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December 20, 2024
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NoIf you’re quick with a keyboard, it makes sense if you want to take advantage of your skills to earn some extra cash. Fortunately, it won’t be hard to find work; there are a lot of apps and websites that offer paid opportunities for typists.
We’ve compiled a list of those platforms that offer remote typing jobs. We’ll break down their key features as well as how much they all pay.
Typing is ubiquitous in almost every industry, so there are a lot of ways to get paid for it. Common jobs in this niche include:
Our list will focus primarily on transcription, captioning, and data entry platforms. Those have by far the biggest presence in this space, and most would-be typists gravitate toward them.
How much you’ll make as a typist heavily depends on the task at hand. To give you a very general sense, transcription generally pays anywhere in the range of $0.40–$3 per audio minute (although some jobs also pay by the hour or minute worked).
Other typing-related gigs, such as writing social media captions, often pay per project. You’ll usually make less from “microtasks” like this than you will from dedicated transcription jobs.
Aside from the type of work you’re doing (and the company you’re doing it for), your typing speed is a very important factor when it comes to how much you can make. For obvious reasons, the faster you can type, the more jobs you can take on, and the more you’ll get paid.
Transcription is a where you listen to audio (or video) files and type up written transcripts from what you hear. The most popular sites that will pay you to type are transcription platforms.
All the following sites will pay you for typing out audio or video content. Many of these also offer translation or localization services, so you have multiple ways to earn if you know more than one language and have a way with words.
TranscribeMe is a good place for transcriptionists to get started. You’ll transcribe 2-to-8-minute-long audio files into text documents. As with virtually all of the gigs on this list, this is a very flexible gig that allows you to work from anywhere.
TranscribeMe offers advancement opportunities with higher rates down the line. For instance, once you’ve completed at least 150 transcription jobs on the platform, you could apply to join their medical transcription team. To qualify for that, you have to pass their medical transcription exam and a manual evaluation of your submitted work.
GoTranscript is another transcription site for audio and video files. You can transcribe a wide range of content, such as movies, business meetings, and focus group sessions. GoTranscript also offers translation and captioning services (in multiple languages), so if you’re bilingual, you’ll have access to more work on the site.
Your work will be reviewed and rated (on a scale of 1–5) by editors based on its accuracy, grammar, and research level. You may be removed from the GoTranscript team if the first three transcriptions you submit have an average rating of 3.6 or lower.
Note: At the time of writing, GoTranscript wasn’t accepting new English transcriptionists. If English is the language you’re targeting, your best bet is to check their application page regularly to see if they have new openings.
Babbletype offers transcription and translation services with a focus on market research content. Babbletype hand-picks their candidates once they’ve completed an assessment and a test. It typically takes them around 1 week to review an application.
Working for Babbletype requires more of a commitment than many of the other sites we’ve listed. In the introductory video on their website, they mention ideal candidates should be able to work 15–20 hours a week for them.
Note: Babbletype currently is not accepting independent contractors from California.
CastingWords is another site that offers transcription services for audio and video clips. They employ a grading system that will affect your earnings.
The way it works is that they’ll assign you badges according to your grades. The better your grades, the higher your badges, and the more assignments and higher pay rates you can access. You can check their grading guidelines on their website to get an idea of what grade your work may receive.
Note: CastingWords currently doesn’t support accounts in CA, DC, HI, IN, MA, NY, or WV.
Daily Transcription provides transcription and captioning services to the corporate, entertainment, legal, medical, and academic sectors. You can get paid to transcribe files for Daily Transcription that include movies and TV episodes, legal proceedings, and academic and market research feedback.
This site also provides opportunities for editors to listen to audio files and edit AI-generated transcripts. The base rate we listed above is for general transcriptionists. You can potentially earn more by doing more specialized transcription work, such as medical or legal transcription.
Hollywood Transcriptions provides transcription, translation, and captioning for movies, television, and streaming services (such as Netflix).
As one of Hollywood Transcriptions’s freelancers, you’ll often be tasked with writing closed captions for shows or transcribing interviews and B-roll footage. Hollywood Transcriptions also offers their services to the academic and corporate sectors.
Note: Hollywood Transcriptions does not publicly list their rates or how they pay their workers. We contacted them to ask about this and did not receive a response.
Scribie provides automated transcription services. As a freelancer, you’ll listen to and edit their AI-generated transcripts.
Reportedly, there’s a lot of competition for work on Scribie, so you may struggle to land gigs if you’re not quick and very active on the site. You’ll also need to pay a 2% withdrawal fee if you want to request a payout for earnings under $30.
Scribie uses a grading system to track freelancers’ performances. The grades range from A+ (5/Excellent) to D (1/Poor). You can’t work for them if your average grade falls below 2.5. If you have a high average grade, they may promote you to a proofreader, who often has access to longer files.
Note: At the time of writing, Scribie has a temporary pause on hiring freelance transcribers while they undergo a system transition. Check their Freelance Transcription page at a later date to see if they’re accepting new candidates.
Speechpad offers transcription, captioning, and translation services to a diverse range of international clients. When you work for Speechpad, you’ll pick the jobs you want to do. Most of the files they offer for transcription range from 1 to 5 minutes.
You’ll probably start on the lower end of their rates. However, Speechpad may give you access to higher-paying jobs after you’ve worked for them for a while.
Note: Speechpad wasn’t accepting new applicants when we last checked their website. They ask prospective applicants to check back in a few months.
Rev uses speech recognition AI tools to convert audio recordings, such as focus group recordings, interviews, lectures, and podcasts, into text. As a freelancer, you’ll check and potentially correct these transcripts.
Here’s a breakdown of their base rates for different services:
Your exact rates for foreign subtitling will depend on the language you’re subtitling.
Note: Rev is only open to applicants based in the US (excluding California), Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, or the UK.
On TigerFish, you can get paid to transcribe a wide range of audio and video files. They say that they expect a high level of attention to detail.
TigerFish’s pay rates seem to be on the lower end of the spectrum, with anecdotal reports suggesting they offer a base rate of $0.03–$0.04 per line of text. However, they may pay more money for specialized transcriptions, such as medical transcriptions.
On CrowdSurf, you’ll transcribe audio to text and provide subtitles or closed captioning for videos. The files CrowdSurf assigns you usually require verbatim transcription and range between just 15–35 seconds.
Like some sites on this list, CrowdSurf employs a grading system (on a scale of 1–4); you must maintain an average score of 3.5 to keep your job. CrowdSurf may be willing to offer you higher rates or bonuses if you do a lot of tasks for them and are a proficient worker.
Note: You have to create an account with WorkMarket to join CrowdSurf. This is because CrowdSurf has partnered with WorkMarket to hire and pay all CrowdSurf freelancers. Once you pass CrowdSurf’s assessment, they’ll create a new account for you on their platform and send login instructions to your WorkMarket email.
AccuTran Global offers a diverse mix of services, including both transcription and real-time stenography. They have a particular focus on the finance industry, although they service a diverse range of clients.
AccuTran prefers candidates who are familiar with financial terminology, but that’s not a prerequisite. Their work is part-time, but somewhat scheduled—you tell them the hours you can work, and they’ll offer you jobs within those times.
Projects with longer turnaround times may pay up to $0.40 per audio minute, and they may offer you bonuses for audios with technical terminology or accents from countries outside of North America.
With SpeakWrite, you’ll transcribe audio from police offices, law offices, legal teams, and protective services, as well as from business and corporate clients.
SpeakWrite lets you pick your own shifts, as long as your hours meet their minimum monthly workload and are under 12 hours per day. They expect a turnaround time of 2.0–2.2 ratio of job length / completion time. Some shifts (the exact duties are unclear) may come with a 10% bonus.
Note: You can’t work for SpeakWrite if you live in California.
Typists for Amberscript review audio or video files, read preexisting transcripts or captions (all machine-generated), then make any necessary edits.
Amberscript pays in Euros at the following rates:
You may have to wait a few weeks after signing up with Amberscript to hear back from them, as they receive a high volume of applications. However, you should receive your test results within just a few days.
If you pass the test, you can start working immediately. When you accept a task, it must be completed before the deadline (which is often 48 hours after accepting a job).
Transcribing audio and video content isn’t the only way to get paid for typing. You can also make money with data entry.
Essentially, this means transferring information from one format to another. In practice, that often consists of entering it into a spreadsheet or an online form that will submit it to a database. Here are two sites that will pay you for data entry.
As one of SigTrack’s freelance typists, you’ll spend most of your time validating signatures (i.e., reviewing images and selecting or typing the corresponding names).
SigTrack has a complex pay system based largely on accuracy. You’ll earn less money if you enter data inaccurately. For example, if the base pay for a job is $200 and you complete it with 98% accuracy, you’ll only get $180.
SigTrack gives conflicting information about their minimum standards for accuracy; on their Essentials page, they claim that all workers must maintain 98% accuracy, whereas on their How Pay Works page, they say you just need 95% accuracy.
Note: SigTrack isn’t currently hiring workers residing in California or Massachusetts.
Axion typists transfer data from various sources into Axion’s database, verify the data, and edit it when necessary. Axion’s rates depend on the job you take on, with some longer jobs paying up to $9 per entry, though their general rate is lower. They’ll also evaluate your accuracy, speed, and productivity, which can affect your earnings.
Aside from the sites we’ve mentioned already, there are several freelance job boards you can check out to find typing jobs (as well as other work). These sites don’t pay fixed rates. Instead, your pay will vary from job to job and will generally be negotiable between you and your clients.
Freelancer is one of the largest freelance marketplaces in the world. It features a ton of opportunities, including typing projects.
It’s very easy to find clients to work for, with no shortage of posts. That said, the competition for work is quite stiff, and you may have to accept relatively low rates in the beginning to get your foot in the door.
Payment options: Wire transfer, express withdrawal to your bank account, PayPal, or Skrill.
Upwork is another highly popular freelance job board. The platform works much like Freelancer.com does: you create an account and a profile (which may include a portfolio of your past work) and apply for jobs that interest you, competing with other freelancers to get them.
Payment options: Direct deposit, wire transfer, Instant Pay, or PayPal. Some payment methods may come with fees (variable depending on where you’re located).
Fiverr is yet another large marketplace that puts freelancers in contact with businesses that are looking to outsource tasks. On Fiverr, instead of bidding for jobs, you’ll list your services and prices. Clients can then purchase them.
Payment options: Direct deposit, bank transfer, PayPal, or Payoneer.
PeoplePerHour is a UK-based freelancing site where you can advertise your typing services and set your own rates. You can sign up for free; once your application gets approved, you can start browsing for jobs right away.
Here’s how PeoplePerHour’s commission structure works:
Like on most freelancing sites, you’ll be competing against many other freelancers, so the amount of work available may fluctuate.
Payment options: PayPal, Payoneer, or direct deposit to your bank account.
Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a “crowdsourcing marketplace” that puts you in touch with businesses that want to outsource their workloads. MTurk doesn’t charge freelancers any commission fees, so the pay rate you see is what you’ll actually earn.
Tasks on MTurk are known as Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs). There’s no shortage of typing jobs, including data entry, transcription, survey-taking, and Excel spreadsheet work.
Once you create an account with MTurk and wait 48 hours, you can start working. However, for many of the higher-paying jobs, you’ll need to complete a certain number of HITs first.
Payment options: Bank account withdrawal or Amazon gift card.
Microworkers is a platform that employers use to outsource tasks and jobs that are too time-consuming or tedious to handle themselves. Jobs on Microworkers can range from collecting and entering data into spreadsheets to converting AI-generated content into text that sounds natural and human.
After you set up your account, you can check out the jobs posted on their site. Microworkers uses a rating system that will limit your access to many jobs, with those holding higher ratings getting access to better-paying opportunities. Unfortunately Microworkers will take a 10% cut of your earnings.
Payment options: Airtm, PayPal, Skrill, Payoneer, TRANSPay, or ONTO.
Like MTurk, Clickworker is a workplace platform that focuses on microtasks. Freelancers can accept small tasks that businesses outsource, ranging from data entry to AI training. You can even work from your smartphone, and you have full control over how much or how little you want to work.
Payment options: PayPal, Payoneer, ACH, direct bank transfer, or SEPA.
FlexJobs is an online job board, much like Monster and Indeed. However, they have a particular focus on flex-time and remote jobs.
They claim that they use a screening process to ensure that all jobs posted are legitimate. Once you create an account with FlexJobs, you’ll get unlimited access to their job board, as well as a personalized portfolio and free skills testing.
Payment options: Any payment method offered by your employer.
Lastly, if you want a typing job with a very low barrier to entry, you can earn money by solving CAPTCHAs. These are those tests that you have to complete to prove to websites that you’re a human being and not a computer (e.g., “type the six numbers in this image”).
There are several sites that will supposedly pay you to repeatedly solve CAPTCHAs and type the answers. This sounds like easy money, but the catch is that these sites generally pay very low rates. You’ll almost certainly be able to earn more on the other platforms on this list (or from any minimum-wage job, for that matter).
While we’re not aware of any evidence that these sites are outright scams, we don’t necessarily recommend working for them as your top choice for your typing side hustle. They pay real money—but not very much of it.
On 2Captcha, users submit the CAPTCHAs they want solved and you complete them. You can boost your earnings with 2Captcha by inviting other people to join. If your friend uses your referral link to sign up, you’ll earn 10% of their earnings.
Note that your balance (which is indicated on their dashboard) is rounded to two decimals. Therefore, you will only see your balance when it reaches $0.01.
MegaTypers claims that it provides data entry services to private and governmental entities and that if you work with them, you’ll mostly retype scanned papers to convert them into editable digital documents. However, most online reports contradict this, suggesting that MegaTypers is mostly just a CAPTCHA-solving website.
MegaTypers pays their typists in “TyperCredits.” It’s unclear exactly how much these are worth. The company’s site suggests that $1 in TyperCredits is worth $1, but anecdotal reports from past users suggest a much poorer exchange rate of $1 in TyperCredits equating just $0.01.
If you decide that you want something more lucrative but none of the other platforms on this list appeal, you can read our list of other side hustle ideas, many of which are also remote and can be done on a flexible schedule, like typing. Hopefully, you’ll find a home-based side hustle that suits you.
In addition to the sites we listed above, you can also search for traditional companies that offer remote salaried positions (as opposed to freelancing) involving typing.
For example, you probably already know Xerox for their printers and scanners. What you might not know is that the company runs a virtual office program—essentially a list of jobs with them that can be done remotely—and one of their positions is a data entry job. If you get this position, you’ll likely work on a set schedule and receive a fixed salary and employee benefits.
Another example is Lionbridge, a company that services clients in many different industries, including gaming, medicine, telecommunications, and finance. There, you can find translation jobs that are primarily typing.
A quick way to search for such jobs is to use employment marketplaces such as Indeed or ZipRecruiter. If you have a specific company in mind, you can look up their website on Google and visit their careers page to see if they currently have any remote typing jobs available.
January 3, 2025
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