Are you looking for a flexible way to fund your student lifestyle online?
How does earning money doing something that you already do on a daily basis sound?
Typing jobs are particularly popular for students because they can easily fit around your studies and uses skills that you already have.
We cover everything you need to know about online typing jobs for students, from the different types of typing jobs available to where to find them and how much you could earn.
How can I earn money by typing?
As the world becomes even more dependent on computers and technology, there is an increased demand for people to convert hard copies of information into digital formats.
hat’s where good typists come in. Anyone can be a good typist with practice.
Is there a minimum age to apply for typing jobs online?
Most companies will only hire freelance typists that are over age 18. If you’re not quite 18, brushing up your typing skills would mean you can hit the ground running, and earn more money, as soon as you are old enough.
Online typing jobs for students
These legitimate Online typing jobs for students money just by using your typing skills. Here are 21 different options for you to explore.
1. Data entry
Data entry jobs are a great choice for students looking to use their typing skills to earn some money on the side.
You don’t need any experience and can pick the jobs and hours that suit you.
Most industries have data entry roles to fulfill, the most popular being administrative, medical, accounting, retail and government.
Typical job requirements
- Adding text or numerical information into spreadsheet databases.
- Checking and correcting data inputs.
- Entering data into a computer system.
- You may be required to transcribe data from audio files.
- Other tasks such as checking expenses and typing up receipts.
How much could you earn?
According to PayScale, the average hourly pay for a data entry clerk is $13.87.
2. Transcriptionist
Transcribers listen to audio or video recordings and convert what you hear into written documents.
Typical job requirements
- Transcriptionist jobs can include business meetings, lectures, court hearings and podcasts
- You’ll need strong attention to detail and good time management skills to keep up with a fast-paced transcriptionist job.
- Due to the nature of the files that you will be working with, acting in a sensitive and discreet manner is key.
How much could you earn?
Transcription jobs generally pay per hour of audio that is completed, not for the hours that you’ve worked.
Being a fast and efficient typist will help you increase the amount you earn. On average, you could earn $16.33 per hour.
3. Typists
A typist is a broad term used to describe a range of typing tasks that need completing in most office-based companies.
You don’t need any specific qualifications or experience, but good keyboard and computer skills are a must.
Typical job requirements
- Writing reports.
- Compiling correspondence notes.
- Collating content and putting it into a specified format.
- Producing a professional, sometimes company branded document.
- Check documents for grammar, spelling and formatting errors.
- Updating contact lists and verifying payroll databases.
- Filing finished documents.
How much could you earn?
As a typist, you could earn $13.16 on average per hour.
4. Book typing
The demand for book typing jobs is on the rise, making it a great option for students looking for online typing jobs.
Publishing houses often have a large number of backlist titles that are often out of print.
They require typists to convert them into digital formats so that they are accessible to people again.
Typical job requirements
- Transcribing books and magazines into digital files for eBooks and audiobooks.
- Converting old manuscripts, speeches and letters into modern formats.
How much could you earn?
Your earning potential depends on your skills and speed. Book typing jobs often fall under the umbrella of data entry, so you can expect to earn an average pay of $13.87.
5. Subtitling and captioning jobs
Does getting paid to write captions for YouTube videos and subtitles for movies sound too good to be true? It’s not.
Subtitling jobs provide a range of opportunities to put your typing skills to the test and have fun while doing it.
Typical job requirements
- Producing written text that accompanies audio-visual text on the internet, TV or movies.
- Working to tight deadlines
- You may be required to create captions with or without a transcript.
- Translating subtitles and captions.
- Checking captions for spelling or grammar errors.
- Converting subtitles into different formats.
How much could you earn?
How much you earn from subtitling will depend on how quickly you can produce the subtitles and captions.
The average hourly wage for a subtitle writer in the United States is $24.
6. Write on Medium
Medium is a platform that allows you to sign up, post an article that you have written and get paid for it.
Typical job requirements
- Writing about a topic that you are passionate about and have a good level of knowledge on.
- Answer commonly asked questions on your topic to engage interest.
How much could you earn?
Medium uses reading time from uses as a payment metric, meaning the more people that read your article, the more you will earn.
The amount writers earn on Medium varies greatly, however it’s a great option if you want a typing job that you can pick up and put down at any time.
7. Copywriter
If you have good typing and writing skills, copywriting could be a great side hustle for you.
Time is money when it comes to the publishing industry, so the quicker you can type the more pages of text you can get through and correct at a time.
Typical job requirements
- Writing prose to promote and sell products and services.
- Produce social media content that relates to a client’s brand.
- Take creative briefs and turn them into creative, persuasive copy.
- Researching topics and relevant keywords to use in your work.
- Ensuring all written work is error-free.
- Juggling multiple projects with short deadlines.
- Working on a range of tasks including blogs, white papers, email marketing, social media and website copy.
How much could you earn?
The average salary of a copywriter is $23.02 per hour. If you specialize in an area of technical writing such as legal or academic writing, you could earn more.
8. Blog writer
Blog writers produce long articles that are published online.
These posts are often long, which is where good typing skills help.
Typical job requirements
- Using your typing skills to research, write and edit blog posts for a company’s website or individuals.
- Conduct keyword research to ensure the blog you have written gets found in the search engines.
- Review and edit your work to make sure it reads well and doesn’t contain any errors.
How much could you earn?
Blog writers can earn between $15 to $25 per hour depending on your experience and the client’s pay rate.
9. Proofreading
There are hundreds of thousands of pieces of written material that need to be checked for quality and consistency before it can be published.
Fast typing skills help proofreaders to quickly correct errors in documents.
Typical job requirements
- Reviewing reports, documents, academic papers, marketing materials or dissertations to check for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors.
- Markup written work to send back to the copy-editor for amending.
- Tweaking text to ensure it flows whilst keeping to the original context as much as possible.
How much could you earn?
With some experience, the average salary for a proofreader in the United States is $22.87 per hour.
10. Ghostwriting
If you love typing and have good writing skills, you can get paid decent money for writing content for somebody else under their name.
CEOs, entrepreneurs, companies with blogs and even celebrities hire ghostwriters to write for them in exchange for cold hard cash.
Typical job requirements
- Tasks include writing fiction, business reports, blogs, speeches, newsletters, website content and social media posts.
- A ghostwriter’s job will involve researching, writing and re-writing content.
- Meeting deadlines and communicating with your client.
How much could you earn?
The earning potential for freelance ghostwriters is huge.
Some clients will pay by the word and some will pay by project. The average hourly rate is between $12-$60.
11. Virtual assistant
As a virtual assistant (VA) you will help your client complete tasks that they don’t have time to do themselves.
Typing plays a huge part of a VA role, which makes it one of the most sought after typing jobs on the market.
The great thing about being a VA is that you can set your hours around college.
Typical job requirements
- Data entry.
- Writing blog posts.
- Admin work.
- Replying to emails.
- Writing newsletters and company emails.
- Managing social media platforms.
- Maintaining a diary.
How much could you earn?
The average salary of a virtual assistant in the United States is $19 per hour.
12. Translator
If you can speak a second language, combine it with your typing skills and start earning money as a translator.
Translators make good money and can enjoy a variety of different work that can be done anywhere.
Typical job requirements
- Reading or listening to documents or audio files.
- Converting material from one language into another.
- Ensuring meaning and context are maintained during the translation process.
- Understanding specialized concepts.
- Working on a variety of documents such as technical, scientific, educational and commercial materials.
- Translators may use translation software to improve efficiency and accuracy.
How much could you earn?
An average hourly wage for a transcriber is $15.22 per hour.
13. Chat agent
One of the most popular typing jobs for students is online chat jobs.
More and more companies are outsourcing their customer service and offering more flexible, working from home positions that are a great way to earn money on the side and set your own hours.
Typical job requirements
- Answering customers’ questions and providing technical support via an online chat box.
- Monitoring a company’s social media platforms and respond to customer queries.
- Pointing people in the right direction on a company’s website.
- Offering product advice or recommendations.
- Dealing with complaints.
How much could you earn?
The pay for online chat jobs varies depending on whether you work for a company or are an independent contractor. You can expect to earn between $10 – $12 per hour.
14. Community moderator
A community moderator helps companies to run their online communities on social media and private message boards.
Typical job requirements
- Welcoming new members.
- Writing and ensuring adherence to group rules.
- Monitoring and responding to member comments.
- Boosting member engagement with interactive posts.
- Encouraging members to post and share their thoughts.
- Creating and sharing relevant content.
- Re-directing customer service queries.
- Listening to the community and feeding back to the company.
- Act as support to customers for basic questions.
- Assist with search engine marketing.
How much could you earn?
The average pay for a community moderator is $15 per hour.
15. Micro jobs
If you’d rather do a variety of mini typing jobs rather than focusing on a particular area, micro typing jobs could be a great option.
Typical job requirements
- Searching for contact details from websites.
- Researching competitor websites.
- Finding images based on certain keywords.
- Writing reviews or commenting on articles.
- Engaging with social media pages and on forums.
You can find micro typing jobs listed on reputable sites such as MicroWorkers or ShortTask.
How much could you earn?
The pay you receive will vary greatly depending on the type of micro task that you complete.
16. Editing
A freelance editor uses their typing skills to read, review and correct writing for clients and help get the material ready for publication.
Typical job requirements
- Checking content on blog posts, news articles, recipes and even whole books.
- Using your writing and typing skills to improve the flow and readability of the document.
- Helps shapes the writing style and tone of a piece of work.
- Often gives the writer feedback regarding structure and content.
How much could you earn?
As a freelance editor you will probably get paid on a project-by-project basis.
Once you’ve got some experience under your belt, you could earn an average of $25.88 per hour.
17. Scopist
If you have a keen interest in law and some knowledge on how it works, a side hustle as a scopist could be perfect for you.
Typical job requirements
- Typing and editing transcripts of trials, depositions and other proceedings that are created by court reporters.
- Correcting spelling and grammar errors and filling in missing words.
- You may use specialized software to help you translate transcripts.
- Fact checking names and legal terms.
How much could you earn?
Scoping jobs pay good money, approximately $1-$1.25 per page of text.
The faster you can turn the work around, the more you will get paid.
18. Online surveys
Data entry jobs online from home for students also include filling out surveys in exchange for cash.
While surveys won’t make you rich, they are extremely flexible and can even be done while watching Netflix on your couch.
Typical job requirements
- Use your typing skills to complete market research questionnaires.
How much could you earn?
Some companies will deposit cash into your account for every survey that you fill in and others will give you gift cards that you can use to spend on eligible items.
Be aware of sites that aren’t legit.
These companies won’t pay out.
Stick with trusted survey websites such as Branded Surveys and Swagbucks.
19. Captcha entry
Captcha entry jobs are an easy way to earn bucks online.
There’s no doubt that you would have experienced human verification tests known as Captcha while browsing sites, but did you know that people actually get paid to solve the tests from home?
Typical job requirements
- You’ll be sent a Captcha test that you need to solve quickly and accurately.
- Sites such as MegaTypers and ProTypers allow you to sign up for Captcha task work in exchange for money.
How much could you earn?
On average you could earn £1/$1.50 or over per 1000 captchas. Whilst that doesn’t sound much, it can soon add up.
20. Forum posting
A successful forum needs a network of people who enjoy networking and socializing virtually.
Typical job requirements
- Posting, commenting and liking conversations on forums.
- Provide topics with plenty of opportunities for discussion.
- Helping to build a community online by using engaging content.
How much could you earn?
There are two ways that you can earn money as a forum poster: joining sites that pay you to post or signing up to sites such as Paid Forum Posting and Professional Forum Posters that advertise forum posting jobs.
The amount you earn will vary greatly depending on the company, so check out the pay rates first.
21. Website testers
Website testers need to know their way around a keyboard and the necessary shortcuts that will speed up the work required.
Typical job requirements
- Implementing test scripts, using automated test tools and designing test scenarios.
- Generating reports and documenting rest results.
- Provide honest feedback on a range of websites and apps.
- Provide advice on how to ensure website visitors find the content that they are looking for.
How much could you earn?
The average hourly pay for a website tester is $25.
Websites such as User Brain and Test IO pay for website testers.
22. Coding and programming
There are several different ways that you can get paid to code and program online. They are perfect jobs if you’re looking to combine your computer and typing skills.
Typical job requirements
- Translate commands into languages such as HTML, Java, NET and PHP to code.
- Write programs
- Test programs
- Amend and edit programs
- Work on a variety of projects from games to websites.
How much could you earn?
Coders and programmers earn decent money due to the technical knowledge required. You can expect to earn between $35 and $45 per hour.
What skills are needed for typing jobs?
For students, the most appealing thing about typing jobs is that you don’t need any fancy qualifications or years of experience to get started.
However, there are some fundamental skills that you will need to be successful in getting paid to type.
Fast typing skills and high accuracy
The fastest typing speed recorded using a keyboard is 212 wpm.
Don’t worry, you won’t need to match this for online typing work, however to be a fast typing you’ll need a typing speed of at least 60 words per minute (wpm). Not sure what your wpm is?
Take an online test to find out. If it falls below 60, you may need to practice and improve your typing skills and accuracy before applying for jobs.
Typing well isn’t just about typing fast, it’s also about typing with greater accuracy. Spending less time checking and correcting mistakes means you have more time to focus on typing.
If you need to improve your typing speed, here are some tips to help you:
1. Check and correct your hand positions: your fingers should be placed over the home row keys (left hand over the A, S, D, and F keys, and the right hand over the J, K, L, and ; keys), with your thumbs hovering over the space bar. From this position you only need to move your fingers slightly to reach other keys, speeding up your typing.
2. Avoid looking down at your hands: it can be tempting to look down at your hands while typing, however looking at your screen will allow you to spot typos as they appear and correct your work quicker than having to go back to it.
3. Maintain an upright posture: a good posture actually helps you to type faster. Slouching or working from your couch makes it harder to reach the keys, slowing down your typing pace.
4. Use wrist supports to make your hands comfortable: if your hands are uncomfortable, they will get tired quickly. Tired hands will impact how quickly you can type and could even lead to an injury that prevents you from typing.
5. Practice, practice, practice: if you are serious about improving your typing ability, the only way to do it is by practicing lots. Websites such as How To Type and Typing Academy provide advice and tests that you can complete to improve your speed and accuracy.
The faster you type, the more time you will save and ultimately the more you will earn. For example, if you double your typing speed, you can get twice as much done in the same amount of time. Playing computer video games is an alternative, fun way to improve your typing ability.
Strong writing, spelling and grammar skills
A good grasp of language is essential for all typing related jobs. Most typing jobs from home for students will involve editing text to ensure there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
Relying too much on using a spell checker will slow down your typing speed and impact how much you get paid.
Ability to listen for long periods of time
Attentive listening is a key skill for all typing jobs. Sometimes audio files contain background noise and soft voices that can make it difficult to decipher what is being said. As a transcriber, you will be expected to make intelligent guesses for parts of the audio that are not clear.
High levels of self-motivation
When doing typing jobs remotely, they can become quite repetitive so it’s important to be self-motivated and able to follow instructions. A good typist can focus on the task at hand without getting easily distracted for long periods of time.
Excellent organizational skills
Organizational skills are important for typing jobs because it’s likely that you will be juggling more than one job at a time. Being able to manage your time effectively will allow you to take on more jobs and ultimately get paid more.
Attention to detail and research skills
Checking facts and conducting research online is a common task for typing jobs. Having great research skills will help improve the quality of your work and reduce the amount of errors that you make.
What equipment do you need for typing jobs?
To start with, you will need a dedicated space to work. Just because you’re working from home, doesn’t mean you should work in your pants slumped over the sofa.
Finding an area that is quiet will allow you to focus on your typing more.
Online typing jobs are not suitable for your smartphone or iPad, so you will need a computer and keyboard.
A super-fast, stable internet connection is another must, so you may want to invest in upgrading your internet.
If you plan on typing for hours at a time, foot pedals allow you to pause, rewind and fast forward audio using your feet.
Your hands can stay focused on typing, allowing you to type faster and be more productive.
A good pair of noise-cancelling headphones will amplify your audio files and make it easier for you to hear every word correctly.
A supportive chair is also important to prevent back ache and enhance your productivity.
An ergonomic chair is designed to be comfortable and easily adapted to help you maintain the right posture.
None of the above items are expensive or difficult to find, but they will help speed up your productivity and make you more comfortable doing online typing jobs from home for students.
Repetitive strain injury
Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is used to describe pain that you may experience in your muscles, nerves and tendons which is caused by a repetitive movement such as typing.
Not having regular breaks and poor posture can also cause repetitive strain injury.
The condition can affect:
- Forearms and elbows.
- Wrists and hands.
- Neck and shoulders.
Symptoms include:
- Aching, painful or tender parts of your body.
- Stiffness.
- Tingling, numbness or throbbing.
- Cramp.
- Weak feeling joints.
Maintaining good posture, taking regular breaks and breathing exercises can all help prevent RSI.
How much can you earn from typing jobs?
How much you earn from typing jobs will depend on your speed, efforts and which area of typing that you do.
It’s important to check the pay structure of the role you apply for before committing to anything.
Some jobs will offer a pay rate per hour, others will give you a rate per word or page.
If you specialize in an area such as social media, editing or legal work, you can charge more for the work you do.
How do I get a job online typing?
It’s easy to find and get started on your first online typing job.
The internet is full of paid typing opportunities that are ideal for students to earn some bucks.
Many people even earn a full time salary typing from the comfort of their own home.
For students, typing jobs are a flexible way to start gaining financial independence that can easily be done around your studies.
Where to find Online Typing Jobs for Students
We’ve put together a handy list of websites that provide online typing jobs to help get you started.
Upwork
The Upwork offers opportunities for freelancers to secure a variety of job positions, including those in typing.
Upwork is popular for helping beginners kickstart a freelance career.
The platform allows you to browse millions of jobs and find the ones that suit you.
To get started, you’ll need to set up a profile and optimize your bio by including lots of keywords to boost your searchability.
Focus on getting reviews from satisfied customers to build up your portfolio.
The more good reviews you have, the more work you will get.
Another top tip is to only focus on jobs that don’t have a large number of applicants as they are often too competitive to waste your time on.
Freelancer
Freelancer works in the same way as Upwork, however Freelancer has a dedicated page for typing jobs that students will find useful when first starting out.
You can also upload examples of your work to your profile page to demonstrate your skill set.
Transcription HUB
Transcription HUB has a pool of transcribers to join their remote transcription team.
They match their freelancers with remote jobs all over the world, giving their members lots of variety in their work.
New applicants will need to take a quality test before being given jobs that are suitable to their skill level.
Indeed
Indeed is a large online job search platform that lists hundreds of current typing jobs.
It’s a great place to look for different typing jobs.
Indeed allow you to upload your resume once you’ve signed up for a free account.
You can also opt-in to receive job alerts.
The clever search tool means you can search for specific typing jobs such as scopist or transcribers, narrowing down your results to jobs that interest you the most.
Transcribe Me
TranscribeMe is a work-from-home site that lists transcribing jobs.
The site features a user-friendly layout and regular payments for their freelancers, making it a popular platform for students and working moms.
TranscribeMe run a community of freelancers where you can get support and talk to each other.
Simply fill out your information and register and take an exam to prove you have the skills needed for typing jobs.
Go Transcript
Similar to TranscribeMe, Go Transcript advertises freelance transcription jobs that allow you to work flexible hours and choose your own projects.
One of the benefits the company offers is regular payments every Friday, perfect for students looking for some regular cash.
Remote job boards
Remote job board websites such as FlexJobs and Dynamite Jobs specialize in offering flexible, remote jobs. They are a great place to look for typing jobs that can be done working from home on a part-time basis.
Avoid typing from home scams
Be careful to avoid typing from home scams that trick you into doing work to gain access to your sensitive contact or financial information.
Check out these top recommendations to ensure your safety when working with a new company:
- Only use trusted sites to search for legitimate typing jobs online.
- Check the salary that is being advertised. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
- If the advert contains poor spelling and grammar, it’s likely to be a con.
- A legitimate company will not ask you to invest any money before completing the work.
- Research the company first before signing up and giving your details.
- Trust your instinct.
Earn money with online typing jobs for students
Now you know the huge potential of earning money from typing, it’s time to start earning, and saving, some extra bucks. Which typing jobs for students do you like the sound of the most?
You can work where, when and for whom you want, all around your studies.What will you spend your side hustle money on? For the latest financial advice including saving, budgeting and money making tips for students, we regularly post advice and information on our blog.
