Legit Jobs for Homeschool Moms

Are you wishing you had a bit of extra cash each month to cover bill or even money for homeschool supplies and experiences? Is it even possible for a homeschool mom to have a job? Keep reading for legit jobs for homeschool moms. Most of these are options I have tried myself so you will learn from my mistakes and successes!

Jobs for Homeschool Moms

 From the minute I first found out I was pregnant with my first child, I began looking for ways to stay home with my kids.  Since that time I have tried several work at home gigs and I have worked at least part-time the entire time I’ve been a homeschool mom.

Some moms choose to work because they need the money, and others want something more for themselves or want to keep their professional skills sharp. I wanted to be home with my babies, but at the time my husband was in school so we also needed money. I’m hoping to save you a lot of time by explaining some truly legit ways of making money as a homeschool mom.

Why Would a Homeschool Mom Want a Job?

For some moms, it’s for the money. For others, it is for independence or something to call your own. Still other moms might choose to work just to keep her professional skills sharp. 

It’s true that homeschooling in and of itself is basically a full time job. It might seem asinine for moms to try and add a job on top of that – and it isn’t’ for everyone, obviously. However, if you feel you NEED to work or you WANT to work, then the following ideas will help you get started.

How Do I Both Work And Homeschool?

Early in my work-at-home adventures, I learned the beauty of time blocking. For me, this is very effective. Essentially, I set aside specific times of the day when I am going to work and then the rest of the time I am managing the house and homeschooling. 

When looking for your “balance”, first write down your actual schedule. What time of day do you homeschool? How long does it take you? What other responsibilities do you have? 

Once you have your regular routine marked down, look again and see when you can reasonably fit in other work hours. I’ve worked anywhere from 10-60 hours a week at various times. I definitely recommend the lower end than the higher end. 

Try not to sacrifice your sleep as you will only pay for that in the end with other health and emotional issues. (My family will laugh when they read this – but remember I’m telling you what I learned – and losing sleep was definitely not worth it!)

Prioritize the Type of Work You Want to Do

Once you have established how many hours you can realistically work, consider the type of work you are actually able to do. Do your kids’ ages and lifestyle allow you to do phone work? Or will it need to be online? Do you have childcare for you to be out of the house if necessary? 

Understanding both what you can do, as well as the restrictions, will help you narrow down the decision about the best jobs for homeschool moms that are available to you. 

Consider what type of money you are willing to work for. Is there a bare minimum you need to make? I traded my time for pennies for many years simply because it allowed me to be home and I was willing to do it. Given the same choice now – I would probably choose differently. 

For me, I focus on flexible jobs without a set schedule that don’t require me to be on the phone. Sometimes it feels like a needle in a haystack situation, but there are definitely ways to make money as a homeschool mom – you just need to know where to look.

Legit Jobs for Homeschool Moms

Like I said, these are legit ways to get income for homeschool moms. I will give you my true thoughts including both pros and cons for the jobs that I have personally tried.

Medical Transcription or Coding

This post may contain affiliate links which means I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Working as a medical transcriptionist was my first “real” work-at-home job. The minute I found out I was pregnant I started researching work at home jobs. I saw a gal comment in a Facebook group that she was a medical transcriptionist so I started asking her questions. 

Throughout my pregnancy I took a transcription course from Career Step. I was able to secure a remote transcription job just a couple of months after my son was born. I have a background in healthcare so the medical terms were easy for me to learn and understand. Career Step’s program was very thorough and I felt supported throughout the course. Obviously, it has been several years now but I continue to hear good things about their programs. 

I worked for an orthopedic practice on the East Coast and was paid based on my productivity. It translated to roughly $25/hour. I loved that I could literally control my paycheck. The more efficient I was, the higher my hourly wage.

Your satisfaction with medical transcription will depend a lot on the company you end up working for. I ultimately quit this job because I had too many kids to have enough quiet time to listen to the voice recordings. The work would come in at any time of day and I had 24 hours to return it – so I felt stressed a lot of the time. Other days, there would be no work at all. 

If you pursue medical transcription, definitely ask questions about the steadiness of the workload, time requirements and accuracy requirements. You will also want to make sure you have an ergonomic work station. I did not – and I am paying for it now. 

General Transcription

There are several general transcription companies you can work for as well. They all have varying pay structures and workload requirements. Compared to medical transcription your earning potential is lower, but you might not need any additional training.

Be a Tutor or Online Teacher

Programs such as Outschool are always looking for teachers. You design and create your own course, get approved by Outschool and then you can teach an online class. Outschool (and most online programs like this) will take a percentage of the students’ tuition as their fee. If you enjoy teaching and can be on Zoom, this might be a great option. 

You can also pursue online tutoring jobs or focus on local and in-person opportunities.

Teach Music Lessons

If you have musical know-how you can put these skills to use by teaching music lessons either online or in person out of your home. Again, your ability to do this will depend on the ages of your kids and your home environment. 

Create Digital Downloads and Printables

If you find yourself making worksheets and printables for your own homeschool, then you may as well sell them. Platforms such as Teachers Pay Teachers and Etsy allow you to sell digital downloads easily. You will pay a  fee when you sell your items, but the digital functionality means you create the product once and then you can sell it over and over – no inventory or packaging on your own!

I use Canva for all my printables, worksheets and unit studies that I sell online. There is both a free and a paid version.(If you are just starting out, the free version is enough.) If you want to try your hand at Etsy, use this link for 40 FREE listings! 

Cashback Programs

If you are looking for a way to cut your costs rather than making a true income, Cashback programs such as Swagbucks, Ebates, Ibotta, or Fetch might be for you. I know there are ways people can make lots of money back with these programs, but you do need to be careful that you are only buying what you would have bought anyway, rather than buying something just because you get .25 cash back. 

Out of these, I use Ebates and Ibotta the most. However, when I worked as a medical transcriptionist I was Googling A LOT, so I used Swagbucks at that time and did earn several hundred dollars that I redeemed as Amazon gift cards. 

Search Engine Evaluator

What even is that? A search engine evaluator? In this job role, you are helping train the artificial intelligence/search engine algorithm to meet the searcher’s intent. Artificial intelligence and algorithms are scary good, but there is a human element they can’t quite meet. 

I found this work mind numbingly boring, but the pay was decent and it came with benefits – even for the part-timers. The best part is that I could work up to 20 hours a week at any time of the day. The downside is there wasn’t always work to do and it was painfully monotonous. I wasn’t terribly sad about it when I got laid off from my position, but at the same time it was okay pay and in a crunch I would pursue this option again.

Online Reseller

If you have a unique vibe or understand trends, being an online reseller might be a good option for you. Again, you will need to do the research to understand the fees for whatever program you sell on. Although the fees are generally “small”, they are not inconsequential.

It also takes time to find items to sell. Reselling is definitely a legit job for homeschool moms, but it can be time intensive, and you will be buying inventory to resell. This means you need space, packaging, and to understand your audience well.

Whether you sell books on Amazon or clothes on PoshMark or toys on Ebay, there are several platforms online where you can make money as a homeschool mom by reselling items. Just make sure you understand the time and effort you will be investing upfront. 

Join an MLM

Just kidding. Don’t do this. MLMs are predatory trash. On another day I will write all about my experience and why, after EIGHT years, I left my MLM. But for the purpose of this article, please listen when I tell you there are so many more and better ways to make income as a homeschool mom. Just trust me. Run far away from MLMs. 

Customer Support

Working as a customer support specialist usually requires a set schedule, but also comes with some benefits such as paid time off or a retirement plan. Customer support can be chat or email only, but it generally also involves phone work.

If you identified your priorities and types of work you can realistically do, then you will know which options are worth applying for. For example, my kids are a bit older now so I could probably do phone work – but it still would not be my preference.

Some customer support positions will provide you with a work computer, headphones, etc. Others will not provide this equipment, so make sure you are fully aware of what is included in the work agreement. Some companies also require you to have a certain speed of internet or have a wired connection.

The big name companies are not always the best jobs for homeschool moms because they tend to be more rigid in their scheduling. Sometimes smaller companies will allow for more flexibility while still paying a decent wage.

Virtual Workers of America

If you are looking for a more structured work experience, where you can have a set schedule, paid time off, and a decent hourly wage, then I recommend the Facebook Group Virtual Workers of America. Of all the work at home job groups I have been in over the years – I prefer this one the most. The jobs are legit and are way better than taking surveys or other options that are not going to give you a steady stream of income. 

The people in the group are helpful and give you direct feedback about their experiences with different companies.

Start a Niche Blog

I know blogging makes every job for stay at home moms list, and it is also said that a low percentage of people actually make a living from it. This blog right here is an experiment to see if I can make a valid income stream through blogging. 

I’m only just beginning this journey (and I’ll keep you posted) but it seems that it should work. One thing I know for certain is that it will take time to make money from blogging, so if you need immediate funds then start with these great ideas from my friend Sadie to get you started with a more active income – all you need is your phone!

Freelance Writing

One active stream of income is freelance writing. You can use your writing skills to create content for small businesses or even bloggers. The pricing for freelance work has a wide range depending on your abilities, if you are also doing SEO for an article or providing graphics, etc. 

This is an income stream that I have recently started. So far, I love it. I actually find it is easier to write for someone else rather than myself because I’m not dealing with imposter syndrome or worrying what others will think of me. 

Focus on Passive Income

Whatever income stream you decide to build, try and add one or several passive income streams. Passive income means it is something you establish or create once and then it kind of takes care of itself. Selling digital products on Etsy or Teachers Pay Teachers are examples of this. Building a blog and focusing on affiliate marketing (like I’m doing on this blog) requires many hours of frontloading your work, but in time it should pay off and create a viable passive income stream for you. 

I have recently started this quest to build passive income streams. Remember my dream list? I want flexibility, days off, and money – the only way to really do this is through passive income to supplement (or eventually replace) working for someone else. I’ll be blogging about this as time goes on so make sure you are following me here. 

It is absolutely possible to find legit jobs for homeschool moms once you know what to look for and once you have identified your priorities. If you have other recommendations or ideas you’d like me to investigate further, just let me know. I absolutely love helping others find ways to make money and to think outside the box.