The landscape of earning money has changed significantly in today’s rapidly moving economy. The old 9-to-5 job provides less financial security and is not the only way to earn money. With the internet and mobile technology opening so many doors of opportunity for people to make money with their free time and devise creative and flexible opportunities to earn and monetize, they’re now turning into a common method for earning extra money without commitment, or specialized skills.
In this article, we will discuss what microtasks are, how they work, where you can find microtasks, and how to make the most money during free time.
What Are Microtasks?
Microtasks are small jobs that happen to take a few minutes to complete, and they generally represent parts of a larger job that are divided between a large number of people. Microtasks usually take only a few minutes to complete. Most microtasks will not require a lot of training and few qualifications provide a path for you to get the microtask done without foreknowledge. This makes microtasks available to just about anyone with an Internet connection.
Microtasks examples include:
- Data entry and data verification
- Image tagging or classification
- Survey taking
- Transcribing short audio clips
- Content moderation
- Basic web-based research
- Website or app testing
- Captcha solving
Microtasks will typically be hosted on an online platform, where users can browse and select microtasks based on their interest and availability.
Reasons for the Popularity of Microtasks
The continued popularity of microtasking can be attributed to a few different reasons, including:
- Flexibility
Microtask platforms allow you to work when you want, where you want. Whether you’re in need of a quick break at work to refresh your mind or you’ve got an hour before bed, you can find tasks to complete from the comfort of your choice. - No Set Degree or Special Skills Required
Most microtasks are designed to be simple and repetitive. They fit nicely for participants who may not have an education or degree, or advanced special skill, but want to earn money online. - Get Paid Quickly or Low Payout Thresholds
Microtask platforms pay quickly. Some pay the same day you complete the task, while others can set low thresholds that allow you to cash out your balance sooner rather than later. - Extra Money
Microtasks apart from your job or full-time gigs will not earn you a living – but it’s a great way to earn extra money. Microtasks in particular have high popularity for students, stay-at-home parents, freelancers, or your average worker who finds pockets of time in their daily routines.
Top Microtask Website
There are many websites where you can start earning money from microtasks. Here are some of the more popular platforms with tons of different options for microtasking.
- Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)
At MTurk, you can find many microtask options. MTurk is one of the oldest microtask platforms and there is tons of competition! Available tasks vary by region, type of task, and availability, but generally you can find a variety of tasks to accomplish from data categorization, survey participation, transcription, and others. - Clickworker
Clickworker has multiple categories of “microjobs.” Writing, translating, researching, data processing, etc. Plus, they even have mobile-based jobs you can work on the go! - Appen
Appen is broken down by data annotation, and AI training. Appen tends to have a higher pay scale than some of the microtask platforms, however many of their tasks require you to pass a qualification test, so they may be tougher to get. - Microworkers
Microworkers offers a huge variety of international microtasks! Things like social media engagement, app testing, surveys, and so many simple jobs. - Remotasks
Remotasks is focused on data relabeling and AI training tasks like image annotation and transcription. Remotasks often provide free training which helps you add skills and makes you elgible for higher paying jobs. - Swagbucks and InboxDollars
Swagbucks and InboxDollars are not typical micro task platforms, but they pay you to complete shorter activities, like answering survey questions, watching videos, and shopping!
How Much Can You Make?
Microtask earnings can vary widely by platform, task, and time committed. Microtasks can typically pay out a few cents to a few dollars in pay per task. Workers that are at the higher end of the volume can earn $100 to $500 per month or more. However, the hourly wage is often below the minimum wage.
Nonetheless, microtasking can be a meaningful side income if you have a plan and give it a consistent effort!
Ways to Boost Your Microtask Earnings
If you’re looking to make money doing microtasks, there are a few things you can do increase earnings:
- Use Multiple Platforms
The best way to maximize your microtask earning potential is to sign up for and work on several platforms. If one has a low volume of tasks that day, the other could have plenty. - Identify Higher Paying Tasks
Spend some time identifying tasks that pay consistently better relative to our time spent. After doing a few hundred of these tasks you will begin to identify every type of task you believe you will find worth your time. - Become Faster and More Accurate
Most platforms, especially the ones that offer the highest paying tasks around, go through a qualification process. Most of the time this requires some sort of accuracy but eventually performance will play into it as well. If there is a capability to earn more money for a 5-minute job, why not practice doing it in 4 minutes instead? - Take Advantage of Downtime
If you’re sitting in traffic, who knows how much time you waste waiting? The good news is that every job market has down-time. Try making an extra few bucks while you sit idly, maybe while you sit on your couch watching TV. - Track your Time and Earnings
Have a simple spreadsheet, or an app, to track the time you’re spending versus the money you’re making. You’ll want to keep track in order to evaluate whether microtasking is worth your time for the pay received.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Microtasking
Benefits:
- Versatile and easy to start
- No special skills or equipment needed
- You can do it from anywhere
- You can do it in small amounts
Drawbacks: - Pay-per-task is low
- The work can be repetitive and boring
- There’s latent growth potential
- Some platforms have a learning curve or qualification process
Conclusion
Microtasking can be a practical way to earn some extra cash in the free time that you do have. While it may not make you rich, it can buy small treats, help develop healthy time awareness and even introduce you to the world of online work. If you are looking to save for a nice product, try to pay off a bill or just find a productive use of idle time of any financial value, microtasking is a legitimate and accessible way to utilize your time more productively.
If you have found interest in getting started, look into a few different platforms, jump into a few tasks or even experiments to see what fits your needs. Consistency and well developed strategy will lead your spare minutes to be a productive source of income.
