How To Make Money With A Laptop

Do you want to learn how to make money with a laptop? There are many ways to make money with a laptop, thankfully! For me, I have been making an income all from my laptop for many years now. I can work from home, work while traveling, not have a commute, have a flexible schedule,…

Do you want to learn how to make money with a laptop?

There are many ways to make money with a laptop, thankfully!

For me, I have been making an income all from my laptop for many years now. I can work from home, work while traveling, not have a commute, have a flexible schedule, and more.

I really enjoy being able to work from a laptop (it is the best thing ever!).

If you’re looking for a full-time job or only some extra income, there are many ways to make income using just a laptop and an internet connection. From remote work positions and freelancing to starting an online business, the possibilities are almost endless.

Best Ways To Make Money With A Laptop

Before we begin, here’s a quick list of some popular ways to make money with your laptop:

Blogging – You can start a blog on a subject you like and make money with advertising, sponsored content, or affiliate marketing. Learn more at How To Start A Blog FREE Course.
Proofreading – If you have strong proofreading skills, selling proofreading services can be a way to make money from home. Learn more in this free workshop about how to become a proofreader.
Online surveys – You can answer paid online surveys and give your opinion for companies such as American Consumer Opinion, User Interviews, and Branded Surveys.
Freelancing – Sell your writing, bookkeeping, graphic design, or other services on sites like Upwork or through networking. As a freelancer, you can set your own hours and choose what you want to work on.

Below are the many ways you can make money with a laptop.

Making money with a blog or website

If you want to learn how to make money with a laptop, then my favorite way is to start a blog. This is exactly what I do to make money with a laptop, actually.

I started Making Sense of Cents in 2011, and since then, my blog has helped me make more than $5,000,000.

I made my blog on a whim to follow my own money journey. When I began, I didn’t even know people could earn money from blogs or how to make a successful one.

And now, it is my full-time income!

So, what is a blog? A blog is content written on a website. It typically includes articles similar to what you’re reading here.

You can blog about a topic that you have a passion for or a topic that you simply know a lot about. Or, even just a topic that you want to learn more about (people love following other people’s firsthand journeys!).

You can learn how to start a blog with my free How To Start a Blog Course (sign up by clicking here).

Bloggers and content creators are some of my favorite business ideas if you want to work online from a laptop.

Want to see how I built a $5,000,000 blog?

In this free course, I show you how to create a blog, from the technical side to earning your first income and attracting readers.

Virtual assistant

You can earn money with your laptop as a virtual assistant by doing administrative tasks for clients online.

Virtual assistants, or VAs, do jobs like administrative assistants but from home or any place with internet.

As a virtual assistant, your tasks can include managing social media, formatting and editing content, scheduling appointments or travel, handling emails, and more.

I have personally been a virtual assistant in the past, and I also have a virtual assistant who works for me. So, I know how helpful they are!

Bookkeeper

Becoming a bookkeeper is a great way to earn money using your laptop.

Bookkeepers handle financial records, track expenses, and create financial reports; this job needs careful attention to detail and good organizational skills.

This is a job where you can make more than $40,000 a year. Plus, many kinds of businesses need bookkeepers, so it’s a great choice to consider for your career as there is a lot of growth.

If you want to become a bookkeeper, there is a free workshop all about finding a virtual bookkeeping job, and you can sign up for free here.

You can learn more at Online Bookkeeping Jobs: Learn How To Get Started Today.

This free training will teach you what you need to know to become a virtual bookkeeper and make money from home.

woman working on laptop. how to make money with a laptop

Freelance writer

A great way to make money with a laptop at home is to become a freelance writer.

I have been a freelance writer for years, all from my laptop. I really enjoy being a freelance writer, and I have many friends who do this as well.

A freelance writer is someone who writes for websites, blogs, magazines, ads, books, and more.

Being a freelance writer means you don’t work for just one company. Instead, you work for yourself and sell your writing services to different clients.

This job can make you more than $50,000 a year (I have several friends who make over $200,000 a year as freelance writers), and there’s plenty of opportunity to grow.

Recommended reading: 14 Places To Find Freelance Writing Jobs

Selling printables on Etsy

Selling printables is a great way to earn passive income from a laptop.

Creating printables on Etsy is a smart idea because you only have to make one digital file for each product. After that, you can sell it as many times as you want.

Printables are things you can get online and print at home. They can be helpful, like lists for grocery shopping or tags for gifts. You can also find quotes to put on your walls or patterns to use.

I purchase printables all the time, and so do many others. Just recently, I bought a printable for my daughter. It was a helpful tool to teach her the alphabet, and I could easily print it at home.

This free training will give you great ideas on what you can sell, how to get started, the costs, and how to make sales.

Free Training: Earn Money Selling Printables

Do you want to make money selling printables online? This free training will give you great ideas on what you can sell, how to get started, the costs, and how to make sales.

Online tutoring

Online tutoring is a way to make money with your laptop. You can use what you know well in a certain subject to help students who need extra support. This might include assisting with homework, explaining tricky ideas, or getting ready for exams.

As a tutor, you might spend 30 minutes to an hour giving a lesson, answering questions online, or working individually with a student through a video lesson.

Tutors can earn different amounts based on what they teach (the subject) and how long the session is (is it just one question or an hour-long session?). For example, tutoring in advanced subjects like calculus usually pays more than simpler ones like first-grade math. Some tutors may earn around $20 per hour, while others can make over $100 per hour.

You can read more at The Best Online Tutoring Jobs.

Answer paid online surveys

Earning money online has never been easier, and one popular method is making extra cash by answering paid online surveys.

Many companies are looking for opinions from real people like you, and all you need is a laptop, some spare time, and a reliable internet connection.

When I was paying off my student loans, I did paid online surveys almost every day. I did them before work, during lunch, or after work. Even though these surveys didn’t make me tons of money, they gave me flexibility because I could do them whenever I had time. And, they required zero brain power (they are so easy!).

Joining these surveys is free, and they usually pay around $1 to $3 for each survey you complete.

Here are some survey companies I suggest:

Recommended reading: 18 Best Paid Survey Sites To Make $100+ Per Month

Transcriptionist

As a transcriptionist, you can make money with your laptop by converting audio or video files into text documents.

Businesses hire transcriptionists to convert audio and video into text all the time. There’s a wide range of clients, such as marketers, authors, filmmakers, academics, speakers, and conferences.

People who are just starting as transcriptionists typically make around $15 per hour in the beginning.

To find transcription jobs, here are some sites to start with:

Rev has an average monthly earning of $245 with top earners making up to $1,495.
CrowdSurf offers short transcription tasks, perfect for those looking for quick, manageable projects.
TranscribeMe is a great choice for beginners as they provide training and only require a reliable internet connection and computer.

In this free training, you will learn what transcription is, why it’s a highly in-demand skill, who hires transcriptionists, how to become a transcriptionist, and more.

Creating and selling online courses

I created Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing some years ago as my first online course. Since then, I have earned over $2,000,000 from that single course.

And, you may have a course that you can teach as well!

You could create a course on topics like parenting, woodworking, dog training, playing the guitar, languages, programming, traveling, watercolor painting, gardening, calligraphy, and business.

You can make money by sharing what you know and teaching online courses. It’s a great way to work on your computer. Plus, many people want to learn online, and websites like Teachable (this is what I personally use for my two courses) make it easy.

Writing and selling ebooks

Writing your own ebook is a way to make money with your laptop.

Ebooks are like electronic books that you can download and read on different devices like tablets, phones, e-readers, or laptops. They’ve become really popular because they are cheap and easy to get.

I have bought many ebooks over the years, from nonfiction to fiction, so I know how valuable they are. I have also been thinking about writing my own ebook!

Recommended reading: How Alyssa is making $200 a DAY in book sales passively.

Developing software

If you’re a software developer, you can use your skills to earn money by making things that people will pay for, like products or services.

You could start out by freelancing since lots of companies and people need skilled developers to make new software or change the ones they already have. Websites like Upwork, Freelancer, and PeoplePerHour have jobs that match your skills, and you can show off your computer abilities with a good portfolio.

You could also make and sell your own software by finding a problem to solve or a special group that needs a certain kind of software, and start creating it. You don’t have to be an expert coder – you can hire programmers to handle the technical stuff while you come up with the creative ideas.

Social media influencer

Becoming a social media influencer can be a fun way to earn money with your laptop.

As an influencer, you’ll build your brand by sharing your interests, pictures, and opinions on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and more.

As a social media influencer, you can make money through sponsored posts (such as when brands pay you to promote their products or services in your Instagram posts), affiliate marketing (which is when you earn commissions from the sales generated through your referral links), as well as with digital products (like when you create ebooks or online courses).

I have been a social media influencer for years, such as by monetizing my Instagram and Facebook accounts. I get to work with companies that I love and promote products that I already use.

Social media manager

Social media managers use a laptop to earn money by handling social media accounts for businesses or people.

This means making interesting posts, posting regularly, and keeping an eye on and responding to comments and messages. To do well in this job, you should know a lot about different platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

To get clients, you can start by selling your services to local businesses, friends, or family. Grow your client list through recommendations, good reviews, and by having a strong presence on social media for your own business. You can also check out freelancing websites like Upwork and Fiverr to find people who need social media managers.

Before I became a full-time blogger, I was actually a social media manager for a couple of different websites and blogs. It was a great gig that helped me to earn a good income all from home. I actually did this on the side of my full-time job, but I know many others who are full-time social media managers.

E-commerce and dropshipping

Dropshipping is a business model where you make money with your laptop and don’t have to worry about having inventory or shipping products yourself. Instead, you partner with suppliers who handle inventory and shipping for you.

Your primary job instead is to set up an online store and market products to potential customers.

The most important part is picking products that your target customers will like, so you’ll have to do research on the market to know what your customers want.

Some ideas for a dropshipping business include:

Travel accessories like portable luggage scales, neck pillows, or compact travel organizers.
Fitness equipment like yoga maps or resistance bands
Smart home devices and electronics like smart plugs, smart bulbs, or home automation kits
Sustainable products like reusable utensils, bamboo toothbrushes, tote bags, or eco-friendly cleaning supplies.
Pet supplies like toys, dog food, or bathing items
Home office supplies like ergonomic chairs, desk accessories, or home office decor

And so much more!

Sell Canva templates

One profitable way to make money with your laptop is by selling Canva templates.

Canva templates are templates for things like social media graphics, presentations, ebooks, or printables that people and businesses can buy to make things easier for themselves.

I have bought Canva templates many times in the past, and they are so helpful as a business owner. I love how I can buy the exact template I am looking for instead of spending days, or even weeks or months, trying to design something (when I am not a good designer!).

You can design Canva templates to sell and earn money, all from your home – and you won’t have to send anything in the mail. You only have to create the templates once, and you can sell them as many times as you want.

Recommended reading: How I Make $2,000+ Monthly Selling Canva Templates

Investing and trading stocks online

Having a laptop gives you many ways to make money, and one way is by investing and trading stocks online.

With online brokerages, trading platforms, and stock apps, you can easily get into the stock market using your laptop.

Important note: This type of investing is not a quick way to get rich. Short-term trading in the stock market may not be successful for everyone, and it’s different from long-term investing. There’s a big risk of losing money, so I advise doing more research on your own as stock trading involves risks.

You can learn more about this at How To Make Money Trading Stocks As A Side Hustle.

person working on laptop. how to earn money with a laptop and internet

Start a YouTube channel

Making money with a laptop is also possible by starting a YouTube channel.

You can start a YouTube channel on tons of different topics, such as finance, home, travel, toys, pets, and so much more. There is pretty much a YouTube channel for anything and everything these days, and there is definitely still room for more!

You can include affiliate links in your YouTube videos, earn money from ads, get sponsorship from brands, and even sell products in your videos.

To make money on your YouTube channel, create videos that entertain, educate, or inform viewers. Try to get as many views as possible since, in most cases, more views mean more income.

Host webinars

Webinars are like online classes or workshops about specific subjects (I’ve included a list below of some examples). If you’re an expert in something, you can record a webinar and charge people to attend or sell products and services related to the topic during the webinar.

I have bought many webinars over the years, and I love how they pack a lot of information into just 30 minutes or an hour of time. This way, I can learn exactly what I need in a short amount of time.

And, I know many other people like webinars for this same reason as well.

You could sell a webinar about topics such as:

Financial planning for beginners – You could teach budgeting, saving strategies, how to start investing, and more.
Social media strategies for small businesses – You could share techniques to help businesses grow their online presence, such as tips for TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and more.
How to find remote jobs – You could talk about different remote jobs and how to find them.

And so much more.

You can also record your webinars and let people watch them whenever they want. This way, you can make money while you’re sleeping or even on vacation.

Travel agent

As a travel agent, you can make money with just your laptop.

People use travel agents all the time to help them plan their vacations!

Whether you work for a travel agency or set up your own business, you will be booking travel for clients, such as airline tickets, rental car reservations, and hotel accommodations.

As a travel agent, your job is to assist people in planning their vacations. You help them decide where to go, organize the details of the trip, and handle all the bookings for their travels.

This can be a full-time or part-time job too!

Gaming and Twitch streaming

If you like to play games, then one of the best ways to make money may be by streaming your games on Twitch.

Twitch is a website where you can earn money by playing video games, chatting online through a live stream, and more.

You can make money on Twitch in many different ways, like getting paid subscriptions, showing ads, selling merchandise such as T-shirts and mugs, and more.

There are some Twitch streamers who are very successful and make hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars each year. However, it’s important to also know that most streamers don’t earn much money.

Recommended reading: How Much Do Twitch Streamers Make?

Sell stock photos online

If you like taking pictures with your camera, or even your phone, you can earn money using your computer by selling your photos on websites such as Shutterstock, Getty Images, or Adobe Stock.

People purchase stock images for many reasons, like adding them to their websites, articles, blog posts, and social media. I buy stock images myself because they can make a blog post more enjoyable to read. You can see some stock images in this blog post (all of the images within this blog post are stock images that I have bought online).

You can sell many different types of pictures, such as travel, business, people, food, animals, health, fashion, sports, and more.

For example, if I have a blog post about how to make money with a laptop, I will then buy a stock photo of a laptop that I like. Or, if I need a picture of something related to how to make money and travel, I will find a picture of a vacation to add to my blog post.

Recommended reading: 18 Ways You Can Get Paid To Take Pictures

Sell print on demand

Using print-on-demand (POD) is a great way to make money with your laptop. POD lets you sell personalized products without keeping a stock of items.

To start your print-on-demand (POD) journey, you need to pick a fulfillment partner like Printify, Printful, or Sellfy. These platforms take care of printing, shipping, and customer service for your products. This way, you can concentrate on creating attractive and unique designs.

Then, choose the types of products you want to sell, such as T-shirts, hoodies, posters, or phone cases.

Book reviewer

As a book reviewer, you can earn money by working from home and writing reviews for the books that you’ve personally read.

Some websites will pay you to review books. The payment can vary, but usually, you receive cash through PayPal or bank transfer. In some cases, you might get a free book in exchange for your review as well.

Here are some sites that pay you to review books:

At Online Book Club, you’ll receive a free book for your first review. After that, you can earn money for reviewing books, and you’ll still get free books. They pay you approximately $5 to $60 for each book review.
At Kirkus, they’re seeking reviewers for both English and Spanish books. Your reviews should be around 350 words, and they should be submitted two weeks after you get assigned a book.
Booklist is a website that pays for reviews, and they prefer them to be about 150 to 175 words. Your review should cover the plot, suggest the target audience, and more. Booklist pays $15 for each published book review.

Recommended reading: 16 Best Ways To Get Paid To Read Books

Data entry

Data entry clerks have the job of entering, updating, and verifying information in databases or spreadsheets. They type details like numbers and names into computers to maintain organization and accurate records.

Jobs in data entry usually pay about $15 to $20 per hour.

Recommended reading: 15 Places To Find Data Entry Jobs From Home

Manage Facebook ads for small businesses

You can earn a living using Facebook on your laptop. By using Facebook advertising, you can help businesses reach more people and grow their presence.

In a recent year, business owners spent more than $80 million each day in Facebook ads. This amount is likely to keep increasing, making Facebook one of the biggest advertising platforms.

This is an area that small and large businesses always need help with as Facebook ads can be tedious but also need some expertise.

I know many, many people who have Facebook ads experts handle their advertising for them. It’s a very popular service that has a big need right now.

Recommended reading: How To Make $1,000 Extra With Facebook Each Month

High yield savings accounts

Okay, this one is different from the rest, as it isn’t a job. But, high-yield savings accounts are typically found only in online banks and can be a great way to make passive income!

A high-yield bank account is a safe way to make extra money by starting an account on your laptop.

These special savings accounts earn a higher interest rate than regular ones, so your money grows faster.

You will want to choose a reliable bank and regularly check the interest rates because they can change. Some people move their money to high-yield savings accounts frequently to get the best interest rates.

I personally use Marcus by Goldman Sachs as they have a very high rate. You can get up to 5.40% (at the time of this writing) through a referral link bonus. According to this high-yield savings account calculator, if you have $10,000 saved, you could earn $540 with a high-yield savings account in a year. Whereas with normal banks, your earnings would only be $46.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Make Money With A Laptop

Below are answers to common questions about how to make money with a laptop.

How can I make money with my computer for free? What can I do on a computer to make money?

You can make money with your computer for free by using online platforms that pay you for completing tasks, such as taking online surveys, testing websites, and doing affiliate marketing. Also, you can monetize your skills by selling freelance services like proofreading, graphic design, transcribing, data entry, or writing.

How can I make money offline on my laptop?

Offline money-making opportunities with your laptop include freelance writing, graphic design, video editing, or even bookkeeping. These jobs can be done for clients without needing a constant internet connection as you can upload your work once you are done.

What is the laziest way to make money online?

Ha, this is a funny question, but I see it a lot! The laziest way to make money online is probably by answering surveys as you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to answer these questions. Instead, you are simply sharing your opinion.

How can I make money from Google at home?

You can make money from Google at home by using Google AdSense to make money on your blog. Another idea is to become a search engine evaluator.

How can I make $100 a day with a laptop?

To make $100 a day with a laptop, I recommend looking into freelance work, selling digital products, blogging, or selling online courses. You can learn more at How To Make $100 a Day.

What are some side hustles to do on a laptop?

Some side hustles that you can do on a laptop include virtual assistant services, social media management, content creation, and online tutoring.

How to make money with a MacBook?

Making money with a MacBook is no different from other laptops, and you can use your MacBook for work like blogging, graphic design, video editing, software development, or freelance writing. I use a MacBook for everything that I do online and love it.

What are ways to make passive income from a laptop?

To make passive income from a laptop, you can create digital products, write an ebook, create an online course, or do affiliate marketing. These methods can help you make money with minimal ongoing effort, letting you earn income even while you sleep.