The Best Jobs for Stay-At-Home Moms That Pay Well

Working from home mom typing on her laptop in her kitchen sitting next to her toddler daughter

What are the best jobs for stay-at-home moms? Being a stay-at-home mom is a job on its own, but there are many reasons you might choose to also seek outside employment. Maybe you want to contribute to the household income, keep your skills sharp for a future return to the workforce, or simply interact with people who don’t have mashed-up peas on their faces 90% of the time. 

We’ll explain how to get a job as a stay-at-home mom and explore some of the best opportunities that pair well with your existing role of diaper-changer-in-chief. 

The Best Stay-At-Home Mom Jobs

1. Medical transcriptionist

Doctors see dozens of patients per day. One way they save time and keep their records from getting confused is by making voice recordings. A medical transcriptionist listens to those recordings and transcribes the audio into a written report. 

To be a medical transcriptionist, you’ll need a computer with reliable WiFi and a headset. How much you make depends on how many hours you work and your arrangement with your company. Some transcriptionists work full-time hours, while others complete recordings here and there as they have time. The average pay is about $25 an hour. 

2. Medical coder

When a doctor bills an insurance company for a patient’s visit, they do so by using a series of medical codes. But the doctor doesn’t sit down and put together the codes themself–that’s the job of a medical coder. It’s a job that’s perfect for doing remotely, and the persistent healthcare staffing shortage means medical coders are in high demand. 

To learn the coding ropes, you’ll need to complete a certification program, which can be done in as little as nine months. There are varying levels of certification that can boost your earnings. Typically, medical coders earn between $24 and $32 an hour. 

3. Copywriter

If you have a flair for the written word, you can earn a healthy paycheck by lending your voice to other professionals as a copywriter. Content writers help companies communicate their message in written materials like blog posts, emails and brochures. 

Since most of a copywriter’s work isn’t urgent, it can easily be completed while kids are napping, in school, or in the evenings. You can set your own rates and work with various clients, choosing projects that interest you. Freelance content writers may charge by the project, by the hour, or by the word.

4. Social media manager

These days, businesses must have a presence on social media, but many smaller companies don’t have the resources to manage the task themselves. You could excel as a social media manager if you have a smartphone and a knack for racking up likes. Depending on the company, it’s a gig that could be completed with just a few spare hours each week. 

Get started by offering to help a friend with posts for her small business or find freelance gigs on a talent marketplace. Freelance social media managers typically charge between $15 and $35 an hour. 

5. Nannying

Since you’re already keeping an eye on your own child(ren) during the day, why not add another into the mix? Your child will benefit from a new playmate while you’ll earn some extra cash for work you’re already doing anyway. 

Some moms offer nannying services in their home, while others bring their child along to a full-time nannying job at another family’s house. If you share parenting duties with a partner and can free up your afternoons, you can help other families bridge the childcare gap between when school lets out and when mom and dad get home.

Nannying rates vary widely based on where you live.

6. Administrative support

As a mom, you’re already a seasoned pro at maintaining calendars, coordinating travel, and planning events. Many companies would love to leverage your skills to help keep their offices running smoothly. 

Working as a virtual assistant is a similar role where you help a single professional with their job-related and personal needs, from conducting research to scheduling appointments with service providers to making dinner reservations. 

Admins and VA’s can work full- or part-time. Tasks will vary based on the specific needs of the company or client, and the average hourly rate ranges between $18 and $35.

7. Customer service

If you’re like many moms, you have some free time between the hours of about 7 and 11 p.m. You could make money using this time to answer customer service inquiries for one or more companies. 

Don’t want to spend your precious evening hours on the phone with needy customers? Not to worry. Some customer service roles, like technical support help desks, only require you to respond via email or live chat. Remote customer service reps can expect to earn around $20 an hour. 

8. Cleaning

If you live in an urban or suburban area, you could make extra cash cleaning office buildings after workers head home. Cleaning companies routinely hire moms with evening availability. 

If you’re in an area that’s not a big business hub, you could start up your own one-woman cleaning operation and offer your services to small businesses. At between $150 and $500 per cleaning, just a handful of clients could add up to a sizable monthly check.

9. Translation

Being bilingual has many perks, including making money! Companies in all industries hire translators to help them conduct their business activities across borders. Once you’ve built up some experience, you can easily earn $30 an hour as a freelance translator working on your own schedule. 

10. Tutoring online

Math, English, history… whatever your favorite subject was in school, why not reignite your passion by helping teach it to the next generation? Online tutoring has seen sky-high demand since the onset of COVID-19 and parents everywhere have seen the advantage of a little extra virtual help for their kids. 

Online tutoring rates vary widely, from $15 to $40 an hour, but the average online tutor earns about $25.

Staffing your team doesn’t have to be hard.

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How to Find a Job as a Stay-At-Home Mom

Our virtually connected world means it’s easier than ever to find stay-at-home mom jobs that will exercise your skills and pay you well for your time. 

The best place to start is a service that’s meant specifically for your situation, like HireMyMom. HireMyMom was designed to help small businesses solve their hiring challenges by connecting with a talented and dependable yet underutilized segment of the workforce: mothers. Moms can access legitimate job listings from verified businesses, get help polishing their resumes, and expand their skills with virtual training. 

Outside of sites geared specifically to moms, there are plenty of remote work marketplaces like Upwork, where you can browse job listings that fit your skills and availability. 

There’s also likely a gold mine of opportunities right in your neighborhood; local Facebook groups and community bulletin boards in most towns are peppered with posts from people looking for help, from babysitting to house cleaning to administrative support. 

Start Applying to Work-From-Home Mom Jobs Today

This list is a great place to start, but today’s freelance economy makes it possible to translate almost any skill into a side hustle. Consider selling your creations on a site like Etsy if you’re crafty. If you’re a wonderful baker, post a few flyers around town and take orders for custom cakes. 

With a little ingenuity–which all moms have loads of–you’ll earn extra money and maybe even discover a newfound calling as an entrepreneur. 

Pete Newsome

About Pete Newsome

Pete Newsome is the President of 4 Corner Resources, the staffing and recruiting firm he founded in 2005. 4 Corner is a member of the American Staffing Association and TechServe Alliance and has been Clearly Rated's top-rated staffing company in Central Florida for the past five years. Recent awards and recognition include being named to Forbes’ Best Recruiting Firms in America, The Seminole 100, and The Golden 100. Pete also founded zengig, to offer comprehensive career advice, tools, and resources for students and professionals. He hosts two podcasts, Hire Calling and Finding Career Zen, and is blazing new trails in recruitment marketing with the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Connect with Pete on LinkedIn