25 years old making $200 an hour

As a private notary, Vietnamese-American Angelina Nguyen earned $150,000 in 2022, working less than six hours a day.

Some days a week, Angelina Nguyen (a Vietnamese-American) earns $150 in just five minutes. To this day, the 25-year-old girl is still surprised by the income from her private notary work.

A notary is someone who witnesses and authorizes parties to sign important documents like passport applications or real estate contracts. Most notaries can only charge what their state requires. Notary signing agents can charge more because they specialize in certain areas like real estate or lending.

Angelina thought she would be doing the same thing every day, verifying signatures and explaining documents to clients. But she found that the job was so much more than that. She was overjoyed watching people sign the deed to buy their first home, then sullen all day long notarizing for people who were not ready to move out of their homes.

"From those moments, I realized I wanted to be a pillar of support to help people feel seen, heard, cared for and understood in important moments," Angelina shared.

Angelina Nguyen. Photo: CNBC — Angelina Nguyen. Photo: *CNBC*

Two years ago, the Vietnamese-American decided to become a notary full-time. She founded her own business, Team Signings, in San Jose, California. That decision turned her life around. As of 2022, this notary agency earns nearly $150,000.

Angelina's father was a real estate broker. He suggested that she become a notary. During his career, he found that real estate notaries were in high demand, with many people earning $75-200 per notary.

In most states, applicants only need to apply and complete a background check to become a notary. But in California, they must take a six-hour training course, pass an exam, and complete a background check. The initial cost to become a notary in California can range from $275 to $442.

It took Angelina about three months to complete the process and a month of training and studying to become a qualified notary in 2021. Before becoming a notary, she left her job as a bank teller in 2016 and over the next five years tried various jobs including real estate agent and insurance agent. But none of them suited her as well as being a notary.

"The hours are flexible and I feel like I'm really making a difference in people's lives," Angelina said about why she loves her job.

When she opened her own notary company, Team Signings, she immediately started building her client base. She visited real estate companies to proactively get to know them, created content pages on TikTok and Instagram to document her work, and asked friends for referrals. Angelina said her TikTok channel, which has nearly 30,000 followers, is her most successful marketing tool. Many followers near San Jose message her to request notary services.

Angelina aims to do at least two notarizations a day, charging between $75 and $200, sometimes more, depending on the type of document being notarized and how far away the appointment is from the office. Some contracts only take a few minutes, but it can take an hour to complete.

On average, Angelina works “less than six hours a day.” She typically schedules her work between 9am and 3pm, but sometimes takes on weekend signings. She has hired a full-time assistant to help with scheduling and bookkeeping.

The young woman's only regret is not starting her notary business sooner. "I like that I can set my own schedule, support myself and my parents financially if they need help. All of that combined, along with having the opportunity to help people every day, makes me feel really fulfilled," Angelina shared.

Xiao Gu (according to CNBC )

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