Inside: These nine jobs are hands-down the best jobs for homeschool moms. Why? Because they offer what homeschool moms need most – the flexibility and freedom to work as much or as little as their busy schedules allow.
When I first started homeschooling, we didn’t have a second income, and the income we did have was definitely not enough. I tried every frugal living strategy in the book to make the numbers work.
And for a while, it worked. It worked long enough that I foolishly believe that frugal living was enough to survive long-term.
But then we had more kids. And then I burned out on couponing and extreme frugal living.
I woke up to the fact that raising a family in America today on a single income is becoming increasingly more difficult, especially if you want to have savings or vacations or, I don’t know, buy a house before your kids are getting ready to leave it? (Can I get an Amen?!)
As homeschool moms, we are looking at staying home with our kids far beyond our peers who choose the traditional school path for their kids. Depending on how many kids you have, that’s a LOT of potential years without a second income.
While some homeschool moms do work outside the home and find a way to juggle all the things (they’re every version of superhero in my book!), I knew I didn’t want to do that. And I can’t say I would honestly recommend it to another homeschool mom either.
Because once I started a blog? I realized homeschool moms don’t ever need to work outside the home. Not unless they really want to.
Related: How to Work from Home and Homeschool (without going crazy)
Why THESE Homeschool Mom Jobs (and not others)?
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There are SO many opportunities to work from home that blend perfectly with a homeschool lifestyle! This whole underground world exists where people work from home doing just about every kind of job – and they have the option to do that job on their couch, in their jammies.
I only wish I’d known about these kinds of opportunities sooner!
But wishing won’t make that happen, so the next best thing is to make sure that YOU, homeschool mom, know right now that you can make money and help support your family without ever needing to leave your sweet kiddos.
Not all of the work-at-home jobs available today are a good fit for homeschool moms, however. In my opinion, ideal homeschool mom jobs are first and foremost flexible ones.
The best jobs for homeschool moms are the ones where you decide your hours.
You need to be able to set your own schedule, and you decide how much or how little work to take on based on your unique family dynamic.
All of these homeschool mom jobs I’m sharing in this post offer that kind of flexibility. I know you can find a job that works for you! It may take a little trial and error, but you CAN do this.
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Why Have a Work-at-Home Job as a Homeschool Mom At All?
But first, if you aren’t necessarily struggling to make ends meet, why even bother getting a job as a homeschool mom? It’s a reasonable question, and one I might have asked years ago if my husband’s take-home pay had amply covered our expenses.
Here are two solid reasons to have some kind of work-at-home job as a homeschool mom.
1. Build the foundation for full-time work, if necessary.
If your husband lost his job tomorrow, or God forbid, die tomorrow, would you be able to continue homeschooling?
Or would you need to immediately enroll them in school so that you could go to work and be the breadwinner?
Even if you only work five hours a week doing one of these jobs for homeschool moms, that something could be turned into a full-time work at home job with some hard work and dedication. Taking on a small side hustle gives you something to build on if you really needed it later on.
This isn’t about being scared of the future. It’s not even necessarily about homeschooling forever.
It’s about the power of choice. If anything unexpected happened, you would be able to choose to continue homeschooling and work from home, if that’s what you wanted to do.
2. A work-at-home job gives you something that’s your own with tangible results.
I was a stay-at-home mom for years without working. On one hand, I can’t imagine having tried to work from home during those years. I was so exhausted.
But after a while, I craved something outside of the cyclical nature of taking care of kids and a home. I wanted something to show for my hours of labor that didn’t get undone in less than an hour (sometimes it only took them 10 minutes to undo it!).
I also craved having a tangible reward for my efforts: income. There’s just something about earning income of your own and having something to show for your work that is empowering for any mom, not just a homeschool mom.
The Best Jobs for Homeschool Moms: 9 Flexible Options
I want to preface this list with one caveat: building a work-at-home business often takes an upfront financial investment.
When I started my blog, I spent almost my entire first year’s income (less than $1,000) on blogging education. I knew that I needed to invest money learning what I needed to know in order to make money eventually.
A few of these jobs you could probably figure out without investing in a course. If you have the confidence to jump in with both feet and wing it, willing to make mistakes and learn along the way, you can absolutely make that choice and succeed.
Personally, I do much better when the steps are spelled out for me: just do XYZ and you will make money. If you’re like me, I strongly recommend checking out the recommended courses for the job(s) you’re interested in.
At the very least, sign up for the free webinars and e-courses for the jobs you’re interested in to learn more!
1. Offer virtual assistant services.
With small online businesses popping up all over the place, busy entrepreneurs need help! They just can’t keep up with e-mails and product creation and blog posts and paying affiliates. It’s too much (trust me, I know).
That’s where you could come in and pick up the slack – and profit.
Does an empty inbox make you jump up and down with joy? Can you handle customer e-mail complaints with poise? Do you love handling all the little details that someone else might not have time to bother with?
Offering virtual assistant services is probably a perfect fit for you!
But how do you actually find those small business owners who need your help?
One easy way is to reach out on Facebook. Put the word out that you’re looking for work from home, and use your network to help connect you to people looking for help.
If you’re unsure what skills you really have to offer or how to get started, there is a free webinar for you! Click HERE to learn more about how to become a virtual assistant.
2. Manage social media accounts for small business owners.
Within the world of virtual assistants, there is a specific type of virtual assistant: one whose sole job is to manage social media accounts.
Whether it’s Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram (although the first two are more common), managing social media accounts takes up soooo much time. Seriously: traffic from Pinterest pays my bills, but the time I spend pinning on Pinterest is time I’d rather spend creating more content for my readers.
I have friends who manage both Pinterest and Facebook business accounts for other bloggers (I have yet to meet someone who manages Instagram accounts, though I hear they do exist). These jobs are out there – I’ve considered outsourcing Pinterest management myself, but it’s too expensive for me at this point (people doing this make GOOD money).
In order to jump into this job, you need to be willing to learn the ins and outs of the social media platform you want to specialize in. You also need to be good at creating systems to efficiently work through the tasks required for scheduling content.
I used to spend hours every week scheduling pins to Pinterest, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to cut down the time I spent doing it. But I know it’s possible because I have friends who complete their weekly scheduling tasks in a fraction of the time it takes me!
It’s all about having good systems and being efficient and focused in your work.
My friend Heather became so good at managing Pinterest accounts that she built an entire business doing it full-time. She manages so many Pinterest accounts now that she brought on other freelancers to keep up with the demand!
Her full-time income allowed her and her husband to sell their house, buy an RV and travel the U.S. with their two girls.
Because she knows what she’s doing and wanted to share that knowledge, she created a course to teach other people how to manage Pinterest accounts, too. It hasn’t launched quite yet, but I’m excited to share it with you as soon as it’s ready to go!
Update: Because social media algorithms are always changing, I highly recommend listening to the general virtual assistant webinar to put together a broader range of skills just in case something like Pinterest up and changes it’s algorithm (which it did majorly 6 months ago).
3. Teach English virtually to kids in China.
This job option doesn’t involve starting your own business.
Did you just sigh with relief? Then maybe this homeschool mom job is for you!
VIPKID is an online platform for teaching English to kids in China. VIPKID is growing rapidly and is constantly looking for new teachers to meet demand.
Because your students are most likely in a different time zone, the hours you work could be odd, depending on where you live. BUT, that can be perfect for homeschool moms!
People I know who work with VIPKID are often able to fit in classes in the mornings before their kids wake up, or really any time that suits their homeschool schedules.
VIPKID does look for teachers who will be energetic and enthusiastic on camera, as teaching online requires teachers to go the extra mile to connect with their students.
There are some additional basic requirements, including a bachelor’s degree, two years “teaching” experience (could be parenting or homeschooling) to apply for a teaching position with VIPKID. In 2022, the Chinese government started requiring teachers to have a TESOL certification, so VIPKID created its own TESOL certification class for new hires.
Click HERE to learn more about the application process for VIPKID!
If you do not have a college degree, don’t despair! There are a lot of companies that will hire you to teach English without one.
4. Flip flea market finds on eBay.
This is one I SO wish I had time to do right now. Do you love shopping at flea markets, thrift stores or on Facebook Marketplace and finding unique pieces (sometimes dirt cheap or even free!) that could be worth something online?
Is your house already at capacity with purchases from this little hobby you love, but you still can’t resist looking for the next awesome find? (raises hand – minimalism is trying to cure me of this)
Then this job could be perfect for you!
But how do you know what’s worth buying in order to make a profit? How do you sell small items on eBay and not lose money with shipping? What about shipping larger items? Is that even possible?
That’s where Rob and Melissa come in.
They founded Flea Market Flipper University in order to answer all of those questions and teach you so much more.
They were able to turn their passion for flea market flipping into a full-fledged business that is now their family’s sole source of income – and it’s more than enough! They are teaching others to do the same.
Sign up for their FREE webinar workshop to learn more about flipping items on ebay.
5. Start a blog.
This is homeschool mom job I know the most about, but the first thing you need to know is that the income is not immediate.
New bloggers will often offer freelance services ((like the ones you see in this list) in order to generate income until their blog starts making money. Making money can take anywhere from months to years.
It took me five months to actually get paid from my blog, and I think it was around $35. A year later, I was earning $200-300 a month. A few months after that, I hit $1,500 a month.
Starting a blog requires a LOT of learning and a LOT of perseverance. Your income can grow rapidly after a while, but earning that first dollar can take months.
That first dollar hitting your bank account can take even longer depending on how much you need to earn with each company before they will write you a check.
Now that I got the not-so-fun stuff out of the way, I’ll tell you how to know if blogging is possibly for you.
Do you love teaching and sharing about something you love, but your in-real-life friends are so tired of hearing about it (though they are too polite to say it to your face)?
Do you love recommending awesome products to friends because you don’t want them wasting their money on crappy ones?
Do you not *hate* writing? (I didn’t think I enjoyed writing until I started blogging – I thought I hated it! Turns out I enjoyed writing about things I was passionate about.)
Do you love the idea of making money while you sleep (eventually)? Or while you play with your kids at the park? Or while you’re on vacation?
Starting your own blog can also be a great way to learn all types of skills you can then use to earn money later, in case you decide to keep it as a hobby blog and pursue other streams of income instead.
Learn how to start a mom blog that actually makes money.
6. Become a freelance writer.
Early in my blogging career, I was feeling desperate to add a line item to the “income” side of the spreadsheet (when the “expenses” number wasn’t matching the “income” number). Around that time, I was approached for a freelance writing gig that would last 11 months – one article per month, 800 words or more.
At the time, writing still didn’t come easily to me. I had friends working for the same company who could complete an assignment in less than an hour. At $35 a post, that wasn’t bad at all.
Not me. I would labor over that assignment for hours (perfectionist, much?), earning more like $10 an hour.
While I was thankful for the way it benefitted my business in other ways, the work was painstaking when it wasn’t for my own business and passions. So when the assignment ended, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
The beauty of freelance writing, however, is you can work your way up and charge what you believe you’re worth. The more glowing referrals you have, and if you find the right buyers, the more people will be willing to pay your rates.
If you truly enjoy writing, this can be a fantastic source of income without the stress of managing your own blog.
I have hired freelance writers for a variety of posts, both on this blog and a second blog I own, and I’ve seen freelance writers set wildly different rates. Certain writers are able to charge more if they understand how to write in a way that ensures posts will be found via search engines like Google.
But how do you find assignments when you’re just starting out? And what kind of writing are people looking for?
My friend Elna is a freelance writer and blogger who created a free mini-course that is jam-packed with some of her best tips to get your freelance writing business off the ground and answer all those questions.
Get access to the FREE freelance writing mini-course.
7. Become a proofreader.
Do you spot grammatical and spelling errors on menus and billboards in a fraction of a second?
Are you the person who agonizes about whether or not you should e-mail your favorite blogger and tell them about a really bad grammar mess-up?
Did you secretly love diagramming sentences as a child (c’mon, don’t be shy!)?
What if I told you that you could make money from the skill that may have felt like a bit of a curse up until this point? After all, people don’t often appreciate being told they messed up, right?
Unless of course, they’re hiring you to do just that.
Proofreaders can work from anywhere, and if you specialize in something specific, like proofreading legal documents, you can charge even more for your time.
View this FREE webinar from Proofread Anywhere to see if proofreading could be a good fit for you.
8. Resell items on Amazon.
Another potentially lucrative job for homeschool moms is reselling on Amazon.
Again, if you like to shop and can find a way to do that around homeschooling, this is a great way to use that hobby to make money (instead of spending it on stuff you don’t need).
I’d heard about selling on Amazon, but wasn’t sure it was worth mentioning until I better understood how I was personally benefitting from people reselling on Amazon.
When my kid’s have grown up with the same toothpaste, but the stores around me stop carrying it? I can find it on Amazon.
The reason I’m able to find it on Amazon is someone on the other side of the country buys that product at a deep discount and sends it to Amazon, who handles all the packing and shipping for the seller.
Your job as a seller is to find those deeply discounted items (items people are actually looking to buy on Amazon, of course), buy them and drop them off at an Amazon fulfillment center to sell for you.
Sound interesting? One homeschool mom created a course to teach others how she makes a full-time income from home selling on Amazon.
Sign up for a free 7-day e-course that will teach you how to get started selling on Amazon.
9. Design and sell printables, directly to bloggers or on Etsy.
Update: Apparently people also make good money selling printables on Etsy? I read that printables are the #4 highest earning niche on Etsy. So if printables are your thing – get on that!
I only recently realized that people are making BANK selling printables to bloggers who want to either offer them to readers for free OR sell them on their own websites.
Yes, you heard me correctly: bloggers pay a one-time fee for printables so they can sell them long-term to their readers.
If you have an artistic bent and an eye for graphic design – you don’t need to necessarily have all the skills yet – this might be a good fit for you!
I’ve spent hours agonizing over getting my printables just right. After a year of trying, I finally feel like I know what I’m doing and can get decent results.
I used to use PicMonkey (the graphic design program I use to design my pins for Pinterest) to try to create printables, but just recently I realized that Canva is SO much easier to use as far as printables go. It took me minutes to create something I agonized over in PicMonkey.
If you already know graphic design, I’m sure another program could work just as well. If you are going to be creating printables for multiple different bloggers, you will need creativity as well in order to make the printables look unique for each one.
If you want to skip the months and pain it took me to learn to create a decent printable, learn from an expert. Once you know HOW to create them, you will need to search Facebook groups for places to market your work.
Check out this course from experienced 6-figure blogger Tracie Fobes to learn everything you need to know to create printables so you can start making money quickly.
Don’t Stop Until You Find Your Perfect Homeschool Mom Job
Pick one of these jobs, watch a free webinar or sign up for a free e-course. Take action in some way to move forward in your search for the perfect job for you.
Above all else, don’t be afraid of failure. You might try one of these jobs and realize it isn’t a good fit.
That does NOT mean you won’t find something you love. Don’t get discouraged: cross that job off your list and try something else.
There IS the perfect homeschool mom job out there for you. Persevere until you find it.
What do you think is the perfect job for homeschool moms? Share in the comments!
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This is great! I started a blog to try and support our family someday and replace my income as a physical therapist. I work just 1-2 days a week outside the home and am always struggling to strike the perfect balance with being able to be fully invested in my kids’ schooling and also contributing to the family income. I like the printables idea too, I’ve dipped my toes into those waters without much fruit so will definitely be checking out the course you recommended!
VIP Kid only wants you if you have a degree.
Unfortunately, yes. They recently started requiring it (I did mention that in the post). Thankfully there are other companies that don’t require it, so I added a link to an article with 13 companies that hire you to teach English without a degree. They do require TESOL certification before you apply, however, which may be worth pursuing if your goal is long-term online income. Hope this helps!
What about creating educational material for teacherspayteachers? I have been interested in doing this as I’m often creating my own material. I dont know all the ins and ours but it looks like a good way to kill 2 birds with one stone. Homeschool prep and making money.
That’s a great idea! Thanks for sharing!