The payment structures and rates vary widely between different types of work-from-home job opportunities. These vastly different wages can make it difficult to compare job offers. It can also be challenging to determine if the pay is adequate based on the time and effort the position requires. Often times, people need to rely on trial and error to decide which opportunities meet their expectations.

For example, virtual call center agents can be paid a flat hourly rate regardless of the number of calls they take, or they can be paid by talk time which is typically calculated in minutes. While one company might pay agents $9.00 per hour, another might pay agents $0.20/minute. If you multiply $0.20 times 60 minutes in an hour, that could potentially equate to $12.00 per hour. Usually, the number of calls routed to an agent is dependent on the agent's performance including schedule adherence, sales conversion, length of calls and more. Agents with the best stats will get the highest volume of calls routed to them which increases their talk time and pay. Of course, the per minute rate varies widely from one company to another as well as from one client to another within the same company. Furthermore, the per minute rate a company pays may vary at different times during a single day based on the need to have adequate staff to meet anticipated call volume.

Other work-from-home opportunities may pay by completed assignment. For example, mystery shoppers are paid a flat rate for completing each shop and the required paperwork. Regardless of how long it takes the shopper to complete the shop and corresponding paperwork, he or she will receive a flat, predetermined rate. Each shop is assigned its own specific rate, which can vary significantly depending on the amount of time and effort the client expects the shop will require.

Online surveys are another example of a work-from-home opportunity that pays by completed assignment. Participants receive a flat, predetermined dollar amount when they qualify for and complete a survey. The research company and client determine the payment for each survey, and again, it can vary greatly from one survey to another.

Creating web content is a growing work-from-home opportunity. Writing for sites like Associated Content or posting in forums through companies like Pay Per Post can put extra cash in your pocket. Writing opportunities cover the spectrum in terms of pay. A single post could net $0.02 while a completed article could bring in $10 or more depending on the site and content.

Another growing trend is blogging. More and more people start a blog every day and many do so with the intention of generating an income from their readers through pay-per-click or affiliate advertising on their sites. These online advertising methods may only amount to pocket change in the short term, but as a blog's traffic increases, so will the revenue.

Just as there is variety in the types of work-from-home job opportunities available to people today, there is variety in payment structures and rates. When searching for a work-from-home job, weigh the pay with the amount of time and effort the job will require. Often a job might sound appealing, but once you calculate the amount of time and effort required, it may not be worth the pay. Don't settle for the first work-from-home job you find. Make sure it's the right fit for you.