Do you find your 9-5 job increasingly stressful and less fulfilling? If so, consider joining over 3 million Canadians who opted to strike out on their own through self-employed jobs from home.
Learn how much you can earn from jobs like web designer, virtual assistant, graphic designer, copywriter, translator, photographer and consultant.
Explore 30 of the most popular self-employed jobs that give Canadians more freedom and independence and their pros and cons, and see what works best for you.
Key Takeaways
- A self-employed job gives you more independence, flexibility and higher satisfaction and teaches you valuable life skills.
- Some of the highest paying self employed jobs today include web designer, graphic designer, consultant, web developer, e-commerce seller, real estate investor and real estate agent.
- Among the pros of being self-employed are creative freedom, earning potential, independence and flexibility. The cons include less job security, long hours, and lack of employment benefits.
Why Should You Have a Self-Employed Job?
There are several compelling reasons why you should find the best self employed jobs in Canada and be your own boss.
- Higher job satisfaction due to passion pursuit
- Independence in terms of schedules, projects and making business decisions
- Flexibility of working hours and location
- The challenge of building and managing your own business
- The ability to develop a wide array of valuable life skills
Highest-Paying Self-Employed Jobs
Find below a list of some of the most profitable self-employed jobs today.
| Self-Employed Job | Pay Range/Hour | Average Hourly Pay |
| Web Designer | $20.00-$54.36 | $31.79 |
| Event Planner | $17.00-$43.27 | $26.44 |
| Virtual Assistant | $45,600-$85,689 per year | $27.23 |
| Graphic Designer | $19.23-$46.63 | $29.60 |
| Social Media Manager | $28.85-$87.91 | $52.88 |
| Copywriter | $18.75-$46.67 | $35.10 |
| Translator | $19.20-$44.23 | $30.77 |
| Photographer | $16.00-$40.87 | $22.00 |
| Consultant | $25.00-$67.69 | $41.03 |
| Web Developer | $20.60-$58.97 | $36.06 |
| Digital Marketer | $19.00-$52.88 | $31.19 |
| Proofreader | $34,613-$60,500 | $22.22 |
| Driver | $50,000-$70,000 | up to $35.00 per hour |
| Videographer | $17.00-$53.10 | $33.98 |
| Online Tutor or Teacher | $39,000-$49,000 a year | $44,000 yearly |
| Makeup Artist | $18.17-$47.38 | $31.00 |
| Pet Sitter | $14.00-$26.74 | $17.00 |
| Transcriptionist | $15.00-$33.50 | $24.60 |
| Pastry Chef | $15.00-$28.85 | $20.00 |
| Personal Trainer | $14.00-$30.00 | $18.00 |
| Babysitter | $14.00-$22.50 | $17.00 |
| Gig Worker/Freelancer | $48,692-$126,750 per year | $38.59 hourly |
| Real Estate Investor | $76,262-$177,053 per year | $66.62 |
Web Designer
Web design is one of the tech industry’s highest-paid self-employed jobs. The hourly salary for this job ranges from $20.00-$54.36, depending on experience. The job includes developing the aesthetics and functionality of a website and may include design work or web development.
Event Planner
An event planner can earn anywhere from $17.00-$43.27 an hour, with the average salary at $26.44. Event planning involves assisting individuals and businesses in coordinating various events, including meetings, conferences, parties, weddings, etc.
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants can make an average of $27.23 hourly and up to $85,689 annually. As a VA, your primary duties include providing administrative services to customers while working remotely. Answering phone calls and emails, making travel arrangements, scheduling meetings, and reminding people about deadlines are among a VA’s responsibilities.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers, particularly for the web, earn around $19.23-$46.63 an hour. Web graphic designers create visual communications and graphics using programs like Adobe Photoshop. They often work with website owners and web designers to create websites.
Social Media Manager
The hourly salary of a social media community manager in Canada ranges from $28.85-$87.91, with the average at $52.88, making it one of the best self employed jobs from home. Social media managers are tasked to increase a client’s followers on social media through social campaigns, content production, analytics evaluation and influencer marketing.
Copywriter
Copywriters earn up to $46.67 an hour creating a broad array of content, such as product descriptions, press releases, blog posts, email campaigns, newsletters and sales campaigns that aim to sell products as well as engage and educate customers.
Translator
Translators make around $19.20-$44.23 an hour translating written text from one language to another, often to help businesses communicate with customers across languages and cultures. The materials translated may include website content, product descriptions and marketing materials.
Photographer
Photographers can make an average of $22.00 and up to $40.87 an hour using their proficiency, creativity and technical expertise in capturing subjects in commercial-quality images. Photography types include wedding, fashion, medical, product, film set, and freelance.
Consultant
Consultancy, among the highest paying self employed jobs, is crucial for businesses seeking expert guidance and specialized knowledge in their niches and fields of work. A business management consultant can earn up to $67.69 an hour helping organizations by advising them on their area of expertise.
Web Developer
Web developers in Canada can earn as much as $20.60-$58.97 per hour developing and maintaining websites for clients and businesses, handling the technical aspects that include performance and capacity, and, in some cases, creating website content.
Digital Marketer
Digital marketers use their extensive knowledge of online channels to promote a company and its products, generate sales leads, launch online marketing campaigns, build brand awareness, and ensure the website reaches the target market. Digital marketing specialists can earn an average of $31.19 or up to $52.88 an hour.
Proofreader
Proofreaders use their skills to ensure content is free of punctuation, grammar and style errors. They also verify the accuracy of information. Sometimes called guardians of quality content, they earn around $34,613-$60,500 annually.
Real Estate Agent
Real estate agents are among the best paid self employed jobs. Residential real estate agents in Canada earned up to $178,000 last year organizing and assisting in real estate transactions, particularly selling and purchasing commercial or residential property on behalf of their clients.
Driver
Transport drivers can make up to $35.00 per hour driving straight trucks or tractor-trailers to deliver finished goods or raw materials to various land destinations. The annual compensation of truck drivers can be between $50,000 and $70,000, depending on the number of hours they work.
e-Commerce Seller
e-Commerce selling refers to the buying and selling of goods and services online. Industry experts predict global e-commerce sales to reach $8 trillion by 2026. A Shopify merchant can earn approximately $84,863 a year on average.
Videographer
Videography entails capturing live events and small-scale video productions or private ceremonies, like weddings, professional conferences and corporate documentaries. The hourly rate of a videographer ranges from $17.00-$53.10.
Best Self-Employed Jobs From Home
Below are some of the best paying self employed jobs you can do from home.
Online Tutor or Teacher
Online tutoring involves tutoring in an online or virtual environment, with students and teachers participating in classes from different locations. An online tutor can make anywhere from $39,000-$49,000 a year, or an average of $44,000 providing guidance and support to students.
Makeup Artist
Makeup artists prepare their clients for photo shoots by altering or enhancing their appearance and emphasizing their facial features using cosmetic products and makeup techniques. Their average hourly salary is $31.00 and can go up to $47.38.
Pet Sitter
Pet sitting refers to taking care of a pet in its home while its owner is away, avoiding animal distress caused by transporting or leaving the pet behind. A pet sitter can earn up to $26.74 an hour.
Transcriptionist
A transcriptionist is a professional typist tasked to listen to live or recorded audio files, type out what they hear and convert them into text format using a word processing program or transcription software. A medical transcriptionist in Canada can make between $15 and $33.50 per hour, or $24.60 on average.
Making and Selling Baked Goods
Home bakeries can be profitable, especially if you aim for a 20% net profit margin. A pastry chef can earn between $15.00 and $28.85 hourly, or an average of $20.00.
Personal Trainer
A personal trainer develops and delivers physical fitness programs based on their client’s needs and goals and monitors their progress. The average hourly rate for this job is $18.00 and can go up to $30.00.
Babysitter
Babysitters are responsible for caring for children in the absence of their parents and usually handle activities such as arts and crafts, games, and sports. The average hourly salary of a nanny is $17.00, or up to $22.50.
Work in the Gig Economy
The gig economy refers to short-term jobs, freelance work and other temporary work contracts that workers can obtain via online platforms or phone apps. Gig workers operate as independent contractors, can accept contractual work from various clients and earn more than regular employees. The average salary of a freelancer is $75,262 per year or $38.60 hourly.
Invest in Real Estate
Real estate investing can be a lucrative job for anyone seeking self-employment. According to SalaryExpert (powered by ERI, or Economic Research Institute), the average base salary of a real estate investor in Canada is $138,561 a year, or an hourly rate of $66.62.
Create a Blog
Creating and maintaining a blog can be a good source of income. Choose a topic that is not saturated and build your target audience by consistently providing valuable content. A blogger in Canada can earn an average of $60,893 per year, or up to $72,000.
Buy and Flip Items For a Profit
Flipping items can be a profitable side hustle, especially if you choose high-demand items that sell quickly. Among the best items to flip are automobiles, vintage furniture, collectibles, designer clothing, power tools, baby items and electronics.
Interior Designer
An interior designer is a professional who designs interior spaces of a house or building to make them safe, functional and visually appealing. The average pay for this job ranges from $17.25-$49.45 per hour.
Life Coach
Life coaching involves providing clients with guidance and support to facilitate their personal growth, helping them with goal setting and developing methods that help them succeed. A life coach can earn an average of $25 per hour, or up to $75,086 per year.
Bookkeeper
A bookkeeper records and maintains a client’s financial transactions and records the financial data into ledgers to be used in creating a balance sheet and income statement. The hourly salary of a bookkeeper ranges from $17.71-$41.21.
Pros and Cons of Self-Employed Jobs
The following are some of the most common merits and challenges for self-employed professionals:
Pros:
- You are your own boss
- Creative freedom
- Earning potential
- Flexibility
- Independence
- Ability to set own schedule
Cons:
- Your income is dependent on you
- Inconsistent income
- Lack of employment benefits
- Less job security
- Long hours
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