16 Legitimate Work From Home Jobs With No Startup Fee

Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Lori Pace

We live in a more connected world than we have ever before. New technology pops up like mushrooms after a good rain, and connected to it are a range of tasks needing a person to complete them, little job spores dropping from a technology mushroom-cap. This article explores the spores – 16 legitimate work-from-home jobs with no startup fee.

As this network grows, more and more links between various jobs emerge, ready for us to take advantage of. 

Where To Start With Remote Jobs?

A good starting point is to look at yourself, decide which type of work you would be good at, and then look at the linking jobs surrounding it. Meaning that if coding’s your thing, also look into web development and IT support as potential work areas.

Become skilled in as many related topics as possible. 

And while you’re all self-reflective, decide if you want to work for a full-time employer or if you see yourself as an independent contractor. This distinction will guide you towards the types of jobs you hope to receive. Independent contracts usually offer the greatest flexibility but are more unstable inconsistent pay.

(The most successful mushrooms have the largest underground mycelial network, don’t you know.)

Be as the mushroom, silly caps optional! 

16 Legitimate Work From Home Jobs With No Startup Fee

Work From Home Jobs In Education With No Startup Fee

1. Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Teaching English As A Foreign Language

ESL (English Second Language) and TEFL (Teaching English Foreign Language) are household acronyms at this point. 

Web-based companies like I-to-I TEFL

Provide supplementary teaching qualifications that make you a desirable teacher for people who are learning English as a foreign language when added to your current qualifications. College degrees are favorable but not essential for this kind of work. 

2. Online Tutoring

Calling all maths majors! Online tutoring is a great way to transfer skills you have spent years honing and earn money for it.

Getting yourself set up with a website that pairs students with tutors are a great way to enter this market. Once you’re in, tell your students to tell their friends about you! This may not earn you 6 figures but can be a high supplemental income while you study or as part of a greater arsenal of freelance work you have under your belt. 

Find out more here: TUTOR.COM.

Legitimate Work From Home Writing Jobs With No Startup Fee

3. Freelance writing 

Writing, proofreading, and editing are some of the most lucrative fields of remote work out there. (Heck, even I’m doing it!). The main skills necessary for work like this are a keen sense of language, managing your time effectively, and producing consistent quality work. Take time to find blogs and companies that align with your interests because you will be able to write about things you already know about. 

Finding work can be really simple with sites like Upwork. Make a profile with a site like this and check for more listings often. 

4. Transcription 

Transcription involves listening to audio files and typing what you hear. While this sounds easy enough, often the audio quality is low, or the speaker has an accident, making this work more specialized than it initially appears. 

You will most likely be paid per word typed, and strong typists who can type on specialized topics (Like science, law, or technology) will receive the highest wages for their work. 

5. Translation 

The most important qualifier for translation work is your ability to understand the language you will be translating and be able to translate the meaning of the terms that that language conveys. 

Translation work can be lucrative and quite enjoyable if you can do so. Look at sites like Gengo to find potential clients for your translation work. 

6. Research

Online publications and websites often need a person with a keen eye for facts to research content that will be going onto their sites. 

If you think this is a good fit for you, post your portfolio onto something like Upwork or Flexjobs.

As with all the jobs listed here, the more experience you get, the higher your pay will be. 

7. Voiceover artist

Voiceover Artist

Not quite writing, but perhaps we could call this type of work “writing adjacent.” A voiceover artist is given a piece of writing, for advertising or audiobooks, for example, and uses annunciation and articulation to convey the piece’s meaning. Sound quality is of utmost importance, but creating a sound studio in our modern world is pretty straightforward. It will be hard work to enter into this field, but it can be very lucrative once you do. 

ACX Is a great website to use to start your voiceover career. ACX serves as a portal, connecting you with potential gigs and providing support and guidance to up-and-coming artists. 

Work From Home Technology-Specific Jobs With No Startup Fee

As a rule, technology-based remote work is heavily involved in coding language. And because of this, learning to speak the coding language is a crucial first step. 

8. Front end development

A front-end developer writes the code for the parts of a website that the end-user will see, using languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript. 

9. Web development

The coding Big Boy. Web developers need to be well-versed in many front-and-back-end coding scripts to power an entire online presence. Think root-system and fruiting mushroom bodies here. They really do it all. This is a highly sought-after career and can be highly lucrative if you carry the writing skills, so spend some time learning the languages you need to be well versed here if this is where you want to be. 

You can find materials and courses online to train yourself in any programming language. However, you should also evaluate yourself to see if you are good enough to handle web development projects. You can also attend an online coding bootcamp, where you can work with other professionals, get mentors, and evaluate yourself with real projects.

10. UX Designer 

UX Designers are the customer-service operators of the web development world. They connect the code with the final user experience to improve the overall quality of the web experience for the end-user. 

11. Digital marketing 

Digital marketers take the work of the UX designer a step further. Using social media, email marketing, and Search Engine Optimisation, you can help an online business find and keep its clientele.  You can for example try to look up the best social media ads as an inspiration to get started.

Service jobs

12. Telemarketing, Customer-service, and tech-support representative 

Three related industries for the price of one! 

Many companies seek to outsource their service and support networks to clear-toned, patient, and compassionate people. Be vary of scams here, and vet your application responses before saying yes to them. 

You will be expected to have an even and well-mannered temperament and may well be incentivized based on sales made or clients served. It is generally quite technically- easy work, and often only requires you to have a good phone line and functioning internet. 

Look at companies like APPLE and ALORICA at home when applying for this work. 

13. Virtual Assistant

As a virtual assistant, you will be working as someone’s at-home secretary. You will need to complete several tasks, and the likelihood of finding permanent employment here is high. 

You can read all about Virtual Assistance in our article How to make money answering emails.

14. Graphic design 

Graphic Design is traditionally a bit of a freelancer’s gambit. Most work is contract-based and will require you to create a design that they will use for years after. Attention to detail and pride in a completed task is pivotal skills to have here and design ability. 

Having a portfolio of evidence is also going to prove to be very helpful in securing high-paying work. 

15. Social media management

Content marketing, public relations, social media strategy, and communications are things you will be working with as a social media manager. This work is becoming more vital as we look deeper at our screens; many companies have marketing budgets that they do not know how to use effectively. 

Marketing yourself as a social media manager is important to getting clients here, so create a profile that you can use as a portfolio of evidence. After all, you are your own best product, so sell yourself well. 

Sites like INDEED.COM are a great place to find prospective social media work. 

Legitimate Work From Home Pet-Related Jobs With No Startup Fee

16. Pet & house sitting

Pet and house sitting are not what you would call remote work in the traditional sense. Still, it functions with many of the same benefits, plus the obvious extra benefit of getting to cuddle somebody’s fur baby for a weekend. 

The value here is creating a close relationship with the people whose house or animal you are caring for. Showing that you are trustworthy and reliable will create long-term clientele and bring consistent, if not necessarily large amounts, income at very little stress. 

Remember, though, that while many of the options above have some education requirement (which obviously will cost some money to get), no legitimate employer will ask you to give them money so that you can work for them. Scams abound, be careful. We recommend you check out our favorite pet sitter website apps.

Be wise when applying for work, and remember that if it looks too good to be true, it very probably is too good to be true.

Lori Pace
Lori Pace

Lori Pace is a single mother of three daughters ages 7 and under. As a working mom from home, she balances kids, work and two crazy dogs with humor and love. Follow Lori as she honestly gives tips and advice based on her own experiences as a single mom!