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Online jobs and freelancing: what they really pay

Scammers copy work-from-home jobs, so check every offer before you apply. Here are the real wage figures and what the platforms take.

✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026 against official figures and independent sources · Next check 5 Feb 2027
A woman at a laptop

Online work splits in two: real employed jobs, and freelancing where you find your own clients and pay a platform. Official US wage figures exist for the first. For the second, your rate is whatever clients accept, less the platform’s cut.

Ways to earn here

A family on a sofa watching TV, the father holding the remote
VOLTIXPay slip
60%
of the full price, every renewal
✓ Checked 10 Nov 2026

VOLTIX referral program

Share your link and keep 60% of every full-price plan your people buy, every time they renew.

A smiling man in headphones working at a laptop in a kitchen
UpworkPay slip
0–15%
service fee
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Upwork

The fee is set per contract. What it costs, and what Connects add.

A woman working on a laptop at a table
FiverrPay slip
80%
is yours
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Fiverr

A flat 20% on everything, tips included, and a 14-day wait.

A woman in a headset working at a laptop at home
AssistantPay slip
$22.86
US median per hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Virtual assistant

No official VA figure exists, so here is the nearest real benchmark.

Hands typing on a white keyboard
Data entryPay slip
$19.88
US median per hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Data entry

The real median, a shrinking job, and the scam pattern to avoid.

A woman in a headset at a laptop in a shared office
Customer servicePay slip
$21.53
US median per hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Customer service

A real job with shifts, in a field projected to shrink.

A laptop and open books on a white table
Online tutoringPay slip
$20.84
US median per hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Online tutoring

A median of $20.84. Wyzant takes 25%, and Preply 33% falling to 18% after keeping each new student’s trial lesson.

A man in headphones typing on a laptop on a sofa
TranscriptionPay slip
$15+
per audio hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Transcription

Per audio hour, not per hour of your time. The difference matters.

Open books and a notebook on a wooden desk
TranslationPay slip
$28.93
US median per hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Translation

A $28.93 median, and why your subject matters as much as your language.

A hand drawing on a graphics tablet beside a laptop
Graphic designPay slip
$30.27
US median per hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Graphic design

A $30.27 median, and a portfolio that matters more than a certificate.

A desk with papers, a calculator and a laptop
Web developmentPay slip
$44.54
US median per hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Web development

One of the higher medians here, because it takes real skill.

A woman going through receipts and cash beside a laptop
BookkeepingPay slip
$24.36
US median per hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Bookkeeping

Monthly work at a $24.36 median.

A phone on a stand filming a woman at home
Social mediaPay slip
$37.87
US median per hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Social media manager

No official figure, so here is the nearest benchmark.

A smiling woman recording at a microphone at home
Voice-overPay slip
$29.05
US median per hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Voice-over

The same booking can leave you different sums, depending on the site.

A woman teaching online at a laptop, in front of bookshelves
Teach EnglishPay slip
$10.20
an hour, Cambly
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

Teaching English online

A published $10.20 an hour, if Cambly is taking new tutors.

A man typing at a desk beside an open book
SEOPay slip
$37.87
US median per hour
✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026

SEO

A $37.87 median, and no honest promise of a #1 ranking.

Compare the real numbers

Way to earnYou needYou keepPaid out at
VOLTIX referral programA free account60% of the full price, on every renewal (30% with a discount code)From $20
UpworkA profile, and Connects to apply85% to 100%, set per contractSources differ, by method
FiverrA gig and work samples80% of every order$1 by PayPal
Virtual assistantOffice skills and a first clientUS median $22.86 an hour, employed staffSet by your client
Data entryAccurate typing and a real employerUS median $19.88 an hourSet by your employer
Customer serviceA quiet place and a good connectionUS median $21.53 an hour, employedSet by your client
Online tutoringA subject you know wellUS median $20.84 an hour, employedSet by your client
TranscriptionFast, accurate typing$15 to $22 per audio hour, at TranscribeMeRegular payouts
TranslationTwo languages at a professional levelUS median $28.93 an hour, employedSet by your client
Graphic designA portfolioUS median $30.27 an hour, employedSet by your client
Web developmentReal coding skillUS median $44.54 an hour, employedSet by your client
BookkeepingAccuracyUS median $24.36 an hour, employedSet by your client
Social media managerResults you can showUS median $37.87 an hour, employedSet by your client
Voice-overA quiet room and a good microphoneUS median $29.05 an hour, for actorsSet by the site or the client
Teaching English onlineFluent English, no degree at Cambly$10.20 an hour at CamblyWeekly at Cambly
SEOProof of your workUS median $37.87 an hour, employedSet by your client
Remote employed jobsA real employerA wage set by your employerSet by your employer

Before you pay anyone

  • The FTC says honest employers, including the federal government, will never ask you to pay to get a job.
  • Job scam losses reported to the FTC rose from $90 million in 2020 to $286 million in 2023, and reached $223 million in the first half of 2024.
  • The FTC says reshipping goods is never a real job.
  • An offer that has you deposit a cheque and send some of the money on is a scam, according to the FTC.

Truth checks

“Earn $100 a day from your phone”We did the maths on what $100 a day would really take.
Do the maths
“Just pay a small fee to start”The FTC: honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job.
Walk away

Sources

Show the other 11 sources, each with the day we read it