Contributors: On this page we’ve listed 47+ handpicked sites for finding work from home chat jobs.
From live chat agent jobs to email and technical support, there’s something here for you. Including opportunities that don’t require you to talk on the phone.
For these online roles, you basically get paid to chat with strangers 😎
🏆 3 Best Sites for Online Chat Jobs
If you’re in a hurry, these are our top picks:
Keep scrolling for more info and resources.
What is an online chat job?
These kinds of chat jobs involve:
- Sales
- Technical support
- Email assistance
- Product advocacy
- Expertise
Large companies will often hire many agents so that they can cover queries 24/7 via chat, email or phone calls. Most agents must be flexible in terms of the number of hours they work per week and be able to cover weekends too.
How much can I earn from chat jobs?
The pay varies especially if you’re going through a company, are an independent contractor or are self-employed.
The national average salary for a Live Chat Agent is $15 per hour, according to ZipRecruiter. $21 per hour seems to be the upper limit.
However, if you have the technical know-how, have customer service experience and have expertise in a more specialised field you can expect to earn more.
What kind of chat jobs can you do from home?
Chat agents provide customer support usually via text-based chat discussions. Usually these are chat-only positions.
However, you may be required to take on phone calls or email assistance as well. Remember to read the entire job description before you apply!
Here are the 6 main types of work at home chat job:
- Online Customer Service Agent
- Email Support Assistant
- Technical Support Assistant
- Virtual Assistant
- Online Sales Agent
- JustAnswer Expert
More details on each one below. In total, you’ll find more than 47 handpicked sites listing online chat jobs.
Online Customer Service Agent
This is a fast-paced online job where you solve customers’ problems. You may have to do your work via the company’s website or through social media.
Good news: often no previous experience is necessary 😊
As an online customer support agent you may be required to:
- Respond to multiple people at once
- Advocate a product or service
- Point people in the right direction on the company’s website
- Deal with complaints from angry customers
- Provide technical support to users.
How much do online customer service jobs pay?
These types of chat jobs will net you around $15 per hour on average, according to ZipRecruiter.
However, if you’re willing to take on both a chat host position as well as phone work, you can expect to earn more.
Where can I find online customer service jobs?
From the above list, our top pick is FlexJobs – a popular remote job board. You can also check out their list of the best 100 companies for remote customer service jobs.
Email Support Assistant
This type of chat job is often combined with a customer service position. Your job is to provide assistance via email which means your work is more staggered as you await responses.
As an email support assistant, typically your work involves:
- Answering questions in relation to a product or service
- Solving customers’ problems
- Forwarding any unresolved queries to specialists
- Developing customer relationships.
How much do email support jobs pay?
For this type of chat and email job you can expect to make around $17 per hour, according to ZipRecruiter.
Oftentimes you will find these jobs combined with chat roles and if you’re willing to do some phone-based work, you can expect to earn more.
Where can I find email support jobs?
Technical Support Assistant
This online job is different from customer service chat support as it focuses on the technical aspects of a business and deals with more in-depth questions in relation to a product or service.
As a technical support expert, you must:
- Solve a person’s technical problems with clear instructions.
- Co-ordinate, prioritise and monitor multiple support issues at once.
- Provide support regardless of how basic or complex the issue is.
- Have expert knowledge of the company’s technological system.
- Have solid communication skills to be able to point people in the right direction with regards to their issue.
How much do technical support jobs pay?
The average rate for these positions is $19 per hour (source).
Due to the nature of this work you may need a qualification in computer science or experience in technical support. This usually means you will get paid more for your expertise and if you’re bilingual – even better!
Where can I find technical support jobs?
Virtual Assistant
Being a Virtual Assistant (VA) is an appealing chat job as you can have a wide range of tasks and are usually not confined to one thing. VA work often involves providing chat support on a client’s website.
As a virtual assistant, you may have to:
- Talk about the client’s products or services
- Point customers to specific parts of a website like a sales page
- Engage with a customer in relation to technical support
- Deal with complaints.
How much can I earn as a Virtual Assistant?
Rates vary between VAs since many offer a number of services including social media and newsletter writing.
A typical rate is $19 per hour (source). Expect to earn more if you have more skills or are finding work through your own business.
For example, Fiona runs her own business and has a well developed set of skills, allowing her to earn a nice monthly income…
Fiona Wong
- Freelance Virtual Assistant
- $7,000 monthly revenue
Where can I find virtual assistant jobs?
Online Sales Agent
Sales agents connect with customers usually through a website’s online chat or through a business’ page on social media. It’s your job to sell, sell, sell!
An internet sales agent must:
- Be knowledgeable of the company’s product
- Advocate products or services on their client’s behalf
- Point people in the right direction if they’re searching for a particular product or service.
How much can I earn as a sales agent?
The average salary for a sales chat agent is $20 an hour, according to ZipRecruiter.
Sales agents also can be commission based, meaning that they get an additional bonus depending on how many sales they made. This is an additional income that complements the standard salary.
Where can I find a job as a sales agent?
JustAnswer Expert
This is a great gig to have as a way to earn some extra cash in your spare time.
JustAnswer is a service where experts gather to provide answers to peoples’ queries. As a JustAnswer affiliate, it is up to you to provide clear information and accurate answers to users via text.
For this type of chat job, you must be a professional in your field and have evidence of your expertise that will be vetted. Examples of experts include:
- Mechanics
- Web Developers
- Accountants
- Electricians
- Dream Interpreters
- Doctors
- Genealogists
How much can I earn as a JustAnswer Expert?
Most questions appear to be answered for $5 (source). Experts usually earn 20% of whatever the user pays. If you’re able to get consistently high ratings, you can work your way up to 50%.
JustAnswer then pays Experts every month via PayPal.
This is more seen as a handy way for people looking to make some extra cash rather than a full-time role.
🤔 Frequently Asked Questions about Chat Jobs
Who can work an online chat job?
These types of full-time or part-time jobs can be ideal for those who:
- Don’t want to talk on the phone
- Don’t have a private workspace
- Have small children
- Have previous customer service experience (though this is not always necessary)
- Have technical expertise (depending on the role).
What personal skills do I need for online chat jobs?
To be a successful live chat agent you should have the following traits when it comes to looking for this kind of work:
- Enjoy providing people with solid customer support.
- Enjoy a fast-paced environment.
- Be able to multitask, as often you will be partaking in multiple conversations at once.
- Be able to communicate using proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
- Have the self-discipline to work from home.
- Be flexible as you may be required to work full-time and also be available during nights and weekends.
It’s important to note that you also may need a certain level of typing speed before applying for these kinds of jobs.
In general, 35-40 words per minute (WPM) is how fast an average person can type. However, if you’re able to type faster than that (60-75 WPM), then a customer service setting could be ideal for you.
Do I need a college degree to work as a live chat operator?
The good news is that for most companies to work as a live chat operator all you need is a high school diploma or a GED equivalent.
If you’re working chat support for something more specialised like web development then you may need a relevant computer science degree or experience in technical support.
What kind of equipment do I need?
- Reliable internet connection
- Computer
- Keyboard
- Phone and headset (depending on the position)
Can I have an online chat job if I have loads of background noise?
Depending on your situation you could have plenty of noise from young children and rowdy neighbours or be living with a highway right outside your door.
The good thing is: your client is none the wiser.
Because of this, these work from home positions are super appealing but it’s important to note that background noise can cause you to lose concentration. You may need to provide accurate responses to multiple people at once and if there are too many distractions and errors, your performance may suffer.
It’s highly recommended to read the full job spec before accepting a position as some online chat jobs need you to use the phone to deal with customers.
In this case, a quiet and professional work environment is required.
Are all online chat jobs remote?
Applying for and working a remote job typically means you can work from home all of the time. There may be a few exceptions though say if your company requires you to attend an in-house training session.
Are online chat jobs for US-based people only?
- Some companies may only hire US-based contractors.
- Some companies only accept applicants from certain states.
- Generally, companies prioritise native speakers who can write fluently in the required language.
Do all these jobs provide benefits?
This depends on if you work as a freelancer or a full-time employee of a company. Many work-from-home jobs like this don’t have benefits such as health insurance, 401k contributions, or even paid time off.
However, it’s worth noting that some online home jobs have other benefits such as:
- More flexibility than full-time employees as you can work for multiple clients.
- Choosing your own hours (depending on the company).
- No commuting costs thus saving money.
- Working from your couch.
- Working in your pyjamas.
- More time at home to spend with yourself or your family.
Be sure to read the full job description and ask questions during the application process if you’re unsure what benefits are included.
Where else can I find online jobs?
Check out these resources:
Are online chat jobs for you?
If you enjoy a fast-paced lifestyle, are a work-from-home parent or are fresh out of college these chat jobs might be ideal for you.
Usually you won’t need years of experience; a school diploma or GED is often enough.
Online live operators are customer service orientated and work hard to answer peoples’ queries or point them in the right direction.
These jobs can be a fulfilling experience and can pay well depending on your level of skill and expertise.
Share your experience with work at home chat jobs
Have you worked from home doing some kind of chat job?
If so, share your tips and experience in the comments below.
Other ways to make money online
There are many other ways to make money online, to work from home or anywhere in the world.
