2017 Work From HOME JOBS

With the right skills, you can land a legitimate work-from-home job.

Just a few decades ago, the vast majority of work-at-home job opportunities were far from profitable. And before the dawn of the Internet, it was much harder to sort through the scams and the real opportunities.
Some of the “gotcha” job offers from the past include check-cashing schemes, mystery shopping, medical billing “jobs” that require you to purchase expensive computer software, and craft-making jobs that ask you to pony up the cash for materials before you get started. And let’s not forget about the famous envelope-stuffing scam that was nothing more than a pyramid scheme designed to siphon money from as many people as possible.
As the old adage goes: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” But is it?
In 2017, the questionable work-at-home jobs are still out there. But improvements in technology and the birth of social media have ushered in a new wave of such jobs that are actually legitimate. Check out these real work-at-home jobs for 2017 and beyond:

Virtual Assistant

With so many businesses operating mostly, or even completely, online, it’s no wonder that many hire virtual assistants to help keep them organized and complete administrative tasks. According to the International Virtual Assistants Association, these workers are “independent contractors who (from a remote location, usually their home or office) support multiple clients in a variety of industries by providing administrative, creative, and technical services.”
Although virtual assistant jobs vary drastically, tasks can include composing and responding to emails, creating and distributing business-related documents, responding to media and business inquiries, writing and creating content, and more. Check out virtual assistant jobs at sites such as Upwork.com and Zirtual.com.

Medical Transcriptionist

Although many medical transcriptionists work for hospitals or physician’s offices, most are able to work at home, and at a time or place of their choosing. Since their tasks involve transcribing recorded medical dictation, a computer, desk, and earpiece are generally the only requirements after completing a postsecondary medical transcriptionist program.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), medical transcriptionists earned a national median wage of $35,490 in 2013, or $16.63 an hour. Although many medical transcriptionists are self-employed, many find jobs through their local hospital, physician, or community college or vocational school.

Translator

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most translators do their work at home, and often under tight deadlines. Although some need a bachelor’s degree, the most important requirement for translators is, of course, fluency in at least two languages.
As the BLS notes, around 20% of translators were self-employed in 2013. The majority were spread among these industries: professional, scientific, and technical services (30%); state, local, and private educational services (25%); health care and social assistance (13%); and government (7%).
The national median wage for this career was $42,420 in 2013, although the top 10% of workers earned an average of $77,140. Look for job postings for translators on sites like Upwork.com.

Web Developer

It’s fairly easy to build your own website if you take advantage of the many free learning opportunities online. However, much of the population isn’t equipped to build their own site, or doesn’t have the time, which is why so many people make a living building websites and blogs for others. According to the BLS, around 25% of Web developers were self-employed in 2012, with the vast majority able to work at home, or anywhere with a laptop and speedy Internet connection.
Even better, the national median wage for Web developers was $63,160 in 2013, with the top 10% earning an average of $110,350. And you typically don’t need an advanced degree to begin working in this field. All you need is some postsecondary education, applicable experience, and a portfolio of successful sites you’ve built and managed. There are even intensive coding boot camps designed to teach programming skills in just a few short months.