20+ Realistic Jobs That Pay $1,000 A Week – Online & Offline Ideas!
There's no denying that an extra $1,000 per week is a lot of money. In fact, in the majority of the world, a job that pays $1,000 per week sets you up for an incredibly comfortable life.
And the great news is that you have plenty of online and in-person options for making this kind of income. And many of these gigs and jobs are perfect for beginners as well.
So, if you’re currently on the hunt for jobs that pay $1,000 a week, then this post is definitely for you! Time to break down some of your best options, tips for getting started, and everything you need to know.
The Best Jobs That Pay $1,000 A Week
Please note, these jobs have the potential to make $1,000 a week. With consistent efforts, it’s definitely possible, but it’s not always a guarantee. However, almost all of these jobs are accessible to everyone. Meaning, you don’t need a degree or specialized training to work most of these professions.
Table of Contents
1. Gig Economy Jobs
One of the best aspects of the gig economy is that it's flexible and in very high demand. So, if you're willing to put in some serious hours, there's a strong chance the gig economy can help you make $1,000 per week or even more.
Plus, there are tons of side gig apps out there that don’t require any sort of experience. Some popular examples of apps you can use include:
- Apps that pay you to drive like Uber and Lyft
- Food delivery apps like DoorDash or Uber Eats
- Grocery delivery apps like Instacart or Shipt
- Apps that help people move, like Lugg and Dolly
- Package delivery work like Amazon Flex
Again, these apps aren't a guarantee to make $1,000 per week. But the hourly potential is often there depending on your city, experience, and some luck.
Take driving for Uber Eats for example: there's plenty of online examples of people who can hustle their way into an extra $1,000 per week:
Considering this courier worked 34 hours to make a grand, that's not too shabby! Of course, most of these side hustles require having a vehicle to begin. You also need to factor in vehicle depreciation and gas into your earnings.
Plus, you should keep in mind that making this much money within 7 days is going to require some serious hustling. But if you're sick of having no money, putting in the extra hours could be well worth it, even if it takes some practice to reach your $1,000 target.
Start making money with Uber Eats!
2. Programmer
Another classic job that pays $1,000 a week is programming and web development jobs. Although, this is one of those jobs where you will need a little bit of experience or possibly a degree to pursue.
However, college students who are still working on their degree can still land programming gigs. In fact, one of Tom's friends actually makes money coding online and has traveled with Tom, earning a living completely as a freelancer.
Now, in terms of earning potential, freelance programmers can make somewhere between $60-$100 per hour, which is a fantastic hourly rate.
With this hourly rate in mind, you would need to work around 3 hours per day, 5 days a week, if you want to make $1,000 per week. Plus, a full time programmer can make way more than that with an average salary of about $75,000 a year!
If you already have coding experience, you should definitely take advantage of it and apply for jobs through apps like LinkedIn, Upwork, and Indeed. You can also find high-paying, remote jobs with platforms like FlexJobs.
3. Freelance Writer
As a freelance writer myself, I can say that getting into full-time freelance writing can be difficult. Generally, it requires a lot of pitching to clients and consistent efforts to keep earning.
However, if you enjoy writing, find it easy, or already have your own blog, becoming a freelance writer is an excellent step in advancing your career.
Plus, freelance writing is definitely a realistic job that pays $1,000 per week, provided you get a few clients under your belt. According to PayScale, freelance writers earn just over $23 per hour, but how you get paid can vary.
As a freelance writer, you're usually paid per word. Some clients pay per-article, but this isn't as common.
For example, a beginner writer could make $0.03/word, whereas a more advanced writer might make $0.15 to $0.25 per word or more (I've heard of some writers getting $0.50 to even $1 per word for very technical pieces or writing articles that also involve interviews).
Now, if you wrote a 1,500 word article everyday and got paid $0.10/word, you would make just over $1,000 a week. If you earned slightly less, you'd be looking at 2,000-3,000 words per day to reach your goal.
However, if you start earning $0.15-$0.25 per word or even more, which more experienced writers charge, you can easily clear $1,000 a week with this job. All you have to do is find enough clients where you can write one article every single day.
Extra Reading – How To Make Money With Creative Writing.
4. Website Designer
If you have experience with coding or basic web design, you could help website owners upgrade the look of their site and get paid for it!
According to Glassdoor, web designers earn approximately $52,600 per year, which works out pretty perfectly to about $1,000 a week.
Similar to freelance writing, you would have to pitch to website owners offering them your services and negotiating a price based on the amount of work it’ll take. That is if you’re going about it yourself.
You could also apply for jobs as a website designer where you’ll make around the same amount, but having a job is definitely more guaranteed work.
Extra Reading – 32 Best Remote Job Websites To Find Work.
5. Social Media Manager
Whether you’re good with Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or even TikTok, companies are always looking for social media managers.
In fact, according to Statista, social media ad spending is expected to reach over $255 billion by 2028. And intermediate social media managers make somewhere between $50-100 per hour according to Salary.com.
At this rate, you would need to work 10 to 20 hours per week between a few different companies if you wanted to earn $1,000 per week as a social media manager. Alternatively, you can sign clients on monthly retainers if you don't want to be paid hourly.
This type of digital marketing side hustle is how Tom made money in college to pay for tuition. And you can start out yourself by pitching local businesses and offering to run their social media accounts.
6. Teach English Online
If you're looking for another potential job that pays $1,000 a week and enjoy teaching others, online tutoring could be an excellent fit.
There are plenty of companies that pay tutors to help students across the world learn English. Some popular companies include:
- BookNook – An excellent way to make money tutoring reading and math to students.
- VIPKid – According to Indeed, VIPKid tutors earn $22 per hour.
- Qkids – Earn approximately $16 to $20 per hour.
- EF Education First – Earn approximately $18 per hour.
Now, these companies mostly cater to the Chinese ESL market, which has implications. In China, tutors require TEFL certification and an undergraduate degree to teach, so this job idea requires a bit of upfront work and a degree.
However, you can find TEFL courses on websites like Groupon for under $100, and the hourly pay is quite solid as an online tutor with a popular company.
Of course, it takes some time to land consistent students, and this is why many online ESL tutors work for multiple companies or have a few side hustles at once.
7. Editor
If you have a high level of attention to detail, another $1k a week job you can consider is becoming an editor.
Companies that have blogs often hire freelance writers to write blog posts for them. However, those writers can make mistakes or simply lack the proper organization skills to make the article look neat.
This is where an editor comes in. Editors are responsible for improving article quality, readability, and are the final line of defence before hitting the publish button. In terms of earning potential, editors earn $29.50 per hour according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, the top percentile of editors certainly charge more, so this is certainly a realistic job to make $1,000 per week or even more. In fact, with the right company, you could probably clear this amount with editing as a decent part-time job of 15-20 hours per week.
Note: editors are different from proofreaders, who are mostly responsible for scanning articles for grammatical mistakes and stylistic errors.
8. SEO Specialist
SEO (Search Engine Optimizations) Specialists are the ones working behind the curtains to make sure that when you search something on Google, the right articles actually appear.
Getting an article to the #1 spot on Google, Yahoo, or Bing is no easy feat. That’s why companies highly value those who can optimize their articles properly to get them there.
As an SEO specialist, you're essentially in charge of directing a client's content strategy, optimizing it for search engines, and also improving website performance and backlinks to rank better on search engines. And this gig can pay between $50,000 – $80,000 a year in a full-time position.
Plus, you can also turn SEO consulting into a solid side gig outside of your normal job and work with clients on the side. This was another one of Tom's college side hustles, and typically, SEO contracts work on a monthly retainer structure.
So, you might sign a client for $1,000 or $2,000 per month to perform SEO work throughout the month, which can actually amount to a very lucrative hourly wage.
9. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are now in demand more than ever because of the incredible surge of online businesses.
As a virtual assistant, or VA, you're basically like an administrative assistant for managers and business owners…only virtual. Generally, VA work includes tasks like:
- Answering and sending emails for clients
- Basic social media management
- Data entry
- Booking appointments and travel plans
In terms of finding work, you can apply to companies like Fancy Hands that hire U.S. virtual assistants and pay $3 to $7 per task.
Alternatively, you can start your own VA business or list your service on freelance marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork.
If you charge a solid hourly rate, this job can make $1,000 per week if you have enough clients. The real tough is finding enough long-term business to do this, but it is possible!
Extra Reading – How To Earn Money Online For Beginners.
Other Jobs That Pay $1,000 a Week
While a lot of the previously mentioned jobs required some sort of online or at-home work, there are also plenty of physical jobs that pay just as much.
If you’re more into offline work, this list is definitely for you.
Here are a few other jobs that make $1,000 a week, backed by data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics once again:
- Mechanic – $57,000 per year, or $29.23 per hour.
- Electrician – $59,000 per year, or $30.26 per hour. Requires a high school diploma.
- Carpet Installers – $52,000 per year, or $26.67 per hour.
- Painter – $61,000 per year, or $31.28 per hour.
- Occupational Therapy Assistant – $59,200 per year, or $28.46 per hour. Usually requires an associate’s degree.
- Construction Worker – $60,000 per year, or $29.19 per hour. Requires a highschool diploma.
- High School Teacher – $61,660 per year, or $31.62 per hour. Requires a bachelor’s degree/going to teacher’s college.
- Community Health Worker – $52,850 per year, or $27.10 per hour. Requires a high school diploma.
- City Bus Driver – $54,000 per year, or $27.69 per hour. Requires a high school diploma.
- Flight Attendant – $77,000 per year, or $39.49 per hour. Requires a high school diploma.
- Machinist – $55,000 per year, or $28.21 per hour. Requires a high school diploma.
- Interpreter/Translator – $54,000 per year, or $27.69 per hour. Usually requires a bachelor's degree.
- Massage Therapist – $52,000 per year, or $26.27 per hour. Requires a postsecondary nondegree award.
- Plumber – $59,000 per year, or $30.26 per hour. Requires a high school diploma.
- Carpenter – $56,000 per year, or $28.72 per hour. Requires a high school diploma.
Keep in mind that the jobs that require a high school diploma still require some sort of on-the-job training or apprenticeship. You can also probably get away with not having a high school diploma for most of these jobs as well.
Extra Reading – How To Make $1,000 In 24 Hours.
Advice For Your Job Search
Now that you have a great list of jobs that pay $1,000 a week with no experience and some that require experience, you're ready to start applying to jobs!
Here are a few tips you can keep in mind while applying just to make your life a little easier:
- Update Your Resume: Sprucing up your resume to match the job you're applying to can make a massive difference in your success rate. This guide from Indeed provides a great overview of how to update your resume.
- Ask Your Network: Sometimes, asking people you know about job opportunities is the fastest way to land a new gig instead of going through job boards.
- Turn To The Gig Economy: The gig economy has so many ways to make $1,000 a week that don't rely on traditional jobs. You can use apps like Wonolo, Instacart, and DoorDash to boost your income and work on your own schedule.
- Use Online Tools: As mentioned, using remote job boards is an excellent way to find legit online jobs. I suggest using FlexJobs since it has thousands of remote, flexible positions, including ones for beginners.
Extra Reading – 20+ Jobs That Pay $5,000 A Month.
$1,000 a Week is How Much a Year?
A job that pays $1,000 a week would make you $52,000 a year (52 weeks in a year). Meaning, if you work a 40 hour work week and take the weekends off, you would make exactly $26.67 per hour.
Here’s a quick summary of the math:
- $26.67/hour
- $200/day
- $1,000/week
- $2,000/biweekly
- $4,333/month
- $52,000/year
Keep in mind, all of these numbers are in gross income terms. Make sure to account for your specific income tax brackets.
You’ll most likely take home around $40,000 – $42,000 after taxes, but of course this number is likely to be different depending on where you live.
Extra Reading – The Best Easy Online Jobs.
Final Thoughts
It doesn't matter if you're looking for a new career or just a super lucrative side hustle: hitting the $1,000 per week mark is an incredible milestone worth noting.
Now, your circumstances and skills will likely determine if online or offline ideas work best. However, whatever you choose, don't be afraid to start out a bit slower and to gradually work your way up the income ladder.
Plenty of side hustles start this way…take making money with YouTube or blogging as an example.
You might start out by earning a few extra hundred dollars per month with your new job or side hustle, but as you put in more time and learn, your earnings can increase as well.
You never know where a new job or side gig can take you, and there's never a better time to start something productive and new than the present!
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