In March 2020, our country, along with many others, was forced into a lockdown to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. What followed was the unfortunate event of having many jobs lost because businesses simply couldn’t generate revenue to cover the cost of their employees for this period. 

That’s also when platforms like Fiverr saw exponential growth as many employees took their skills to the web and started building their side hustles. In February 2020, Fiverr released their earnings and reported that their freelancers had collectively earned over $1 billion; in 2021, however, Fiverr has reported that the number had increased to over $2 billion. 

It’s without a doubt that the freelancing space, or the gig economy, is getting quite some buzz. And it’s also a great time for anyone to hop on the platform and start building their side hustles. With that said, here are 5 of the highest paying gigs on Fiverr that you can consider. 

1. Graphic designing

Graphic designing is one of the skills that has an endless potential. There are many graphic designers who are charging hundreds, even thousands, of USD from one single gig. One of the reasons that contributed to that is the growth of the digital age. Especially now that we’re trying to minimize physical contact, companies are eager to establish their online presence. To do that, visuals play a huge role in catching the attention of potential customers. 

Companies are also increasingly becoming wary of hiring in-house designers because of the cost that entails. Instead, most will opt to outsource their visual/graphic designs to freelancers depending on their projects. 

If you have an eye for good aesthetics, this is a niche worth pursuing, as it won’t take you too long to learn the basics of graphic designing. With tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, or even Canva, you can turn this passion into some quick cash anytime if you need to. 

Related: 8 Side Jobs for Malaysians to Earn Extra Money

2. Video animation

Video animation is extremely popular today as Internet users prefer video content to written content. If you understand how to use simple video creation software like Adobe After Effects, then there are quite a huge number of jobs that may be coming your way. 

Companies and brands today are frequently looking for more content to publish with the goal to keep their followers engaged and maintain their presence. The caveat is that video animation is a vast field. And there can be tricky intricacies that you have to master in order to complete a job as per the client’s request. 

3. Content writing

The content writing industry is absolutely booming as we speak. And as a content writer, it has one of the most interesting learning curves which also happens to pay well. There is almost never a dull day because even though today, you might be writing about marketing, but tomorrow, you might be writing about travelling. You just never know! 

On top of being able to write, try your best to also learn the skills that surround content writing, such as SEO and keyword targeting. This will eventually help you to upsell or charge an even higher price, all while doing the same amount of work. 

Content writing doesn’t just stop with online blogs/articles, it’s a skill that’s transferable into other forms like scriptwriting, editing, or even proofreading. Making it one of the most versatile skills you can have. 

4. SEO Optimisation

Businesses have one goal — to make money. Well, not all businesses, but most of them. And for that, it’s extremely crucial to get highly ranked on Google whenever potential customers are searching for a key term. That’s the role of an SEO specialist. 

SEO can even be argued as one of the unignorable components of a website. Even just the basic understanding of keyword research can put you in a good position to target this niche. Alternatively, you can even rent out your SEO tools like Ahrefs to clients for some time with the intention to help them save costs. 

5. Website building

No list of Fiverr is complete without mentioning website building. Evidently, the world (especially Malaysia) is migrating towards the digital space. It’s easily one of the highest-paid gigs on the platform and the demand is extremely high. In tandem with society’s move online, a website will be the representation of the company in due course. 

There are a number of website builders today, but really, most companies will choose to go for WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, or Weebly. That means you will be very well off even if you just understand these few platforms. 

If you’re a developer on top of these, you can even charge extra for customizing, installing plug-ins, testing, bug fixing, among others, and charge for up to $3,000 per project. 

Ultimately, the best gig to start on Fiverr is not always the highest paying one; it’s the one you’re best at and most interested in. Because when your work is of high quality, it will speak for itself. 

Thinking of starting your own online business as well? Give the article below a read!