According to Time, voice acting is the second highest paying freelancing career, racking in an average of $72 per hour. The Department of Labor states that the Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. That means that a successful voice actor will make about 10 times the amount that a blue collar worker would make. The best part about this is that you don’t need college, fancy acting classes, or years of rigorous experience to make this your career. All you need is a microphone, creativity, and patience.

First, you must determine if you are a good fit for this kind of work. Although it doesn’t require experience, it is highly recommended that you put time and effort into studying not only voice performance but also performing yourself.

Start by reading aloud by yourself, and truly immerse yourself in the story. Care about every word you read. Even if your voice isn’t the most pleasant tone, a unique and smooth inflection and rhythm could balance that out. Support your voice from your diaphragm — it helps if you have vocal or instrumental history, but again it is not required. You do not want to have a whispy, thin voice. That will not hold an audience’s attention. Try variations of pitch and intention when you switch characters.

After you’ve taken a crack at it, I advise you sample different forms of voice acting and listen with intent. You can find voice actors everywhere: video games, TV, film, music, audiobooks, voiceovers, and more. The age of media is only expanding, so this career is on the rise. Many blind people use voice acting as their source of information — making this career an integral part of any community. Visit websites such as Audible, Voicebunny, Librivox, YouTube, and Voices. Here, you can connect with those seeking voice actors or sample the work of others.

Although you don’t have to answer to a corporate boss, you must take initiative to get jobs. Usually, you start out building your reputation through volunteer work. Hopefully you have an idea how to navigate editing software like Audacity because you will most likely need to be your own editor, producer, and actor.

It’s important you seek out jobs that interest you. You’ll need to build a body of work to send virtually to your potential clients. Some clients act as directors while others will send you their book and give you the wheel. If you form a good relationship with certain authors, your chances of being hired as a regular increase. Stability isn’t guaranteed in this business — unless you’ve built a strong enough foundation to support yourself.

Record in a quiet, preferably sound-proof room. The only equipment you’ll need to acquire is a microphone, headphones, and a computer. Start yourself off with a book from the public domain — published 100 years or more ago. These books are free from copyright laws and may be used for your practice and portfolio.

I encourage you to read books on acting theory. I suggest beginning with Stanislavsky’s "An Actor Prepares" or Rover Cohen's "Acting Power." These skills will only serve you in specific characterizations and storytelling devices.

Whether it is supplemental to your day job or it’s your whole career, voice acting can bring new color and life into your life.