19 Best Places to Find Small Task or Micro Jobs

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If you are also short on time and want to make a little extra spending money, a micro job could be the perfect opportunity for you.

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If you’ve ever found yourself short on cash, you know how frustrating it is to need extra money and have no viable way of earning it.

Fortunately, things have changed a lot in the past decade. The gig economy has exploded, and now millions of people can complete “micro jobs” to earn extra money on the side. 

What are micro jobs?

Micro jobs are small, easy tasks that can be completed in a short amount of time and generally pay between $3 and $100.

They don’t require an interview, meetings, or set hours, and you can perform micro jobs online or in person.

Despite their flexibility, however, the jobs can be somewhat competitive, and pay isn’t always the highest. If you’re in a pinch, they can be a great source of supplemental income, and they often pay in cash.

If you’re short on time, and need money fast, micro jobs (with same day pay) might be the perfect opportunity for you.

19 Best Places to Find Micro Jobs Online

How do you find micro jobs? Online, of course. There are a variety of micro jobs sites that offer options to workers who want to get paid to do tasks online. You can even combine multiple micro jobs, like audio transcription jobs and freelancing writing, to earn more.

If sitting at home isn’t for you, you can also find community-based micro jobs or assist neighbors with short household tasks like lawn mowing or grocery shopping.

Whatever appeals to you, there is a micro jobs website out there that will connect you with people who want to pay for your services.

1. Branded Surveys

tapestri homepage
Source: Tapestri

Taking online surveys is one of the most popular micro jobs of today, and Branded Surveys focuses on just that.

You’ll get 100 bonus points when you create your account. From there, you’ll be matched with surveys that fit your profile. You can earn additional points by participating in challenges, taking the daily poll, and referring your friends and family.

The more you earn with Branded Surveys, the more opportunity you have to earn free rewards. At 600 points, you’ll become a Branded Elite Silver member. Then at 2,100, you advance to Gold. Elite members are automatically entered into random daily, weekly, and monthly drawings where you can earn up to 1,000 points. 

It takes 1,000 points before you can cash out. When you’re ready to redeem your earnings, you can choose between PayPal, direct deposit, or gift cards to popular retailers like Amazon, Apple, Lowe’s, and many more.

Related: DollarSprout’s Branded Surveys review

2. Tapestri

tapestri homepage
Source: Tapestri

The smallest micro task I can think of is downloading an app and then doing nothing, and Tapestri offers users just that. Like many apps you probably use everyday (Facebook, Twitter, Google Maps, etc.) Tapestri is an app that collects data from its users. But what makes Tapestri different is that it pays users for their data. 

When apps like Facebook or Instagram collect your data, they keep it all to themselves and use it to serve you ads. Your attention is being sold to the highest bidder. In other words, you are the product. 

With Tapestri, your data is completely anonymous and not tied to you in any way. The app is very transparent in saying “yes, we do sell your data” but, unlike other apps, they pass along a portion of those profits to you. According to their website, users can earn up to $25 per month passively by having the app installed and tracking in the background. No work required. 

3. Swagbucks

Swagbucks homepage
Source: Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a micro jobs website that awards points for doing easy tasks like shopping at online retailers like Amazon and Starbucks, taking surveys, watching videos, and playing games. The number of points, or Swagbucks (SBs), you earn depends on the task. Swagbucks has a mobile app that allows you to earn points on the go.

You only need around 160 Swagbucks to start redeeming them for cash cards or gift cards to stores like Walmart, Amazon, and iTunes. Occasionally, it has specials where you get the gift cards at discounts below their normal cash value.

Related: Swagbucks App Review: What is Swagbucks and How Does it Work?

4. Respondent

Respondent homepage
Source: Respondent

If you’re comfortable sharing your opinions and testing products, you can do remote or in-person research studies from Respondent. These opportunities can include anything from participating in a focus group, doing a one-on-one study, or being involved in UX testing.

Users can earn hundreds of dollars for each research project, which can take several hours to complete. You shouldn’t exclusively rely on this site to make money because it can take a while to be matched with a project that fits your demographic information. Respondent takes a 5% fee and pays via PayPal.

Related: 8 Ways to Get Paid to Test Products from Home

5. SlicethePie

SlicethePie homepage
Source: SlicethePie

Slicethepie is a micro jobs site where you make money by reviewing songs, fashion, accessories, commercials, and more. The original artists will see the reviews and use your feedback to make the products better.

Users are paid via PayPal and need to have at least $10 in their account to withdraw. After submitting, Slicethepie will read your review before it approves your payment. It may take up to five business days for the payment to come through.

Related: 20 Gig Economy Jobs Smart People Are Using to Make Extra Money

6. Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)

amazon mechanical turk (mturk) homepage
Source: Amazon Mechanical Turk

If you want to make quick money, consider signing up with Amazon Mechanical Turk. Workers earn money by completing Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs) such as:

  • Processing images and videos
  • Cleaning up and verifying data
  • Online typing jobs
  • Gathering information
  • Processing data

Amazon MTurk workers can also help Amazon sellers edit their product listings and provide the best information to buyers. This helps sellers increase sales and buyers make the best purchasing decision.

You’ll receive a payment when you complete a HIT. New workers won’t be able to get earnings for 10 days. After that, you’re free to withdraw your money to a bank account or Amazon Payments account any time.

Amazon doesn’t report how much the average HIT pays, but a study from Cornell University found that workers reportedly earn about $2 an hour.

7. InboxDollars

earn money by completing small tasks with inboxdollars
Source: InboxDollars 

Like Swagbucks, InboxDollars is a micro jobs website that pays cash for doing normal online activities. You can make money by taking surveys, watching videos, reading emails, playing games, or completing other online micro jobs. If you shop online, you can also earn cash back, receive free samples, and get access to coupons for groceries, beauty products, home goods, and more.

Instead of earning points, InboxDollars pays out in cash. Earnings vary for each activity. According to InboxDollars, surveys pay between $0.25 and $5. 

Related: InboxDollars Review: A Rewards Program for Online Micro Tasks

8. Fiverr

Fiverr homepage
Source: Fiverr

Whether you’re a designer, artist, writer, or musician, you can start selling your services on Fiverr

One of the best online jobs websites around, Fiverr has facilitated 50 million gigs with prices ranging from $5 to $10,000.

If you’re unsure what to offer or how to price your services, check out people with similar services. See what they’re doing and use that as a guideline. For example, you might offer logo design for $10, or a 500-word blog post for $20.

To get gigs, you can bid on requests (initiated by the person looking for the service) or let customers come to you. After connecting with a customer, you’ll negotiate any terms and conditions not stated in the listing, and then start working on the project.

After you deliver the gig, Fiverr transfers the payment to you once the order is marked complete. You’ll receive 80% of the fee, with Fiverr taking 20% of the total price. There’s no fee to join or list your services on Fiverr.

9. Clickworker

clickworker homepage
Source: Clickworker

As a Clickworker, you can earn money doing micro jobs like typing, proofreading, copyediting, taking surveys, or testing apps. Clickworker also hires people to do mystery shopping, conduct research, categorize website data, and make short audio/video recordings. The work is flexible, and you can complete it from anywhere on your own schedule.

Since you can work for Clickworker in the U.S., Germany, and other countries, you can choose weekly or monthly payments via SEPA (a European payment service) or PayPal. To get started, fill out a user profile and complete a skills assessment. If you do well on the assessments, you’ll be matched with the best jobs.

You’ll receive payment when you complete a job. Payment varies by micro task, with more complex jobs yielding higher rates. You can request an instant payout of your account balance when you reach €5 (about $5.67 USD) for PayPal or €10 (around $11.35 USD) for payment to your bank account.

Alternative sites to Clickworker include: 

  • RapidWorkers
  • Gigbucks
  • Microworkers
  • Damongo.

10. Appen

Appen homepage
Source: Appen

Appen provides companies in retail, transportation, and other industries with large-scale data for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence applications. This data can help scale image-recognition, voice transcription, and search result personalization.

To enhance its data sets, Appen hires workers to do remote, online jobs from home. It hires people to rate apps, perform web search evaluations, and do language work like transcription and translation.

It’s all computer-based, so make sure you have a headset and laptop in working order before you apply. As an Appen worker, you’ll invoice the company once per month and receive payment within 30 days.

11. ySense

ySense homepage
Source: ySense

As a ySense worker, you can get paid to take surveys or try a new product, service, or app. According to ySense, your earnings will vary based on a number of different variables, like how many micro tasks you complete and how often you log in.

You can cash out your account when you’ve reached the minimum amount ($8 for standard members) and receive payment via Payoneer, PayPal, or Skrill.

Note: ySense also pays workers to share ySense with their friends. You can earn up to 30% of the money your referrals make.

12. Gigwalk

Gigwalk homepage
Source: Gigwalk

Gigwalk is a mystery shopping and micro jobs app that provides work in your local area. Retailers post small tasks to collect information about local stores. For example, you might confirm whether items are on shelves, check if pricing is correct, and validate promotional displays.

Gigwalkers use the app to show the stores they’ve visited and submit photos documenting their work. Gigs pay anywhere from $3 to $100, and payments are processed through PayPal.

Related: 29 Best Mystery Shopper Jobs & Companies

13. Field Agent

Field Agent homescreen
Source: Field Agent

Another way to get paid to do micro tasks online is by completing market research jobs via Field Agent. Field Agents help companies answer questions about store displays and brand visibility. You may be asked to check product pricing, verify if special displays are set up correctly, answer questions regarding competitor marketing, or give your opinion on products.

You can cash out your earnings to a prepaid debit card or directly to your bank account. Field Agent jobs usually pay between $3 and $20. Your earnings accumulate in your account until you request an instant payout.

14. Scribie

Scribie homepage
Source: Scribie

Scribie hires at-home workers to transcribe audio and video files, usually 10 minutes or less. You’ll need to submit an application and take a transcription test to qualify.

You’ll have to make decisions based on the context of the conversation and identify transcription errors, so you should be able to easily comprehend spoken English and understand conversations. 

You can earn between $5 and $25 per hour of audio transcribed, and Scribie offers raises in hourly rate based on performance. Earnings accumulate in your account, and you can withdraw them any time via PayPal.

Related: 9 Transcription Jobs That’ll Pay You to Type Audio to Text

15. The Smart Crowd/Lionbridge

LionBridge SmartCrowd homepage
Source: LionBridge SmartCrowd

Smart Crowd/Lionbridge offers jobs related to data research and data entry, as well as translation and interpretation of different languages. If you’re bilingual and interested in micro jobs, you should consider signing up for Smart Crowd/Lionbridge. It works with global brands such as Adobe, Microsoft, and Pfizer. Jobs include helping improve the quality of internet services, processing transactions, or using online mapping services.

Rates vary by task, and it pays workers once per month. There’s no fee to sign up and no minimum number of hours or tasks you have to complete. You’ll need to create an account and complete at least one placement evaluation to be considered.

Related: 17 Best Places to Take Paid Online Surveys

16. TaskRabbit

Taskrabbit homepage
Source: TaskRabbit

If you prefer working with your hands, TaskRabbit might be a great way for you to find micro jobs in your area. TaskRabbit is a service-based app that connects customers with local gig workers. Customers might ask for help with things like mounting a TV, moving or assembling furniture, completing minor home repairs, or cleaning. 

To work with TaskRabbit, you need to submit an online application and attend an informational session in your area. After you’ve completed the registration process, the TaskRabbit app will notify you of jobs in your area.

You create a profile, choose your rates, and negotiate job details with the client. Once you’ve completed the job, you can submit your invoice via the TaskRabbit app. Jobs pay $50 to $130 per task, on average.

17. UserTesting

UserTesting Homepage
Source: UserTesting

UserTesting pays people to test apps, marketing materials, and websites and provide honest feedback. When you work with UserTesting, you’ll visit a website or app, complete a set of tasks, and give feedback. This helps brands understand how their sites, apps, or branding resonates with customers.

You’ll earn $10 for every 20-minute video you make, and UserTesting pays via PayPal. You’ll receive your payment seven days after completing a task.

You must be 18 years of age or older and speak English to join. When applying, you’ll send UserTesting a sample video. There will be a waiting period, which varies in length, where UserTesting confirms the quality of your recording. Once approved, you’ll get emails notifying you of testing opportunities.

Related: 14 Places to Get Paid to Test Websites from Home

18. Fancy Hands

FancyHands Homepage
Source: FancyHands

Fancy Hands connects customers with US-based virtual assistants to complete tasks like booking a dinner reservation or calling the cable company. Virtual assistants can complete jobs from home and are paid per task. Starting pay is around $3 to $7 per task. As a Fancy Hands virtual assistant, you’ll receive payments every other Tuesday.

Fancy Hands also offers opportunities for advancement. If you become a successful virtual assistant, you can be promoted to a managerial position helping other assistants and ensuring that tasks run smoothly. With Fancy Hands, you can set your own hours and work from wherever.

Related: The Best Virtual Assistant Companies to Work for

19. CrowdTap

CrowdTap homepage
Source: CrowdTap

Like other micro job websites, CrowdTap pays people to provide honest feedback on brands and products. Users get paid with retail gift cards to places like Amazon. Sometimes you’ll receive free product samples to review.

For every survey you take, you earn a certain amount of points. Once you have 1,000 points, you can redeem them for a $5 gift card. CrowdTap has good reviews on Reddit, which is no small feat.

Micro Tasks Come with Micro Pay

Micro job sites that connect you with small jobs can be a great way to make money online. Remember, though, that since the tasks are small and completed in a short time frame, the pay isn’t high.

To maximize your earnings, do your research to find the best-paying micro jobs sites that match your skills and interests, and ones that allow you to complete the tasks on your own time. The sites won’t come close to matching a 9-to-5 salary, but they offer a way to generate some extra cash on the side.

Author
Cat Alford

Cat is the go-to personal finance expert for educated, aspirational moms who want to recapture their life passions, earn more, reach their goals, and take on a more active financial role in their families. Cat was named the Best Contributor/Freelancer for Personal Finance in 2014, and over the past few years her writing and financial expertise have been featured in dozens of notable publications like The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Finance, U.S. News and World Report, and many more.

2 comments
Steven Baxter
Steven Baxter

Good advice as usual from DollarSprout. Your readers may like to know of other ways to make money such as:

$20 for a coffee recipe
$100+ to share your story about your favorite ‘Good Coffee Place’,
$100+ to share a personal review of a coffee product.
$100 to share your story about anything related to coffee.
$100+ to share your expertise and write for us! We always require good professional writers.

All this is at GoodCoffeePlace.

Mel
Mel

As of 6/6/2022, note that Scribbie still can’t accept California transcribers because of AB5 law. 🙁
The law passed in December of 2019 and since then, Scribbie (who is located in San Francisco) can’t create an account with a PayPal linked to a California address/bank account.

*Please note that we cannot process PayPal accounts from residents of California, US as we are not AB5 compliant as of now.*

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