21 Best Stay-At-Home Mom Jobs to Earn in Your Spare Time

Stay-at-home mom jobs make it easier to be with your kids while still contributing financially to the household.

When my daughter was born, I wanted nothing more than to stay home with her. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option for me. Debt and other expenses meant that we needed to be a two-income household.

As time went on, I discovered some options that allowed me to leave traditional employment and work from home.

Thanks to the rise in the gig economy and online jobs, there are more non-traditional work-from-home options that afford moms the opportunity to stay home with their kids and earn an income.

You don’t need a college degree or lots of work experience to find a job where you can work from home. There are plenty of options available that will give you the freedom to be home with your kids while still earning money.

What you choose to do will depend on your talents, interests, and experience. There are many jobs that don’t require any specific education or past work experience.

Online Jobs for Stay-At-Home Moms

If you prefer to work while your kids sleep or during odd hours, these online jobs are solid options to consider.

1. Freelance writing

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.

It can be hard to find clients and build a portfolio if you don’t know where to begin.

Holly Johnson, a six-figure freelance writer who’s written for Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Lifehacker, offers a free workshop for new freelance writers. Her paid course is a great place to start if you’re interested in freelance writing as a career.

Related: The Best Online Writing Courses for New Freelance Writers

2. Blogging

Blogging is one of the best online stay-at-home mom jobs today. It combines the writing aspect of freelance writing without searching for clients and writing about things you don’t like. 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.

On the surface, blogging doesn’t seem like a very profitable venture. But you can earn money on your blog through affiliate marketing, display advertising, and sponsored posts or ads.

Blogging allows you to turn your passion into a source of income, and if you work hard at it, you can make some serious money. If this sounds like something you’d like to try, check out our guide on getting started with your own blog.

Related: How This “Mom Blogger” Makes Nearly $2,000 per Month From Her Blog

3. Social media marketing

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, social media marketing allows you to turn skills you already have into a flexible work-from-home job. Follow our full guide to learn how to become a paid influencer.

4. Graphic and website design

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 these 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.

5. App and plug-in development

If you have strong coding skills, you can use them to create apps and website plug-ins for others. Most of this work is freelance, which means you have the freedom to choose how much you work and how much to charge. You can even create custom apps or plug-ins for clients who hire you.

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. It’s a cost-effective solution for business owners who want to focus on other aspects of their businesses.

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.

You don’t need a degree or certification to work as a VA. Successful virtual assistant and VA coach Kayla Sloan offers a free workshop on the 5 steps to become a virtual assistant.

7. Selling photos online

Do you love to take pictures, even just on your phone? Selling photos online might be a great way for you to stay home with your kids and still make money.

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.

8. Proofreading

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.

9. Online teaching or tutoring

The online education field is growing quickly, and there are tons of jobs available for those looking to teach or tutor online. Even if you don’t have a teaching certificate, you can still find work as an online teacher.

One way to get started is by teaching English to kids in other countries online, especially in China. There are several companies that are always hiring teachers. VIPKid is a reputable, growing company that hires English speakers to work with kids in China one-on-one via the internet.

You do need a bachelor’s degree to work with VIPKid, but teaching experience isn’t required. However, if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree in education but still want to teach, you can create a course on Outschool. 

With Outschool, you can teach K-12 learners a variety of subjects like piano or cooking classes, yoga, math, and hand lettering. You get to set the price, how many students you allow in the class, and whether you teach them live or offer pre-recorded lessons they can watch on their own time. 

10. Online customer service rep

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.

11. Health coaching

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.

Related: Is Working From Home Bad for Your Mental Health?

Offline Jobs for Stay-At-Home Moms

If you like getting out of the house with your kids or want to include them in your work, consider one of these jobs.

12. Fitness instructor

Working as a fitness instructor is one of the most flexible and versatile stay-at-home mom jobs. You can do anything from leading group exercise classes at a local gym to working as a personal trainer. You can even start a parent and child fitness class to get moms or dads and kids exercising together.

It’s possible you’ll need special certifications to work as a fitness instructor, so do some preliminary research before choosing this option.

13. Babysitting/in-home childcare

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.

14. Pet sitting

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.

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.

You can use a website like Rover.com to find clients or you can advertise your pet care services locally or through social media.

15. Mystery shopping

Working for a mystery shopping company means you’ll get paid to pretend you’re a customer at a retail store or restaurant. Generally, you’ll have to purchase something (for which you’ll be reimbursed) and provide feedback on things like how friendly the sales associates were or how clean the store was.

If you choose this kind of job, make sure you’re using a legitimate company. An easy way to tell if a mystery shopping company is a scam is if it asks you to pay to join its company by wiring money to a third-party. Legit mystery shopping companies are free to join and never ask for money upfront.

16. Laundry service

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.

17. Sell crafts

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, to 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.

18. Bookkeeping

If you like to work with money and are organized with your finances, working as a bookkeeper is a stay-at-home mom job that might be a good fit. As a bookkeeper, you’ll do things like invoice your client’s customers, record receipts, process payroll, issue payments, or create financial reports. You can do this from home or part-time in an office.

You don’t need a degree or certification to work as a bookkeeper, but if you have one, you can charge higher rates for your services.

Other Ways for Stay-at-Home Moms to Make Money

The careers we’ve listed here are great stay-at-home moms 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 jobs 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.

19. Participate in market research

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 actually pay you to take surveys.

For instance, Swagbucks offers rewards for taking surveys, watching videos, doing online searches, and shopping online. It gives you a free $10 just for signing up.

Survey Junkie is another good survey site. Users sign up and can start taking surveys right away. Sure, it’s not one of the typical full or part-time stay-at-home mom jobs that pays all the bills, but you can still make some extra cash on the side with Survey Junkie.

20. Convert a spare room into an Airbnb rental

Airbnb is a great way to save money on hotels when vacationing, but it’s also a great way to make money without leaving the house.

If you have a spare room and are comfortable with strangers staying in your home, you can turn it into an Airbnb rental. Guests will pay to stay there, and you’ll get extra income from a room you weren’t using anyway.

Earning potential varies widely with Airbnb. Guests will pay more for rooms with added features, like a private bathroom or entrance. You’ll also earn more if you live in a place where tourists visit, like a major city or a resort town. You can also charge more during big weekends or holidays.

For more tips on this side hustle, check out our complete guide to making money as an Airbnb host.

21. 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 Postmates or 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 (ex., 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.

Related: 13 Ways to Make Money Delivering Food, Packages, and More

Where Can I Find Stay-at-Home-Mom Jobs?

If you’re looking for work as a stay-at-home mom, knowing where to start is the first step.

Freelancing websites

Freelance jobs websites like Upwork, FlexJobs, and Fiverr offer an easy platform to start finding work-at-home jobs. Each site has its own requirements for posting and finding jobs, so make sure you read each one carefully to see if it’s a good fit for what you’re providing.

Start your own business

The easiest way to find work as a stay-at-home mom is to start your own online business. You’ll have to follow all of your state and local regulations and file the appropriate paperwork, but you can start finding customers or clients immediately without worrying about using a third-party site or service.

Word-of-mouth referrals and online advertising through social media posts and Facebook ads are good sources for finding clients.

Register with an app or agency

If marketing isn’t a strength of yours or it makes you uncomfortable, signing up with a site like Rover or Care.com is an excellent way to find clients for your business. All you need to do is complete a profile and people will find you.

How Much Money Can A Stay-at-Home Mom Earn?

The amount you earn depends on how you price your services, how much you work, and what you’re offering. It also depends on your goals and how hard you’re willing to work to reach them.

As a stay-at-home mom, you still have the ability to earn money even if you’re not working outside the home or putting in 40 hours a week. Although you have to put in the hard work to build a business and make it successful, there is no shortage of legitimate work-at-home jobs for moms.