If you enjoy communicating with people using text messages on your cell phone or computer, you may be able to get paid to text chat while working from home, provided you have other skills and talents that companies need. If you qualify to work as a mental health coach, for example, you could be making about $18 an hour.

Becoming a Pro Text Chatter

While there are some texting jobs that require only text messaging, most companies that will pay you to text usually have other requirements for interacting with customers. Typical requirements include:

• Text messaging from your cell phone
  
• Online chats using a computer
  
• Phone calls
  
• Video calls
  

Simply being able to type is seldom going to land you good texting jobs. In many cases, you need additional skills and experience that relate to the services a company offers. You may be expected to work nights and weekends. Being fluent in a second language like Spanish may also be a great asset. While some companies may want you to work from the office, many allow you to work from home. Few, if any, of these positions ever require you to meet people in person.

Customer Service Texting Jobs

With the prevalence of cell phones, many consumers expect to get quick answers to their questions about products and services through text messages. Many businesses are more than happy to accommodate this requirement and offer text messaging support services to their customers.

Coaching Texting Jobs

If you enjoy helping people with personal problems or want to be that friendly ear someone can confide in, you could make money at home as a coach via text messaging. When it comes to coaching, employers may require that you have a background as a mental health professional, a degree in psychology or a coaching certificate.

Survey Texting Jobs

If you have ever been paid to take online surveys, it shouldn't surprise you that some of those companies now offer you the option to take the surveys via text messaging from your cell phone. When you sign up for the service and select the kind of surveys you are interested in, you will begin getting questions via text messaging. Once you complete a survey, you get paid, generally to your PayPal account. You can make anywhere from 25 cents to 50 cents per survey.

Get Paid to Talk to the Lonely

There are a few companies that will hire people to text chat with clients in a more casual setting. In most cases, these companies are looking for women to chat primarily with men. While talking about sex – also called sexting – is often what they are looking for, this isn't always the case and isn't always required. As with other types of communication jobs, companies may want you to talk on the phone or even video chat. However, there are often jobs you can find that require only texting or online chat, without the need to appear onscreen in person.