Work at home jobs for military spouses is something that virtually every military spouse will probably find themselves googling at some point. As a military spouse myself, I know how frustrating it can be to find stable employment.
Unfortunately, with constant PCS moves, it can be difficult to find employment outside of fast food restaurants. And while I’m all about doing what you need to do to help support your family, working for minimum wage in a greasy, hot fast-food restaurant isn’t most peoples idea of a dream job.
When you add kids into the mix, it can be even more difficult for military spouses. Without the benefit of family nearby to help with the kids, a spouse that works incredibly long hours and is frequently away on training and/or deployment, holding down full-time employment can be very challenging. And that’s assuming you’re fortunate enough to find a full-time job that pays enough to cover your childcare costs (which is very hard in a military town.)
I’ve been in this exact situation. Thankfully, I no longer am.
Don’t get me wrong – my husband is still active duty military. He just got back from his fifth deployment and we have a 2-year-old son.
But I’m thankful that I work for myself, from home. I am my own boss. That means I can take time off whenever I need to. I don’t have to pay for daycare. If my husband has an unexpected day off, I can take the day off too. If my husband comes down on orders, my business (i.e. my laptop) comes with me.
So even though there are definitely challenges that come military life, fortunately, there are a number of legitimate work at home jobs for military spouses.
And just in case you’re wondering – I’m not going to list any MLM opportunities. Every military spouse knows that those opportunities exist. I’m not knocking them at all – in fact, I personally know a number of people who make VERY good money from MLM.
But in the interest of not just regurgitating information you’ve probably heard a million times, I’m not going to go into MLM jobs.
With that being said, here are some of the best work at home jobs for military spouses that I’ve come across.
Work At Home Jobs for Military Spouses
Blogging
I’m going to list blogging first, because that’s how I make a full-time income from home. I have a number of different blogs including this one which all generate an income.
Blogging is the perfect work at home job for military spouses because you can blog from absolutely anywhere in the world, you work completely for yourself, and it costs very little money to get started.
Having said that, blogging, like any job, isn’t for everyone. If you want to be successful at blogging, you should possess the following attributes:
- Enjoy writing and sharing your knowledge
- Don’t mind putting in the hard work upfront to see the vast benefits later on
- Have access to a computer and reliable internet
- A willingness to learn from the experts, and actually implement what you’re taught
One of the most lucrative ways to make money with a blog is through affiliate marketing. If you’d like to learn the ins and outs of affiliate marketing, I recommend Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. This is the first course I took and I highly recommend it for affiliate marketing beginners.
Teach English with VIPKID
Teaching English online is an excellent work at home job for military spouses. You can set your own hours, work entirely from home, and make very good money, all while helping young children learn to speak English.
VIPKID is a rapidly growing company that pays their English tutors up to $22/hr. VIPKID was ranked the #1 remote job of 2018 by Forbes Magazine, and based on the hundreds of positive reviews of the company given by past and current tutors, VIPKID is an excellent company to work for.
VIPKID provides complete lessons plans for their tutors, and there is no grading required. All you have to do is show up, teach and have fun!
To apply to become a VIPKID tutor, you must meet the following requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in any field
- Experience working with children (this can be in the form of teaching, mentoring, tutoring, coaching, youth leader, children’s pastor, nursery school assistant, daycare teacher, etc.
If you meet these requirements, submit your application here.
Teach English with MagicEars
If you don’t have a Bachelor’s degree and you don’t have experience working with children, no problem.
MagicEars is another company that hires online English tutors. MagicEars provides you with a full curriculum and pays their tutors up to $26/hr. However, unlike VIPKID, MagicEars does not require you to have a Bachelor’s degree or prior experience working with children.
Click here to submit your application to teach with MagicEars.
Virtual Bookkeeper
If you enjoy working with numbers, then a virtual bookkeeper is an excellent work at home job for military spouses. Virtual bookkeepers can work with small businesses all over the country, completely from home.
This is a great small business to start because it has relatively low start-up costs, the potential to earn a very good income (up to $80/hr) and because businesses are required to keep track of their financials, there are lots of opportunities for bookkeepers.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a virtual bookkeeper, this free class will give you an inside look at this profitable business.
Facebook Ads Manager
You probably already spend a lot of time on Facebook, so why not get paid to do so, by becoming a Facebook Ads Manager.
As a Facebook Ads Manager, you work with small businesses to run profitable Facebook ads, helping them generate leads for their business. This work from home job can be very lucrative – even as a side hustle (without working full-time) you can make $1000-$2000/month.
The Facebook Side Hustle Course will teach you exactly how to become a Facebook Ads Manager in just 28 days.
Online Personal Trainer
If you enjoy working out, staying healthy and encouraging others in their health and fitness journey, then you might want to consider starting your own online personal training business.
Online personal training is become more and more popular, with opportunities to work with clients from all over the world. In addition, you can create your own digital products including workout and meal plans, and sell these online.
To become an online personal trainer, you will need to hold a personal trainer certification. The National Academy of Sports Medicine is one of the premier institutions to obtain your personal trainer certification.
Scopist
If you enjoy watching crime shows on TV, then working from home as a scopist might be the perfect job for you. Most people have never heard of scoping, so here’s a definition of the job according to the National Court Reporters Association:
“…one who edits a transcript translated by CAT (Computer-Aided Transcription) software into English, correcting mistrans/untrans of steno notes, employing proper punctuation, English, and format.”
In laymans terms, a scopist basically edits court documents for a court reporter.
Scopists can earn anywhere from $30,000-$50,000 per year, can set their own hours and can work from anywhere.
If you’re interested in learning more about coming a scopist, I recommend you check out Internet Scoping School.
Internet Scope School is the run by Linda Evenson, a scopist with over 35 years experience. The school is endorsed by the National Court Reporters Association, and is the most thorough and comprehensive scoping education available.
Learn more about Internet Scope School here.
Resources That I Love
Below are my top recommendations for making and saving money.
Ibotta – my favorite app for saving money on my groceries, online shopping, etc. Ibotta is very easy to use – just choose which cash back offer you want to take advantage of, snap a photo of your receipt with your phone and get cash back on your purchase. Use my link to get a bonus $10.
Springboard America – one of the best survey sites to make some extra cash in your spare time. Simply sign up, give your honest opinion, and earn points which you can exchange for Paypal cash, Visa gift cards and more. Join Springboard America here.
Wealthy Affiliate – My #1 recommendation for anyone who wants to learn how to make money through affiliate marketing.