Do Homework and Earn Money: 25+ Legitimate Ways to Get Paid (2026)

If you’ve ever been good at school — whether that’s math, science, writing, or any academic subject — you’ve probably wondered: can I actually do homework and earn money from it?

The short answer is yes. There’s a growing industry of platforms that pay people to help students with homework, answer academic questions, tutor online, and sell study materials. Some people earn pocket money. Others turn it into a genuine income stream worth $1,000–$5,000+ per month.

But here’s what most articles about this topic conveniently skip: there’s a line between legitimate homework help and academic fraud. And if you’re going to do homework and earn money, understanding that line matters — both ethically and legally.

Some platforms connect tutors with students who need help understanding a concept. That’s legitimate. Other platforms essentially let you write someone’s entire essay or complete their exam for them. That’s not tutoring — that’s cheating, and it puts both you and the student at risk.

This guide covers both sides honestly. I’ll show you the best platforms for earning real money with your academic knowledge, explain what each one actually involves, and be upfront about which ones operate in a grey area you might want to avoid.

First A Quick Tip…

I’ve spent 15+ years testing ways to make money online, and while homework help platforms can be a solid starting point, they’re rarely the best long-term play.

If you want to skip ahead to what I actually recommend for building real income online, here’s my #1 pick. But if you want to explore the homework-for-money space first, keep reading — I’ll cover everything.

The Ethics Question: Tutoring vs. Doing Someone’s Homework For Them

Before diving into platforms, let’s address the elephant in the room. There’s a spectrum here, and where you draw your personal line matters.

Clearly legitimate:

Tutoring a student through a difficult concept
Explaining how to solve a type of problem
Reviewing and giving feedback on someone’s draft
Selling your own study notes or guides
Answering general academic questions on Q&A platforms

Grey area:

Solving specific homework problems that will be submitted as the student’s work
Writing essays or papers that students submit under their name
Completing entire assignments for payment

Why this matters: Many universities have explicitly banned contract cheating, and in some countries (including Australia and the UK) it’s actually illegal to provide or advertise academic cheating services.

In the US, while there’s no federal law against it, universities can — and do — expel students caught submitting purchased work, and the people who provided that work can face consequences too.

I’m not here to moralize. But I am here to give you an honest picture. The platforms I’ll highlight below range from clearly legitimate (tutoring, Q&A) to more ethically ambiguous (homework completion services). I’ll be transparent about where each one falls.

And here’s the practical argument for staying on the right side: tutoring and genuine academic help platforms tend to pay better and more sustainably than essay mills. The legit side of this industry is where the real money is.

The Best Platforms to Do Homework and Earn Money

Category 1: Online Tutoring Platforms (Most Legitimate, Best Pay)

These platforms pay you to teach and tutor students — explaining concepts, walking through problems, and helping them learn. This is the most legitimate way to do homework and earn money because you’re building someone’s understanding, not doing their work for them.

Chegg Tutors

What you do: Answer student questions and provide live tutoring sessions in subjects like math, science, engineering, business, and more.

What you earn: $20/hour for live tutoring. Subject experts answering written questions earn based on volume — active tutors report $200–$1,000+/month.

Requirements: Must be enrolled in or have completed a four-year university program. You’ll need to pass subject-specific assessments.

How it works: Students post questions or request live sessions. You answer written questions (typically within 24 hours) or connect via Chegg’s virtual classroom for live tutoring. Chegg pays weekly.

Chegg is one of the largest and most established platforms if you want to do homework and earn money through tutoring. The student base is massive (over 7 million subscribers), meaning consistent work availability. The main downside is that the written Q&A pay can be low per question ($2–$5), so live tutoring is where the real earnings are.

Pro tip: Specialize in STEM subjects on Chegg. Math, physics, engineering, and computer science questions are in highest demand and typically pay more for live sessions. If you’re strong in these areas, you’ll have near-unlimited work available.

Wyzant

What you do: Create a tutor profile and set your own hourly rate. Students in your area (or online) find you through Wyzant’s marketplace.

What you earn: You set your own rate — most tutors charge $25–$80/hour depending on subject and experience. Wyzant takes a 25% platform fee.

Requirements: No formal degree required, but profiles with verified credentials attract more students.

Wyzant is more of a tutoring marketplace than a homework completion service, which keeps it firmly on the legitimate side. You’re building direct relationships with students, many of whom become recurring clients. This makes it one of the more sustainable ways to do homework and earn money because you’re not constantly competing for one-off assignments.

TutorMe

What you do: Provide on-demand tutoring across 300+ subjects via video, audio, screen sharing, and a virtual whiteboard.

What you earn: $16/hour base rate, paid weekly via PayPal.

Requirements: Must be 18+ and enrolled in an accredited university or already hold a degree.

How it works: When a student requests help in your subject, you get an alert. Accept within 3 minutes and you’re connected for a live session. TutorMe handles all the matching — you just need to be available.

The pay isn’t spectacular, but TutorMe is one of the easiest tutoring platforms to get started on. The interactive tools (whiteboard, screen sharing) make sessions engaging, and the on-demand model means you can tutor whenever you’re free.

Cambly and Preply (Language Tutoring)

If your strength is English or another language rather than academic subjects, Cambly ($10.20/hour, no teaching certification needed) and Preply ($15–$40/hour) let you earn money as an online tutor teaching languages to students worldwide.

These aren’t homework platforms specifically, but they use the same skill set — explaining things clearly to people who need help learning. And the flexibility is excellent: set your own schedule, work from anywhere, and build a base of regular students.

Category 2: Academic Q&A and Homework Help Platforms

These platforms sit between pure tutoring and homework completion. You answer specific academic questions — sometimes ones that are clearly homework assignments. The ethical line here depends on the platform and how the answers are used.

Studypool

What you do: Browse homework questions posted by students, bid on the ones you want to answer, negotiate a price, and submit your solution.

What you earn: $5–$20 per question, with complex assignments paying more. Top tutors on Studypool report earning up to $7,500/month, though $300–$1,500/month is more realistic for active users.

Requirements: Pass a 200-word writing assessment and interview on platform policies. English proficiency is required.

How it works: Students post questions with budgets. You bid on questions you can answer, negotiate if needed, and submit your work. Studypool reviews submissions before releasing payment. You can also sell study notes for passive income.

Commission: 20–30% per transaction.

Studypool is one of the most popular platforms if you want to do homework and earn money. The bidding system means you control your workload and can focus on subjects you’re strongest in. A smart strategy is to bid on many questions simultaneously to maintain steady income.

Course Hero

What you do: Answer homework questions submitted by students across thousands of subjects.

What you earn: Top-tier tutors earn around $1,500/month. Earnings vary based on question volume, difficulty, and answer quality.

Requirements: Current college student (2+ years completed) or graduate. Upload ID and academic credentials for verification.

How it works: You create a tutor account, select your subjects, and answer questions as they come in. No live video or audio required — it’s entirely text-based. Course Hero pays based on the quality and volume of your answers.

Course Hero has over 20 million students, so the demand is enormous. The text-only format also makes it flexible — you can do homework and earn money during breaks, between classes, or late at night without needing a quiet space for video calls.

School Solver

What you do: Answer homework questions posted by students. Your answer can be purchased by multiple students who ask similar questions, creating a multiplier effect.

What you earn: $4–$15 per answer initially, but popular answers can earn $100+ over time as multiple students purchase them.

Requirements: No formal credentials required, making this one of the most accessible platforms.

How it works: Students post questions with a price they’re willing to pay. Multiple tutors submit answers. The student selects the best one and pays. Other students with similar questions can purchase that same answer later.

Commission: 20% per sale plus 2% withdrawal fee.

The multiplier model is what makes School Solver interesting. One well-crafted answer to a common homework problem can generate ongoing income as students find it through searches. Think of it as creating mini study guides that keep earning.

24HourAnswers

What you do: Provide detailed homework solutions and tutoring for college-level courses.

What you earn: Approximately $45/hour, with monthly payments via ACH, PayPal, or Payoneer.

Requirements: Minimum of a Master’s degree (exceptional undergraduates may be considered).

How it works: Browse homework postings, estimate completion time, negotiate a rate with the student, complete the work, and get paid.

The pay rate here is significantly higher than other platforms because the credential requirements are strict. If you have an advanced degree, 24HourAnswers is one of the best-paying ways to do homework and earn money. The topics tend to be more complex (graduate-level math, engineering, advanced sciences), which justifies the premium pricing.

JustAnswer

What you do: Answer questions from people seeking expert advice across categories including academics, law, medicine, technology, finance, and more.

What you earn: Top experts report earning thousands per month. Realistic earnings for active users: $200–$1,000+/month.

Requirements: Relevant credentials (degree, certification, or professional experience). Background check required.

How it works: Apply with your credentials, pass verification, and start answering questions in your areas of expertise. JustAnswer isn’t exclusively academic — it covers professional advice across many fields — but homework and academic questions make up a significant portion of the platform.

Category 3: Selling Study Notes and Materials

This is the most passive way to do homework and earn money. Instead of answering individual questions, you create study materials once and sell them repeatedly. If you’re already a student, this is essentially turning work you’ve already done into passive income — you’ve already taken the notes, so selling them requires almost zero additional effort.

Stuvia

What you do: Upload your study notes, summaries, and guides for specific courses and textbooks. Students purchase them for exam prep.

What you earn: You set your own prices (typically $3–$15 per document). Stuvia takes a commission on each sale, but popular notes can sell hundreds of times.

Requirements: None — anyone who has study materials can sell them.

This works best if you attend (or recently attended) a popular university and took commonly required courses. Notes for Intro to Psychology, Organic Chemistry, or Statistics 101 sell far more than notes for a niche elective.

OneClass

What you do: Share class notes and study guides. OneClass uses a credit system — you earn credits for each approved document, which convert to cash or gift cards.

What you earn: 25 credits per approved document (75 for Elite Note Takers). Credits are redeemable for cash and gift cards to Amazon, Starbucks, Domino’s, and more.

Requirements: Current or former university student.

OneClass also pays credits for attendance verification and referrals, so there are multiple ways to accumulate earnings. It’s not going to make you rich, but it’s genuinely passive income from work you’ve already done.

Nexus Notes

What you do: Upload high-quality study notes. Nexus Notes sells them and pays you a commission on every purchase.

What you earn: Varies by subject and demand, but top contributors earn consistent passive income from their note collections.

Requirements: Must be a current or former student with quality study materials.

Category 4: Academic Writing and Freelance Platforms

These platforms let you earn money by writing academic content, from essays to research papers. This is where the ethical line gets blurriest — some of these services are used legitimately (editing, tutoring, creating sample papers) while others are primarily used for contract cheating.

SweetStudy (formerly HomeworkMarket)

What you do: Create a profile, set your rates, and complete homework assignments posted by students. You can also offer tutoring.

What you earn: $5–$20 per assignment, depending on complexity.

Commission: 20% per assignment.

How it works: Students upload questions and assignments. You provide answers with a price. Students can only view completed work after paying. You can also become a verified tutor with higher rates.

Help With Assignment

What you do: Complete written assignments for students across academic levels.

What you earn: $9.50/page minimum, with complex assignments earning more. A typical essay could be $50+.

Requirements: Must pass skill tests during the application process.

Freelance Platforms (Upwork, Fiverr)

Rather than using dedicated homework platforms, many academic writers find clients on general freelancing platforms. Students post requests for “academic writing help,” “research assistance,” or “essay editing,” and freelancers bid on the work.

The advantage here is that you set your own rates and can build direct client relationships. The rates are often better too — experienced academic writers on Upwork charge $25–$75/hour. On Fiverr, you can create gigs specifically for academic editing, research help, or tutoring and attract students directly.

Check out my guides on the best freelance websites for beginners if you want to explore this route. Freelancing also opens the door to non-academic writing work — blog posts, copywriting, technical writing — which can pay significantly more than homework help over time.

How Much Can You Actually Earn Doing Homework?

Let’s be realistic about the numbers:

Platform Type	Typical Earnings	Time Commitment	Best For
Live Tutoring (Chegg, TutorMe)	$16–$45/hour	Flexible, on-demand	Students with strong subject knowledge
Q&A Platforms (Studypool, Course Hero)	$200–$1,500/month	10–20 hours/week	Grad students, subject experts
Note Selling (Stuvia, OneClass)	$20–$200/month (passive)	One-time upload effort	Current students with quality notes
Academic Writing (SweetStudy, freelance)	$10–$75/hour	Project-based	Strong writers with academic expertise

The people earning the most in this space typically combine multiple platforms. A graduate student might tutor on Chegg, answer questions on Studypool, and sell notes on Stuvia — creating three income streams from the same knowledge base.

But here’s the reality check: even with multiple platforms, most people doing homework for money earn $500–$2,000/month. It’s good side income, but it has a hard ceiling because you’re trading time for money on every single transaction.

The Ceiling Problem: Why Homework Money Has Limits

Here’s what I wish someone had told me earlier in my online earning journey: any method where you’re paid per task, per hour, or per assignment has a built-in income limit. You can only do homework and earn money for as many hours as there are in a day.

Let’s do the math. If you’re one of the best-paid tutors on Chegg earning $45/hour, and you work a very ambitious 30 hours per week, you’re at $5,400/month before taxes and platform fees. That’s the theoretical maximum for a single-platform power user — and it requires 30 hours of active tutoring per week. Most people realistically sustain 10–15 hours.

At 15 hours/week at $25/hour (a more typical average across platforms), you’re earning about $1,500/month. Solid side income. But not life-changing money. And the moment you stop working, the income stops too. There’s no passive income component — every dollar requires active effort.

Compare that to building an online business with recurring revenue — where each new client or customer permanently increases your monthly income without requiring proportionally more hours. That’s the fundamental difference between earning money and building wealth.

This is the same ceiling problem you’ll find with other time-for-money methods like taking surveys or doing microtasks on Amazon Mechanical Turk. The hourly rate is better with homework help, but the underlying limitation is identical.

If you have the academic ability to do homework and earn money by tutoring others, you almost certainly have the learning capacity to build something bigger.

A Better Use of Your Academic Skills: What I’d Actually Recommend

I’ve listed the best homework and tutoring platforms above, and they’re all legitimate ways to earn money. If you need cash now and have strong subject knowledge, use them. Start with Chegg, Studypool, and Course Hero — they have the largest student bases and most consistent work.

But if your goal is building real, long-term income online — not just trading hours for homework help fees — there’s a better path.

Local digital marketing uses the same core skills that make someone good at academic work: research ability, analytical thinking, clear communication, and the capacity to learn new systems quickly. Instead of helping students with their homework, you help local businesses get customers through Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and SEO.

The difference? Instead of earning $20/hour answering homework questions, you charge businesses $500–$2,000/month each for ongoing marketing services. And unlike tutoring, the income is recurring — clients pay you month after month as long as you’re generating results. Five clients at $1,000/month is $5,000/month. Ten clients is $10,000/month. That’s the kind of income that actually changes your financial situation — not the $1,500/month ceiling you’ll hit trying to do homework and earn money on tutoring platforms.

The learning curve is similar to picking up a new academic subject — a few weeks of focused study to understand the fundamentals, then practice and refinement as you go. If you can master calculus or write a research paper, you can absolutely learn to run Google Ads for a local plumber or set up a Facebook campaign for a dentist.

I’ve looked at the full spectrum of profitable online business ideas, and this model consistently produces the best results for people starting from scratch — especially people who are naturally analytical and good at learning new things (which, if you’re considering tutoring as income, probably describes you).

The startup cost is minimal too — under $500, which is less than most people spend on textbooks in a single semester. Compare that to starting an e-commerce store on Shopify ($2,000–$5,000 minimum for inventory and ads) or building a YouTube channel (6–18 months before meaningful income). Local digital marketing lets you earn faster and scale higher than any homework platform.

Platforms to Avoid

Not every platform advertising “do homework and earn money” is worth your time. Some red flags to watch for:

Essay mills with rock-bottom pay. Some platforms pay writers $3–$5 per page for essays that students submit as their own work. The pay is terrible, the work is ethically questionable, and many of these platforms have been shut down by legal action. If a platform’s primary business model is helping students cheat, the risk-to-reward ratio doesn’t make sense — for you or for them.

Platforms requiring upfront payment. Any site that charges you money before you can start earning is almost certainly a scam. Legitimate tutoring and homework platforms never charge their tutors or helpers to join. This same red flag applies across the entire make-money-online space — whether it’s MLM companies like LegalShield or fake survey sites.

Cryptocurrency-paying platforms. Some newer “homework help” sites pay in cryptocurrency tokens instead of real currency. These tokens are often worthless or highly volatile. Stick to platforms that pay in USD via PayPal, direct deposit, or bank transfer.

Platforms with no verification process. If a platform doesn’t verify your credentials at all, that’s actually a bad sign — it means they don’t care about quality, which means they’ll attract low-paying work and unreliable students.

“Get paid to do homework” apps on social media. If you see ads on Instagram or TikTok promising $500/day to “do simple homework tasks,” run. These are almost always data-harvesting scams or phishing schemes. The legitimate platforms I’ve listed above don’t need to advertise with inflated income claims on social media. For a broader look at what to avoid, check out my guide on games and apps that claim to pay real money.

Tips for Maximizing Your Earnings

If you decide to do homework and earn money through these platforms, here’s how to make the most of it:

Specialize in high-demand, low-supply subjects. STEM subjects (especially upper-level math, physics, engineering, and computer science) consistently pay more than humanities because fewer people can do them. If you’re strong in these areas, you’ll earn significantly more per hour than generalists.

Work across multiple platforms simultaneously. Don’t rely on a single platform. Combine Chegg for live tutoring, Studypool for Q&A, and Stuvia for passive note sales. Diversifying your platforms means more consistent work availability.

Build a reputation quickly. On platforms like Studypool and Fiverr, your first 10–20 reviews determine your future earning potential. Consider accepting some lower-paying work initially to build ratings, then raise your prices once you have social proof. This strategy works the same way on Upwork — early reviews are worth more than early earnings.

Create reusable content. On platforms where your answers can be purchased by multiple students (like School Solver), invest extra time in creating thorough, well-explained solutions. One excellent answer to a common problem can keep earning for months.

Track your effective hourly rate. Not all platforms are equal. After a week on each platform, calculate your actual earnings divided by actual hours worked (including browsing, bidding, and admin time). Drop the platforms where your effective rate falls below $15/hour and double down on the ones paying $25+.

Step-by-Step: How to Start Earning From Homework Platforms Today

If you want to do homework and earn money as quickly as possible, here’s the exact sequence I’d follow:

Week 1: Sign up for the big three. Create accounts on Chegg, Studypool, and Course Hero. Complete all verification steps and subject assessments. While waiting for approval, upload any existing study notes to Stuvia or OneClass for passive income.

Week 2: Start answering questions. Begin with the platform that approves you first. Focus on your strongest subject areas. Accept some lower-paying assignments to build your profile rating and reviews. Track how long each assignment takes so you can calculate your real hourly rate.

Week 3: Optimize and expand. Drop any platform where your effective hourly rate is below $15. Double down on the highest-paying platform. Start bidding more aggressively on Studypool and consider adding Fiverr tutoring gigs to your mix.

Week 4: Evaluate your ceiling. By now you’ll have a clear picture of how much you can realistically earn. If you’re happy with the income, keep optimizing. If you’re hitting the ceiling I described earlier and want more, that’s when it makes sense to start exploring scalable models like local digital marketing or building a blog in your area of expertise.

The key is to treat the first month as a trial. Give yourself four weeks to test the waters, track real numbers, and then decide whether homework platforms are your long-term play or a stepping stone to something bigger.

Other Ways to Monetize Your Academic Skills

If you can do homework and earn money, you can also monetize the same knowledge in other ways that may pay better over time:

Start a subject-specific blog or YouTube channel. Create content explaining the concepts you’re already tutoring on. Over time, this builds passive income through ads and affiliate marketing. A calculus explanation video that gets 100,000 views earns far more than answering 100 calculus homework questions individually.

Create and sell a course. Package your expertise into a comprehensive course on Teachable or Skool. One well-made course on a high-demand subject (SAT prep, coding fundamentals, organic chemistry survival guide) can generate $1,000–$10,000+/month passively.

Offer consulting to parents. Parents of high school students pay premium rates ($50–$150/hour) for academic coaching and college prep tutoring. This is private tutoring without the platform fees — you keep 100% of what you charge.

Write study guides for Amazon Kindle. Self-publishing concise study guides on Amazon costs nothing and generates royalties indefinitely. The same knowledge you’d use to answer homework questions becomes a permanent passive income asset.

Each of these approaches uses the same academic skills but removes the per-hour income ceiling that makes homework platforms limiting.

Frequently Asked Questions About Doing Homework For Money

Is it legal to do homework and earn money?

Tutoring and providing academic help is completely legal. The grey area is completing assignments that students submit as their own work — this violates virtually every university’s academic integrity policy. In some countries (UK, Australia), advertising or providing contract cheating services is explicitly illegal. In the US, there’s no federal law against it, but universities can and do take action against both the students and the providers.

Can I do homework and earn money as a high school student?

Most platforms require you to be 18+, but there are exceptions. If you’re under 18, your best options are private tutoring (through local networks or your school) and selling study notes on platforms without age restrictions. As a high schooler, you might also consider other ways to make money online without experience like taking surveys on Swagbucks or selling items on Mercari.

How much can you realistically earn doing homework?

Most people doing this part-time earn $200–$1,000/month. Power users across multiple platforms can reach $1,500–$3,000/month. The theoretical maximum for full-time tutors on premium platforms is around $5,000–$7,500/month, but that requires 30+ hours/week and advanced credentials.

Do I need a degree to do homework for money?

Not always. Platforms like School Solver and Studypool don’t require formal degrees. However, platforms with higher pay rates (Chegg, 24HourAnswers) typically require at least 2 years of university education or a completed degree. The general rule: the stricter the credential requirements, the higher the pay.

What subjects pay the most?

STEM subjects consistently pay the highest rates — particularly advanced mathematics, engineering, computer science, and statistics. Business subjects (accounting, finance) also pay well. Humanities subjects (English, history, psychology) have more competition and lower rates on most platforms.

Is doing homework for money better than other online side hustles?

It depends on your skills and goals. If you’re currently in school and have strong subject knowledge, homework help platforms are one of the quickest ways to start earning because you already have the expertise. But for long-term income building, skill-based approaches like freelancing, affiliate marketing, or local digital marketing offer much higher ceilings and don’t require you to actively trade hours for dollars indefinitely. You can also explore selling digital products on Etsy — if you can create study guides, you can create digital planners and templates that sell passively.

What’s the difference between tutoring and doing someone’s homework?

Tutoring means helping a student understand the material so they can do the work themselves. You’re teaching the process, explaining the concepts, and guiding their thinking. Doing someone’s homework means completing the assignment yourself and handing it to them to submit under their name. Most legitimate platforms (Chegg, TutorMe, Wyzant) focus on tutoring. Platforms where you complete and submit entire assignments sit in the grey area that many universities classify as academic dishonesty. If you want to do homework and earn money without ethical concerns, stick to tutoring and Q&A platforms where the focus is on explanation and learning.

The Bottom Line: Do Homework and Earn Money — But Think Bigger

If you’re academically strong and need money now, the platforms in this guide can absolutely help you do homework and earn money starting this week. Start with Chegg and Studypool for the best combination of pay and availability, add Course Hero for text-based flexibility, and list your notes on Stuvia for passive income.

But don’t stop there. The same intellectual ability that makes you good at academic work — the ability to learn systems, solve problems, and communicate clearly — is exactly what makes people successful in higher-earning online businesses. If you’re currently earning $200–$500/month on survey sites or homework platforms, the jump to $5,000/month through digital marketing is far more achievable than you think.

Here’s where I’d point your skills if you want to build something bigger. It uses the same learning capacity you already have, but the income ceiling isn’t capped by how many hours you can spend answering homework questions.

The smartest students I know didn’t just do homework and earn money — they used their academic ability to build businesses that pay them whether they’re working or not.

Mark

Mark is the founder of MarksInsights and has spent 15+ years testing online business programs and tools. He focuses on honest, experience-based reviews that help people avoid scams and find real, sustainable ways to make money online.

See Mark’s No.1 Recommendation Here