If you want to be a freelancer, you’ve come to the right place. I was a freelancer for 12 years, and in this piece I’m going to reveal the easiest freelance jobs for beginners – especially those with a creative background.
Today, there are 1.1 billion freelancers around the world, and all of them started somewhere.
In this Ultimate Guide, I’ll show you:
- The most lucrative, most flexible and easiest freelance jobs for beginners
- What you can potentially earn for each of them
- The skills you’ll need and what to do
- The pros and cons for each one
- The best platform to sign up to for each different job
That’s a lot to get through – let’s get going!
Table of contents
What are the easiest freelance jobs?
Everything in this section requires precisely ZERO experience.
1. Web Researcher
Web researcher can be both a lucrative and flexible entry level freelance job. If you’ve got a very basic writing background then you’ll likely have most of the skills (like attention to detail and accuracy) that you’ll need for the role.
I recently posted a job advert on Upwork, looking for someone to help me research how Fortune 500 CEOs use social media.
I can tell you as a client, I wasn’t bothered about experience one bit. The information was already out there in the public domain.
I wanted somebody with:
- Great attention to detail
- High productivity
- Not priced too high
When I chose the freelancer to use, it was one that gave a bespoke, crafted response to my job posting, detailing HOW they’d go about the task. This is why writers are so well suited to the job of researcher – because it’s pertly about understanding the brief and communication.
I couldn’t be bothered to read a resume, or a long, generic cover letter. Unfortunately this is what most people posted.
What’s the lesson?
Freelancing on Upwork as a researcher is a simple enough job for beginners. Just make sure you are:
- Personal in your response
- Benchmark your rate with the market
- Respond quickly and accurately to messages
The pros of freelancing on Upwork as a beginner:
- It’s a trusted user-friendly platform. You won’t be chasing for invoices or worrying about legalities.
- You’ll have thousands of potential briefs and clients to pitch to.
- You can set your own rate for the job.
The cons of freelancing on Upwork as a beginner:
You won’t have a lot of background reviews, so you’ll miss out on labels like ‘Top rated’ which can help you get jobs.
You’ll have to set your rate a little lower at first to compensate.
There’s a lot of briefs, but a lot of competitive freelancers, vying for the best jobs. You’ll have to personalise your responses to stand out.
How much can you make?
$15.00 per hour
2. Content Writer
Content writing is an easy freelance gig to land because demand far outstrips supply.
Look at the image above which says there are nearly 25,000 content writing services available on Fiverr.
And that’s still not enough! 🤯
I know from experience that great content writers are almost impossible to find, and even good ones are very difficult.
And yet, the entire internet revolves around content.
- Companies need content to rank higher in organic search.
- Bloggers need content to drive traffic and guest post on other sites to improve their Domain Rating.
The best thing for aspiring writers is that this content needs to be epic to even make it worth writing. Often, the top results you’ll see on Google are 10,000 word posts on a SINGLE keyword.
In fact, there isn’t an organization in existence that wouldn’t benefit from more content.
There are two ways to go about getting paid as a content writer:
- You can use a platform like Freelancer to get started. This works well as you’ll have tonnes of client pitches to respond to.
- If you want to be more proactive, you can always reach out to companies asking if they would like someone who contributes regularly to their blog or website. Since companies are so sick of people contacting them for guest posts to get backlinks, this might get you some very positive responses.
To build a mini-portfolio of published work, you can always use a platform like Thrive Global to get started. All you need to do is sign up, write a few decent posts and they’ll be published on the platform.
Pros of becoming a freelance content writer:
- It’s not too hard to find work
- There will always be more content sites looking for skilled writers
- You can gain experience and have your work edited by SEO specialists
Cons of becoming a freelance content writer:
- You’ll have to get a few examples under your belt before getting hired, this might mean writing a few articles for free
- You’ll either have to know stuff, or do a lot of research as companies don’t want to publish poor quality work
- It can be an uphill battle at first to find the right clients
How much can you make?
$30.00 per hour
3. Data Entry
There are tonnes of data entry gigs out there on all kinds of platforms:
- Fiverr
- Freelancer
- Upwork
Take your pick.
This is as simple as it gets, and you can easily land gigs with a minimal level of competence. Obviously you’ll need to have good attention to detail, and plenty of patience.
Data entry is so broad that it can include all kind of freelance work.
It might be inputting data into an excel spreadsheet.
Or transcribing an interview into a word document.
It can be practically anything.
The pros of a freelance data entry job:
- Data entry is one of the easiest freelance jobs you can land.
- There will always be demand for people to do it, usually from one medium to another.
- Clients need freelancers they trust, so if you do a good job you could land repeat work.
The cons of a freelance data entry job:
- Because it’s so simple, there can be a bit of a ‘race to the bottom’. This is where other freelancers, living in cheaper parts of the world, might undercut you.
- It’s fairly boring, and there’s not much room for creative scope.
How much can you make?
$18.00 per hour
The easiest freelance jobs that pay the most money
In this section, the jobs are still easy in that they require minimal qualifications and experience.
They can also be very lucrative.
However, you will require a good work ethic and solid communication skills.
4. Community Manager
What is a community manager?
If you’ve never heard of it, a community manager is basically the role that keeps social media account ticking over.
The whole point of social media for brands is that it’s a two-way conversation.
There’s no point in a brand getting tonnes of interactions, if they then let the conversation go cold.
Community managers need to have some writing skills
A community manager can have a broad job description. Put simply, they reply to users on behalf of the brand to build loyalty, manage a crisis, or simply engage people in a conversation.
Some instances where a brand might use community management include:
- Responding to negative feedback on a social media timeline, before it gets too toxic.
- Starting a conversation, or engaging with other brands or individuals to drive higher engagement on a post.
- News-jacking and inserting their brand into other people’s conversations.
Brands often take less care hiring community managers than they should. A great community manager can drive serious engagement and be a very positive asset for the brand.
The upside is, that it’s fairly easy to respond to comments.
Often community managers are given a script, or a cheat sheet, to help them decide what to say to certain comments.
The pros of community management as a freelance job:
- A community manager can be a long term freelance job. In fact, if you do it well, don’t be surprised to be offered a permanent job.
- You can use your own creativity (to a degree).
- It can be very well paid, and working with certain brands makes an excellent addition to your resume
The cons of community management as a freelance job:
- There is a certain level of pressure, as you’ll likely be representing a brand.
- It can be long hours and hard work, especially as some brands go with an ‘always on’ approach.
- The jobs can be harder to get as a freelancer as companies often use internal staff.
How much can you make?
$25.00 per hour
5. Virtual Assistant
Business leaders, and especially chief executives, are very busy people.
This means it’s well worth their time paying virtual assistants to do a lot of their heavy lifting.
I’m not sure this job could be described as one of the easiest freelance jobs, but it’s certainly one you can land with little to no experience.
You will need to be a well organised person, with very clear communication skills.
As a freelance virtual assistant, some of your tasks could include:
- Answering emails
- Arranging meetings
- Booking Taxis
- Arranging Visas
- Booking flights and hotels
- Answering the phone
The pros of being a freelance virtual assistant:
- This job can often lead to permanent opportunities as great virtual assistants are worth their weight in gold.
- It can be well paid, depending on the company and CEO you work with.
- It can lead to other lucrative opportunities in other roles within the company as the skills are deemed highly useful and transferable. Once a company, and particularly a CEO, trusts you… you’re in!
The cons of being a freelance virtual assistant:
- There is pressure, because every mistake is magnified when you answer to the CEO.
- It can mean long hours.
- If you’re not an organised person, forget it.
How much can you make?
$35.00 per hour
6. Transcriber
The voice transcription as come on a long way. There are many tools that claim to be almost 100% accurate.
However, there is still a market for accurate transcribers who can perform over and above what a machine or app can do.
Check this out:
As you can see from this screenshot, there’s a serious demand for transcribers.
The types of job can vary:
- From scripts.
- To interviews.
- To videos.
You can also earn surprisingly good money as a freelance transcriber, and it’s definitely one of the easiest freelance jobs to land, as long as you speak the native language.
The pros of being a freelance transcriber:
- It’s something you can do in your own time, and left alone. The pressure isn’t high, it’s just time consuming.
- You can get a variety of jobs, from scripts, to interviews.
- You can also be well paid for what is quite an easy task.
The cons of being a freelance transcriber:
- It can be a little dull, depending on what you transcribe.
- The difficulty can vary quite a lot, depending on how clear the voice you are transcribing is.
- There are increasingly limited opportunities thanks to modern apps and technologies.
How much can you make?
$20.00 per hour
7. Customer Services Agent
A customer services agent is an excellent freelance job for a beginner, regardless of your lack of experience.
Being in customer services can take many forms:
- Answering the phone.
- Replying to emails.
- Managing complaints and refunds.
- Being the agent on the end of a live chat.
Unlike many of the jobs on this list, which are a means to an end, being a customer services agent will help you learn useful, transferrable skills to take forward in your career. It’s a great development opportunity for you.
Companies also sometimes need hundreds, if not thousands, of customer services agents. A large portion of this will be freelancers.
Since you’ll be representing the brand, you’ll also get good training at most places, plus a cheat sheet.
The pros of being a freelance customer services agent:
- You’ll learn genuinely useful social skills that will be useful in your future.
- This job can be very well compensated, especially for large product companies.
- Good training and support from the company. You’ll also get to put a good brand on your resume.
The cons of being a freelance customer services agent:
- You might have to put up with negativity or confrontational members of the public, especially if you work in complaints.
- If you have to deliver a script, it can be quite repetitive.
- Being on the phone all day can be mentally exhausting
How much can you make?
$22.00 per hour
The easiest freelance jobs with the most flexibility
A key part of being a freelancer is working on your own terms, with the flexibility and freedom to work where you want. Here are the most flexible entry-level freelance jobs.
8. Proofreader
Being a freelance proofreader is a lucrative and flexible way to make a good living.
EVERYTHING needs proofreading, including:
- Blogs
- eBooks
- Novels
- Presentations
- Ad copy
- Press releases
Best of all, as a freelance proofreader, you’ll likely be left alone by the client for long periods of time to get on with the job.
This means that you can do it from anywhere, including the other side of the world. If you’re in Australia and working for a client in the UK, no problem. Unlike a virtual assistant role, being on the same timezone doesn’t matter.
The pros of being a freelance proofreader:
- Do it from anywhere, whenever you like.
- Gt well paid, depending on the clients you’ve had before.
- Easy to land opportunities as everyone needs a good proofreader!
The cons of being a freelance proofreader:
- There is some pressure – you’re being hired not to make mistakes!
- The concentration required may make it draining work.
- You need a perfect grasp of grammar and spelling.
How much can you make?
$17.00 per hour
9. Logo designer
Look at the screenshot below – there are just the 168k logo designers available!
Yes, it might be a slightly oversaturated market, but it also shows the incredible demand for logo designing skills.
Being a freelance logo designer is a creative profession, but you can land opportunities as a beginner.
Every company needs a logo. sometimes they need several if they rebrand, or are doing creative work as an agency.
If they don’t need logos, there are other related areas for your skills – like icons for presentations.
The pros of being a freelance logo designer:
- Freedom. Often the freedom to do it where you want, or have creative freedom in the job.
- It can be very, very well paid.
- It’s interesting and rewarding work, which can help you build a design portfolio.
The cons of being a freelance logo designer:
- Client amends and interference (like with any creative job).
- The job can be something of a ‘one-off’.
- It’s a competitive gig to land. You can spend a lot of time prospecting.
How much can you make?
$40.00 per hour!
10. Retoucher
No experience necessarily needed, just a few examples of te work you can do.
You can even do retouching work proactively to assemble your own portfolio.
For the client, it’s all about the results.
As a retoucher you’ll need:
- A perfect grasp of photoshop, plus the licenses.
- A great eye
- Clear communication skills
- Patience!
If you’ve done a design degree at university, you’ll likely have learned most of these skills. However, it’s not a pre-requisite. Your portfolio examples will speak louder than anything else.
The pros of being a freelance retoucher:
- You can work on genuinely interesting briefs, with great clients.
- The work can be challenging and rewarding.
- It can be very well paid.
The cons of being a freelance retoucher:
- It can be fiddly, consuming and challenging.
- You’ll likely have to put together a decent portfolio.
- You need a great grasp of photoshop.
How much can you make?
Approx $35.00 per hour (depending on experience)
11. User Tester
This is one of my favourite entry level freelance jobs.
The damend for this is huge – and getting even bigger.
User testers are needed for:
- Apps
- Websites
- Plugins
- Digital Products
- Games
- And much more!
Essentially, anything technically related needs testing in the sandbox before it gets released. this process can last weeks, or even months.
Companies need all kinds of user testers to try out their latest products, apps, games and feed back to help iron out bugs.
You’ll have to compile a list of user errors and either give very specific, or generalised feedback.
Skilled user testers can make a seriously good income.
It’s ideal for both beginners, and experienced testers.
The pros of being a freelance user tester:
- Varied, interesting work.
- Can be high paid.
- Flexibility and freedom – you can often do it anywhere.
The cons of being a user tester:
- Security implications if the product isn’t yet released. Will have to sign NDAs and more.
- Need strong attention to detail.
- Can be long hours.
How much can you make?
Too varied to estimate. It could be very lucrative!
What are the best freelance platforms?
You can sign up to as many freelancing platforms as you like. Remember, being a freelancer is about working on your own terms.
The best platforms that offer the greatest protections for freelancers are:
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- Freelancer.com
- Guru
- Simply Hired
What are the easiest freelance job ideas for beginners: A conclusion
There are millions of opportunities out there for freelancers.
From repetitive work, to creative briefs, the scope and variety is truly outstanding.
A few things to remember:
- Entry level or beginner does not mean low skilled. A freelance logo designer can start from scratch with zero qualifications, but you’ll need a skillset on the technical tools – as well as a good eye. The same could be said about jobs like virtual assistant, which require strong innate organisational skills.
- The pay can vary wildly, depending on the platform, client and your skillset. The best logo designers get paid a fortune, at an entry level, you’d have to be patient as a freelancer.
I hope you enjoyed this article, and it opened your eyes to the best freelance jobs for beginners.
What are your favourites? Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below: