Many hourly jobs hang out around minimum wage, while others require costly college degrees to get higher pay. Then some jobs pay $20 an hour or more with limited experience needed.
There may be some need to invest in a certification or take a training course to be eligible for these jobs, but you will not need the high cost of college.
We found 25 jobs that pay 20 dollars per hour or more and are a mix of work from home, local work, and gig economy opportunities.
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$20 an Hour Jobs
To make sure all these are $20 an hour jobs, we checked with Payscale.com and used the median salary.
Be aware that some jobs make 20 per hour only when you are running them as their own business.
Proofreading
If poor grammar or typos is something you naturally pick up on the proofreading may be a lucrative career for you.
If you are looking to get hired by a major company with a salary, then you are going to need a Journalism or English degree. However, many people get started as freelancers making more than $20 an hour.
The good news about proofreading is that content has become the currency of the Internet. So it seems like this job is expanding.
If you are looking for a starting point, Caitlyn Pyle offers a free online workshop on her site ProofreadAnywhere.com that can help you get started. She also has a paid course that is mentioned in the free workshop that takes you step by step into profitable work.
Summary:
- Median pay – $44,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Yes for corporate jobs no for a freelancer
Online Tutoring
Learning English has become a major factor in being successful in many Asian countries. Not only do they want to learn to communicate in English, but they also want to speak it like a native English speaker.
This means that the Asian market is looking to take English classes from English speakers. This presents a great opportunity as an online tutor.
You do not need a teaching degree to apply, and the programs are created to make it easier for you to participate.
The two most prominent programs are:
- VIP Kids
- EducationFirst
Summary:
- Median pay – $37,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Any type of four-year degree will do.
Marketing for Small Businesses
Small businesses struggle with marketing in the Internet age. The need to communicate through their website, search engines, social media, and online advertising is not only daunting but confusing.
Corporate jobs will require that you have a degree, but small businesses tend to have less of a focus on degrees and are concerned with results.
There are also ways to get low cost or free certifications in different marketing platforms. For example, Google offers free certification in Google Ads.
Summary:
- Median pay – $64,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Yes, for corporate jobs, no for a small business contractor.
Bookkeeping
Bookkeepers are necessary for businesses to correctly record income and expenses, reconcile different accounts, and for financial statements.
If you are good with numbers and being organized, then bookkeeping is a viable option for you to make money from home.
You will need to have an understanding of the various bookkeeping software platforms, but you can get online training from BookKeepers.com to help you with that and getting your bookkeeping career off the ground.
Summary:
- Median pay – $43,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Must have knowledge of accounting software.
Website Development
It used to be you needed a degree in computer science to build websites.
Today you can learn to code on your own, and even major companies will hire competent web developers with no degree.
If you are looking to get started coding, there is a great online resource at Codecademy.com. The learning is self-directed, but it can get you started.
Summary:
- Median pay – $59,000 per year
- Education Necessary – If you do not have a computer science degree will need to develop a portfolio of work.
Writing
Writers have not been in this high demand for several decades. Online content has taken off, and the need to produce good content quickly is of high priority.
If you can quickly research and produce quality content, then freelance writing is an excellent place for you to make a full-time or side income.
Writers are making more than $20 per hour, and if you can turn content around quickly and have the ability to write for more technical industries, you can make much more.
Holly Johnson, who makes more than six figures a year freelance writing, developed the course Earn More Writing. It will take you step by step into making money as a writer.
Summary:
- Median pay – $45,000 per year
- Education Necessary – If you do not have a relevant degree will need to develop a portfolio of work.
Virtual Assistant
If you are familiar with what an in-person assistant does, then you pretty much know what a virtual assistant does. Assistants tend to be a catch-all for all the tasks that the person who hired them feels are time eaters.
This can be anything from taking care of email to fully managing a person’s schedule.
The best course for getting started comes from Gina Horkey on her site HorkeyHandbook.com. She helps people put together a full VA business from the ground up.
Summary:
- Median pay – $59,000 per year
- Education Necessary – If you do not have a computer science degree will need to develop a portfolio of work.
Website Testing
Websites break all the time and especially when they are first being developed. Not only do website testers provide valuable feedback on problems, but they can also help website owners with user experience and the content flow of a site.
If you are looking to get started and learn more about the guidelines for becoming a tester, UserTesting.com is a great place to start.
Summary:
- Median pay – $74,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Yes, for corporate jobs, no for online jobs and contracting.
Medical Transcription
Medical transcribers make sure that medical records are kept up to date and accurate. This means being able to take spoken notes from medical exams and convert them into fully typed documents.
While the position does not require a degree, you will need some understanding of the medical field because much of the terminology is specific to doctors and medical professionals.
Career Step offers a training course for careers in medical transcription.
Summary:
- Median pay – $33,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Need some training for an understanding of medical terminology.
Delivery Driver
If you like the idea of driving to earn money but don’t like the idea of becoming a taxi, then making deliveries can be a great way to make 20 dollars an hour.
Just like Lyft and Uber changed the way people ride from point to point, companies like DoorDash and Postmates have changed the way local deliveries are being made.
This makes it easier than ever to earn money. These jobs are for independent contractors, so you are not an employee and have to handle all your taxes.
Summary:
- Median pay – $45,000 per year
- Education Necessary – None
Clean Houses
With more families going to two incomes, the need for help around the house has increased. These jobs can frequently pay $20/hour for those who are doing them as their own business.
The hardest part is getting started. You can get a jump on this by using Care.com to bring in leads for you as a business owner. The site helps people find verified service providers that come into their homes.
Once you have a few clients, you will need to make sure the happy ones are referring you to friends and family.
Summary:
- Median pay – $26,000 per year
- Education Necessary – None
Fitness Trainer
I have several friends who never make it to the gym and only saw results in their exercise by hiring a personal trainer.
There is no certification needed to be a personal trainer unless you are going to work with a workout facility, and many of those will offer training.
Your best bets to get started is through word of mouth and social media. Social media is excellent for showing the results you are getting on your own body and encouraging people in your local area to give your training a shot.
Summary:
- Median pay – $38,000 per year
- Education Necessary – None
Bartender
Are you a night owl? Don’t have obligations in the evening?
Bartending could be a great way to make money if you are looking for work on the weekends. If you are going to work at the best bars, you will need a certification from a bartending school.
These programs are relatively short (20-30 hours) and affordable.
Summary:
- Median pay – $37,000 per year
- Education Necessary – May need to take a training course.
Pet Sitter/Walker
While most owners want to take care of their pets themselves, some do not have the time to do everything they wish for their pets. This is where pet sitters and walkers come in to make sure a fur baby is a happy pet.
Pet owners will pay you to swing by and walk their dog, play with their cat, make sure their food and water are in order. This is another service industry where word of mouth referrals can help you take off.
While you are getting started, Rover.com can get you going with different pet jobs that can build your clientele.
Summary:
- Median pay – $28,000 per year
- Education Necessary – None
Real Estate Agent
Completing real estate transactions can be complicated for anyone that is not doing them regularly.
Real estate agents help people find the right property and then negotiate the price. If you are an HGTV addict, this may be a good career move.
To become an agent, you will need to pass the requirements of your state. Many require passing a licensing exam.
Summary:
- Median pay – $47,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Will need to pass state licensing.
Insurance Agent
If you are good at working with people and understand how insurance works, then this may be an excellent job for you.
Not only do you not need a degree to be an insurance agent, if you are good at it, but you can also make six figures. You will need to pass an insurance exam, and there are some upfront expenses for you to get started.
Summary:
- Median pay – $41,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Will need to pass state licensing.
Landscaping
Landscaping is a pretty broad term for anything to do with the outside of a residence or business. If you already have some of the equipment, then that would be an excellent place to stop.
There are no educational requirements to do landscaping. However, you will need an understanding of the plants that do well in your area and how they work together.
To get started, you can go through a company like TaskRabbit that allows “taskers” to pick up side jobs.
Summary:
- Median pay – $32,000 per year
- Education Necessary – None
Taskrabbit
Since we already mentioned them, this looks like a great place to bring up Taskrabbit.
Some people need tasks done for them around their house. These tasks can include:
- Moving
- Ikea assembly
- Landscaping
- and much much more
All you have to do is sign up as a tasker, and you can start picking up gigs within a week.
Summary:
- Median pay – Varies greatly depending on the tasks you can do.
- Education Necessary – None
Photographer
If you have an eye for lighting, how to place people or animals, and are good with the public, then photography could be a good career or side hustle.
While everyone takes pictures all the time these days, there are not that many people that take good pictures. This is why professional photography is still in decent demand.
You may have to invest in a high-end camera and some lenses, and if you are sure you have talent in photography, but don’t feel comfortable making it a profession, you can start with some online photography courses to help you hone your craft.
Summary:
- Median pay – $46,000 per year
- Education Necessary – None, but you will need to have a portfolio to show clients.
Sales Representative
When I first got out of college, I sold cell phones. In my first year, I made more than any of my roommates, and that includes the one who was a programmer for a major car manufacturing software company.
Sales is one of those areas that people who are good at it can make a lot of money. In most large companies, the top sales reps out-earn their managers.
The hours will be long getting started, but those who have the knack can make well over 20 dollars an hour selling.
Summary:
- Median pay – $43,000 per year
- Education Necessary – None
Private Investigator
Private investigators put in long hours doing research and drawing conclusions from the clues they find.
If you enjoy observing situations and helping others to find out the information they need, then becoming a PI. could be a fulfilling job that nets you over $20/hour.
There are no degree requirements, but most states require you to be licensed, and some cities will require additional licensing. You also may want to go through the hoops to become licensed to conceal carry a weapon, just in case.
Summary:
- Median pay – $52,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Will need to pass state licensing.
Plumber
Plumbing is one of those things that when things get wrong, people are willing to pay to get it fixed. The plumbing trade has a great history of providing gainful employment.
As with most of our blue-collar trades, we see a deficiency in the number of people willing to be a plumber. While this job pays well over $20 an hour already, the lack of new blood in the trade should make that hourly rate go up as older plumbers retire.
Most states require a license to be a plumber, and you may have to invest in some tools. Many cities may also require that you join a union.
Summary:
- Median pay – $53,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Will need to pass licensing.
Locksmith
If locks, keys, and safes are fascinating to you, then becoming a professional locksmith may be the right trade for you.
Most people can get going with a vocational certificate and licensing from their state. Some states only require that you register as a professional locksmith if you have the right training in place.
Summary:
- Median pay – $41,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Vocational certificate.
Welder
This is one of my favorite examples where people do not have to go to college to make great money. We have a massive shortage of welders in the United States.
The American Welding Society estimates that we will have a shortage of over 400,000 welding jobs by 2024. In some locations, you can complete your initial certification in 10 months and, in most cases, for less than $5,000.
A person with a welding certification, and no other experience can expect to make $40,000 a year or more. With additional training, that number can get up into the six figures.
With the shortages in place and the need for trained welders, expect the salary and hourly rates for welding to go up.
Summary:
- Median pay – $47,000 per year
- Education Necessary – Vocational certificate.
Travel Agent
I never considered using a travel agent until I was traveling a lot for business. The ease and pricing available were amazing.
While the travel agent business has changed, the need is still there. Another perk is that if you are good at your job you can win free trips from the companies you book for people.
Most states do not require a license to be an agent, but you may have to register.
Summary:
- Median pay – $38,000 per year
- Education Necessary – None
Final Thoughts on Jobs that Pay $20 an Hour
You can do well, making 20 dollars an hour or more with any of these jobs, but I would caution you to make sure you are looking for jobs that you can be passionate about.
People have become millionaires in industries like septic tanks and all sorts of jobs, but only because they were passionate about their work. They also have become millionaires by investing $20 regularly, so make sure that once you get one of these jobs you get started.
One final thing to consider is how the market is doing for the job you choose. If it is a shrinking market, there is a chance that it will not be a $20 per hour job for much longer.
Jobs that are experiencing growth or have a shortage of people entering the workforce are set up to make much more than $20 an hour in the future.
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