11 Best Online Jobs in Kenya (Pays in Dollars Hourly)

Last updated on February 4th, 2024 at 12:19 pm

Online jobs provide a great opportunity for people in Kenya to earn an income working remotely from home.

The flexibility, convenience, and potential to earn in foreign currencies make online work appealing.

This article will highlight 11 of the best online jobs Kenyans can do to earn hourly wages without requiring special expertise.

Whether you want to earn some extra money on the side or replace a full-time income, these opportunities can fit different needs.

11 Online Jobs in Kenya That Pays Hourly (in Dollars)

1. Online Tutoring

One of the top online jobs for Kenyans is online tutoring.

The demand for online education has exploded globally, and you can take advantage of this trend.

There are sites like VIPKid and QKids that let you teach English to Chinese students.

To qualify, you’ll need:

• Native or fluent English abilities
• A bachelor’s degree
• Strong internet connection
• A computer

Pay averages $14 – $26 USD per hour. This compensates extremely well for Kenyans. You set your own schedule for as little as 6 hours a week or as much as full-time.

The work involves leading 25 minute lessons on vocabulary, pronunciation, reading, and conversation with Chinese kids ages 4 to 15.

It can be enjoyable and rewarding to see students progressing under your guidance.

Besides China, look into Latin America and the Middle East for similar online English teaching roles with reputable programs like DadaABC and Open English. Hourly rates vary, but often exceed $10 USD.

2. Virtual Assistant Jobs

Becoming a virtual assistant (VA) represents another realistic online job for Kenyans that pays hourly.

Many businesses worldwide need help with administrative tasks but can’t afford full-time local staff.

That’s where remote assistants based in Kenya come in.

Typical virtual assistant duties include:

• Email handling
• Calendar management
• Data entry
• Customer service
• Scheduling appointments
• Travel arrangements

Rates for virtual assistants range from around $15-30 USD per hour.

Higher levels of experience and specializations in areas like social media, web design, or accounting enable VAs to charge more per hour.

Kenyans fluent in languages beyond English like French or Arabic can also earn more working as bilingual VAs.

Reputable sites to find remote VA jobs include Upwork, Fiverr, and OnlineJobs.ph.

You can search job boards directly or list your services for employers to browse.

Building reviews and ratings establishes credibility to land more consistent work with the best clients over time.

It helps to specialize in industries like real estate, healthcare, or eCommerce as well.

3. Call Center Representative

Customer service call center roles present a steady source of hourly income for Kenyans online.

Companies focused on the US, UK, or Australia markets often outsource call center work to agents in the Philippines, India, and increasingly, Kenya.

As a call center representative, typical responsibilities involve:

• Receiving inbound calls
• Answering product questions
• Troubleshooting technical issues
• Managing customer complaints
• Processing orders or payments
• Making outbound calls for sales / surveys

Kenya’s strong internet infrastructure supports remote call center work. English fluency is mandatory, and pay is commonly $2-5 USD per hour.

This compensation seems small compared to the above jobs. But when considering Kenya’s lower costs of living, online call center incomes remain appealing.

For Kenyans interested in this field, applying directly with prominent business process outsourcing (BPO) companies like Helpware, Martal Group and CIENCE Technologies is advised.

These large firms have established training programs, clients, and call volume to provide steady televirtual call center employment.

Outside of BPOs, check general online job boards for customer service agent roles as well.

4. Chat Support Agents

Alongside call centers, chat support positions are increasing for those assisting customers online.

Kenyans who prefer typing over phone conversations can thrive in chat support roles.

And make money online per hour!

Common chat support tasks involve:

• Greeting website visitors proactively via chat pop-ups
• Answering product questions
• Advising customers on purchases
• Providing refund or exchange assistance
• Troubleshooting site issues
• Processing payments or orders

Benefits of chat support include:

• Increased flexibility to handle multiple chats simultaneously
• Reduced stress compared to call centers
• Ability to access help resources while chatting
• Records of chat conversations

Pay for chat agents starts around $3 USD per hour, averaging $6+ USD for more technical support. Though lower paid, chat support jobs have far less pressure than voice support over the phones. This allows completing more interactions per hour to earn decent cumulative incomes.

Those interested can search site like FlexJobs, Remotists, and We Work Remotely for online chat support roles.

Opportunity exists with eCommerce companies, travel sites, banks, and other firms operating online to serve global customers.

Language skills beyond English – especially Spanish, French and German – can qualify Kenyans for more positions and higher pay in European markets.

5. Freelance Writers

Kenyans with strong English writing abilities should consider freelance writing side gigs.

Over 500 million blog posts get published every month globally.

Meanwhile, over $1 billion USD gets spent on digital marketing content like whitepapers, eBooks, product descriptions, emails, social posts and more. Brands worldwide need quality, affordable writers.

As a freelance writer based in Kenya, you can make $15-30+ USD per hour, or charge per project. Topics range from:

• Technology
• Business & Finance
• Health & Fitness
• Travel
• Food & Cooking
• Parenting & Relationships

Niche websites and blogs often pay the most for writers knowledgeable about industry topics.

But those new to freelance writing can start out creating content for generalist platforms first to gain experience, ratings, and earnings potential.

Some sites to find freelance writing jobs include:

• iWriter
• Contena
• Scripted
• WriterAccess

Proof of your writing quality will determine pay rates. Having sample articles or niche expertise helps increase earnings.

Strong grammar skills are mandatory for any writing role. For the best compensation, focus on landing direct clients versus content mill sites over time.

Beyond writing articles, proofreading, copywriting, transcriptions, product descriptions, and translations represent other freelance writing services to offer.

Explore all options, get creative, and keep honing your English writing skills.

Here are 6 more online jobs that pay hourly in kenya:

6. Search Engine Evaluator

Search engine companies like Google, Bing and Yahoo hire online workers to assess the quality of search results. Your feedback helps improve algorithms. As a search engine evaluator, you’ll be paid for each search query you evaluate. Pay averages around $14 USD per hour.

7. Transcriptionist

Transcribing audio files like interviews, meetings, podcasts and videos has high demand globally. With quick and accurate typing skills, Kenyans can find transcription work paying around $15 per hour. Specializing in niche industries like legal and medical transcriptions earns even more.

8. Data Entry Clerk

Firms worldwide need data migrated from paper documents or audio files into digital formats.

Data entry clerks get paid by production or hourly with average rates of $15 per hour. Work involves accurately inputting large volumes of information into databases and spreadsheets. Attention to detail is vital.

9. Web Content Reviewer

Major search companies hire web content reviewers to evaluate the information accuracy of search listings.

You’ll research websites and provide quality ratings. Compensation averages $14 USD per hour depending on locale.

10. Teacher’s Assistant

Online classrooms need virtual teacher’s assistants to help manage lessons, grade assignments and answer student questions. Most opportunities support English language students with pay ranging from $12-20 USD hourly depending on experience.

11. Software Tester

Technology companies hire remote workers to test websites, apps, platforms and tools to identify bugs and issues before launch. No coding expertise is necessary. You follow established test plans with attention to detail. Pay averages $15 USD per hour.

Key Takeaways

• Online tutoring, especially teaching English, provides excellent hourly income potential for Kenyans
• There is growing demand globally for virtual assistants to support small business owners
• Call center and chat support agent roles continue increasing to serve international customers
• Fluency in languages beyond English boosts opportunities and earnings across online jobs
• Freelance writing leverages English skills to earn attractive USD rates