Be Your Own Boss With These Self-Employed Jobs

When you have a self-employed job, you are working for yourself rather than working for another business. You’re typically able to set your own hours, have the flexibility to juggle your work and your personal life, and work in a field of your choosing. If you want to be self-employed, you can either take on freelance opportunities through a company or clients, or you may start your own official business. Self-employment ranges from full-on entrepreneurship to a side job to make additional income.

Consider these self-employed jobs if you’re interested in being your own boss:

Cook

Average Base Pay: $21,092 per year

A cook is responsible for prepping food, cooking meals, and cleaning their workstation. You may do this for a family in their home or assist a catering company in delivering meals to their customers. A cook may sign up to be a freelance chef for a big event.

Nanny

Average Base Pay: $30,001 per year

As a nanny, you would be responsible for caring for dependent children. A family may hire you independently to work inside their home, and your tasks may include feeding, bathing, teaching, and playing with the children. You may need to change diapers or prepare bottles, or even drive older kids to school.

Photographer

Average Base Pay: $30,367 per year

A photographer is responsible for taking pictures and editing them. You may take family photos, headshots for business executives, wedding and event photos, or even stock photography to sell online. A photographer usually has to be creative, have great attention to detail, and know about camera settings so they can produce the best shot.

Travel agent

Average Base Pay: $34,283 per year

As a travel agent, you would be responsible for helping your clients book their travel plans. You would need to research the location they are interested in visiting, find hotels and any other accommodations, suggest excursions, and find deals they can take advantage of.

Personal trainer

Average Base Pay: $40,479 per year

A personal trainer is responsible for helping their clients develop their fitness goals and create workout plans. They may combine weight training with cardio workouts depending on their client’s abilities so they can minimize their risk of injury and get to the level of fitness they’ve been aiming for.

Virtual assistant

Average Base Pay: $41,473 per year

As a virtual assistant, you would be responsible for assisting your client with their administrative needs. This may include answering emails or phone calls, organizing files, coordinating calendars, scheduling meetings, making travel arrangements, and helping create presentations.

Interpreter

Average Base Pay: $41,501 per year

An interpreter is responsible for translating text or oral language from one language to another. To be an effective interpreter, you must have proficiency in both the original language and the second language. Languages can include any spoken language and sign language. An interpreter may work directly with a client or serve as a translator for a presentation where a large portion of the audience requires interpretation to understand what’s being said.

Graphic designer

Average Base Pay: $45,677 per year

As a graphic designer, you’d be responsible for creating online art, posters, advertisements, billboards, and any other visual concepts. An individual or company may want to work with a graphic designer to improve their current assets and make them more inspiring to the end user. If you have a lot of experience in graphic design, you may not need a formal degree to succeed in the field. One of the key elements of graphic design is having creativity, knowledge about design concepts, experience in design programs, and the flexibility to change your work based on feedback.

Social media specialist

Average Base Pay: $48,299 per year

A social media specialist is responsible for creating and posting engaging content on social media channels, developing social media strategy, creating online advertisements, performing data and competitor analysis, and managing campaigns. They may also cultivate a community online by engaging with customers of the brand and developing a relationship with fans. They often work alongside members of the marketing and public relations departments to establish cohesive messaging.

Event planner

Average Base Pay: $49,696 per year

As an event planner, you would be responsible for organizing, coordinating, and setting up events, including weddings, corporate gatherings, birthday parties, and conferences. Event planners work on finding catering, entertainment, transportation, and anything else their client may need to host a successful event. They’ll often work alongside someone at the event location to make sure the room is set up correctly.

Interior designer

Average Base Pay: $50,224 per year

An interior designer works with individuals, families, and sometimes even businesses, to create a space for them to enjoy. Depending on the needs of the client, they may request a functional, fun, engaging, or beautiful space. An interior designer will work with their client to find out their style and the purpose of the space they are making over so they can find items that will work well.

Real estate agent

Average Base Pay: $50,598 per year

As a real estate agent, you would be responsible for helping your clients either buy or sell real estate property. Your customer may be a family or a company looking for commercial space within which to conduct their business. A real estate agent gets to know their client’s desires in a new space, shows them options that work for their needs and budget, works with them on preparing the correct paperwork, and assists with the closing process.

Copywriter

Average Base Pay: $58,465 per year

A copywriter is responsible for writing compelling content that may be used on anything from a client’s website and marketing materials to emails to customers. A copywriter’s purpose is to understand the brand voice and target audience they are writing for so they can develop clear content that’s relatable and informative.