10 Smart Ways to Get Paid to Think (and Avoid Manual Labor)

Your brain never actually stops thinking, even when you aren’t aware of the thoughts happening in the background. Thinking even takes place while you are sleeping. There really isn’t a way to turn the brain off from thinking. Since you are already working on processing so much, you might as well get paid to think.

Thinking can lead to the next revolutionary tactics or products simply stemming from an idea. Take famous inventors these days who have changed the world just from their ability to be innovative and never giving up. You could be among those popular stories.

If you are someone who likes to think and wants to get paid for your thoughts, then this specially curated list is exactly what you need to read today to start making money. Find the best way that fits your lifestyle to make money for your thoughts.

We foster relationships with brands we use and trust. The testimonials on our site represent real experiences, but they don’t guarantee you’ll achieve similar results. When you make purchases through our links to our partners, we may earn a commission. Your support helps us continue this work. You can read our full disclosure here.

10 Ways to Get Paid to Think

Your ideas are waiting to be shared. Share them with the right people so that you can make a living off of those thoughts in your head.

Page Contents

1. Apply for Thinking Jobs

There are actual jobs where you get paid to think. Search job boards like FlexJobs for professional thinking positions where you can actually get paid to come up with solutions to problems other people or companies might be facing.

Even as an entry-level worker, there are internships or beginner jobs like focus groups that bring people together to brainstorm for money. These jobs will vary in pay depending on which industry you accept a job in.

You can also apply for jobs in customer support, technical support, and product design where you get paid to think and come up with solutions. FlexJobs has many options–all of which are researched and vetted before they are posted on the site.

2. Become a Freelance Writer

Freelance writers get paid to think in creative ways. Clients give writers topics to write about and the freelance writers think about how to write about the topic. This could be in the form of blog posts, emails, website content, and more.

As a freelance writer, you get to set your own rates for writing for others. You also get to create your own schedule and work on these creative assignments when it is best for you. Start your own business as a writer and find clients that you can count on to make a predictable income as a thinker.

3. Become a Marketing Coordinator

Working as a marketing coordinator is a creative role where you have to be a thinker. In an ever-evolving virtual world, it’s important to stay updated with the latest marketing strategies and tactics in order to generate revenue for your clients. Think of ways to stand out from the competition in the digital space.

Come up with marketing ideas that will boost business and revenue for your clients. Put together colors, fonts, images, and the right messaging perfectly to make your clients unforgettable when people come across the marketing campaigns you formulated. Marketing coordinators have control over how much money they bring in by setting their own rates and taking on as many clients as they want.

4. Become a Consultant

Consultants get paid to listen to their client’s problems and come up with solutions to those problems. For example, if you were to become a pediatric sleep consultant, you would take the information given to you by a child’s parents about the child’s sleep habits (or lack thereof) and think of a plan of action to help the parents get their child to sleep more.

To get started as a virtual or in-person sleep consultant, join a sleep consultant training online to get properly prepared. This is a great skill to add to your resume, especially if you already work with new moms and babies. To learn more about taking a course, check out my full review of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Management.

Consultants in various fields get paid to look at the full picture, single out the trouble spots, and think of ways to overcome those challenges. You can get paid per project or by the hour depending on your preference.

Ready to become a certified sleep consultant? Use the discount code PAYATHOMEPARENT250 at checkout to get $250 off!

Related: How to Get Paid to Sleep

Jobs for Thinkers, Not Doers

If you are more of the brains than the one who carries out the ideas, then the following are ideas for jobs for thinkers, not doers. Get comfortable with your own thoughts and make money off of them.

5. Sell Your Ideas

Probably one of the most obvious ways to get paid to think is to sell your ideas. There are dozens of companies available that will pay you for your idea if it fits in line with the products or services they offer. If you have the next million-dollar idea, do your research wisely on who you might sell your idea to in order to get the most benefit.

Selling your ideas can be a one-time thing or something you do often depending on when you have these mind-blowing revelations. Some people have life experiences that help them come up with ideas for products. If that is you, then you can get paid to think of ideas that could shape the future.

6. Start a YouTube Channel About Your Ideas

YouTube is a place to go when you want to learn something new. If you start your own YouTube channel, you could literally create videos of yourself in thinking sessions or talk out loud to your viewers about your ideas.

You don’t have to give away your top ideas, but you can process some thoughts you are having live and get your viewers’ input. They may spark more inspiration for you. Use your channel to generate an income by allowing ads on your videos or posting affiliate links.

7. Create a Blog for Ideas

Start a blog and use it as an online journal that others can read. Use your blog to journal your ideas to help you make sense of the thoughts that are in your head. By allowing others to view it, they can become inspired to come up with their own ideas or they can help you brainstorm more of your thoughts.

Blogs can be a good way to make money. Simply allow ads to rent space on your website and blog posts so that you can get paid when readers see the ad and if they click on it. You can also post affiliate links within your post to link to products that help you get into the thinking zone. If other people purchase those products you recommend, you will make a commission for that sale.

Other Ways to Get Paid to Think

There are other ways you can get paid to think that may sound outside of the box. That’s what thinking is all about though, right?

8. Become an Event Planner

Call on your planning skills and get paid to think as an event planner. Each event is up to you to create based on the client’s wants for their party to be memorable. Take their thoughts about themes, food, drinks, music, etc., and come up with a fantastic party for them.

Event planners can be hired by event planning agencies or they can be freelancers. Depending on which path you want to take, you can get paid to plan and attend events by the hour or per project. Once word-of-mouth reaches others about how you put on the best party, you will get more and more clients requesting your services.

9. Start Your Own Business

Starting your own business means you have to come up with many ideas in order to get your business up and running. Think of one way that you can make money and explore how to get started.

Ideas to start your own business include:

Once you have your business idea, then you will need to move into strategizing how you are going to run your business and how you will generate an income. Being your own boss comes with many perks, some of which include seeing your own ideas come to fruition.

10. Write an eBook

eBooks are popular ways for readers to consume content. They can be downloaded to nearly any device, making them accessible from almost anywhere. They are also generally less expensive than paperback books, meaning customers prefer ebooks financially.

Write your own ebooks with your personal thoughts and ideas that you have come up with in life. These ebooks can become self-help books for others to draw inspiration from. They can also be “how to” books that describe how you did something step-by-step. You get to set the price of your ebooks and earn money from them long after you wrote them.

Related: How to Make $3,000 Fast

Your Thoughts Could Be a Golden Ticket

Million-dollar ideas happen more often than you might think. It doesn’t have to be just one idea that generates a million dollars now. It can be an idea that you start today that yields a million dollars in your future. Whatever idea you have, it is already unique because the thought came from you.

Get paid to think using any of the ideas listed in this post. Your brain is constantly analyzing information so there is a chance that the right idea is about to come to you. Start out using one or more of the methods you read here to see where your ideas can take you.

How to Get Paid to Think (and Avoid Tiring Manual Labor)