What Skills Can I Learn to Make Money Online?

Key takeaways

Content creation, web and software development, virtual assistance, and online sales are all skills needed in growing areas of online work, and if you learn them, you can make money online from anywhere. Here are a few important things to know:

• According to a World Economic Forum study, by 2030, the number of jobs that can be performed entirely online, from anywhere in the world, will rise by 25 percent, totaling more than 92 million jobs [1].

• Web and software development skills are particularly profitable, as these roles are growing much faster than average and often have high salaries.

• Virtual assistance, e-commerce, and content creation also provide pathways to make money online, often without requiring a formal degree.

Explore the skills you can use to make money online and, more specifically, the skills that will likely be in demand, easiest for you to learn quickly, and profitable. Accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses. 

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The digital income landscape and opportunities in the remote economy

With online jobs projected to grow by 25 percent to over 92 million by 2030, learning in-demand digital skills is a key strategy for earning money remotely [1]. For many, the journey will begin with developing the necessary, in-demand skills for securing the right online job.

In 2025, approximately 75 percent of those who can work remotely will do so, at least part of the time [2]. Despite executives urging employees back to the office, employee demand for remote work is high, whether you choose to work remotely for an employer or are self-employed.

The reasons for this demand are various. You likely share some of the top reasons that more individuals are desiring remote work, including wanting a greater work-life balance, increased productivity, reduced need to commute, and the cost savings that follow, and the ability to possibly make more money from home. One study found that, in general, remote workers can earn nearly 10 percent more than in-person workers in the same industries [3]. When you look at office managers specifically, they can earn more than 30 percent more when working remotely versus in the office [3].

What skills can I learn to make money online?

Developing in-demand skills for popular remote jobs can help you make money online. The World Economic Forum predicts that some roles will take up a larger percentage of remote and online jobs in 2030 than others. The organization’s study expects that the following jobs will lead to remote work growth [1]:

•  Software developer

• Finance manager

• Financial risk specialist

• Paralegal

• Graphic designer

•  Insurance investigator

• Telemarketer

• Customer service representative

• Account collector 

As such, consider developing the following valuable skills as you prepare to seek out an online role.

Content creation

Content creation covers a vast array of content mediums and purposes, including video, photography, writing, audio, marketing, social media, and design. You might focus on a specific content creation skill set before diving into the 200 million-strong content creator pool [4]. 

For example, you might choose a specialty specific to the remote jobs expected to grow over the next five years, such as that of public relations specialist rather than the job of writer, which is expected to only grow about as fast as average through 2033, or a job in media, such as photography or journalism, where overall employment is likewise anticipated to only grow at the average job growth rate.

The median pay for a public relations specialist in 2024 was $69,780 per year [5].

Whatever niche you end up choosing, if you get into content creation, you’ll find various ways to use content creation skills to make money online, whether working directly for a brand, for a content creation agency, or for yourself as a freelancer.

Web and software development

If you grow your web development and software development skills—such as being able to build and design a website, maintain a website and ensure it’s working properly, learn computer programming, and write code—you may be able to find work as software developer, software quality assurance analyst, software tester, web developer, or digital designer. 

All of these roles are growing much faster than average, with web development-related roles expected to grow by 8 percent through 2033 and software development-related roles expected to grow by 17 percent through 2033 [6,7]. Meanwhile, the 2024 median pay for those in software development roles was $131,450 per year, and the 2024 median pay for those in web development roles was $95,380 per year [7,6].

You can find remote work in web and software development through a range of employers, including those in the retail, finance, insurance, advertising, and education sectors. You can also work for yourself, as a freelancer, or start your own company. 

Virtual assistance and remote support

While some remote jobs may require a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a certain skill set, you can earn money online without committing to a degree program. For example, you can become a virtual assistant, providing administrative support to clients from afar. 

Only around half of virtual assistants hold a bachelor’s degree [8]. Still, many of them possess certain skills that attract potential employers, such as communication and time management skills, as well as general tech and administrative skills. Virtual assistants may also choose to specialize in offering support to certain types of industries, including marketing, real estate, sales, and legal, in which case, knowledge of those industries is helpful.

Virtual assistant roles are remote by their very nature—it’s right in the name, after all—and the virtual assistant market is growing, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.3 percent from 2024 to 2030 [9]. Trends fueling growth include the broader move to remote operations overall, the continual growth of technology companies and startups, and the desire for more affordable administrative assistance. Virtual assistants make a median total pay of $53,000 per year [10].

Virtual assistants are freelancers or self-employed business owners, and you can make money online as a virtual assistant by finding clients through your personal and professional networks or on job boards such as Upwork and Flexjobs.

E-commerce and online sales

Similarly, you don’t need a degree to make money online through e-commerce, but as you strive to sell products online, it can be helpful to know the ins and outs of sales, product marketing, and business operations. To start, though, you need to determine what you’ll sell and how you’ll get it, and then put together an online store or decide to use a sales platform such as Amazon or Etsy.

In 2024, online transactions generated more than $6 trillion, and experts anticipate that number will grow to more than $8 trillion by 2028, due to factors such as a shift to more online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic and greater reliance on the convenience of technology [11]. How large a slice you get of this amount, though, depends on factors such as the market for what you’re selling. In general, however, as of 2024, 40 percent of Amazon sellers reported that they made at least $1,000 per month in sales, with some earning up to $25,000 per month in sales [12].

Build your skill set

If one of the above ways to make money online, whether in a remote role for a specific employer or freelancer, appeals to you, begin pursuing these opportunities by building the appropriate skills. More and more, tangible skills are becoming just as important or more important to employers than a degree, and you may find that proven experience in a desirable skill set will assist you in securing an in-demand role.

Take courses and earn certifications

While, as mentioned, not all online money-making opportunities require formal credentials. Even for those who don’t, taking courses and earning certifications can help you gain valuable, related skills that are attractive to potential employers or clients. For example, while you can become a software developer either with or without a degree, pursuing a certificate like the IBM Full Stack Software Developer Professional Certificate could provide a good foundation of knowledge.

Practice

If you’re building skills that you can practice on your own, such as content creation, do so regularly. That might look like taking and editing photos on the weekend or writing marketing copy for fake brands if you’re interested in pursuing online content creation jobs in photography, photo editing, or marketing, respectively. You could also practice developing logos or brand designs if you’re interested in pursuing an online graphic design job. This practice strengthens skills like a muscle and may allow you to use the results of your practice in a portfolio to show potential employers or clients.

Network and gain community insights

Virtual assistants aren’t the only online, remote professionals who can benefit from networking; network with others in your field, viewing them as colleagues rather than competition. You may find not just a valuable support system but also potential work leads. Getting involved with a professional association dedicated to your chosen career, such as the Python Software Foundation if you pursue a career in software development or the Creators Guild of America if you pursue a career in content creation, can provide support, work leads, and news and insights on industry trends and changes.

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