Side hustles are part-time jobs or businesses that you do in addition to your regular job. Nearly half of all Americans work a side hustle, with 30% saying they need the money simply to cover basic costs of living, according to a 2023 survey by Self1.
Nonetheless, not all side hustles are about earning a living. Some people take on a side job to make a hobby pay for itself, to gain job experience in a different field, to make use of skills or knowledge they don’t have a chance to at work, or to develop new skills. Some also start a side hustle intending to make it their full-time work later.
Below, we list 20 side gig ideas you can explore, what you need to get each started, and how much you can expect to earn.
Whatever side hustle you choose, be sure to set it up right. Check to see if you need licenses, permits, or liability insurance. Check out our article on starting your own business for more information.
Skill-based Side Hustles
1. Consulting
There’s a big demand for expert opinions from marketing research to critiquing government grant applications. Consider consultancy if you are an acknowledged expert in your field or a C-level officer. Some services match you with clients, and you set your price level.
- Required skills: Expertise in your field, communication (verbal and written)
- Advantages: Often high hourly rate, freedom to select assignments
- Challenges: Not steady, tight deadlines at times, delayed payments, may need to interview before being given an assignment
- How much you can expect to earn: Consultants can earn anywhere from $35 to $350+ per hour—it depends on your experience and the project
2. Tech Setup
Do you have a knack for setting up computers? Does troubleshooting a home network not phase you? Perhaps you have expertise in a particular popular software. These skills are in demand not just in the business world. You can advertise your technical skills on handyman apps like HelloTech and TaskRabbit or, if with remote access software, Fiverr or UpWork.
- Required skills: Software and hardware development or maintenance
- Advantages: High demand, meet new people, low starting costs
- Challenges: Frustrated customers, technical issues
- How much you can expect to earn: UpWork showed people asking $10 to $75 per hour, while ZipRecruiter showed the national average at $21 per hour.
Service-based Side Jobs
3. Senior Sitting
Sometimes those who are keeping their aging relatives home need someone who will simply hang out with their loved ones while they run errands or get a much-needed break. Demand is increasing, but the number of non-medical home care workers decreased in 2023. If you enjoy chatting with the elderly, it could be a rewarding side job.
- Required skills: Patience, people skills, CPR, and elder care a plus
- Advantages: Meet a variety of people, learn about older generations, develop meaningful relationships, purposeful work
- Challenges: Emotionally taxing, could require physical assistance, grief of losing a client, may need background check
- How much you can expect to earn: ZipRecruiter says senior sitters earn an average of $38 per hour.
4. Driving for Uber or Lyft
Uber and Lyft are the classic side hustles to make extra money. You can register yourself and your car, then start taking fares according to your own schedule. There are some qualification requirements, and you are rated by your fares. Most drivers offer water and sometimes snacks, as well.
- Required skills: Driving, navigation, people skills
- Advantages: Set your own hours, meet a variety of people, get to know your town
- Challenges: Difficult customers, risk of accidents, keeping your car immaculate
- How much you can expect to earn: Uber drivers receive 75% of the fare price per ride, plus tips. Lyft drivers earn 70% or more after fees.
5. Run Errands
From picking up groceries to mailing a package, errand running can be a good side hustle if you like to drive and are good at following directions. It helps to be available during business hours, making it one of the best side hustles for people who work a swing or night shift at their regular job.
- Required skills: Transportation, ability to follow directions
- Advantages: Flexible hours, no education needed, no startup costs
- Challenges: Responsible for people’s money and possessions, best done during business hours
- How much you can expect to earn: Senior Errand Service says errand runners can charge $20–$35 per hour.
6. Deliver Products
If you love driving but aren’t thrilled about having other people in your car, consider delivery work. You can sign up with delivery services like Uber Eats or Amazon Flex. You need to have a good driving record, license, and insurance.
- Required skills: Driving, GPS, ability to lift and carry packages
- Advantages: Flexible hours, travel, get to know the local area, tips
- Challenges: Delivery deadlines, gas prices, potential for accidents on the road
- How much you can expect to earn: Amazon Flex says its drivers earn $18 to $25 per hour, including tips.
Creative Side Gigs
7. Photography
If you’re a shutterbug, then photography is a good side hustle to make extra money. Everyone has a camera in their pocket, so niche is important. Artistic pieces might sell in galleries or festivals, or you can shoot photos at events. You can freelance for other businesses or sell your photos to places like iStock.
- Required skills: Photography, photo editing software
- Advantages: Creative, meet a variety of people, travel potential, low starting cost
- Challenges: Not steady work, dealing with difficult customers or subjects
- How much you can expect to earn: Per ZipRecruiter, the average photographer salary is $20 per hour.
8. Reselling Abandoned or Thrifted Items
Modern-day treasure hunters don’t search for lost gold; they find it in thrift stores, yard sales, and abandoned storage units. If you like digging through junk in search of valuable items and have the skill and patience to research, then reselling might be a rewarding side job. The apparel resale market alone is expected to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 12% from 2023 to 2027.
- Required skills: Sales, research, whatever skills needed to clean, refurbish, and repair items, social media/blogging a plus, working ecommerce software
- Advantages: Fun of the search, helping the environment, setting your own hours
- Challenges: Lots of cleaning, dealing with trash, no guarantees you’ll find anything of value
- How much you can expect to earn: This depends heavily on the items you thrift and how much effort you make in putting them into good condition and finding the right buyer. However, ZenBusiness says resellers typically make 20% to 50% profit per product.
9. Self-publishing
Have you dreamed of writing a book? With self-publishing platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), it’s easier than ever to publish a book yourself. In general, nonfiction pays better than fiction, so the best self-publishing side hustles that make money are self-help or books that draw on your expertise. However, if you have a story that’s aching to be told, it can be very satisfying.
- Required skills: Writing is a must; cover art design, editing, and formatting encouraged
- Advantages: Creative, share your knowledge, perpetual income potential, potential fans
- Challenges: Heavy time investment, upfront costs for artists, formatting, editors, no guarantee of sales, potential for bad reviews
- How much you can expect to earn: Depends heavily on the book, promotion, and the market. Most self-published authors earn between $1 and $10 per book sold, depending on markup, and once it’s published, it can earn money forever.
10. Make-up Artist Services
If you love makeup and making others look amazing, then consider doing makeup for special events like weddings, proms, or photo shoots. There’s also a market for highly creative artists for performances or costume events. Face painting is also popular for kids’ parties.
- Required skills: Makeup and artistic skills; ability to adapt technique to the faces and skin tones of the client, people skills
- Advantages: Meet new people, creative, satisfaction of making someone look good, potential travel and being part of celebrations
- Challenges: Difficult customers, travel, fluctuations in demand
- How much you can expect to earn: ZipRecruiter lists makeup artist salaries at $25 per hour.
11. Creating Keepsakes
If you are creative and love preserving memories, consider starting a keepsake business. This can be everything from scrapbooking to making plaster imprints of little hands or dog paws to knitting sweaters from the fur of beloved pets. Promote your business with obstetricians, vets, or event planners.
- Required skills: Artistic skills, depending on the keepsakes you create, people skills
- Advantages: Preserving precious memories, creative outlet, meet a variety of people
- Challenges: Responsible for precious memories, including irreplaceable photos, dealing with grieving or difficult clients
- How much you can expect to earn: People on Scrapbook Forum say they charge $10 to $20 per page, or a minimum of $300 for 25 pages. Some include consults. Plaster pawprints run $20 to $100.
Side Hustles You Can Do Online
12. Starting a Substack
Many articles recommend blogging in their list of side hustle ideas from home. However, these can be hard to monetize. Enter Substack, a blogging/podcasting/newsletter platform that lets you offer paid subscriptions or free ones. Use the free section as a lead magnet with the best content behind a paywall.
- Required skills: Writing, graphic arts, social media; podcasting optional
- Advantages: No startup costs, creative, full control over topics and schedule
- Challenges: No guarantee of a following, lots of competition
- How much you can expect to earn: Substack says the average substack writer earns $8,900 per year. Substack takes a 10% commission.
13. Taking Online Surveys
Want to make a little money sharing your opinion? Focus groups and survey sites like Survey Junkie will pay you to take online surveys. Most screen for a target audience, so you don’t get in every survey, but it is fast and is one of the funner side hustle ideas online.
- Required skills: None, but you need internet
- Advantages: Fun, share your opinion, no education requirements or startup costs
- Challenges: May not qualify for a survey, low pay
- How much you can expect to earn: Most surveys pay $1 to $10 per completed survey
14. Transcribing
Transcribing is one of the better side hustles from home if you have a keen ear and excellent typing skills. You receive recordings that you then transcribe into a written file. With AI, you can cut the time, letting it do the first draft and then editing. Some transcription jobs require knowledge of the field, like medical transcription.
- Required skills: Listening, typing, spelling
- Advantages: Flexible hours, may learn new things, no startup costs or education requirements
- Challenges: Accuracy is vital, long hours at the desk, deadlines
- How much you can expect to earn: According to ZipRecruiter, transcribers make an average of $22 per hour.
15. Teaching English
If you like teaching and have good internet access, teaching English to non-native speakers is one of the more popular side hustle ideas online. You can sign up for a teaching service. Some require you to have a degree and experience, but others, like Cambly, are more tutoring-based and don’t have educational requirements.
- Required skills: Fluent English speaker; knowledge of grammar, degree and teaching experience preferred
- Advantages: Meet and talk to people all around the world
- Challenges: Technical issues, distracted students, potential for odd hours due to time zone differences
- How much you can expect to earn: We found salaries from $10 to $40 per hour. Much depends on the platform and your experience.
16. User Testing
Are you an early adopter? Do you like playing with the latest tech? Companies are looking for you! User testing is one of many side hustles from home, where you are paid to try out new software and products. Register at places like UserTesting, BzzAgent, or Trymata.
- Required skills: Depends on what you are testing, writing skills
- Advantages: Try new stuff, learn new things, work from home
- Challenges: Low pay, may not qualify, may be paid in products rather than money
- How much you can expect to earn: Depending on the product, you may get paid $5 to $30 per test, or get free products as compensation.
Side Jobs for Outgoing Individuals
17. Referee Sports
Do you love sports? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the market for referees is expected to grow 10% from 2022 to 2032. From Little League to professional sports, referees are in charge of enforcing the rules of the game. This work is seasonal and part-time and often outdoors.
- Required skills: Know the sport, exert authority, people skills
- Advantages: Get to be an important part of the game, work outside, meet a variety of people
- Challenges: Disgruntled fans, players arguing a call, at the mercy of the weather
- How much you can expect to earn: According to the BLS, the median pay in 2023 was $35,820 per year.
18. Local Tourism
If you know the best eateries in the city, have a passion for local history, or have the low-down on the best nature trails, then consider becoming a local guide. Check with your chamber of commerce or local tourism bureau about registering as a guide, or freelance through places like Airbnb.
- Required skills: Knowledge of the local area, public speaking, driving or walking, skills needed for the type of tourism (hiking, boating)
- Advantages: Share your love for your area, meet new people, set your schedule
- Challenges: May deal with difficult people, weather, “zinger” questions
- How much you can expect to earn: Tour guides earn between $8 and $25 per hour, but if you are organizing your own tours, you can charge by the person or the group. Rates on Airbnb run from $25 to $70+ per person.
Rental Side Hustles
19. Renting Out Your Stuff
If you have things you don’t use—from an extra bike to an extra bedroom—renting them out can be an easy side hustle. There are more concerns for this, like insurance and screening, but if you register with a service like Airbnb, it may take care of some of that for you.
- Required skills: None, but you need to keep your stuff clean and in good repair
- Advantages: Low-labor
- Challenges: Risk others damaging your things, liability for injury
- How much you can expect to earn: Depends on the item. Bikes can be rented for $20 per day while homes can go for hundreds per day.
Related: How to Start an Airbnb Business
20. Baby Gear Rental
One of the better ideas for side hustles for people in a tourist town is to rent baby gear. It can be difficult for parents to travel with everything they’d like, such as strollers, cribs, or playpens. You can sign up with services like BabyQuip or promote your service at hotels, to tourist areas, to your local tourism bureau, or to Airbnb owners in your area.
- Required skills: Inventory tracking and upkeep
- Advantages: No education needed, easy hours
- Challenges: Must store, clean, and maintain inventory, seasonal fluctuations
- How much you can expect to earn: BabyQuip says its vendors earn an average of $1,000 per month.
Check out our article on best money-making business ideas for more suggestions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
These are some questions we frequently encounter about side hustle business ideas.
Yes! Many people have pursued side hustle business ideas that turned out to have full-time earning potential. Before making the transition, however, be sure that you are consistently earning enough money to pay your bills each month.
When choosing a side hustle, consider how much time you have and what you want to get out of it. For example, is pursuing a passion or making a leisurely activity pay for itself more important than bringing in income? Do you want to grow it into a full-time business?
The best side hustle ideas that are easy are those that use skills and tools you already have and don’t require extra training, licensing, or permits. Freelance work fits this bill, but be sure you don’t have a non-compete clause in your employment contract.
According to a survey by Self, side hustles bring in an average of $688 per month. Over 26% earned between $51–$250 per month, and 1.7% earned over $4,000.
Yes. They are counted as self-employment tax. The IRS can see this income from your clients, payment apps, and marketplaces. This is especially true when you make enough to warrant a Form 1099. If you don’t track and claim this income, you are subject to auditing and fines.
It is possible, yes. Even the best side hustles from home can get you into trouble if they interfere with your job. Make sure your side hustle does not interfere with your regular job or compete. Definitely do not use proprietary information or resources from your main job in your side hustle. You should also avoid working for competitors.
Bottom Line
A side hustle is a good way to earn some extra money, but it can be more than that: a way to explore a new interest, share a passion, or develop a skill—all while making it pay. While nearly 46% of people say their side hustle brings in under $250, many people earn much more, and some even expand it to their full-time jobs. Our best side hustle ideas are just a few of the thousands of ideas that can bring in extra cash. Use your imagination—what can you do that people will pay for?
References: 1https://www.self.inc/info/side-hustle-statistics/#key-stats
