6 Best Airbnb Freelance Jobs to Consider
WFHR EditorLast updated: September 1, 2023
You don’t have to own a home to earn from Airbnb. With the rapid growth of the online platform, there are several Airbnb freelance jobs that can help you earn a good amount. Check this list to learn more.
A few decades ago, living at a complete stranger’s house in a country across the world might have been seen as dangerous and even absurd. But Airbnb bridged this gap, providing a lucrative opportunity for homeowners to rent out their lodgings on a daily and weekly basis.
Does that mean you can only earn from Airbnb if you own a house? Well, no. Like most other international businesses, Airbnb also offers a potential workspace for freelancers to tap into.
Some popular Airbnb freelance jobs include photography, marketing, and social media management. At the moment, the platform has about 150 million users, with 2 million people staying in an Airbnb every day.
Considering the statistics, there shouldn’t be a shortage of Airbnb freelance jobs. Below, you’ll find some options to consider.
Best Airbnb Freelance Jobs
Unlike most other freelancing gigs, Airbnb freelance jobs require you to have a certain degree of skill, although there’s no need for an advanced college degree. Let’s discuss a few potential Airbnb jobs in detail.
Social Media Supervisors
Airbnb has its office in different major cities around the globe. These regional centers have their own social media accounts that need to be handled and supervised.
According to Salary, a social media marketer’s annual earnings can range anywhere from $104,692 to $133,438. On the other hand, Sendible estimates a social media manager’s annual earnings to be around $63,294.
But how much you earn also depends on your experience. If you’ve worked at freelance or contract-based positions for other known companies in the past or you’ve been managing social media pages for years, you have a chance of earning up to $90k a year.
According to an Airbnb job listing (contract-based) for a social media supervisor in Dublin, the responsibilities of the said professional include:
- Coaching the regional team on best social media practices and efficient workflows.
- Ensuring employee happiness by communicating goals, setting direction, providing feedback, and team building.
- Evaluating workflows regularly and looking for ways to make them more relevant, valuable, and efficient.
- Creating connections with customers by spending almost an hour every week on escalated issues and social media posts.
However, there were no educational requirements for this position, although the listing said that a Bachelor’s degree would be preferred.
How to Get Started?
Since you can’t really get a formal education from an institute for social media management, you don’t require a relevant degree. But you should be proficient in English to work in Airbnb.
Additionally, you should have a firm grasp of the ever-changing social media trends and a global awareness of other cultures and nationalities since Airbnb operates worldwide.
Moreover, crisis management is considered a bonus for such a position since your assistance will be required for the company’s PR.
To get started, you might want to take a few social media management courses and get a gist of the job requirements.
Project Manager
If you have a knack for management, you can also land a job as an Airbnb freelance manager. You don’t need to own a property for this position since you’ll be managing other people’s lodgings.
For instance, an Airbnb project manager listing on Upwork states that they are looking for a detail-oriented manager to manage their properties in the US.
Let’s say Person A owns three properties in a certain suburb. Since they don’t live there, they want to rent out the properties on Airbnb for passive income. But they don’t have free time in their day to respond to potential guests’ queries or manage listings, etc.
So, they’ll hire an Airbnb freelance manager to do the job.
How much you earn being an Airbnb freelance manager depends on the number of properties you’re managing and the locality. You can use an Hourly Rate Calculator to estimate the cost of your services.
In most cases, the responsibilities of an Airbnb freelance manager include:
- Communicating with potential guests through email, chat, and Airbnb’s app
- Handling bookings
- Managing listings and availability
- Coordinating with plumbers, cleaners, electricians, etc
- Managing property reviews and responding to them
- Editing listings to make them more attractive for guests
- Offering alternatives or negotiating with guests in case of a special request
- Coordinating with the admin for running the Airbnbs smoothly
How to Get Started?
Again, you don’t necessarily need a degree, but if you have a background in management and business, it can work in your favor. Apart from this, you must have excellent communication and organizational skills.
Additionally, your approach should be solution-driven since that’s a necessity in the service provision sector. Since the property owners would want to get weekly or monthly progress reports, you should be proficient in Google Suite and MS Office.
Besides, you should know how to use vacation rental management software since it allows you to generate more revenue and streamline your management workflow.
Keep in mind that you might have to work according to a different time zone if you’re managing properties in another country. More importantly, having accurate knowledge of Airbnb’s policies is important for this job.
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Photographer
Airbnb is for guests what Tinder is for single people. If the picture isn’t attractive enough, you’re most likely not to swipe right. Likewise, guests are less probable to book a lodging that has poor quality pictures, irrespective of how majestic it looks in real life.
Photography is an ideal freelance position for people who prefer jobs where they can work alone. However, finding Airbnb photography jobs can be a bit tricky since there’s no specific platform for it.
Some people wonder: does Airbnb hire freelance photographers?
Yes, Airbnb hires professional photographers in certain locations to provide its users with the opportunity of hiring photographers directly from the platform. Users can request professional photography in their area, and Airbnb will match them with the relevant people.
Keep checking the Airbnb Careers page as they post photography – and other – jobs here.
For instance, in this remote Photographer listing, Airbnb specifies the job responsibilities as:
- Partnering with local hosts to photograph listings
- Photographing unique details, exterior, and interiors of the property
- Retouching images to match Airbnb’s specific style of photography
- Uploading high-res images to the website
- Staying in touch with the company’s photography team in San Francisco through emails
Another less effective way to find Airbnb photography jobs is to reach out to the property owners.
If you’re scrolling through Airbnb and find a property with subpar pictures, contact the owner and offer your services.
See Related: Best Fiverr Gigs for Logo Design
How to Get Started?
According to Glassdoor, your earnings depend on the location and your experience. In most cases, you’ll earn $95 to $125 for one listing. That begs the question: how much can you make as an Airbnb photographer?
A Glassdoor reviewer said that he has earned up to 30k a year from this position. But then again, it all depends on how many Airbnb photography jobs you bag in a year. The more listings you photograph, the more you earn.
Many homeowners on Airbnb hire freelance photographers to make their properties look attractive to potential guests. So, there may be a lot of opportunities depending on where you look.
Fortunately, you don’t need a professional qualification to get started, but it helps to have some years of experience. If you’re a beginner, take online courses or opt for a photography lesson on Skillshare.
It definitely works in your favor if you have a social media following since Instagram is one of the best places to get clients. Showcase your work online as much as possible.
Plus, if you live in a popular tourist destination or a holiday town, you’re in luck.
See Related: How to Hire a Graphic Designer for Your Logo
Marketer
Among other Airbnb freelance jobs, marketing requires a little more prior knowledge and experience since you have to devise marketing campaigns for a world-renown company.
Although you’re a freelancer, it helps to have a business card as a marketer since it makes you come across as more professional. To make money with Airbnb as a marketer, you’ll have to fulfil the following responsibilities:
- Collaborate with regional and international marketing trams to create brand campaigns including the following components: optimization, copywriting, execution, program reporting
- Supervise campaign strategy and partner with the company’s media team for its implementation
- Manage the social calendar, conceptualize social media posts, and deal with agency partners
- Work with finance and other departments for budget forecasting
According to Digital Marketing Institute, a marketer earns up to USD 66,206 in the US. Your earnings may fluctuate depending on how much you work.
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How to Get Started?
Having a degree and prior experience in marketing is a huge plus if you want to make money with Airbnb as a marketer. Otherwise, you can take online digital marketing courses to get started.
In its contract-based listings for marketers, Airbnb also specifies that you should be proficient in spoken and written English.
To find a job, you can either keep an eye on the platform’s Careers page or consider international freelancing sites.
See Related: Best Freelance Courses
Architect
Although freelance architect Airbnb jobs aren’t that abundant, it’s a less populated territory that can work in your favor if you manage to find clients. Many homeowners – in the hopes of making their properties better suited for guests – remodel or renovate their homes.
For that, they need expert assistance and guidance from architects. For instance, if a homeowner plans to remodel their kitchen or bathroom, they’ll want to hire an architect for a better insight.
Airbnb shared a success story in this regard on its blog, mentioning a couple that stripped their old rental and turned it into an airy and contemporary bungalow. According to them, they started making up to 70% more from the property than they were from long-term tenants.
The remodel allowed them to host up to 200 guests for 300 nights a year, coming from 19 different countries. Remodeling and renovations are a common trend among homeowners who want to make their properties more appealing.
Now, it’s up to you to find freelance architect Airbnb jobs. According to Zip Recruiter, a freelance architect’s annual earnings can be up to $171,500.
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Where to Get Started?
Before you start looking for freelance architect Airbnb jobs, you must have a degree in architecture. It also helps to have substantial experience or a portfolio since it boosts client trust.
Additionally, you might want to add references and testimonials from previous employees in your proposal to make your case stronger.
Alternatively, if you’re just getting started or want to hone your skills, you can take architecture courses online.
Listing Writer
If nothing else, you can make money with Airbnb by writing listings. Homeowners from non-English-speaking countries often have trouble writing appealing listings, so they look for freelancers to do the job.
It’s one of the easiest Airbnb freelance jobs, especially if you’re fluent in English.
For instance, this listing on Freelancer is paying 30 to 250 euros for writing Airbnb listings for six properties.
How much you make for writing listings depends on the number of gigs you get a year and the amount you’re paid per listing.
How to Get Started?
You don’t necessarily need any prior experience to make money with Airbnb by writing listings. However, you should have a strong grasp of English speaking and writing skills.
Plus, you must be aware of Airbnb’s guidelines and policies. As for the marketplace, you can search for writing jobs on other sites like Fiverr if the platform itself is too competitive for you as a beginner.
Final Outcome
Just because you don’t own property doesn’t mean you can’t make a few bucks off Airbnb. Since there are many Airbnb freelance jobs, ranging from writing to photography, there’s an opportunity for people with every skill level.
However, it would be best if you did some groundwork beforehand since Airbnb jobs aren’t necessarily common or abundant.
If you can’t find any gigs on the company’s Careers page, look for jobs on other platforms since property owners often use freelancing sites to find photographers, writers, and managers.