40 Easy Side Hustles That Pay Well
If there is one financial lesson I learned from the pandemic, it has to be the importance of diversifying my income. So many lost their steady 9 to 5 full-time jobs with no other income streams.
What better way to diversify your income than having a side hustle? There are many side hustles that pay well. They are an easy way to bring extra cash each month and a lifeline when your primary source of income is in jeopardy. Who knows – maybe you will eventually be able to turn it into your full-time career.
This massive list of side hustles that pay well includes something for everyone, no matter your interests and skill set.
What Is a Side Hustle?
A side hustle is a way to make money outside your full-time job. It's a great way to diversify your income, pay off student loan debt, and even become a full-time business if you're passionate about it.
There are endless possibilities with side hustles, online and in person. You can offer services using your skills, create digital products to earn passive income, get paid to use your phone for fast cash, or even rent out your belongings.
The best side hustles make you money without requiring too much time or effort. They're also typically something you're passionate about, so it doesn't feel like work.
Type of Side Hustles
We broke this list into a few main categories. Glance at the sections below and head straight to the one that speaks to you most:
- Offering services
- Passive income
- Renting out
- Reselling
- Social media
- Get paid to use your phone
Service-based Side Hustles
Offering services to others is one of the most common ways to make money through a side job. There are many ways you can help others to solve problems using the skills you already have. You will be surprised what people are willing to pay for some help. Here are some ideas:
1. Babysitting
Parents often struggle to find a good babysitter, especially for those special no-kids occasions, they are willing to pay. If you like kids and have the time, offer to babysit your friends and family. You can build your reputation and gain more clients through word of mouth.
2. Tutoring
Tutoring can be a lucrative side hustle that pays well. You can offer private tutoring services in math, physics, writing, etc. You can even teach English online to kids from foreign countries. I tutored calculus through university, which was one of my best side jobs at the time. The more niche a subject you teach, the more you can charge.
3. Dog Walking
If you love dogs and don't mind getting some exercise, offering a dog walking service might be your side hustle. Many dog owners are looking for someone to take their dogs on a walk while they're at work or busy with other things. You can use an app like Rover to connect with dog owners in your area.
4. Pet Sitting
Pet sitting is similar to dog walking, but you take care of the pet in their home. A good option if you don't want the responsibility of walking a dog but still want to help out and earn extra money.
5. Ridesharing Service
Ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft are becoming increasingly popular. You can sign up to be a driver if you have a car and some free time. You can set your own hours and drive when it's convenient.
With a clean driving record and a late-model car, you can start earning money immediately.
6. Deliver Food
Food delivery is another great option as a side hustle if you have a car.
You can sign up to be a driver for DoorDash, UberEats, or Postmates. Like ridesharing service, you can set your hours when convenient for you.
7. Grocery Shop for Others
If you don't mind doing a little extra work, you can sign up to be a grocery shopper for Instacart. Instacart is a service that delivers groceries to people's homes. You will need to shop for the groceries and then drop them at the customer's home. You can choose to do this on your own or with a friend.
8. Being a Freelance Writer
You can provide freelance writing services if you have a way with words. Some businesses and individuals are looking for someone to write content for their websites or blog.
You can sign up for a platform like Fiverr or Upwork to start finding writing gigs. You may not get paid well at the start, but once you build up the customer base and experience, you can charge more.
9. Transcriptionist
Transcription jobs are great for those who prefer to work alone and can type efficiently. The faster (and more accurate) you type, the more money you can make.
The work involves transcribing audio files into text documents. Often this can be general work for podcasts, web conferences, online lectures, etc., or it can be more technical like legal or medical transcription.
The more niche your topic area (such as legal or medical), the more you get paid.
10. Proofreading and Editing
If you have a keen eye for detail and know your grammar, you can offer your service as a proofreader or editor. Many businesses and individuals need someone to proofread and edit their content before publishing it.
Proofreading is finding errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Editing is making sure the content is clear and concise. Offering both services as a package is much more marketable, and you get paid more.
11. Landscaping and Lawn Care
Enjoy working in the garden and getting some exercise? You can offer your services as a landscaper or lawn carer. Many people don't have the time or ability to care for their yards. You can start by doing small jobs for neighbors and then build up to more prominent clients.
12. Website Designing and Building
If you have a niche skill in building and designing websites, you can get paid well as a side hustle. Many businesses and individuals need someone to build them a website or help them design one. You can also build a website, generate traffic, and sell it for $500-$1000+.
13. Computer Fix and Clean-ups
Our lives depend so much on computers these days. When something is not working correctly with the computer, it can be a pain in the backside.
If you're a tech whizz, you can get paid well to solve people's urgent computer issues. For computer fix and clean-up services, you can charge anywhere between $45-$100 per hour, depending on the problem.
14. Website and App Testing
You can get paid to test websites and give feedback on your user experience.
Many companies are looking for website testers. You can sign up for a platform like UserTesting to start finding testing gigs.
Some testing may only require a survey as feedback. For others, you may need to record audio or video feedback. Depending on how complex the testing is, you can get paid between $20-100 per hour.
15. Being an Amazon Flex Driver
Food Delivery is not the only way to earn extra money if you have a car and enjoy driving around the town. You can sign up to be an Amazon Flex driver.
Amazon Flex is a service that delivers packages for Amazon. You will need to pick up the boxes from an Amazon warehouse and deliver them to the customer's address. The pay is around $18-$25 per hour.
16. Offering Consultancy or Coaching Services
Have a lot of experience or expertise in a particular field? You can offer your services as a consultant or coach. This is a straightforward side hustle that pays well as you utilize your skill while helping others achieve their goals.
Some businesses and individuals are looking for consultants to help them with their business. You can also offer your services as a life coach or career coach. The average hourly rate for consultants is $100, but it can vary depending on the industry.
17. Being a Bookkeeper
Bookkeeping is the process of recording, categorizing, and tracking financial transactions. Many businesses need someone to take care of their books and are willing to pay good money for it. The average hourly rate for bookkeepers is $30, but it can range from $20-$60 depending on the complexity of the work.
18. Being a Freelance Project Manager
As a freelance project manager, you will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating the work of a team of developers, designers, or other workers.
You will need to track the project's progress and ensure it is completed on time and within budget. That can be a good side hustle if you are well-organized and have good communication skills.
Passive Income Side Hustles
Passive income is a sort of income stream that usually requires upfront work but one in which you are not actively involved at the time of earning. Making it a perfect side hustle for someone who has a full-time job.
Many traditional passive income ideas exist, such as investing in rental properties. However, many modern ways exist to make passive income online.
1. Invest in Real Estate
Investing in real estate is one of the most popular ways to make passive income. You can buy and rent a property or invest in a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). This type of passive income is not for everyone, as it requires a substantial upfront investment, and the risk is high. It may also be a long-term investment to realize a return.
2. Selling Digital Products
Another great way to make money online is by selling digital products. Consider items like an eBook, app, course, or anything else that can be downloaded or accessed online. The best thing about selling digital products is that once you have created the product, there are very few costs associated with selling it. You can also sell unlimited products, which means excellent earning potential.
Creating and selling printables on Etsy is one of the easiest ways to start selling online passive income through digital products. In this printable course review, I shared how this epic course helped me start selling online on Etsy.
3. Start a Niche Blog
Make money blogging is another flexible side hustle you have probably come across. The online world got more competitive over recent years, and starting a niche blog can fast-track your success.
Creating a niche site differs from traditional blogging because it entails reverse-engineering what people are looking for online and producing content to meet that need. You can monetize the traffic that you attract from your niche blog.
The advantage of starting a niche site is that the investment is meager, and you don't need any previous experience or degree to do it. Also, where you live doesn't matter – anyone can blog remotely on a computer or phone.
4. Blog Flipping
If you have thought about buying and selling websites, blog flipping could be your side hustle. Blog flipping is buying an existing blog, improving it, and then selling it for a profit. To be successful at blog flipping, you need to understand how to identify a good blog and make the necessary improvements to increase the blog's value. You also need to market the blog effectively to find a buyer willing to pay you a reasonable price for it.
5. Affiliate Marketing
Remember the last time you clicked a link to an online shop after watching a Youtube video? That was affiliate marketing working its magic on you.
Affiliate marketing is a way of making a commission on other companies products and services on your platforms. It can be done through a blog, Instagram, YouTube channel, etc. The income is passive as you create the content once, and the sales will continue to come in as long as you continue getting traffic. The key is to get traffic to your platform.
If you already have a big following on one of the social media platforms, working with companies to become an affiliate is a great side hustle that pays well.
Renting Out Side Hustles
Another passive way of making money is by renting out your assets. Whether it is an extra room, car, or camping gear, you will be surprised at what you can earn from things you already own.
Websites and apps can help you market items and connect with renters.
1. Rent Out Your Car
If you have a car sitting on your driveway, you can make money renting out your car. You can list your vehicle with rental services like Turo, TravelCar, and HyreCar. Renters are responsible for paying insurance in case of damages.
How much you make depends on your car type and the services you list. On average, you will be making $30-$40 daily.
2. Rent Out Your Room
Do you have an extra room in your house that you don't use? You can make money renting out your room. Rental prices depend on the location, room type, and amenities you offer. On average, you can earn $50-$100 per night. If you plan to rent out your room on a short-term basis, you can list it on Airbnb. For long-term rentals, you can try websites like Roomster and Roommates.
3. Rent Out the Driveway or Parking Space
If sharing your living space is too far out of your comfort zone, you can rent your driveway or parking space instead—a great way to make some extra cash, especially if you live in a busy city.
There are plenty of apps that can help you find people who are looking for a parking space. You can start by listing on JustPark and Stashbee.
4. Rent Out Your Assets
Similar to renting out your car and room, if you have any assets that you don't often use, such as camping gear, sports equipment, musical instruments, etc., you can make money renting them out too.
Rentah, Fat Llama, and Loanables are good sites for general items. Neighbor is a website that allows you to list storage space in your garage or shed for rent and RVshare helps you rent out your RV, which has become a very popular choice with travelers.
Reselling Side Hutles
One person's trash is another one's treasure. If you have any unused items, you can resell them and make some extra money. You can even make some serious cash selling high-demand vintage items.
1. Selling Unused Clothes and Shoes
We all have clothes and shoes that we don't use anymore. Instead of letting them sit in our closet, you can sell them and make some extra cash.
There are many platforms where you can sell your clothes and shoes, such as eBay, Depop, and Vinted.
2. Selling Old DVDs, CDs, Books, and Electronic Devices
Do you have old DVDs, CDs, books, and electronic devices that are gathering dust in the garage? You can sell them for extra cash too.
There are apps like MusicMagpie, Ziffit, and Webuybooks that will buy them from you. Don't expect to make a fortune from selling but these apps make selling super easy, and shipping is free.
3. Selling Vintage Items and Collectibles
If you have any vintage items or collectibles, you can make some good money selling them—a serious side hustle for many resellers. As we become more environmentally conscious, people are much more open to second-hand products like clothes, fashion accessories, furniture, etc.
As a reseller, you need to decide the niche that you choose to resell. It's also essential to research what items sell well within the niche. Finally, determine which platforms can help you market and resell the items.
Social Media Side Hustles
As social media becomes increasingly popular, many side hustle opportunities exist. This could be a great side hustle if you're active and knowledgeable on social media.
1. Start a YouTube Channel
Youtube is a great platform to share your knowledge and connect with people from all over the world. You can start a YouTube channel to show how-to videos, product reviews, or simply vlogs about your life.
If you can build a large following, you can make money from YouTube through Ad placements, affiliate marketing, merchandise, and sponsorship.
According to MintLife, an average YouTuber with 100K subscribers makes between $28,800-$48,000 a year. The highest-earning YouTuber, MrBeast, is earning a whopping $54 million a year.
2. Get On TikTok
You can make money with Tik Tok by getting partnerships or being sponsored. Although possible, it's highly competitive and can take a long time to build enough presence to attract partnerships or sponsorship.
You will need to be creative, distinctive, entertaining, and personable and find that golden content that leads to success.
3. Be a Social Media Manager
If social media is your thing and you have a knack for engaging with people, becoming a social media manager can be a great gig.
As a social media manager, your job is to help businesses manage social media accounts and presence. Including tasks such as creating and scheduling posts, responding to comments and messages, conducting social media marketing research, and more.
To become a social media manager, you will need strong writing and communication skills and a deep understanding of social media platforms.
4. Monetize Your Instagram
One way to make money through Instagram marketing is by partnering with brands. You must create a strong Instagram profile and publish high-quality content to get started. You will also need to build a following and engage with your audience.
You can reach out to brands they love and see if they're interested in working together.
5. Be a Podcast Assistant
There are over 500,000 active podcasts and 177 million podcast listeners in the US. With the growth in popularity, podcasting is a field with many job opportunities. The best part is that you don't need to own a podcast to take advantage of it.
You can offer many services as a podcast assistant, such as show notes writing, editing, producing, pitching, guest management, etc.
As this is a niched side hustle that will require specific skills, it's always worth taking a reputable course. Check out my interview with Sharon Schuler on how this Podcast Production School side hustle course helped her become a fully booked Podcast producer.
Get Paid To Use Your Phone
Not everyone has the time to invest in a long-term side hustle. There are plenty of opportunities to earn extra cash simply by using your smartphone. I got you here if you just want to make some fast cash.
1. Receipt Scanning
Receipt scanning apps are one of the easiest ways to make fast cash. Snap photos of your shopping receipts, and earn points that turn in the PayPal cash. You can also use multiple apps to maximize your earnings.
CoinOut, Fetch Rewards, and Paribus are a few popular receipt scanning apps for US users. Huyu, Shoppix, and ZipZero are amongst the best receipt scanning apps in the UK.
2. Video Surveys
You have probably heard about getting paid to do surveys. I have tried many of these over the years, but 80% of them don't pay very well. That's why I love video survey apps instead. You simply record your answer in a short 15-30 second video and get paid well for your opinion. Perfect for someone who is on the go.
Influencer by Voxpopme is one of my favorite video survey apps. The questions are fun to respond to, and there are plenty of them.
4. Game Apps
Enjoy playing games on your phone. Why not get paid for it?
You can earn cash from many game apps, both for iPhone and Android. All you need to do is download and play. You earn points from completing challenges and tasks—exchange points for Paypal cash, Amazon gift card, etc. Here are 30 game apps that pay instantly to Paypal.
5. Health and Fitness
Do you know you can get paid to do exercise? Win-win!
You can collect points by walking with Sweatcoin. One thousand steps are worth 0.95 Sweatcoins. You can exchange coins for various rewards, from PayPal Cash to sportswear. The HealthyWage app pays you to lose weight. It offers cash prices for achieving specific milestones, from losing weight to maintaining your goal weight.
All you need to do is download the apps and get paid while being on a healthy lifestyle.
6. Watch Videos
You can also earn money from watching videos. These apps and websites will pay you to watch videos on various topics, from news, celebrity gossip, weather, etc.:
- Neilsen
- Swagbucks
- Inbox Dollars
- My Points
Things To Consider When Choosing a Side Hustle
What Is Your Passion/Interest?
When choosing a side hustle, it's essential to consider what you're passionate about. That way, you'll be more likely to stick with it even when things get tough.
There are many different side hustles to choose from, so it's important to do your research and find one that fits your interests and lifestyle. If you can make it a fun side hustle, you will naturally give it more time.
What Are Your Skills?
It's also important to consider your skills when choosing a side hustle. Do you have any unique talents or abilities that you could use to make extra money? If so, there may be a side hustle that's perfect for you.
There are endless possibilities when choosing a side hustle, so consider your skillset before making a decision. For example, you could start a bookkeeping business if you're a whiz with numbers. Or, if you're great at writing, you could create a freelance writing business.
How Much Time Do You Have?
Another essential factor to consider is how much time you have to dedicate to your side hustle. If you only have a few hours a week to spare, you'll need to choose a side hustle that doesn't require a lot of time commitment.
How Much Are You Willing To Invest?
Starting a side hustle is a great way to make extra money, but it can require some investment in your business if you want to see success. There are many ways to invest in your side hustle. The best option depends on your business.
Some of the most common investments include advertising, training courses, or investing in a quality website. It's essential to set a budget for what you are willing to spend and keep track of your income and costs – at the end of the day, this is about making money.
How Do I Start a Side Hustle?
There are many different ways to start a side hustle, so here are a few steps on how to get started:
- Find your niche: The first step to starting a side hustle is to find your niche. What are you passionate about? What are your skills? Once you've answered these questions, you'll be one step closer to finding the perfect side hustle for you.
- Do your research: Once you've found your niche, it's time to do some research. Read articles, talk to friends, and search the internet for information on how to get started. There are many ways to make money, so you'll need to find the one that fits your needs.
- Create a plan: Once you've done your research, it's time to create a plan. Decide what you want to achieve, set a budget, and create a timeline for your goals. That will help you stay organized and on track as you start your side hustle.
- Take action: The final step is to take action and start your side hustle. That can be scary, but it's important to remember that you can always adjust your plan if things don't go as expected. Just take the first step and see where it takes you!
Which Side Hustles Pay the Most?
When it comes to side hustles, there are a lot to choose from, but a few stand out if you're looking for high-paying side gigs.
First is choosing a side hustle that you can grow into your own full-time business. You can start many different businesses, and the amount you earn will depend on the type of business you choose.
Another option is to offer freelance services. That can be anything from design work to writing or even tutoring. The amount you earn will depend on the services you provide and the clients you work with.
One final option is to start a blog. You can monetize your blog through affiliate marketing, sponsorships, or even selling products. The amount you earn will depend on the traffic you get and the monetization methods you use.
No matter what side hustle you choose, make sure to do your research and find one that fits your needs and skills. You can find a great side hustle that pays well with a little effort!
How Can I Make an Extra $2000 a Month?
Making $2000 a month from side hustles is possible, but it can be difficult. Therefore to give yourself the best chance of doing this, consider combining several hustles.
Not only will this increase your revenue, but it will give you valuable insights and experience into what hustles work the best for you—allowing you to tailor your active side hustles to suit your lifestyle, passions, interests, and schedule.
What Side Hustles Can I Start With No Money?
Lots. As you read through the list above, I hope you were saying to yourself that I could do that. If the hustle relies on your knowledge, time, and skills, then often, there will be no upfront cost to you.
Final Thoughts
So, we've got you covered whether you're looking for a side hustle to make some extra cash or want to find a way to turn your passion into a profitable venture. With this list of 40 easy side hustles that pay well, there's something for everyone.
Do your research and find one that fits your needs and skills. You can find a great side hustle that pays well with a little effort!