Get paid to do work you're good at.
Pick the gigs you want, set your own rate, get paid weekly. We cover your background check. We never charge you a fee.
Better terms, all the way down.
Keep 100% of your rate
We charge households, not you. The rate you set is the rate you get.
Weekly direct deposit
Every Friday. Tipping is built in. Receipts and earnings reports are automatic.
Free background check
We cover it. Re-runs every 12 months — also free, also on us.
Real human support
7 days a week. Not a chatbot. Not a call center on a different continent.
Four steps, then you're in the raft.
Build your profile
Photo, bio, services, rates. Takes about 10 minutes.
We run your check
Usually done in 1–3 days. You can apply in the meantime.
Get matched
Pings when nearby jobs match your filters.
Apply, hire, get paid
Pitch, schedule, work, deposit. Repeat as often as you like.
From the helpers who already do this.
"I left a corporate landscaping job and now I pick my routes. Five regulars, full schedule, no boss. The 100% of my rate thing isn't marketing — I checked."
"I'm a college senior. I sit two evenings a week and earn what I used to earn in three shifts at the coffee shop. The families are kind. I get repeat bookings."
"Senior care is the work I love. Otter pays weekly, lets me opt into W-2 with my regulars, and the families I see don't churn. I haven't had a quiet week in months."
1099 by default. W-2 if it makes more sense.
Most helpers work as independent contractors and get a 1099 at year-end. For regular households (think weekly cleaning or after-school nannies), opt into Otter Payroll — the household files you a W-2, withholds taxes, and you get a real pay stub every Friday.
- Default for most helpers
- Year-end 1099-NEC
- Set your own hours
- Track expenses yourself
- For regular gigs
- Taxes withheld
- Real pay stubs
- Free for Pro households
The questions helpers ask first.
Most new helpers get their first application response within 5 days of going live. Profiles with a real photo, a written bio, and at least one reference fill faster — usually within 48 hours.
If a household cancels with less than 24 hours' notice, you get a 50% cancellation payout — automatically. No filing, no asking.
Government ID + selfie match, county criminal records, and the national sex-offender registry. Pro-tier checks add federal criminal records, motor vehicle records, and a licensed PI investigative search.
Weekly, every Friday, by direct deposit. Tips show up in the same payout. For regular gigs you can opt into Otter Payroll and the household files you a W-2.
Otter Works carries liability insurance on every booking. For regular pet-sit or childcare gigs, you can add an optional supplemental policy through us at a discounted rate.
Yes. Plenty of helpers do gardening on weekdays and pet sits on weekends. Just toggle the categories in your profile and the matches follow.