The 12 best online jobs for students in the Philippines

Online jobs are an ideal way to bolster your tuition fees or living expenses, and they’re easier to find than ever. Learn more in this article.

The pandemic has forever changed the way we work. Online and part-time work is now easier to find than ever, making this an ideal time for students to supplement their living expenses or tuition fees with additional income. In this article, we’ll list some of the most popular online jobs for students in the Philippines, why you should consider getting one, and how to find one.

Why should I get an online job in the Philippines?

Working from home, also known as telecommuting or remote working, has grown in popularity over the last decade because of its many advantages. In essence, it means employees can work outside of the office, usually at home or from anywhere in the world, communicating with colleagues and clients online. However, because of the COVD-19 pandemic, even more people are wanting to work from home than ever. 

Remote work is not a new concept in the Philippines; it’s been well established for over a decade. You can work from home or anywhere you want if you have a good Internet connection and a decent computer setup. Students looking for extra cash can find a part-time online job in the Philippines to bolster their living expenses or tuition fees. Virtual assistance, online English teaching, and IT-related work are among the most popular home-based occupations, but you’ll find plenty more options below.

Because of the convenience and cost advantages it provides to both employees and businesses, working from home is fast becoming the norm.

5 benefits of online jobs

Online jobs carry considerable benefits – these are just five of them.

Flexibility

Some work-from-home jobs in the Philippines don’t require you to work during specific hours. This is most often the case for work that is assessed on output or deliverables, such as graphic design. Flexible working hours allow you to fit your work around your lifestyle, rather than the other way around.

No more commuting

Long traffic jams and unpleasant commutes will no longer trouble you, now that you don’t have to commute to work every day. With a work-from-home job, you can spend the time you would have spent commuting on your family or other passions. When you work from home, all you need is a computer and you’re good to go.

A better work-life balance

One of the advantages of home-based jobs is that you’ll have more time for yourself and your family, as well as more time for your studies. Working from home allows you greater flexibility and control over your schedule.

No dress code

Although some people prefer to dress up for work, many others prefer to work in casual clothing. Since you’re at home, you can even wear pyjamas if they make you more comfortable and productive. Dress up for video calls by changing into a fancy top! Many people prefer working from home because most dress requirements do not apply to remote work.

Environmental benefits

Finally, working from home has a positive impact on the environment. When you work from home, you contribute to fewer cars on the road and, as a result, fewer greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. According to studies, pandemic lockdowns in Southeast Asia resulted in less air pollution, lower noise levels, and enhanced air and water quality.

The 12 best online jobs for students in the Philippines

The options for online work are endless, but some online jobs are better suited for students than others – some may require a degree you don’t yet have or might demand too many hours. While the following list is by no means exhaustive, it includes some of the better options for balancing work with study. Here are the best online jobs for students in the Philippines, along with information on the required skills and average salary* for each.

*Salary information from Filipiknow.

1. Virtual Recruiter

You’ve likely applied for a few online jobs in the Philippines – but what about working on the other side of the desk? Virtual recruiters help businesses to find qualified people to fill open positions. Posting job ads online, looking for and contacting prospects, reviewing and screening applicants, conducting initial phone interviews, arranging candidate interviews with management, and supporting candidates through the hiring process are just a few of the responsibilities.

Salary: PHP180 – PHP300 per hour, or PHP10,000 – PHP20,000 per month.

Required skills and qualities:

• Good English
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Good social skills
• Problem-solving skills 

Pros:

• Open to everyone, though previous experience in HR or recruiting is preferred

Cons:

• The pressure of quotas
• Irregular hours

2. Video Editor

Video editing is a lucrative side career, but it requires creativity, attention to detail, and a lot of patience to succeed. The most common part-time assignments include editing wedding films, commercial ads, and clips for YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Salary: PHP700 – PHP3,500 per video, or approximately PHP10,000 – PHP26,000 per month.

Required skills and qualities:

• Expertise in a video-editing suite such as Adobe Premier or Final Cut
•  A good artistic eye
• Plenty of patience

Pros:

•  Potentially lucrative
• Flexible hours

Cons:

•  Potentially frustrating, particularly when dealing with difficult clients.

3. Translator

If you’re in college and studying linguistics or a foreign language, working part-time as an internet translator is a great way to put your abilities to use.

Salary: PHP200 – PHP700 per page, or approximately PHP10,000 per month.

Required skills and qualities:

• Excellent command of Filipino and at least one other foreign language (English is most in demand)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word

Pros: 

• Easy money for bilingual students

Cons:

• Occasionally challenging, especially when technical subjects are involved

4.  Graphic Designer

Jobs in graphic design pay highly, especially for designers who can also code. Use your downtime to design websites, periodicals, and marketing and advertising materials.

Salary: PHP130 – PHP260 per hour, or 10,000 – PHP30,000 per month.

Required skills and qualities:

• Experience in software such as Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator
• An artistic eye

Pros:

• Potentially lucrative
• Creative and fun

Cons:

• The occasional difficult client
• Software licences can be expensive

5.  Online surveys

People who are willing to participate in research are often compensated by companies and academic institutions. Taking online surveys is a simple way to earn money: just register for a survey website account, wait for an email invitation, then finish the survey in around 30 minutes. Your profile needs to satisfy the criteria for each survey, so survey invitations can be irregular. Even so, taking online surveys is a fun way to make money in your spare time.

Salary: Up to PHP300 per survey

Pros:

• An easy and quick way to earn money
• Total flexibility
• No experience or skills required 

Cons:

• Low pay
• Irregular work

6. Providing transcription services

You don’t need to graduate before you can provide ordinary transcription services; you just listen to audio or video recordings and type what you hear as a transcriber. Specialised transcription jobs require knowledge in subjects like law, medicine, education, or engineering, so are better suited to postgraduate students.

Salary: PHP13 – PHP30 per minute transcribed, or approximately PHP7,000 – PHP13,000 per month.

Required skills and qualities:

• Great English or Filipino comprehension
• Excellent typing skills

Pros:

•  No experience or degree is required, except for some specialised transcription jobs

Cons:

• It can be challenging to deal with fast speech or heavy accents

7. Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants are similar to corporate secretaries in that they provide administrative and personal support, but do so from a distance. Proofreading, researching, data entry, organising files, scheduling meetings, making presentations, monitoring social media and emails may be assigned to a virtual assistant, depending on the client’s business.

Salary: PHP150 – PHP500 per hour, or PHP10,000 – PHP15,000 per month.

Required skills and qualities:

• Excellent communication
• Well organised

Pros:

• Demand is high, so it’s easy to get work in this field

Cons:

• You may be required at short notice
• Potentially long hours

8. Online English Tutor

If you’re fluent in English and enjoy conversing with people from various cultures, try your hand at teaching English online. You can make money by teaching conversational English to students in South Korea, China, or Japan. Video conferencing is used for most classes, which generally last 30-60 minutes.

Salary: PHP150 – PHP260 per hour, or PHP10,000 – PHP19,000 per month.

Required skills and qualities:

• Excellent English
• Patience and empathy
• Good organisational skills

Pros:

• There’s high demand for English tutoring, so you’ll always have work
• No formal qualification required, although obtaining certification will allow you to command a higher price 

Cons:

• Mentally demanding

9. Social Media Management

If you’re a prolific social media user and know how to keep an internet audience interested, you can profit from your abilities. Businesses and entrepreneurs engage remote workers to handle their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn profiles. Social media managers generate and schedule posts, respond to comments and private messages, and track results.

Salary: PHP100 – PHP260 per hour, or PHP5,000 – PHP20,000 per month.

Required skills and qualities:

• Proficiency in a variety of social media platforms
• Design and copywriting skills
• Customer service skills
• Fluency in English 

Pros:

• Fun and novel work

Cons:

• Dealing with bad reviews and internet trolls
• Occasionally demanding work (having to post many times on multiple platforms at once)

10.  Online researcher

If you enjoy conducting research, you can get paid to collect data about a given topic from a variety of web sources. Alternatively, look for a part-time job as a product researcher, which involves assisting clients in their research on rivals or sourcing products for them to sell on.

Salary: PHP100 – PHP300 per hour, or PHP5,000 – PHP15,000 per month.

Required skills and qualities:

• Good research and communication skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel

Pros:

• Novel and interesting work
• No previous experience or qualifications required 

Cons:

•  Low pay

11. Data entry

Data entry is a simple way to make money online – just type text into spreadsheets or documents. Although the work isn’t particularly lucrative, you can make a reasonable living by taking on high-volume jobs.

Salary: PHP100 – PHP400 per hour, or PHP5,000 – PHP20,000 per month.

Required skills and qualities:

• Excellent typing skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel 

Pros:

• Simple
• No qualifications required
• Flexible hours 

Cons:

• Low pay
• Can be tedious

12. Telemarketing

Telemarketing is the process of selling items and services over the phone or generating leads. You will be given a list of contacts and will be required to follow a script. Telemarketers are paid a bonus for each sign-up or sale in addition to their standard income.

Salary: PHP100 – PHP300 per hour, or PHP13,000 – PHP30,000 per month, plus commissions.

Minimum qualifications:

• Fluency in English
• Great communication and sales skills 

Pros:

•  Excellent incentives and compensation for sales

Cons:

• Irregular hours
• Aggressive customers

8 sites where students can find online jobs in the Philippines

These are some of the best sites for students to find work online in the Philippines, though they are by no means the only ones.

• OnlineJobs connects businesses in countries such as the United States with workers in the Philippines who are willing to accept lower pay than Americans.
• Outsourced, like OnlineJobs, is an Australian-based online BPO. Yamaha, Fox Sports, and other companies have used the platform in the past.
• HomeJobs, one of the larger platforms, has been covered on CNN, ANC, GMA, and just about every other major network. There are an estimated one million professionals using the platform.
• Virtual Coworker is a smaller company than the others on our list, with roughly 1,500 employees working for over 1,000 clients, many of whom are based in the United States, Australia and Canada.
• UpWork, one of the most prominent freelance websites, connects businesses with freelancers who specialise in areas like Blockchain, UX design and more.
• Outsourcely, an international network for more than 50,000 companies in need of workers, connects more than 400,000 remote workers from 180 countries.
• Freelancer is similar to Craigslist for freelancers. Most positions are project-based, and freelancers are often paid by the hour.
• Virtual Staff Finder is where clients find SEO experts, podcasters, and internet marketers, among other services.

Final thoughts

Part-time online jobs in the Philippines are now easier to find and more lucrative than ever. While many don’t require additional qualifications, enrolling in a short online course – like the ones available on FutureLearn – can enhance your resumé and make you more attractive to potential employers.