30 Best Side Hustles You Can Earn Right Away From
Introduction
Your next million-dollar idea could be hiding in your garage, ready to be ignited.
Makes no sense, right? Well, it did for Yankee Candle.
Here’s Mike Kittredge’s story. In 1969, at 16, he crafted a candle from crayons for his mother. A $2 request from a neighbor gave rise to a side hustle that eventually became Yankee Candle. In 1973, the business outgrew his parents' garage to an old paper mill. The 1998 sale of Yankee Candle was valued at $500 million. It now has more than 19,000 retail partners and 500 stores globally.
If you think it’s a far-fetched dream, we’re here to prove you wrong. Yes, we will walk you through
- The best side hustle ideas to get started
- The mechanics and potential earnings
- The right side hustle to choose
- Some side hustles to stay away from
Let’s get started.
How Much Are People Earning Through The Best Side Hustles?
At a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.18%, the worldwide gig economy market, valued at $355 billion in 2021, is projected to grow to $1,864.16 billion in 2031.
According to a Bankrate poll, 63% of those with side hustles report making over $100 monthly, and 28% report making over $500.
A side hustle is more common among younger generations and men, and they tend to earn more money from it. On average, Millennials earn $1,129 a month from side hustles, while Gen Zers bring in $958. Baby boomers earn $561 monthly, while Gen Xers earn $751.
Gender wage disparity persists even in the gig economy, where men earn a median wage of $1,034 per month compared to $735 per month for women. The percentage of men having side hustles is slightly higher, at 38%, compared to 33% for women.
How To Choose The Right Side Hustles For You?
A good side hustle is not just something you do after your day job. It’s something that excites and challenges you at the same time. Above all, it gives you the space to make mistakes and fail. You can change your track at any given time if it doesn’t work out.
Here’s a list of things you can consider to find the right side hustle ideas.
- Assess your skills and interests: List your talents, passions, and qualifications. It can even be something your people come to you for help. This make sure that the side hustle you choose is one you’ll enjoy and can do without much base work. If you’re naturally good at something, you’re likelier to stick with it and succeed.
- Understand your motivation: Whether you want to earn extra income, learn new skills, or test a business idea, knowing why you want a side hustle can guide your choice. If your primary goal is quick cash, consider options with fast payouts. If it's long-term growth, a side hustle idea that scales well, like an online business, might be ideal.
- Evaluate the market: Research demand for the services or products you're considering. A side hustle in a high-demand area can offer more opportunities and greater financial rewards. Understanding market needs and how your skills fit helps position your hustle in a strategic way.
- Consider time and investment: You should consider whether your goal is to develop a business to leave your work or to have something you can spin up fast to make money before a vacation. Some side hustles may need you to put money into training or certifications before you can begin.
- Set realistic goals and plan: Define clear, achievable goals for your side hustle idea. Whether it’s financial targets or the level of customer engagement you want, having specific objectives can keep you focused. Also, consider the logistics of running your hustle, like whether you need to register a business or invest in initial setup costs.
- Trial and error: Don’t hesitate to experiment with different side hustle ideas. Sometimes, you won’t know if something is the right fit until you try it. Start small with manageable risks to test the waters before diving in fully.
Best Side Hustles You Can Earn Right Away From
The hardest part is usually getting started. So, to get you started, We have compiled a list of the best side hustle ideas.
1. Create and sell digital products
The market value for digital products will reach $74 billion by 2025, according to research from JP Morgan. Digital product refers to any asset, item, or experience sold and distributed digitally through certain internet platforms. They are built via programming or by adding intellectual property to existing software.
📝 How it works?
Creating and selling digital products is a cost-effective, straightforward way to generate revenue. However, the amount of effort you put in, the quality of your products, and the effectiveness of your marketing will all determine the scope of that stream. You just have to
- Decide what digital product you want to launch (e.g., ebook, course, newsletter, downloadable design, etc.).
- Choose a platform to launch
- Grow a community of followers
- Generate profits in no time.
Need digital product ideas to get started? Read our guide on 40+ digital product ideas.
💰 Average Income
According to Deloitte data, digital products and services account for 3% of US consumers' total spending, and this percentage is expected to rise. The average monthly reported expenditure for digital products and services is between $120 and $130.
Your earnings depend on what digital product you deliver. For example, templates yield $5-$10, whereas online courses can give you $1000 - $10,000 per month. It depends on what value you offer, how you present it, and the market demand for your product.
👉 How to start?
You don’t need a website to sell digital products. Online marketplaces and third-party websites allow you to sell your digital products to a wider audience. Through the use of in-app markets and organic page promotions, you may also provide your digital products solely on social media.
Get on board with FreshLearn if you're ready to build your online course business and want to retain 100% of the profits. FreshLearn is made for independent experts who would rather not spend time learning new software and instead teach from their own knowledge.
You have full creative control over your prices and the look of your online store using FreshLearn's tools.
If you've had any luck with your online book sales, you can use FreshLearn to transform your knowledge into a feature-rich online course.
2. Consider voice-over gigs
The amount spent worldwide on audio production and voiceovers is $4.4 billion USD. Although voice acting is often pursued as a full-time job, it may also serve as a meeting and a highly lucrative side hustle for some.
📝 How it works?
Voice acting involves providing voiceovers for various media, such as audiobooks, video games, television shows, movies, and more. It requires unique abilities, including interpretation, improvisation, characterization, and voice modulation.
💰 Average Income
Most voice actors make $20-$500 per finished hour (PFH), but this can vary widely depending on the niche, level of expertise, geographic region, and specific skills.
A single project for a well-known voice actor working on a national commercial campaign can cost more than $5,000. Narration for audiobooks often pays per hour, with rates varying from $50 to $500 or higher based on the book's difficulty and demand.
👉 How to start?
LinkedIn and Facebook can help you find potential clients. Create a high-quality demo reel to submit to agencies and clients to highlight your vocal abilities. To avoid missing out on regional prospects, inquire about voice acting roles at regional radio stations, production companies, and advertising agencies.
3. Tutor online
One way to make your skills and knowledge available to students worldwide is to offer tutoring services online. With services like homework assistance and exam preparation, even students are entering the tutoring industry and capitalizing on a market that is predicted to expand at a 5.2% annual rate through 2027.
📝 How it works?
As a remote tutor, you can work with students one-on-one through video conferencing systems to help them reach their academic potential. For example, if you have a strong command of more than one language, you might want to think about giving English lessons or online tutoring.
You can earn money whenever it's convenient for you. Alternatively, you may join an agency or platform that matches you with students online.
💰 Average Income
What you can make as an online tutor depends on your experience level, the popularity of your subjects, and your level of subject expertise. Typically, tutors charge between $10 and $20 per hour, with greater charges typically applied to more advanced levels or subjects.
👉 How to start?
Working as an online tutor is rewarding, and platforms like FreshLearn make it easier than ever. Consider making an online course to supplement your side hustle as a tutor. Although there is a lot of work involved in getting a course up and running, once it is, it can provide passive income without any further effort on your part.
Pro tip: It's easy to build and launch courses with FreshLearn. You can effortlessly add videos, downloadable materials, assignments, and assessments. Plus, you can generate personalized certificates automatically upon course completion.
4. Monetize a YouTube channel
You can make some extra money on the side by sharing your knowledge, talking about current events, or offering entertainment on YouTube with a side hustle.
📝 How it works?
While using YouTube is completely free, you can start making money from your videos after you have 5000 subscribers and more than 3,000 annual video watch hours. You can also earn through merchandise selling t-shirts, gadgets, and products of your choice, sponsorships, and brand collaborations.
💰 Average Income
Many hardworking people have made a living from their YouTube channels. On average, YouTube pays $18 for 1,000 views. Imagine how much you can receive when your content crosses millions of views.
Need more clarity on how much YouTube pays? Read our comprehensive guide.
👉 How to start?
Begin by creating captivating shorts and videos that will interest your intended audience. When your subscriber base grows, you might start thinking about ways to make money, such as selling merchandise, advertising affiliates, or joining the Partner Program.
5. Become a photographer
Photography can be a good side hustle idea for competent photographers. Working in photography allows you to express your creativity while also allowing you to connect with like-minded individuals.
📝 How it works?
Images of high quality are constantly in demand. But it's a good idea to consider seasonal marketing: summer or early fall for graduation shots, family portraits for Christmas cards, spring for Easter pictures, etc.
💰Average Income
A photographer's hourly rate might range from $15 to $90. There are a lot of variables that affect your income, though, and these include your photographic style, your location, and your experience and reputation.
👉 How to start?
Don't assume you'll start generating as much as the pros when looking into online pricing strategies. Start by charging less, but not too little, to develop your talents and clientele. For website photos, you can even ask friends to pose.
6. Become a personal chef
A private chef is a person who offers their services to individuals, families, or companies by creating specialized menus. This is a great option for those who enjoy cooking but don't want the stress and strain of a typical kitchen job.
📝 How it works?
The duties of a private chef include creating menus, going grocery shopping, and preparing meals, which can occur either in the client's home or in an outside kitchen. For the latter, you'll need to hire a commercial kitchen because doing all the work in your personal kitchen isn't possible.
💰Average Income
As of July 2024, a private chef in the US may expect to earn an average of $43.45/hour, or $90386/year. Your earnings will also depend on your expertise and the complexity of your menus.
👉 How to start?
Booking private chefs isn't exactly a walk in the park because those clients are pickier than others. It might be a good idea to get your feet wet in the catering or food-prepping industries when you're just starting out in your profession and then work your way up to this.
7. Pursue freelance writing or proofreading
When you're a freelance writer or proofreader, you can work from the comfort of your home or office and take on an extensive line of writing jobs. Get into freelance proofreading or editing if you enjoy fixing words more than writing them.
📝 How it works?
Online sites like Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Fiverr help freelancers locate and manage clients. They work autonomously to manage deadlines, negotiate terms, and select projects that suit their skills. With this flexibility, you can adjust your workload according to your own schedules and financial objectives.
Need to develop your writing skills? Here’s a list of writing exercises to begin with.
💰Average Income
The average hourly rate of a freelance proofreader can range between $31 and $40, depending on the type of text you’re editing, such as fiction, nonfiction, blogs, etc. For freelance writing, this amount can be anywhere between $15 and $100 per hour.
👉 How to start?
First, build a strong portfolio of your best work. After that, sign up for freelance platforms and, over time, establish a reputation by consistently submitting high-quality work. The key to long-term success is building networks and always improving your skills.
8. Deliver food and grocery
Food and grocery delivery services are a viable side business option if you own a vehicle and have some free time. You may not get rich quickly with this side gig, but if you put in a few hours here and there, it might cover your weekend trips.
📝 How it works?
You are a freelancer. When customers place orders for grocery delivery, you'll be the one to make the purchases based on their individual needs. After the groceries are packaged, you can deliver them to a customer's door and get payment.
💰Average Income
The average delivery driver base salary is $18.45 per hour. With a delivery app, you can earn tips on top of your standard wage. Tipping, however optional for customers, is a major source of passive income for many delivery workers.
👉 How to start?
Many meal ordering applications, including Amazon Flex, Instacart, and Uber Eats, require delivery drivers. Upon fulfilling their eligibility criteria, you can begin delivering food and earning money as a side hustle.
9. Become a virtual assistant
Starting a virtual assistant side hustle allows you to use your basic knowledge, concentrate on projects that truly excite you, and set your own hours. For anyone looking to diversify their skill set and build their resume, it's a solid option.
📝 How it works?
Online personal assistants, or virtual assistants, manage a variety of duties such as email correspondence with clients, making travel reservations, setting up appointments, entering data, and much more. While you may find clients who are looking for virtual assistants on a full-time basis, you can also find virtual assistants on an as-needed basis.
💰Average Income
The average compensation for a virtual assistant is $19.93 per hour or $41,445 per year. Many newly hired VAs begin by charging an hourly charge for administrative support services.
👉 How to start?
The only real expense of this side hustle is maintaining a decent internet connection and computer. Platforms like Upwork, TaskRabbit, and ChatterBoss make advertising your services and handling payments and gigs easy.
10. Try affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is touted as a great way to make recurring, passive income. With affiliate-focused brands like Wirecutter selling for about $30 million, it’s easy to see why. Affiliate programs that help promote other people's products are becoming more popular among marketers.
📝 How it works?
In affiliate marketing, you promote other companies' goods and services using your own website content, such as blog posts. It's an exciting way to make money online. If you have affiliate links on your site, and a customer buys something after clicking on those links, you will earn a commission.
💰Average Income
Glassdoor reports that an affiliate marketer may expect an average annual pay of $59,060. With "extra income" options like commission, profit sharing, extra cash bonuses, or tips, it varies from $58K to $158K.
👉 How to start?
To start making money as an affiliate marketer, all you need to do is become a blogger or create other forms of online content and gain a large following. To simplify:
- Pick a niche
- Choose a platform for your content.
- Create and market your own content.
💡Pro-tip: You can also get paid to promote online courses as an affiliate. To help affiliates and creators succeed, FreshLearn offers many shareable tools. All you have to do is:
- Get your FreshLearn affiliate link by signing up.
- Feel free to share the one-of-a-kind link with anyone you think would be interested.
- If someone signs up and purchases using your affiliate link, you will receive a 30% lifetime commission.
11. Run an E-Commerce Store
Statista projects that 80.4% of US customers will shop online by 2025. For 83% of B2B enterprises, digital commerce is the preferred mode of purchase. Creating an online store is one of the best and most profitable side hustle ideas.
📝 How it works?
The best thing about e-commerce sites is that they let people sell products online rather than transporting them straight from your house. This eliminates the need for substantial fixed expenses like rent or insurance. Your products can be handmade crafts, vintage products, edible items, cosmetics, etc.
💰Average Income
Running an online storefront in the US can earn you an average of $111,230 annually. This varies based on the products you sell, their demand, and your expenses.
👉 How to start?
To get started,
- Find products with consistent demand in the market.
- Build your website on a dependable e-commerce platform.
- Decide if you want to buy wholesale, dropship, or manufacture.
- Promote customer retention via digital marketing.
12. Start a pet-sitting and doggie day-care service
Launching and marketing pet-sitting side hustles is easy for animal lovers. Running a pet-sitting business isn't as expensive as other types of business. You will also begin to earn money the moment you secure your first client.
📝 How it works?
You can care for pets in-home while owners are away or indoors for the day or long term. However, it is important to check the requirements in your area, as certain states and municipalities require permits.
💰Average Income
An annual income of $35,100, or $16.88/hour, is typical for pet sitters in the United States. A few of the local places charge $25–$35 nightly. Word-of-mouth will likely bring in a large portion of your new business, which is great as it reduces your advertising expenses.
👉 How to start?
Make a profile on a pet-sitting website like Wag or Rover and advertise your services on social media sites and in the classifieds of your local paper.
13. Get paid to test apps and websites
Developers of both websites and mobile applications are constantly looking out for users who can provide feedback on the usability of their creations. Nobody wants their website to lose visitors due to slow loading times, difficult site navigation, subpar design, or unclear information.
📝 How it works?
You can register as a tester on TryMyUI, Testbirds, and UserTesting websites. These websites pair you with testing opportunities based on your demographic information and technical abilities. Typical tasks need you to use a website or app in a certain way and then provide extensive comments on your experience.
💰Average Income
An estimate puts the potential hourly wage for website and app testers between $4 to $40, with monthly profits reaching $150. At $50 per test, some websites, like TestingTime, offer larger payments.
👉 How to start?
- Register on testing platforms
- Complete any required introductory training or test to qualify as a tester
- Ensure you have a good internet connection and the necessary devices
14. Bake cakes, pastries, or pies
Despite being one of the most fulfilling and successful side hustles, launching a home baking company needs dedication, patience, and an eye for detail.
📝 How it works?
Baking is a popular but demanding profession that requires talent, good marketing, a great deal of effort, tight deadlines, and a strong work ethic. Nevertheless, the rewards of running a baking business outweigh the challenges.
💰Average Income
A baker’s average hourly rate ranges from $12 to $22.5. Annually, this can range between $24,960 and $ 46,980. This depends on your order volume and client retention.
👉 How to start?
You begin by honing your recipes, and then you use local channels like social media, farmer's markets, and word of mouth to sell your freshly baked goods. Custom orders for special occasions, such as weddings and birthdays, can be a great source of extra cash.
15. Become a social media marketer
Currently, there are 4.95 billion active users of social media worldwide — quite an audience!
As more social media platforms emerge, there will be a greater need for experts in social media marketing who can think critically and be open to new ideas and approaches.
📝 How it works?
These days, companies can't afford to ignore social media, yet many still struggle to maintain an effective presence. The role of social media managers is to address this.
Their responsibilities include managing the entire process, from posting and content creation to engaging with followers and replying to comments. For clients, some social media managers are skilled enough to handle social media advertising campaigns and partnerships.
💰Average Income
An hourly wage of $20–$50 is within reach for social media managers. You can earn up to $5,000 monthly if you love social media, find intriguing stuff to share, have a knack for writing concise pieces, and aren't afraid to get analytical and work the numbers.
👉 How to start?
Joining a freelancer marketplace such as Upwork is the simplest approach for a social media manager to obtain clients. Add relevant talents and work samples to your profile. Additionally, consider investing in a quality social media management course to help you stay organized and manage your workload better.
16. Self-publish an e-book
While it may be challenging to write a book, publishing it is much simpler today with the help of the internet. E-books follow the same one-and-done approach that online courses do.
📝 How it works?
If you have a prolific writing style and want to sell your books on the Kindle store, you can use Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Book publishing is free, and authors can earn up to 70% royalties on all sales. Write your book, add your manuscript, include a good description, and specify all the details that you want shown.
💰Average Income
Although e-books can be profitable, it is not sufficient to just publish one. With the right promotion and sales strategy, eBooks may be rather lucrative. Some writers can earn $1,000+ monthly by publishing their ebooks on Amazon.
👉 How to start?
- Choose a popular genre and target audience.
- Write and edit your manuscript thoroughly.
- Design an appealing cover and professional layout.
- Publish through an established platform and use social media to increase visibility.
💡Pro-tip: Looking for an easy way to launch your first ebook? Try FreshLearn. Freshlearn makes it easy to design and publish eBooks online, streamlining the process and eliminating technological difficulties.
✔ Besides being an excellent platform for publishing ebooks, it also stresses a smooth payment process to increase conversions.
✔ You can use pre-built, conversion-optimized checkout pages and configure pricing options.
✔ Personalization is crucial, and FreshLearn gives you that power by letting you design learner dashboards, login screens, and emails.
17. Drive for Uber, Lyft
If you're looking to start a side hustle that requires no more than a driver's license, consider becoming a rideshare driver. The enrollment process for many ridesharing businesses is straightforward, so you can get behind the wheel quickly.
📝 How it works?
The drivers who work for Lyft, Sidecar, and UberX are not employees of the companies but rather independent contractors. Startups claim their apps match contractors with customers willing to pay. While on the job, drivers must pay for their own gas and car repairs. Uber surge pricing lets you capitalize on peak transportation demand.
💰Average Income
Although overall pay can fluctuate greatly based on factors like location, gratuities, and the number of trips made, Business Insider states that Uber and Lyft drivers make around $35 per hour.
👉 How to start?
To get started, in addition to agreeing to have your driving record and background checked, you'll just need a qualified vehicle that's in good condition.
18. Star product reselling business or dropshipping
Dropshipping is a well-liked business concept among side hustlers and with good reason. A drop shipper is an entrepreneur who sells goods straight to consumers rather than purchasing or renting storage space for physical goods.
📝 How it works?
You can start a dropshipping business and sell almost anything, from clothing and jewelry to home appliances and kitchenware.
As a drop shipper, your objective is to use Google PPC advertisements or your website to promote products from various manufacturers. After a consumer places an order, you're responsible for sending the order to the manufacturer. It's effective, quick, and effortless for everyone — including you.
💰Average Income
As a drop shipper, you can expect to earn an average of 20% to 30% of each sale, or $100,000 annually. The monthly cost comes out to be somewhere around $1,000 to $5,000.
👉How to start?
- Find a niche
- Choose your supplier
- Set up a shop online
- Start selling
19. Senior sitting and companion
Improved options for in-home care for the elderly have led to an increase in the number of families choosing to keep their elderly loved ones in their homes. For anyone wishing to earn extra money while serving as a companion or caretaker when primary caregivers are gone, this creates the potential for side hustles.
📝 How it works?
Senior sitting, or companion care, is a non-medical in-home care service that provides seniors, disabled people, and aging adults with company. Although accreditation is not strictly necessary, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) can provide non-medical companion care.
💰Average Income
People who care for the elderly in the US often make between $12 and $15 an hour.
👉 How to start?
This side hustle is quite inexpensive. An app like care24 can help you advertise your services and keep track of your clients, or you can handle appointments and payments independently.
20. Start a podcast
Podcasting has grown in prominence within the realm of online content, much like blogging and social networking. Actually, listeners to podcasts have been trending upwards year after year.
📝 How it works?
To begin a podcast, choose a topic or theme that appeals to your intended audience. Start planning your launch promotion and recording a few episodes ahead of time. Incorporate advertisements or sponsorships as your podcast expands to make it a side hustle.
💰Average Income
For every 10,000 downloads, podcasters may anticipate earning $500 to $900 on average. Top podcasters might make millions of dollars a year from advertisements, sponsorships, and other money sources, while smaller, more involved podcasters might make a couple hundred dollars a month.
👉 How to start?
Podcasting also has a low entry barrier. For under $100, you can buy a good USB microphone designed for podcasting. You can start hustling with free, user-friendly recording software like Audacity.
21. Be an expert consultant
Do you have specific expertise in a field that businesses or consumers are looking for, like marketing or personal training? If yes, consulting could be a great way to supplement your income.
📝 How it works?
In most cases, you can run a consulting firm entirely from home using videoconferencing or other remote communication tools. You can operate a consulting firm for:
- Business Analytics
- Life Coaching
- Creating art in the form of writing, painting, or drawing
- Programming.
💰Average Income
Part-time consultants in the US typically earn $41.55 per hour. The kind of consulting you do will determine how much money you make.
👉 How to start?
While some consulting roles necessitate advanced degrees, others merely demand broad expertise. Qualify for your role, showcase your credentials online, and compile a list of satisfied customers on social media.
22. Participate in paid online surveys
Online survey sites commonly pay users a few cents (or less) per survey. Although the salary is modest, the level of effort required to complete the tasks is also low.
📝 How it works?
With a computer, an internet connection, and an email address, you can fill out surveys from the comfort of your own home. Surveys can take many forms, but the most common ones include pages and pages of questions designed to glean information about your personal preferences and activities.
💰Average Income
Pay ranges from a few cents to a few dollars or more per survey. You can expect to earn 50 cents to $5 depending on the survey. You can make $50 to $150 each month doing these surveys on a regular basis.
👉 How to start?
Lots of surveys are available on websites such as Survey Junkie, Branded Surveys, and Swagbucks. Even if it won't pay the bills, you can earn some extra cash to spend on the weekend by filling out surveys.
23. Sell your rental properties or space
Why not turn the time and energy you put into keeping your property in good shape into some extra money? You may make a lot of money by renting out a room or even your whole house.
📝 How it works?
You can begin taking reservations the same day you create your listing. Your guests' payment will be disbursed around 24 hours after their scheduled check-in time; however, the exact amount of time it takes to process the payment will vary depending on the payout method.
💰Average Income
The real estate industry is seeing a rise in the popularity of hourly house rentals. Renting a house by the hour gives you more financial freedom than the normal long-term rental, where you sign a contract for several months to years. With this method, you can maximize your rental income and better use your space.
👉 How to start?
It's easier to list short-term rentals with platforms like Agoda, Vrbo, and Airbnb. You should have some extra cash on hand to pay for maintenance, cleanup, and replacement of household items, as well as service costs.
24. Mystery shopper
As a kind of market research, "mystery shopping" involves recruiting people to pose as frequent customers to evaluate a company's services and products.
By conducting these evaluations, business owners can learn more about their customers' experiences and find ways to enhance them.
📝How it works?
A mystery shopper's duties could include making a purchase, staff interaction, or rating the service they provided. In exchange for your work, you will earn extra cash and, in many cases, will also get to retain the goods you buy.
💰Average Income
It is common practice for mystery shoppers to earn at least minimum wage or more. Indeed, the typical U.S. mystery shopper earns $15.41 per hour, ranging from $7.25 to $55.38. The compensation is higher in crowded, urban locations with high living expenses.
👉 How to start?
Before signing up for a gig or visiting a website, be sure it's legitimate. Real mystery shopping businesses would never seek payment to join their program or access job listings. After registering with reliable companies and merchants, fill out your profile as a mystery shopper.
25. House-sitting
Yes, house-watching is a service that people are willing to pay for. You may live rent-free and make money by sitting in people's houses for a while.
📝 How it works?
House-sitting is a great way for people to earn some extra money on the side. It can range from helping a neighbor with their plants and mail occasionally to living in someone's home for an extended period while they're away.
💰Average Income
According to ERI, the average hourly wage for a home sitter in the US is $16. One-day flat-rate duties, like weekend getaways, cost $30 to $80. On average, a home sitter's yearly compensation might vary from $25,505 to $38,535.
👉 How to start?
It can happen at random encounters in public places like coffee shops, diners, or hair salons or through personal referrals. However, the internet makes house-sitting easier than ever. House sitting is a popular service, and several websites cater specifically to those in need of a sitter. Other places to hunt for one include online forums and social networking sites like Facebook.
26. Become a transcriber
Having a side hustle as a transcriptionist can be really rewarding. You may set your own hours, work from any location, and even earn supplemental income while gaining practical expertise. If you work hard enough, you can earn thousands of extra money.
📝 How it works?
Transcribers take in audio recordings and transcribe them verbatim. Clients send audio files to transcriptionists, who type up what they hear. Having exceptional hearing and quick fingers is essential because these files could contain audio from videos, notes, phone conversations, or even court sessions.
💰Average Income
As a freelance transcriber, your hourly rate can range from $15 to $30. You should expect to earn more money transcribing audio if you work efficiently, as most transcription assignments pay by the hour.
👉 How to start?
Aspiring transcribers should devote their free time and energy to studying the latest trends and best practices to improve their prospects of earning a fair income. For side gigs in transcription, check out freelancer websites such as Rev, TranscribeMe, and GoTranscript.
27. Try Influencer marketing
Creating a social media profile and making enough money from it is one of the most rewarding side hustles you can consider.
📝 How it works?
Influencer marketers who are successful at building brands produce engaging material on various platforms, including a YouTube channel, social media accounts, a podcast channel, an affiliate website, and a blog.
Influencers also make money through product reviews and suggestions, humorous videos, how-to advice, controversial social commentary, and a wide variety of other forms of content.
💰Average Income
Curiously, although influencers with 50,000 followers make the most money, micro and nano marketers can make $100 to $1,000 for every Instagram Reel as well. On other networks, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, creators can expect to make $200 to $500 for each post.
👉 How to start?
Social networking and YouTube accounts are free, so starting an influencer side hustle costs nothing. Site builders like Wix, SquareSpace, and WordPress make it easy to start your own blog or website on a budget and add more features and storage as your business expands.
28. Start event planning
Event planners put together events like weddings, graduations, and business meetings.
📝 How it works?
Their job is to ensure the event runs smoothly by organizing events, setting dates, hiring locations, coordinating caterers, sending out invitations, and checking in with everyone involved. Being an effective event planner requires strong organizational and financial management abilities.
💰Average Income
The median hourly wage for an event coordinator is $29, according to Salary.com.
👉 How to start?
While you can work with friends and family to obtain practical expertise as an event planner, you must have an academic background in meeting and managing events to draw professional clients.
29. Create unique print-on-demand designs
Print-on-demand enterprises provide a low-risk and pleasurable business opportunity for people passionate about design and interested in entrepreneurship.
📝 How it works?
You can effortlessly design unique merchandise like t-shirts, containers, canvas bags, and pillows using online POD tools. Then, you can swiftly add these items to your online store, expanding your brand. When customers make a purchase, the manufacturer prints and ships the item directly to the customer.
💰Average Income
Print-on-demand can be a very profitable business model if you know what you're doing. Profits from a POD business can range from an average of $4,639 to a maximum of $9,833 every month. By 2032, experts predict that the PoD market will have grown to $64.3 billion.
👉 How to start?
Printing on demand is a great way to test the waters of eCommerce without risking any money. Go to online platforms like Printify and Printiful, create an account, browse the inventory, select, and experiment with the layout at no cost. Then, put your products on sale by advertising them online and then sitting tight.
30. Launch a subscription-based newsletter
Similar to free newsletters, paid newsletters allow subscribers to pay to access premium material. It's an excellent template for authors, specialists, or influential people with a dedicated fan base. If you can locate a paying audience, creating a paid newsletter is a great way to earn extra money while working from home.
📝 How it works?
Come up with a concept for your sponsored newsletter first. Think about the skills you possess that others are willing to pay for. After that, you must enroll in an email marketing platform to send newsletters and accept payments.
💰Average Income
A premium newsletter typically costs $11 per month and doesn't drop below $5. Newsletters that target businesspeople who frequently use company credit cards to pay can cost $40+ per month or more.
👉 How to start?
Have a strategy in place to attract subscribers. Most often, side hustlers succeed by using sponsored advertisements, building a social media following, or encouraging people to subscribe to a complimentary newsletter. After that, you can turn them into paying customers.
💡 Pro-tip: With FreshLearn, you can create an email list with ease, create engaging emails, and automate lead nurturing. You can use its comprehensive solution tailored for creators to turn your content into an incredibly effective sales tool.
Some Side Hustles to be Cautious of
Like with every business, there are a few side hustle red flags to be cautious of. We’ve listed such side hustle ideas for you here.
⚠️ Licensed professions
Fields like salon services, real estate, and certified accounting often require substantial initial investment in education and licensing. Initial costs can range from $500 to $10,000 or more, plus ongoing fees. While these can be viable career paths, they're less suitable for quick, low-commitment side income.
⚠️ Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) schemes
MLMs often promise easy money but typically require significant product investment. They only become profitable by building large downstream sales teams. Before joining, thoroughly research the company's sales model, required costs, and return policies to avoid potential inventory buildup and financial loss.
⚠️ "Get rich quick" coaching programs
Be wary of expensive programs promising rapid success. While some offer valuable insights, many use high-pressure sales tactics to sell overpriced information that is available for free elsewhere. Explore free resources like YouTube tutorials, blogs, and e-books before investing in paid coaching.
⚠️ Potential scams
Be cautious of offers that sound too good to be true. Red flags include:
- Promises of guaranteed or fast results
- Claims of unique, "foolproof" systems
- Suggestions of easy, autopilot income
- Limited online presence beyond advertisements
💡Pro-tip: To evaluate suspicious opportunities:
- Search for "[brand name] reviews" and "[brand name] scam"
- Compared with similar legitimate offers
- Be skeptical of deals significantly cheaper or easier than competitors
⚠️ High-risk, time-intensive, low-reward investments
Avoid side hustle ideas promoting stock trading or cryptocurrency speculation without proper education. These can lead to significant financial losses. Some micro-task platforms or survey sites offer minimal compensation for substantial time investment. Calculate your effective hourly rate to ensure it's worth your effort.
Wrapping Up
Like any other business, your side hustle needs your full focus, dedication, and persistence to succeed. When executed well, though, it can provide excellent opportunities for financial independence, expansion, and even full-time jobs.
If you want to start a side hustle, you can get started on FreshLearn for free. 3,000+ creators have made $20 M+. You can do it as well. This creator's platform has everything you need to make money from "what you know." It's feature-rich and all-inclusive.
You can create courses, cohorts, masterclasses, and ebooks and monetize them. What more? You have built-in marketing tools to nurture your audience. Sign up to turn your expertise into a monetizable hustle.
FAQs
1. What side hustles make the most money?
High-earning side hustle ideas often use specialized skills or scalable business models:
- Creating and selling an online course
- Freelance consulting in high-demand fields (e.g., IT, marketing)
- Software development or app creation
- Real estate investing or property management
- E-commerce, particularly dropshipping or print-on-demand
2. How can I make $2000 a month on the side?
Achieving the $2,000 milestone money on the side is not an impossible feat. Create a great online course and sell it. You can also make it as a freelancer if you have marketable abilities. Companies need services like search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, and data analysis. Create a podcast or YouTube channel focused on your niche, add advertisements and affiliates to make money, and watch it grow. Diversification is the key. The key is to combine multiple techniques to achieve your goal.
3. What is the #1 side hustle?
Creating and selling online courses yields the highest return on investment (ROI). This is important because of their high scalability, minimal overhead, and possibility for recurring revenue. In essence, you are turning your expertise into a product. By 2025, the worldwide e-learning industry is expected to reach $325 billion. Plus, platforms such as Freshlearn completely take care of the technical side.
4. How to make an extra $20,000 a year?
To make an additional $20,000 a year, consider side hustle ideas like freelance web design, digital marketing, or creating and selling your own digital courses or products. These activities can be scaled depending on the time invested and the pricing strategies employed. For example, selling digital products or courses can yield significant side hustle income once the initial setup is completed.
5. How can I make $100 a day on the side?
To consistently earn $100 daily:
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