Part-time remote sales jobs: how they work and where to find them
Yes, you can do remote sales part time, and plenty of businesses build their sales teams that way. Part-time remote sales jobs usually come in three shapes: shift-based appointment setting (set hours on the phones or in the DMs), closer calendar blocks (you open a set number of call slots each week), and contractor arrangements where you choose your hours but pay is mostly or entirely commission. In Australia and the US, the label on the contract matters, because a part-time employee, a casual and an independent contractor have very different rights. She Sells trains women in both countries for these roles and, through its She Soars program, helps certified graduates get placed.
Can you do remote sales part time?
Short answer: yes, but not every role is built for it, and you need to be honest with yourself about which hours you can protect. Remote sales works part time because the work happens in blocks. A setter can work a four-hour shift booking calls. A closer can open, say, two evenings and one morning of call slots. Nobody needs you sitting at a desk nine to five, but the business does need you reliably available for the hours you commit to.
What makes part time harder is that sales rewards consistency. Fewer hours means fewer conversations, which means fewer chances to close or book, and that hits commission directly. Part time is a great way to start, especially around school runs and little ones, but go in expecting your results to grow more slowly than someone doing the role full time.
What She Sells offers here: She Launches is the foundation program (live coaching, role play and sales frameworks, without direct placement), and She Soars is the career program through the She Sells “Cert III in Remote Sales” certificate. Once you’re certified, our recruitment team works with you to land a role within 90 days, or your money back. Plenty of women tell us up front they only want part-time hours, and that’s a normal conversation to have. See our programs for details.
How part-time remote sales roles are structured
Here are the three common set-ups, side by side. The pay notes are general; always read the actual offer.
| Structure | How your hours work | How pay usually works | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shift-based appointment setting | Rostered shifts, often 3 to 5 hours, on outbound calls, inbound leads or DMs | Hourly base, sometimes plus a bonus per booked or qualified call | Beginners who want predictable hours and some base pay |
| Closer calendar blocks | You open set call slots each week; leads are booked into them by setters or the business | Often commission-heavy, sometimes a small base; you’re paid on closed sales | People with some sales skill who can protect fixed blocks |
| Contractor (freelance) role | You set your availability, sometimes with minimum hours agreed | Commonly commission-only, invoiced by you | People comfortable with uneven income and handling their own tax |
If you’re still deciding between setting and closing, our breakdown of remote closer vs appointment setter walks through the skills each one needs.
Shift-based setting
This is the most “part-time job” shaped option. You might work Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30 to 2:30 while the kids are at school, calling leads who asked to hear from the business, or replying to people in Instagram and Facebook DMs. You book qualified people onto a closer’s calendar. Because your shifts are set, it’s easier to plan childcare and family life around it.
Closer calendar blocks
Closers on part-time hours usually agree on a set number of call slots. The business fills those slots with booked calls, and you show up, run the sales conversation and follow up. The catch: you don’t control how many of those calls turn into sales, and commission only arrives when people buy. Read our honest take on commission-only sales jobs before you accept a role with no base.
Contractor or part-time employee? The AU and US rules
This is the bit most job ads skip, and it matters for your pay, leave and tax.
Australia (Fair Work)
The Fair Work Ombudsman says part-time employees work less than 38 hours per week, their hours are usually regular each week, and they get the same minimum entitlements as full-time employees on a pro-rata basis, including paid annual leave and sick and carer’s leave. The same page explains that a casual employee has no firm advance commitment to ongoing work and is entitled to a casual loading or specific casual pay rate instead.
Contractors are different again. Fair Work’s independent contractors page says contractors don’t have the same rights and obligations as employees, and that whether you’re really a contractor depends on factors like how much control the business has over how you work, who carries the financial risk, who supplies the tools, whether you can delegate the work, and how your hours are set. Since 26 August 2024, the test looks at how the arrangement works in practice, not just what the contract calls it.
United States (DOL)
US readers, this one surprises people: the Department of Labor says the Fair Labor Standards Act does not define full-time or part-time employment; it’s generally up to the employer. So “part time” in a US job ad means whatever that business says it means.
What does matter federally is whether you’re an employee or an independent contractor. The DOL’s misclassification page says employers are responsible for working out whether a worker is an employee under the FLSA, and that misclassified employees may not receive the minimum wage and overtime pay they’re entitled to. Many remote closer roles are set up as contractor (1099) arrangements, so ask directly how you’ll be engaged.
Want part-time hours in remote sales? Book a free call with the She Sells team and tell us what hours you can actually protect.
Honest pay notes for part-time roles
Public salary data is mostly built on full-time pay, so treat these as a starting point, not a promise. Your actual pay depends on hours, the offer, the commission structure and your skill, and it varies a lot.
- US appointment setters: Payscale lists a median of about US$16.08 an hour, with the 10th to 90th percentile running from US$12.74 to US$20.85 (based on 76 salary profiles, updated May 2026). Commission and bonuses sit on top for some roles.
- AU appointment setters: SEEK puts the average appointment setter salary between A$65,000 and A$85,000, based on full-time salary ranges disclosed in job ads. A part-time role on pro-rata or hourly pay would sit well below that.
The honest maths of part time: if you work half the hours, you get roughly half the conversations, so expect commission to scale down too. For context, I made $440 in my first month of remote sales back in 2020. That’s my own result and not typical; it’s here so you know first months are often small. For closer pay ranges, read how much remote closers make.
Where to find part-time remote sales jobs
- Job boards with filters. On SEEK (AU) and Indeed or LinkedIn (AU and US), search “appointment setter part time”, “remote sales part time” and “setter remote”, then filter by work type and remote. SEEK’s appointment setter listings show part-time and casual roles alongside full-time ones.
- Online businesses that sell coaching, courses and services. Many hire setters and closers directly through their own careers pages, communities or social posts.
- Remote sales communities and placement services. Programs with a recruitment arm connect trained people with businesses that are hiring. Our guide to finding remote closing jobs covers where to look and how to apply.
- Your own network. Small business owners you already know often need someone to follow up leads a few hours a week.
Questions to ask before you say yes
- Am I an employee (part-time or casual) or a contractor?
- Is there a base rate, or is it commission-only? How is commission calculated and when is it paid?
- What are the minimum hours, and which hours must be live (on calls) versus flexible?
- Where do leads come from, and roughly how many calls or conversations would I get in my hours?
- Do I need to pay for anything to start? (If yes, walk away. The FTC is blunt that honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job.)
Making part time work around family life
The women who do well part time usually do three things. They pick hours they can protect (not “whenever the baby naps”), they tell the business up front what those hours are, and they treat practice as part of the job, because fewer live calls means you need to sharpen your skills elsewhere. Role play, listening back to calls and studying objections all count.
Be realistic about time zones too. Many online businesses selling to US clients need calls in US business hours, which can mean early mornings or late evenings for Australian setters and closers. Ask about this before you accept.
If you’re in Australia, our guide to remote sales jobs in Australia covers the local market in more detail.
Ready to learn the skill and get placed? Book a free call and we’ll talk through which path suits your hours.
Results vary. Nothing here is a promise of income. See our earnings disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours is part time in remote sales?
There’s no single number. In Australia, Fair Work describes part-time employees as working less than 38 hours a week with usually regular hours. In the US, the FLSA doesn’t define part time at all, so each employer sets its own definition, and contractor roles often just agree on minimum availability.
Is part-time remote sales commission-only?
Some roles are, especially closer and contractor roles, and others pay an hourly base with bonuses, which is more common for setters. Always ask how you’re engaged and how pay works before you start.
Can I do remote sales part time with no experience?
Yes, appointment setting is the most common entry point because it’s shift-based and teaches you the basics of sales conversations. You’ll still need training and practice, and early results are often slow. Many people start as a setter and move into closing later.
Do part-time remote sales jobs work for mums?
They can, as long as you choose hours you can genuinely protect from interruptions. Setting shifts during school hours or closer blocks in the evening are common patterns. Check the time zone of the business, because US-facing roles can mean early or late calls for Australian mums.
Should I pay to get a part-time sales job?
No. Paying for training you choose is one thing, but an employer asking you to pay to get the job itself is a red flag. The FTC says honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job.
