Education
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What are the Different Home Typist Jobs?

Sheri Cyprus
Sheri Cyprus

There are real home typist jobs available although most of these are low paying and are contract projects rather than an ongoing part-time or full-time typing job. The best way to find legitimate home-based typist jobs is to have good typing and computer skills, be wary of scams, search locally as well as online and understand what the demand is for typing so you can meet it better than your competition. While you might start out doing general typing on assorted projects, eventually specializing in two or three areas may help you build experience that can lead to better paying home typist jobs. However, typist jobs from home are sought by many people since working from a home-based location is appealing and convenient for most workers.

Businesses in your area may need work transcribed from audio files. This can be a great start for those interested in home-based typist jobs that could help them get transcribing experience. General transcription experience may lead to better paying work, especially if home workers can get the medical or legal education and training needed to specialize in medical or legal transcription. These home typist jobs require specific knowledge and skills, but those interested can inquire at hospitals and doctor's offices as to what is needed to get this kind of work.

Some home typist type academic papers for students.
Some home typist type academic papers for students.

Typing papers for students is another area for home typist jobs, although the pay is lower than transcription and there is unfortunately more demand for people to write papers for students, which is plagiarism in many cases. Academic writing companies are permitted to operate under the theory that students are paying for a model essay rather than for their assignments to be written and typed for them, but of course, plagiarism could and has be known to occur in these situations.

Typists might help draft contracts for clients.
Typists might help draft contracts for clients.

It's also important to differentiate between writing and typing as some people advertising for a work at home typist actually want the typist to write original material for very low pay rather than just type it. Data entry jobs are typing based if the worker is not coming up with original material, but rather is expected to enter given information into a computer program to create documents. It's better to inquire at businesses if they need data entry or typing done than to answer vague ads for data entry or typing that sound too good to be true, as they are likely to be scams and not legitimate home typist jobs.

Discussion Comments

mobilian33

There was a time when people could actually make a decent living doing work from home jobs. I can recall plenty of people assembling items and stuffing envelopes for companies and being paid for the work. They didn't get rich, but it was a steady and reliable income for some people.

Nowadays, when I read ads offering pay for home typist jobs or any kind of work from home job, I am immediately wondering what kind of scam these people are running. I bet 99 percent of all work from home ads are not really work opportunities at all, but actually someone trying to get something for free or someone trying to get you to send them money in exchange for work that never arrives.

Sporkasia
@Drentel - I can relate to what you are saying about most people not being typists when you were in school. I can remember when I was in high school. I couldn't type very well, but my older sister could, so she usually typed my papers for me.

Once my classmates found out about my sister's typing skills, they would get me to take get her to type their papers in exchange for payment. For a couple of years there, my sister had a very profitable work from home typist job, and most of my classmates had well typed papers.

Drentel

When I was in college back in the dark ages, most people were not good typists. I can remember most of the guys on my football team running around trying to find someone to type papers for them at various times during a semester.

Whenever I took a class where a long paper was part of the requirement, I always got the report written early because I knew the typing part was probably going to take longer than putting the ideas together and writing them out.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Some home typist type academic papers for students.
      By: WavebreakmediaMicro
      Some home typist type academic papers for students.
    • Typists might help draft contracts for clients.
      By: V&P Photo Studio
      Typists might help draft contracts for clients.