift stores, or flea markets, and refurbish or resell on niche marketplaces like Decluttr (tech), Etsy (handmade), and thredUP (clothing). 

Balancing Work and Family Life

Balancing work and family life as a stay-at-home mom involves strategic planning and setting clear boundaries. If you’re finding it difficult to juggle both, these tips may help: 

1. Create a Schedule: Designate specific work hours that fit around your family’s routine. Early mornings, nap times, or evenings can be productive times for work without interrupting family time.
2. Set Up a Dedicated Workspace: Having a specific area for work helps in mentally separating work from home life, making it easier to focus during work hours and step away when it’s family time.
3. Prioritize Tasks: Identify your most important tasks for the day, both for work and family. This helps in managing your time effectively and ensures that you’re not overcommitting yourself.
4. Communicate with Your Family: Share your schedule with your family so they understand your work commitments. This helps in setting realistic expectations and supports in managing interruptions.
5. Take Breaks and Self-Care: Regular breaks and self-care are vital. They prevent burnout and ensure you have the energy to enjoy time with your family and be productive in your work.

Tax Considerations  

Firstly, It’s important to determine if you’re classified as an independent contractor or an employee, as this affects your tax liabilities and deductions.

Independent contractors need to set aside a portion of their income for taxes, as they’re responsible for both income tax and self-employment tax.

“Make sure you set aside 20% – 35% of your side hustle income to cover your tax obligations to the federal government, your state, and even your local government,” says Ben Watson, CPA and vCFO at DollarSprout. 

Keeping meticulous records of income and work-related expenses is vital, as many costs, such as home office setup, internet, and even a portion of your utilities, can be deductible. It’s also wise to make estimated tax payments quarterly to avoid a large tax bill at the end of the year.

Consulting with a tax professional can provide personalized advice, helping navigate the complexities of tax laws and maximizing potential deductions, ensuring that your financial contributions from home-based jobs are as efficient and beneficial as possible.

Related: 6 Tips to Avoid an Unexpected Tax Bill from Your Side Hustle

Child Care Options

Diving into childcare options can make a huge difference for stay-at-home moms juggling work and kids.

Whether it’s part-time daycare, a trusted nanny, playdates, or a shared care co-op, these strategies offer the breathing room needed to focus on work tasks. It’s all about finding the right balance that allows you to be present as a parent while also meeting your professional goals.

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