12 stay-at-home parent jobs (Plus duties and salaries)

Updated 10 March 2023

Many parents desire to stay at home to care for their children while still continuing to work. As more companies offer remote positions, there are increasing job opportunities across a variety of industries for stay-at-home parents. Finding the right stay-at-home job for you can help you earn an income while devoting time to your children. In this article, we explain what stay-at-home parent jobs are and provide a list of common stay-at-home jobs for parents, including average salaries and primary duties for each.

What are stay-at-home parent jobs?

Stay-at-home parent jobs allow you to work from home while earning an income that helps you support your family. Working from home also offers you more time to spend with your children. Most of these jobs include the following characteristics:

Flexible schedule: Many stay-at-home jobs allow you the flexibility to set your own schedule and work as many or few hours as you like.
Remote work: Instead of requiring employees to work in an office, these jobs allow you to work from home or any location of your choice.
Online work: Most of these jobs require computer usage and a reliable Internet connection.

12 stay-at-home jobs for parents

As a stay-at-home parent, there are a range of jobs you can pursue across different industries. The job that best suits you may depend on your previous work experience, skills and interests. Here are 12 common stay-at-home jobs for parents to consider:

1. Tutor

National average salary: £21.34 per hour

Primary duties: Tutors provide academic support for students in a particular subject or variety of subjects. They help students further their knowledge and skills by creating lesson plans, reviewing their work and helping them prepare for examinations. Tutors can offer lessons one-on-one or with multiple students, either online or in a private classroom setting.

2. Blogger

National average salary: £9.88 per hour

Primary duties: Bloggers write informative and engaging blog posts which typically focus on a certain topic. Bloggers often create content for their own website, and may also write posts for other businesses' websites. They develop content plans, write and proofread articles, conduct research and promote their content online to expand their readership. Bloggers can earn revenue from their website through ads and affiliate marketing.

3. Transcriptionist

National average salary: £10.56 per hour

Primary duties: Transcriptionists are responsible for converting audio files into written documents. They listen to live audio or recorded voice files, transcribe the words into written text format and communicate with clients to ensure that final documents are satisfactory. Transcriptionists also review and proofread transcripts to make sure they're accurate and free of errors. They can work for a variety of industries, and some may specialise in a certain field, such as legal or medical transcription.

4. Data entry clerk

National average salary: £14.23 per hour

Primary duties: Data entry clerks input various data into the computer database system of a company and create reports based on the information. Their main responsibilities involve updating the company database, digitising paper records and preparing periodic reports. They typically use spreadsheets and word processor software to input data related to sales, client details, statistics and more. Many industries require data entry professionals, including marketing, sales and medical administration.

5. Social media specialist

National average salary: £12.56 per hour

Primary duties: Social media specialists create, schedule and publish content on company social media platforms to build brand awareness, grow an audience and increase sales. They may be responsible for devising a social media strategy and analysing data such as website metrics. Social media specialists may also handle engagement, which involves interacting with brand communities and monitoring the audience's response to a brand or marketing campaign.

6. Marketing specialist

National average salary: £14.24 per hour

Primary duties: Marketing specialists create effective marketing campaigns to help companies achieve their sales goals. Their duties involve researching specific markets to help companies gain a better understanding of their competitors, analysing customer trends and evaluating the performance of marketing campaigns and strategies. They may work on a variety of projects and collaborate with other marketing and sales professionals.

7. Virtual assistant

National average salary: £11.53 per hour

Primary duties: Virtual assistants provide remote administrative assistance to a company or individual. They handle a variety of duties, including answering emails and phone calls, maintaining social media pages, scheduling appointments and making travel arrangements. Some virtual assistants may specialise in certain tasks such as bookkeeping, social media or marketing services. They may work for one person or have multiple clients at once.

8. Bookkeeper

National average salary: £14.15 per hour

Primary duties: Bookkeepers are responsible for maintaining financial records for businesses. Their duties include documenting financial transactions, recording income and expenses and using specialised software to produce reports and statements. Bookkeepers help companies handle their finances and ensure their financial records and statements are accurate and up-to-date. Bookkeepers are usually able to perform their duties online or over the phone, making it an ideal at-home job.

9. Call centre representative

National average salary: £11.50 per hour

Primary duties: Call centre representatives respond to calls from customers and provide helpful solutions. Their duties include listening to customer needs, handling complaints, troubleshooting problems and providing information about an organisation's products or services. They're also responsible for processing orders and updating reports and call logs. Many call centre representatives are able to work from home with equipment provided by the company.

10. Freelance writer

National average salary: £15.99 per hour

Primary duties: Freelance writers create a variety of written content for different outlets such as websites, magazines and films. They often write articles, advertising copy or website copy and may work for companies, agencies and other clients. Freelance writers perform research, write text in accordance with prescribed guidelines, proofread their assignments and work with editors to refine their work. Many freelance writers develop content based on creative briefs they receive from clients.

11. Freelance designer

National average salary: £21.40 per hour

Primary duties: Freelance designers create designs or visual concepts that serve as branding for a company or individual. They may be responsible for creating logos, illustrations, animations or developing layouts for magazines and website pages. Freelance designers typically work to a client's brief and develop creative ideas and concepts to suit their objectives before reviewing the final work with the client for final adjustments and approval.

12. Freelance photographer

National average salary: £20.67 per hour

Primary duties: Freelance photographers take photographs and produce high-quality images for their clients. After a shoot, photographers edit photos and provide clients with digital files or print photos. Photographers usually work to client briefs and create visual images for a variety of clients, including creative businesses and agencies. Many photographers specialise in certain areas like weddings, family or fashion photography.

Related: How to become a photographer

Tips for getting a job as a stay-at-home parent

Follow these tips to help yourself secure a job as a stay-at-home parent:

Prepare a personalised CV

Before submitting your job application, make sure that your CV is up to date and customised for the role you're applying for. Hiring managers look for applicants with relevant experiences, skills and qualifications for the position. If possible, highlight previous work experience and skills that suit the role to improve your chances of securing the job. It can be helpful to identify keywords from the job description and make sure you include them in your CV. If the employer also requires a cover letter, make sure to carefully personalise it to the role as well.

Consider your background

When deciding on a role, it's a good idea to consider your previous skills, academic background and work experience. Many roles require prior experience, so you can increase your employability by applying for roles that suit your credentials. For example, if you have marketing experience or a degree in business, you may suit a role as a marketing specialist. If you've been an office manager or administrative assistant, you could be a strong candidate for a virtual assistant position.

Develop computer skills

As most stay-at-home jobs involve working online and remotely, it can be helpful to develop computer literacy and refresh your knowledge of relevant computer skills. Make sure that you're familiar with common digital platforms and software that you're likely to require. Depending on the role, you can also demonstrate familiarity with popular project management tools, communication platforms and cloud-based storage systems.

Apply for courses

You may decide to take on a role that's completely different from your previous job or area of expertise. While formal qualifications or certifications may not be a requirement, it can be helpful to take online courses to build your knowledge and skills in areas relevant to the role. A wide variety of courses are available in diverse fields, such as social media marketing, photography and writing, which you can complete online from home.

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