June 2012

Whether you work full time or many part-time gigs, hustle culture is real and it’s overwhelming. If you need additional cash but are short on time, doing micro jobs may just be the answer.

In this article, we look at micro jobs in detail: what they are, how much you can earn, and where to find them.

What Are Micro Jobs?

Micro jobs are small, relatively simple, temporary pieces of work that can be accomplished in a short amount of time.

These jobs vary widely in terms of the required skills, what is expected of you, and when you’re expected to deliver.

Micro jobs have a low barrier to entry; typically, all you need is a computer, a smartphone, and an internet connection.

Interviews, phone calls, and required experience are rare. Often, all you need to do is go to a micro jobs site or app and you can start right away.

This type of job allows you to have a flexible schedule with minimal commitment. If you choose the right tasks, you can even build up your knowledge and experience in the field that you want to work in.

However, the pay isn’t too high. Since the tasks are generally straightforward and take minutes to finish, they normally pay a few dollars per task but it won’t replace a full-time job.

Benefits? Forget it.

Also, since micro jobs are very popular, the best ones get snapped up very quickly. And depending on the website or app, you might have to wait for a few days or even weeks before you can get new tasks worth doing.

Overall, if you’re short on time, doing micro jobs in random pockets of your free time (e.g., while watching on Netflix, waiting in line, during your daily bus ride, etc.) can definitely help you to earn a few dollars on the side.

Types of Micro Jobs You’ll Encounter

1. Online Tasks

These are micro jobs that do not require in-person interactions and can normally done on a computer or a smartphone without even leaving the house.

Some examples include:

Data entry
Transcription
Captioning videos
Answering short surveys
Testing websites or apps
Reviewing or moderating social media content
Evaluating search engine results
Annotate images (AI training)
Online research

2. In-person Tasks

As the name implies, these are tasks where you physically need to be there and deal with clients to some degree.

Some examples include:

Mystery shopping
Dog walking
Babysitting
Delivering a package
Cleaning a room
Mowing a lawn
Washing a car
Helping someone move

Best Sites to Find Micro Jobs

Micro job sites offer a platform between those that offer small chunks of work and micro workers willing to work those small chunks.

Some websites offer tiny tasks that are tiny by design. Examples are short surveys that are meant to be answered by one person.

Other websites break down big tasks into smaller tasks and assign microworkers to do those tasks. This saves time and money because instead of just a few people sharing the load, the tasks get delegated to several people who can work at the same time to finish the task sooner.

For instance, an hour-long audio clip can be divided into 10 six-minute clips so that 10 people can work at the same time and get the audio clip transcribed sooner than one person can transcribe it.

Here are some of the best websites and apps to find micro jobs to do.

1. Amazon mTurk

Amazon is probably the most recognizable name on this list.

Amazon Mechanical Turk, known popularly as mTurk, lists Human Intelligence Turks (HITs) for workers who sign up to their site to sift through, choose, and do for the published payment.

Some of the micro jobs they’ve offered include processing image and video files, cleaning up and verifying data, typing jobs, creating and editing product listings, and doing online research.

In the beginning, you might not get paid much (some beginners report hourly earnings of $2) but as you sign up for more jobs, your pay can go up to $4 to $8 hourly. Advanced users can get up to $12 or more hourly.

Workers from the US and India can get paid through cash, while workers from other countries get paid in Amazon gift cards.

The downside is that to be eligible to work on many of the tasks, you’ll have to complete a lot of other tasks. If you’re a beginner, you may see hundreds of tasks displayed but you may not be eligible to work on them.

Website: Amazon Mechanical Turk

2. Fiverr

Fiverr has been around for years and became popular for their $5 micro jobs. They have since expanded such that the independent contractors on the site (who Fiverr calls “sellers”) can charge anywhere from $5 to $995.

There are a wide variety of tasks to be done on Fiverr. Logo design, illustration, voice-over jobs, web design elements, social media posts, translation, and data entry are just some of the in-demand micro jobs offered on Fiverr.

The earning potential ranges widely based on the services you can do, how much you price them, and how many gigs you can complete in a certain period of time.

They pay freelancers through PayPal, Fiverr Revenue Card (via Payoneer), or direct deposit (only for US sellers).

Gigs are always available on Fiverr, but competition is fierce, with many other freelancers on the site.

Website: Fiverr

3. Clickworker

Clickworker crowdsources freelancers (Clickworkers) to work on minor online tasks like composing texts (such as for social media posts, product descriptions), copy editing and proofreading, researching, testing websites and applications, and producing media such as photos, videos, and audio.

According to Clickworkers, the usual earnings are around $9 per hour on average, but if you’re qualified for higher-paying tasks, you can get tasks that pay around $20 per hour.

You can get either weekly or monthly payments through PayPal or SEPA (for Europe-based Clickworkers).

Website: Clickworker

4. Neevo

Neevo is a company that aims to improve AI technology by collecting data from actual humans doing tasks.

The most common tasks you’ll encounter on the site or application include labeling and drawing boundaries around images, recording or transcribing audio, annotating video files, and identifying keywords in blocks of text.

The tasks are fairly easy to complete, so you can squeeze in a number of tasks in an hour. Workers suggest you can earn from $5 to $10 per hour on average.

However, since the technology and the site are fairly young, there may not be always tasks available for you to do.

Neevo pays out through PayPal.

Website: Neevo

5. UserTesting

UserTesting has been around since 2007 and has helped big companies like Facebook, Adobe, Walmart, and other top brands get an inside look at how their target audiences interact with their products.

The usual micro jobs you can pick up on this site include webpage testing, app testing, and Live Conversation testing if you qualify. Live Conversation tests require you to be on video conference calls.

The pay varies depending on the task. UserTesting pays $4 for every 5-minute task, $10 for every 20-minute task, and between $30 to $120 per Live Conversation test.

Aside from your laptop and an internet connection, you’ll need a microphone, as you would normally be narrating your impressions and feedback on the websites you’re testing. If you want to qualify for Live Conversation tests you’ll need to have a web camera.

The availability of jobs on UserTesting may be spotty, as there is high demand and competition for jobs.

Payment is through PayPal, with a minimum payout of $0.01.

Website: UserTesting

6. TryMyUI

TryMyUI connects businesses building their websites and applications with freelancers who can do usability testing so their websites and applications are ready for rollout to their target audiences.

As a tester, you’d need software to record your screen and a microphone to make voice recordings of your feedback. Each test takes 20 minutes and pays a flat rate of $10.

TryMyUI constantly has jobs available, but you may not be qualified based on your demographics.

TryMyUI pays through PayPal weekly every Friday.

Website: TryMyUI

7. Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost keeps it simple; register for an account, answer some questions about your demographics, start answering surveys, and get paid for your opinions.

Depending on your demographics, you may not be eligible for all the surveys being offered on the website.

The surveys take around 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and you can earn between $0.50 and $5 for each survey.

They payout via PayPal, vouchers, and gift cards for various retailers.

Personally, Opinion Outpost has always come through with paying me for surveys I’ve submitted, and I’ve never had problems once.

Website: Opinion Outpost

8. Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys is another top market research company with high-quality surveys with better payouts than other survey sites.

They also have a loyalty program where the ones who answer more surveys are given the opportunity for more.

However, as with Opinion Outpost and other survey sites, you might not be eligible for all surveys they offer, as you need to be of a certain demographic to be eligible for certain surveys.

You can expect to earn around $0.10 to $3 per survey, and Branded Surveys pays out via PayPal, Amazon gift cards, and various other gift cards from other retailers.

Website: Branded Surveys

9. Gigwalk

Gigwalk offers mostly in-person micro jobs called Gigs that can take you as short as 5 minutes or as long as 5 hours to complete.

The app will ask for your location so that it’ll display Gigs that are theoretically near enough to walk to (hence the app name).

Some tasks you can expect to see on this site include mystery shopping, taking photos of displays and the exteriors of retail stores, verifying the business hours of an establishment.

The availability of Gigs is highly dependent on where you’re located, so if you’re in an area where there aren’t many retail stores or restaurants, you might not get many Gigs.

Gigwalk states that Gigs pay around $3 to $100, but most of the Gigs pay between $5 and $10. They pay Gigwalkers via PayPal.

Website: Gigwalk

10. TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit is an online marketplace where people can hire freelancers (called Taskers) to do micro jobs.

Most of the tasks posted here are in-person activities, such as packing, moving, assembling furniture, cleaning, laundry, shopping, deliveries, food runs, handyman jobs, and other similar errands.

Anecdotal evidence suggests the average Tasker can earn around $35 an hour on average, depending on the job and the experience of the Tasker. Taskers also get to keep tips that their clients can give.

They payout via direct deposit, so make sure you have an active checking account before you apply as a Tasker.

TaskRabbit is available in several major cities in the US, as well as countries such as Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

A big downside is that TaskRabbit requires you to pay a one-time registration fee of $25 for the background check. If you’re serious about doing micro jobs, though, you should expect to make this back by your first or second Task.

Besides, all the subsequent fees to TaskRabbit are shouldered by the clients.

Website: TaskRabbit

11. Scribie

Scribie is an online transcription company that splices big audio files into 6-minute clips to be transcribed by freelancers on their platform.

Your earnings will depend on your transcription skills and how fast you type. Unfortunately, feedback from other users say that Scribie pays lower than the usual transcription company.

On the upside, jobs are constantly available on their website. What you can do is use Scribie as a training ground to improve your transcription skills and apply to bigger transcription companies that offer steady work and higher pay.

They pay via PayPal and you can withdraw your earnings anytime, but if the amount is below $30 it’s subject to a 2% fee.

Website: Scribie

12. Field Agent

Field Agent has been around since 2010, helping retail companies and consumer research agencies crowdsource data from their target customers’ smartphones, such as photos, videos, and feedback.

Some of the micro jobs you might be asked to do include answering surveys, auditing stores, secret shopping, product testing, and other activities where the aim is to get authentic insight.

The usual reported earnings range from $3 to $12 per task, depending on the complexity of the task.

They pay out weekly via PayPal or direct deposit, with a minimum cashout of $15. Cashouts under $75 include a $1 fee.

Aside from the US, Field Agent accepts applicants from Canada, the UK, Australia, Mexico, South Africa, Ecuador, and Spain.

Website: Field Agent

Other Micro Jobs Sites to Check Out

As you may have guessed, delegating micro jobs to independent contractors is immensely popular. Here are other websites and applications worth checking out:

Final Thoughts

If you want to earn some side cash, whether it’s for emergencies or a vacation or just because, micro jobs is a good way to make some cash from all the extra minutes you have in a day.

However, if you’re in the market for more stable side cash sources, maybe this huge list of side hustle ideas can help you with your goals.

Have you ever signed up to do micro jobs? Share your experiences with us in the comments below!