10 Best Places to Find Micro Jobs Online (Plus 4 Apps!)

Ten years or so ago, people looked to their friends or neighbors for small jobs for extra money when their jobs just weren’t enough.

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Today, we have the internet, which has made it easier than ever to find gigs or even start a side business.

You may have heard of microtasking, short tasks, quick tasks, or micro jobs.

They all mean the same thing and include a variety of types of tasks you can do online to earn some extra money.

If you’re not sure what these types of gigs entail, how to find them, or if they’re right for you, then you’re going to want to read on.

Microtasking can be an excellent option for some people to earn money online, but it won’t be the right solution for everyone.

What are Micro Jobs?

A micro job can be tough to explain because there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of types of tasks it can be.

Microtasking encompasses a wide range of online tasks, like:

  • Transcription
  • Captioning
  • Translation
  • Writing
  • Editing
  • Graphic design
  • Data entry
  • Spreadsheet creation
  • Image tagging/categorizing
  • Research
  • Outline organization
  • Data organization
  • Mystery shopping
  • Taking surveys
  • Reviewing websites
  • Evaluating web searches

See how varied everything can be?

The best way to describe a micro job is this: any type of job online that requires a specific skill set and is something you can do on a flexible schedule.

Most micro jobs won’t take more than a few minutes to complete, hence their name.

However, others can be a little tricky. Some transcription or writing tasks, for example, could take closer to an hour or more.

But, their pay should also reflect that. Two-minute tasks will probably pay a few cents or a couple of dollars, while a 30-minute transcription task might pay closer to $10.

The point of microtasking is that it offers people a way to make money flexibly online.

Microtasking sites don’t require you to work a certain number of hours or a specific schedule. You can log in when you want to work and get started.

You can usually also pick the tasks you want to work on, so you won’t be stuck doing something you have no idea how to do or a desire to do.

They let you use the skills you have to get work done as efficiently as possible, and they usually pay you quickly for completed work.

Pros of Micro Jobs

One of the best things about this type of work is that it’s flexible.

Work when the kids are sleeping, after you get home from work, or for a couple of hours on the weekend between sports practices and dance classes. You get to choose when you want to work and how much you want to make.

I also love that microtasking lets people use the skills they have and enjoy using. You’re never stuck with one type of gig because these sites offer several to choose from.

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Finally, most tasks are quick. So quick, in fact, that you can sometimes get them done in a few seconds.

For example, I had a gig on Amazon Mechanical Turk several months ago that required me to enter some data from pictures of receipts.

Each receipt took me about 15 seconds to pull data from and paid $0.10 each. Working for a full hour on those tasks alone paid me about $24, which is much higher than the minimum wage.

Cons of Micro Jobs

Microtasking does have some disadvantages, too.

I’ve worked with a few short task sites over the past couple of years, and the most significant issue I’ve faced is that some tasks take you much longer to do than they’re worth.

You’ll probably find some tricky ones along the way that seem like they’ll be quick but end up taking several minutes instead of seconds. Getting paid $0.10 for 5 minutes of work isn’t worth it. That’s $1.20 an hour!

You might fall into these traps occasionally on micro job sites. The good news is that, once you’re done with that task, you can get paid and move onto something else.

Another issue is that you can’t always rely on tons of tasks to be available at any given time.

Just because you’re ready to work at 7 am on Sunday morning doesn’t mean that there will be tasks ready for you to grab. It’s definitely not a 100% reliable form of income.

Finally, as a beginning microtasker, it can be tough to figure out what tasks you can do efficiently enough to earn a fair income. It definitely takes some trial and error, and even then, your best judgment may not always be right.

Making Micro Jobs Work for You

Completing short tasks shouldn’t be thought of as a full-time job, but instead, as a lucrative side gig that can help supplement your regular income.

Many of the tasks included on micro job sites are ones that virtual assistants complete every day, which is why you probably hear virtual assistants talking about microtasking the most.

Some people do sign up for several micro job sites so that they’ll always have an influx of work to choose from, making it more of a small business than a gig. So, you absolutely can do this if you think it might be something you want to try.

I do suggest if you’re thinking about going that route, you should try microtasking for a few months first to see how it works for you. Get into a regular schedule, find the tasks that you can complete efficiently, and take it from there.

During that time, you should also get a feel for what sites work the best for your skills. Some sites include several tasks in a few skill categories, while others may have more tasks available for your skills.

If you want to keep short tasks as a side gig for extra income, then pick one or two days a week that work best with your schedule and complete gigs on those days. Scheduling yourself during blocks of time can make you more productive and earning more.

Best Paying Micro Job Sites to Sign Up for Today

The following list of micro job sites includes some of the best in the industry.

Remember: they won’t work the same for everyone! Use this list as a starting point to find sites to sign up with. Then, spend some time on each to see what ones might work the best for you.

Amazon Mechanical Turk

Eligibility: Several countries, 18+

This site, also known as mTurk, comes from Amazon and is the first micro job site I ever heard about and tried working with.

It’s also one of the few I still work with today.

The reason I like mTurk so much is that it has a wide range of jobs available all the time. I’ve found it to be the most consistent in offering work whenever I log on.

Since I use Amazon a lot, I also love that it lets me get paid to my Amazon Payments account or with an Amazon gift card.

Clickworker

Eligibility: Various countries; Must be of legal working age for your country

Clickworker comes in a close 2nd for me behind mTurk. This site also is pretty consistent in its job availability, making it a reliable place to find quick tasks.

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Clickworker pays to a valid PayPal account every week between Wednesday and Friday as long as you meet the low minimum payment amount.

Fancy Hands

Eligibility: Open to most countries, 13+

Fancy Hands is like a quick task site for virtual assistants.

If you already do some virtual assisting work, this is a great place to find some fill-in work when business is slow or in between clients.

It focuses on many of the tasks virtual assistants do, but on a smaller scale, so each task will pay a bit less than you’d normally expect but it will also be quicker.

Most tasks here pay between $3 to $7.

Fiverr

Eligibility: Worldwide, 13+

Fiverr is unique in that you can set your own gigs up to do what you want for cash, unlike other sites where you’d browse gigs and pick the ones you want to do.

You’re in control here!

A lot of freelancers use Fiverr to find work for their businesses, and you can too.

Start your prices at $5 and create other options that boost your earnings for a little more work.

Freelancer

Eligibility: Worldwide, 15+ with parental permission

Freelancer is one of the most popular freelance marketplaces where online workers can find jobs posted by clients.

There are various categories to help you narrow the available gigs to match your skills or type of work you want to do.

You might even end up working on a gig long-term for the same client if you do an awesome job!

Guru

Eligibility: Worldwide, 18+

This is another freelance marketplace where you can browse available gigs and apply to ones you want.

You’ll need to use bids to bid on jobs, but you’ll get some for free each month to get you started.

Clients can leave you feedback once you complete tasks, which can help you score more jobs in the future.

Microworkers

Eligibility: Various countries; Must be of legal working age for your country

Microworkers is a microtasking site that’s been around for a long time and offers a wide range of gig types for workers, like:

  • Feedback on websites and ads
  • Researching business information
  • Image tagging
  • Product categorizing
  • Taking surveys
  • Image mining
  • Rating videos

Just about anyone can find something, they’re good at here!

OneSpace

Eligibility: Several countries, 18+

OneSpace is one of the newer freelance marketplaces on the block and isn’t quite as busy as the others, but I really love its interface and ease of finding jobs.

There’s a lot of variety in jobs here, and many big-name companies work with OneSpace to offer jobs to freelancers.

You can also get paid daily for your work!

PeoplePerHour

Eligibility: Worldwide, 18+

PeoplePerHour offers quick tasks in a variety of categories, like web design, software development, and writing.

Jobs are called “Hourlies” here. Browse the listings and pick what Hourlies you want to apply to.

You’ll also have a profile on PeoplePerHour so clients can contact you directly if your skills match what they need.

Upwork

Eligibility: Worldwide, 18+

Upwork is one of the most talked-about freelance marketplaces. It was formerly Odesk, probably the most popular site of its kind, and many Odesk freelancers have moved over to Upwork.

You get 60 Connects (like bids) to apply to jobs every month, and most take only 2, so that’s 30 jobs you can try to snag for free.

Upwork also has several payment methods to choose from, including PayPal and direct deposit, and you can choose how frequently to get paid.

Microtasking Apps

Since apps are taking over just about everything, several developers have decided to make apps for micro jobs!

These apps can help you find more local gigs rather than online stuff but can be very helpful for you to supplement your income.

EasyShift

Eligibility: Most countries, 18+

This app features gigs local to you that will take only a few minutes to complete, like visiting a store and snapping a photo of a display or taking a quick survey about a recent shopping experience.

Keep your location on, because the app may have you fill out feedback about places you go based on your location.

FieldAgent

Eligibility: US, Canada, UK, Romania, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, 18+

FieldAgent is similar to EasyShift, offering quick local gigs.

The app notifies you when it has a job for you, and you can choose to accept it or not. Once you accept one, you only have a couple of hours to complete it, so make sure you have an open block of time.

Most tasks pay between $2 and $12 for just a few minutes of your time!

Gigwalk

Eligibility: US, 18+

Gigwalk finds work for you based on where you are. It could be anything from helping a neighbor paint a room to providing detailed feedback about an experience you had in an assigned store.

Gigs take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours and can pay between $3 and $100.

TaskRabbit

Eligibility: UK, 18+, US, 21+

Those who are handy with small repairs and other tasks around the home can probably find a lot of work using TaskRabbit, an app that matches you with people near you who need help.

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The sites and apps I listed above are where you’ll find some of the best paying gigs online and near you (some of the apps even have the occasional online gig where you won’t even have to leave your home!).

But, if you want more options that provide the most flexibility, you can also use reward sites like Swagbucks and InboxDollars.

These types of sites reward you for anything you do on them, from completing surveys to checking emails to playing games.

You’re not obligated to complete any tasks you don’t want to, and you can log in whenever you want to start earning, just like micro job sites!

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