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Best Work-at-Home Jobs for People with Chronic Illnesses

Best Work-at-Home Jobs for People with Chronic IllnessesMany moons ago, I worked as a pediatric nurse on a medical-surgical unit at the children’s hospital. While there was a lot of flexibility with this job, and it came with good benefits and pay — it also came with a lot of stress.

I worked 12-hour shifts from 7 PM to 7 AM. Not only is the night shift hard on one’s body, but you also have fewer resources and staff to assist you during the evenings.

Over the course of a year, I had seven children crash on me. Seven situations where children were so sick, they almost died and had to be transferred to the PICU. This stress, coupled with crazy hours, put my body into a tailspin.

I went to the doctor to tell him about my symptoms, panic attacks, anxiety, weight gain, chronic fatigue, sleep issues, and gastrointestinal problems to find out that I had hypothyroidism. A chronic illness that I will forever have to take medication for and one that often wreaks havoc on my overall well-being.

Living with chronic illness can be a huge challenge.

The good news is there are many independent contracting jobs, freelance careers, and home-based business opportunities that allow you to set your own schedule, making it easier to earn an income when you have a chronic illness. When you work for yourself, you can work when you’re feeling up to it and take breaks when you need to.

If you’re struggling to keep a job and earn an income due to your chronic condition, here are some of the best work-at-home jobs for people with chronic illnesses.

Home-Based Jobs for People with Chronic Illnesses

1. Blogger

Blogging is a wonderful, flexible, work-at-home career for people with chronic illnesses. It’s a great creative outlet; plus, you can share helpful wisdom with others and improve their lives with your knowledge and experience.

If you’re a first-time blogger, it’s easy to get started with our step-by-step blog tutorial.

Once you set up your blog, start writing content, and then promote your blog posts on social media. As you build up traffic, you can start monetizing with advertising, affiliate marketing, selling freelance services, and product sales (like printables, e-books, and courses).

Want some inspiration? Check out author and motivational blogger Jon Morrow, who has made millions despite having muscular dystrophy, chronic pain, multiple bouts of pneumonia, and broken bones. And on top of all that, he’s unable to move his body, except for his face. If he can do this, you can too!

2. Freelance Writer

If you’ve got a way with words, but you don’t want to run a blog, consider contributing to other publications as a freelance writer. There are plenty of freelance writing gigs online, and depending on your speed, skill, and experience, writers can earn anywhere from $12 per hour to over $100 per hour!

Some of the great aspects of freelance writing are its flexibility and diversity in topics and writing specialties. As long as you can meet your deadlines and provide high-quality work, you can work around your chronic illness’s ups and downs.

Here are just some of the different writing specialties to consider:

Kimberly Rae, who was used to living a digital nomad lifestyle, was forced homebound by her battles with asthma, hypoglycemia, and Addison’s disease. To relive some of her travels in her mind, Kimberly started writing Christian suspense novels. Today Kimberly is a best-selling Amazon author who has written over 20 books, including books for people who have chronic illnesses.

3. Proofreader 

With so many writers online, the proofreading industry is booming as well. If you’ve got a keen eye for catching mistakes and grammatical errors, proofreading might be the job for you.

To learn more about becoming a proofreader, you can check out the free Proofread Anywhere webinar to learn the basics and the scope of the proofreading profession. This course will assist you by providing the proofreading tools you’ll need to get started, as well as detailing the process of finding clients.

Best Work-at-Home Jobs for People with Chronic Illnesses

4. Transcriber

Fast typists with great listening skills may be interested in transcription as a work-at-home job. With automation and digitization, the field of transcription has changed, but there is still plenty of viable work for those interested in transcribing speech to text.

If you’re interested in transcription, the three main types are:

While some general transcribers are self-taught, if you want to specialize, you’ll need additional training to be familiar with the terminology and nuances of the legal and medical fields. Once trained, you can work as a freelancer for companies like Rev, TranscribeMe, or Scribie.

5. Graphic Designer 

Graphic design is a rapidly changing and growing field. Designers are no longer limited to simply creating print logos and brochures. Even beginners can get started online by creating simple graphics for Pinterest.

If you’ve got a creative spark and an artistic eye, try your hand at graphic design. There are many affordable and free resources, training tools, and even software programs online. The median salary for graphic designers is around $46,000 per year—and some designers earn far more.

6. Coach

Are you gifted with empathy? Are you able to motivate others, mentor them, and advise them in their life and through difficult situations? Coaching is a great industry in which you can help others discover their path and improve their lives.

Coaching is broken up into many specialized areas, from relationships to career to general life and personal growth. There are even coaches who work specifically with people with chronic illness. If helping other professionals grow in their lives while working from home and setting your own schedule sounds like a career you’d love, check out coaching.

7. Craft Seller

Crafty and artistic people can create and sell crafts from home. Of course, Etsy is always an option, but sites like Conscious Crafties specialize in providing a selling platform for those with chronic illnesses and pain, and disabilities.

Crafting is an opportunity to really express yourself and let out your creative side. Crafting is also therapeutic. Many people suffering from chronic illnesses find crafting and art to be positive outlets and good ways to defuse emotions.

Related Content: Craft Jobs for Stay-at-Home Moms

Best Work-at-Home Jobs for People with Chronic Illnesses

8. Social Selling

Social selling is a good option for people with limited mobility who can’t commit to running a brick and mortar store. Direct sales companies like Stella & Dot are perfect for those with chronic illnesses who want to sell products from home. A great aspect of social selling is that, because you set your own hours and schedule, you can work as much or as little, depending on how you’re feeling. And with online sales, digital marketing apps, and social media, it’s easier than ever to promote your direct sales business and earn money.

For more direct sales opportunities, check out this post.

9. Bookkeeping 

If you’ve got a mind for numbers, running a virtual bookkeeping business may give you the flexibility and freedom you need. If you don’t already have bookkeeping experience, you’ll want to invest in a short online training program like Bookkeeper Launch. With Bookkeepers Launch, you’ll learn everything you need to know to get started; and it’s self-paced and can be completed in as little as four months.

The great thing about bookkeeping is it doesn’t usually have tight deadlines or long hours. As long as you’re able to keep up with the incoming expense and income documents from clients, you should be able to work this business around your chronic illness.

10. Independent Contracting Jobs

While most work-at-home jobs require a set schedule, some independent contracting jobs offer complete flexibility with scheduling and hours worked. Many of these positions don’t offer paid training, so be sure to read all of the requirements and fine print before applying.

Chronic Illness Job Resources

If your chronic illness is so severe that you’re receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, check out My Employment Options. They offer work-at-home jobs for individuals receiving SSDI or SSI disability benefits in 47 states.

Their services are free as part of a national return to work program. The jobs they offer are with leading national employers for various skill levels, such as:

Another free service to check out is Ticket to Work. They are a free and voluntary program that can help individuals receiving SSDI or SSI benefits go to work to become financially independent.

Cancer and Careers offers free advice, interactive tools, and educational events if you’re dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

Chronically Capable offers career resources and flexible and remote job leads for disabled and chronically ill persons.

Conclusion

Having a chronic illness doesn’t mean giving up on your career dreams. You don’t have to feel like you’re unable to contribute and support your family. Chronic illness can become very isolating, painful, and difficult, but there are many great, flexible options for earning money from home that you’ll feel proud of.

Originally published July 25, 2017. Content updated November 18, 2020.

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About the Author

Holly Reisem Hanna

Holly Reisem Hanna

Holly Reisem Hanna is the publisher and founder of The Work at Home Woman, which has been helping individuals find remote careers and businesses that feed their souls since 2009. Through her unconventional career path of holding over 30 jobs and obtaining two college degrees, she's been able to figure out how to find a career path that you're truly passionate about. Holly's had the pleasure of sharing her expertise on sites like CNN, MSN Money, Huffington Post, Woman's Day Magazine, as well as being recognized by Forbes as one of the “Top 100 Websites for Your Career.” Holly resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband and daughter and enjoys reading, traveling, and yoga.

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Reader Interactions

31 Comments

  1. Darice

    Hello Holly,

    Just wanted to say thank you for writing such a beautiful and thoughtful article for a group of individuals that are often forgotten about when it comes to employment opportunities. As always, your site is priceless. It’s the best one out here! Thanks for all the wonderful information you provide and thanks for being you.

    Reply to this comment

  2. Shawn

    So Glad I found your site. I have been Chronically ill 29yrs disabled. As I lay here in my Hospice bed I know there’s more to me than this. Not to pat myself on the back but, there are so many things I believe I can help people with & myself just to feel worthy. That’s what everyone needs. I will check what I qualify for since I draw disability. Thank You for the Hope. Shawn

    Reply to this comment

  3. Rebecca Bussiere

    Good to see these ideas for staying productive with chronic illness. I am a retired RN. I was hurt in the job and have had over 20 spine surgeries. I struggled to work and always exceeded my sick leave. Having the threat of losing my job, and feeling demeaned and worthless I left my job of 24 years and changed to outpatient clinic work with reduced hours. Eventually would run into the same attendance problems. I ended up sueing an employer for a disability issue. We settled, and I moved on to temp work that was a sedentary position. I finally retired and and am ok with that.
    These experiences really hurt me as I loved my career. I felt worthless and unwanted. So great to see these opportunites. These jobs would have worked for me as working in home was what I needed.
    Good luck to those pain warriors out there, you are worth while and always have something to offer.
    Thanks for listening
    Becky

    Reply to this comment

    • Holly - The Work at Home Woman

      Hi Becky,

      I’m so sorry to hear about all your surgeries, pain, and intolerance in the workplace. Nursing is such a rough career, mentally, physically, and emotionally. I only lasted five years, before I became totally burnt out. Luckily, I fell into blogging which I LOVE!

      Thanks so much for stopping by and offering some encouragement to others who are dealing with chronic illnesses.

      Reply to this comment

  4. Vee

    No offence but these are very low paid or hard to get into, you’re not going to become a graphic designer without years of practise and talent. Here are some more substantial ideas:
    Get tech savvy, you’ll need to have a solid IT base to work from home. Learn about databases, a little programming etc, all for free on the internet.
    Actual job ideas:
    Data analyst
    Data quality
    Data entry
    Technical admin

    Reply to this comment

  5. Casey Sundahl

    Hey there! Love that I found this site– I’m an Art Teacher with Fibromyalgia, SLE Lupus and Hashimotos Thyroiditis. I’m also Bipolar and Chronically Depressed.

    I exhaust my sick days every year and am just at the point where I don’t know if I can keep up the pace of teaching any longer. Love my kids, but I’m so fatigued and worn out each day, so stressed and just can’t keep it up anymore. My problem with leaving my profession is I am the breadwinner in my home. While my husband and I both work full time, I make almost double what he does, and if I leave my job we will be devastated financially. The bigger concern is whether or not I can physically stay here much longer. So, either I find a job I’m more able to to and utilize the skills I have, or I stay and am forced to stop due to the effects on my health.

    Any suggestions from anyone would be appreciated! I’m so stuck.

    Reply to this comment

  6. Kaitlyn

    Hi! I’m 19 and have recently had to drop out of college due to my chronic illness. I love working with animals but I’m realizing that my body just can’t take being that active. I’ve been doing some research to find out how I can still work but stay at home. You seem very knowledgeable and kind and I’m so glad I stumbled upon your site!

    I don’t have much experience online. I was wondering if you had any ideas for resources that could provide training or experience for online work. Any kind of job is fine! I’m just trying to explore my options!

    Thanks so much!! :)

    Reply to this comment

  8. Selma

    Thank you so much this is one of the first internet work at home jobs site with great information that seems real to me. I’m going to definitely look into it and see what I can find as far as work at home .
    I suffer from chronic illness and I just feel so depressed and money is such a big problem. I want to be productive member of society because I do have a lot to offer. In my work days I did Office management, Retail management, Executive Administrative Assistant work. I love business, so I’m going to look into some of these sites that you have on here to see if I can find something that will fit me. And I love the information about if your on SSI or SSDI because of chronic illness that you put information on here and that they do have programs that you can work to supplement your income because we all know that that is not enough to live on.
    Once again I like to thank you for all your information. Have a great day.

    Reply to this comment

  9. Kathy

    Hi Holly!

    I found your article to be exceptionally inspiring… I am also trying to build up my freelance writing opportunities and various ways to work from home, for various reasons, and was almost about to give up on the dream until I found your blog, so thank-you!

    Reply to this comment

  11. Claire - StartACraftBlog

    This is an excellent list! Especially when people don’t want to have to rely on welfare.

    I was diagnosed with a mystery illness back in 2009 and started a craft blog as a hobby the year after. I was always told that I could be cured as it sounded like I have M.E but last year I found out I had an incurable (for now) illness so my husband and I decided to make a real go of professional blogging. I’m so glad we did.

    I’m earning a full time income from my craft blog alone which is amazing. All the years of blogging for hobby and learning everything I could has really paid off :)

    Reply to this comment

  12. Marthenia Satterfield

    I work evenings in an international call center until 1:30 AM, much to the chagrin of my specialists. Although I have excellent work ethics and a well-rounded background, I am nearly 60 with RA and associated health challenges, as a result. I am desirous of making a work-at-home career change into which I can grow over the next 15 years.

    My strengths are in writing, training, administrative and organizational support, and event planning. Any ideas how I can turn one of these areas into a career or work from home opportunity?

    Reply to this comment

  13. walt

    i’m a new comer to your site. have’nt tried any of your suggestions yet. so far i can positely state that you appear to offer the best hope i’ve seen on line. you appear to be sincere and probably honest. you may note that i’m quite jaded by all the dishonest websites. Hope that i can later reply with praise for your efforts. for now thank you for giving me some hope .

    Reply to this comment

  14. yvette martinez

    Hello: My name is Yvette Martinez. I work in a produce industry. Love my job,but need a little more help to pay my tuition. All my earnings goes to rent,insurance,bills and necessities. Really want to live at ease with payments up to date. Especially with my tuition.

    Reply to this comment

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