10 Closed Captioning Jobs That Allow You to Work From Home

The other night, my hubby and I snuggled down to have some quiet time in front of the TV when it occurred to us that the closed captioning feature was activated on one of the channels. As we fiddled with the remote, I began to wonder: How do all the shows and movies get these captions? Better yet, is this a potential job opportunity that would allow me to work from home? A little research, and to my surprise, the answer was YES!

Not only can you work from home watching classic TV shows, movies, and YouTube videos, many of these closed captioning positions also pay well. Talk about a win-win.

Where can you find these fantastic closed captioning jobs that allow you to work from home? No worries, we’ve done the research and the work for you.

Below, we’ve found some of the best companies hiring right now for closed captioning jobs that allow you to work at home.

Working at Home as a Captioner: What You Can Expect

Before we dive into where you can find captioning jobs that allow you to work at home, we thought it might be helpful to get a quick overview of what closed captioning entails and what you could be working on in this position.

You might already know that closed captioning are those descriptions that appear at the bottom of a TV screen during a show or movie. These captions help deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals understand the content of the program.

As a captioner, you’ll watch shows or videos (how fun is that?!) and type what you hear.

You should be comfortable working on a computer and typing accurately and quickly as well. Some captioners can type around 225 WPM (words per minute)! Aside from these qualifications, you will need a reliable internet connection and headphones. Check the equipment requirements before applying to ensure you have what you’ll need to succeed as a captioner with the company.

There are also two types of captioning positions you should be aware of as you start your closed captioning work at home adventure:

• Offline captioning
• Live captioning

Offline captioners are what many of the companies below want. These transcribers caption pre-recorded TV shows, movies, or educational videos.

If the program isn’t “live” on the air, it’s noted as offline captioning. This position offers the most flexibility, allowing you to set your schedule since the shows are pre-recorded.

Real-time captioners, as you may have already guessed, provide captioning to live broadcasts. Think meetings, newscasts, events, court reporters, etc. These positions require that you type at an extremely fast speed and generally require professional certification or schooling.

Some companies provide training or a “practice run” before hiring.

Most companies hire remotely for these positions, making these captioning jobs the perfect work-at-home opportunity.

Ready to earn some cash watching TV? Sounds crazy, I know, but believe me, it’s all true!

Check out these companies hiring captioners below.

1. Aberdeen

Aberdeen hires remote real-time live broadcast captioners. For this position, you’ll need a typing speed of 180-220 WPM, have two computers, three phone lines, and closed captioning software. Before getting hired, you’ll need to pass a real-time captioning test with 98% accuracy.

2. CaptioningStar

CaptioningStar is a captioning company that hires real-time freelance captioners. There’s not much information on their website about the positions, so you’ll need to contact them for further details.

3. Captionmax

This company hires in-person and remote transcribers, real-time captioners, and offline captioners. To apply as a captioner with Captionmax, you will need some experience (typically 1-2 years). Read through the requirements to see if it’s a good fit for you, and then press that “apply now” button.

4. Caption Media Group

Caption Media Group hires US-based closed captioners with two years of experience. They don’t have a career page on their website, but you can check sites like LinkedIn and Indeed for openings.

5. CrowdSurf

CrowdSurf hires freelancers from around the globe to transcribe audio clips into text documents. To start on CrowdSurf, you’ll need to create an account and pass a brief assessment. Once that’s complete, you’ll begin working on transcription tasks. As you prove yourself on the platform, you’ll be able to work on higher-paying tasks like captioning. In this freelance role, you can work anytime, and you’ll receive payment per task. This is an excellent place for beginners to try out captioning and transcription jobs.

6. Daily Transcription

If you’re a transcriber, captioner, or subtitler, check out Daily Transcription. To apply as a captioner or subtitler, you must live in the US or Canada and have prior experience. In these roles, you’ll work as a freelancer, and payments are made weekly by check.

7. Rev

This is one of the more popular closed captioning sites. Their application is straightforward, and you can apply to multiple positions under the “captioning” umbrella. Positions on Rev include transcriptionists, captioners, subtitlers, and translators.

Each of these positions has its own application process, so apply to one or all. Rev hires beginners who can pass a grammar test and provide a satisfactory closed captioning sample. Payments go out weekly via PayPal.

8. TransPerfect

Aside from the great captioner positions available, this company looks like a fun place to work. They embrace the idea of mixing business with pleasure, and the overall company culture seems warm and inviting.

Be sure to check out this opportunity and investigate their other positions posted. Along with their current freelancer and internal positions, TransPerfect has a general freelancer application, so you can register with the company for current and upcoming jobs.

9. Vanan Captioning

Vanan Captioning hires freelancers for translation, closed captioning, open captioning, offline captioning, video captioning, and more. According to their website, they provide captioning services for platforms like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, and Facebook. There isn’t much information about these roles on their website, so check out Indeed and Glassdoor for reviews.

10. VITAC

VITAC hires in-person and remote (location-based) captioners for real-time captioning and offline closed captioning jobs. There are different requirements for the various roles, and the full-time positions offer benefits to employees. To find the remote positions of their site, look for the keyword remote in the job listing.

Looking for More Closed Captioning Jobs? Try These!

As a work-at-home mom, I’ve dipped onto job boards here and there to investigate companies that might be hiring. If you’re seeking closed captioning work, online job boards and are another great place to look!

Several companies seek closed captioners and often post only to job boards. Type in “closed captioning” or “transcriber” in the search section, and voila! A list of possibilities. Check out these awesome boards for closed captioning jobs at home, and let us know what you find.

• FlexJobs
• Indeed

Another way of finding captioning work is by posting a job yourself. Check out marketplace sites and post your pay rate and position. Here are two possible places to start:

• Upwork
• Fiverr

Conclusion

Finding closed captioning jobs that allow you to work at home (remember you could work more than one!) can be a rewarding and stable source of income. If you love to type, like watching movies and videos (um, who doesn’t?), and enjoy flexible scheduling, then closed captioning jobs are the way to go.

Did you check out any of these positions? Score a job? Have questions about these jobs? Let us know below!

Originally published February 4, 2019. Content updated December 2021.