There are always reasons we would like to make extra money—a big wedding, an extended vacation, expecting a baby, or maybe it’s just a matter of easing your financial struggles. Whatever the reasons, a side gig can be an excellent way to earn extra income.
Sure, who wants a side job when you already have one full-time and are clocking in 40+ hours a week? But to make extra cash, you don’t necessarily have to take on a difficult or time-consuming side hustle.
Below, we’ve compiled some options to help you figure out how to make extra income while working full-time and reach your monetary goals.
Tutor Online
This is a great option if you possess skills or knowledge in a subject that can be taught to others online. From algebra to music, from 1st grade to seniors in high school, you’ll encounter a range of options to impart your erudition from the comfort of your home office or dining table.
Become a User Experience Tester
The IT industry is booming, and the need for user experience testers comes with that. IT companies are constantly looking for testers, so you have plenty of opportunities to get started on this side hustle. You can do this work from home and on your schedule. The job is easy, too, as you will only be required to evaluate and report on how user-friendly an app is and if there are any errors or glitches.
Take Surveys
Are you getting paid to take online surveys? Yes, please! Websites such as surveyjunkie.com will pay you for every survey you take. The surveys vary in nature and length, but providing your opinion or thoughts could make extra cash.
Now, don’t expect to make a lot of money from this. Survey Junkie suggests that by taking three daily surveys, you could make $40 a month—enough to add a bit of flexibility to your budget.
Get Cash Back From Apps
Most of us do a lot of online shopping, but are you doing it the right way? Sites such as Rakuten will pay you to shop. Their program includes virtually every online store you probably shop at and can offer up to 15% cash back for every purchase.
Cash back percentages vary from store to store, but they are constantly changing. Rakuten sends you your cash back every three months via check or PayPal. They have an app and a super helpful browser extension for your computer.
Teach English
Another popular way to earn extra income is teaching English, or any other language, online. Sites such as Preply allow freelance teachers to teach people worldwide without having to leave their homes. This side gig can become a steady one if you invest time in it and grow your number of students.
Get Paid for Your Creative Skills
Are you a talented and creative individual? Do your hobbies include painting, knitting, baking, or other kinds of crafts? Then, consider making things you can sell at a local store or online on sites like Etsy. Setting up an Esty store is easy, and though all success requires work and dedication, it can be an excellent way to earn money while doing a craft you’re passionate about.
You can also reach out to local shops or participate in local farmers’ markets or art markets to get your products in front of people.
Offer Your Services as a Virtual Assistant
If the question of how to make extra income while working full-time keeps coming up, consider becoming a freelance virtual assistant to pad your income. You can work from home, on your own schedule, and potentially increase your hours until it becomes a full-time gig—if that interests you.
You must meet specific requirements for this role, such as computer proficiency, excellent written and verbal communication, good scheduling and organization skills, and attention to detail.
Become an Influencer
Nowadays, everyone wants to be an Instagram influencer. But did you know that you don’t have to have millions of followers to earn some extra cash? You can start by becoming a micro-influencer (one with less than 15k followers), getting the attention of certain brands with your content, and taking it from there.
Being an influencer can be a fun but demanding job. You should find your niche style and audience, create engaging content (photos and videos), and research brands you’d like to become an ambassador of and reach out to them.
Become a Social Media Manager
Precisely because everyone wants to be an influencer nowadays, you should consider a side hustle as a social media manager. But a social media manager doesn’t only work with individuals; they can also take charge of a brand’s or business’s social media accounts to help grow their audience and increase their profit.
This job requires a particular set of skills, including proficiency in writing, video, and photography, and an affinity for being on top of current social media trends.
Get Paid for Your Photos
Do you have a passion for photography? Are you constantly taking photos that turn out pretty good? Maybe you should be selling those photos online. For the most part, your photos must fit within the stock image style, as these are the kinds of images that businesses, marketers, graphic designers, and large corporations look for the most. There are a host of online sites that you can explore to find which one fits your needs and goals best.
Drive for Uber or Lyft
This gig might just be how to make extra income while working full-time. With companies such as Uber or Lyft, you can drive people around in your car on your schedule. Being a good driver, punctual, and friendly is paramount for this job, so keep that in mind before venturing out. A perk of this gig is that you can write off certain vehicle expenses as tax deductions.
Become a Food Delivery Driver
Becoming a food delivery driver is another easy part-time job. Grubhub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash are some of the options out there. You must have a clean driving record, a criminal record, and a smartphone to be accepted. You can get started right after acceptance, although some companies require training.
Take Up Babysitting
Babysitters are always in high demand. As a side gig, babysitting is a quick and relatively easy way to make additional cash. There are plenty of online agencies where you can apply for such positions. Agencies such as Care vet all applicants and may have stringent requirements, but once accepted into their program, they will connect to families needing assistance. Additionally, you can canvas local neighborhoods near you to find a babysitting job or ask friends and family members for referrals.
Join a Focus Group
Although participating in focus groups pays well, the income stream is too inconsistent to be anything other than a side gig. Often, these focus groups have specific demographic requirements, especially the highest-paying ones. Most focus groups will take between 30 and 90 minutes and may be in person, by phone, or via video call. You can research companies like Respondent and WatchLab to learn more about this opportunity.
Deliver Groceries
With how busy everyone is living their hectic lives, grocery delivery services such as Instacart are heaven-sent to many of us. This job offers flexibility and relative ease. After being accepted by the company, you simply accept jobs, do the shopping—fulfilling the customer’s list—deliver the items, and cash out.
Advertise on Your Car
Make money while driving around town—to and from work, running errands, or for leisurely purposes. If wrapping your car or putting other potentially unsightly advertisements on your car doesn’t bother you, you could be making hundreds of dollars a month. There are quite a few companies out there you can work with. Most, like Nickelytics, have a screening process and some requirements, including having a newer car model and driving a certain number of miles daily.
Start Pet Sitting
Pet owners often find themselves in need of someone to look after their beloved pets. They need trustworthy people to care for their pets like they do, and sites such as Wag can provide them. Pet sitting is super easy. It involves feeding them, playing with them, petting them, and walking them (if they’re of the canine persuasion). This gig is not super steady, but you get to hang out with spoiled animals!
Do Tasks for People
You can make an extra income doing tasks for people such as doing handy work, installing TVs, moving furniture, doing minor plumbing repairs, etc. A great site to check out if you’re interested in this is Taskrabbit. Tasker make an estimated average of $45/hr, which is excellent for a side hustle.
Deliver for Amazon
Become an Amazon Flex Delivery Driver and make between $18 and $25 an hour. As a Flex Driver, you are an independent contractor and use your car for deliveries. To be eligible for this job, you must be 21, have a valid U.S. driver’s license, and have a mid-size or larger vehicle.
Turn Your Commute Into Cash
If you drive to work, you could earn extra cash in a couple of ways. Uber and Lyft have a feature that allows you to set your destination and pick up any riders going in the same direction. Another app you can try is Roadie, where you can set up deliveries en route to your destination.
If your commute doesn’t involve driving yourself to work, there are ways for you to make additional income while riding the bus or taking the subway. A long ride on the subway can become precious time for freelance writers or the perfect time to participate in paid online surveys.
Become a Photographer
We’ve talked about selling stock photos online, but have you considered becoming a session photographer? If you have an eye for composition, own a camera, and have photographic skills, this may be a great way to fatten up your piggy bank. People are always looking to have special moments captured on camera: graduations, weddings, family portraits, and so on. Don’t be dissuaded from this gig if you’re a rookie photographer; practice makes perfect.
Take up Car Washing/Detailing
Most people don’t want to deal with washing or detailing their cars, which can be an excellent opportunity for you to step in and offer these kinds of services. Car owners can expect to pay anywhere between $60 to $450 for a detailing job at brick-and-mortar establishments or with mobile car wash services, which is a good omen for you—even if you charge a little less.
Start a Blog
If you love to write, another excellent choice would be starting a blog about a topic you are keenly interested in and know of. Using ads and affiliate links in your content is essential to generate income. This side gig is not a get-rich scheme but a work of love, as it will take time to get it going and grow your audience before the cash flow.
Start Your Own (Online) Business
There are many kinds of business you can do online. Some of the most popular ones are e-commerce stores and affiliate marketing. Setting up an online store (which can sell anything and everything you can imagine) is relatively easy, but it requires constant updating and knowledge of marketing practices. But overall, it’s a great choice for rookie merchants.
Becoming an affiliate marketer involves selling products from other established businesses. This allows you to earn a commission from every sale. This gig is easy and inexpensive to set up, but it does require some marketing efforts, as your goal is to drive enough traffic to your website to increase sales.
Rent Out Your Car
There are many websites out there that allow you to rent out your car to other people. Such a site is Turo, which claims the average income is $10,516 per car rented out. This almost covers the average yearly cost of car ownership—which AAA states was $10,728 in 2022. With Turo, you can rent out both leased and financed vehicles.
Rent Out Your Home
Even if you don’t own multiple properties, you could still generate income from renting out your primary residence. Consider using services such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Evolve, where you can list your home for short-term or long-term stays.
This kind of operation involves a lot of work, including maintaining the house clean and in good shape, dealing with tenants, and finding temporary lodging for you and your family during the rental period.
Sell Old Phones and Electronics
Do you have old phones or other electronic devices tucked away in a box somewhere, forgotten and collecting dust? Selling such items can be your answer to how to make extra income while working full-time. Sure, it’s not a steady stream of extra cash, but it can give you a temporary financial boost to ease your monetary worries or allow you to go on that weekend road trip you’ve wanted to take for a while now.
Get Rid of Old Movies and Music
Most of us have an extensive collection of DVDs and CDs that have been unused for too long. Get rid of them and get some cash in the process. You can use quite a few online sites to sell them, or you can look for local shops or markets that buy these kinds of items.
Rent Out Your Baby Gear
Sites like BabyQuip allow you to make money by renting and delivering baby gear. Maybe your kids have overgrown these items, or you have one too many of them; whatever the case, some families will gladly pay to use them.
Sell Unwanted Stuff
Make money while decluttering—the perfect pairing. You probably have many items around your house that no longer serve you. Rather than storing them or throwing them away, you should consider selling them. You can set up a garage sale or go online. Some of the best sites for re-sale include Poshmark, eBay, and OfferUp. Each app/site has its niche market, from furniture to clothes, shoes, small electronics, and collectibles.
Sell Your Kids’ Clothes
Similarly to all that unwanted stuff around your house, if you have kids, you likely have a lot of clothes they no longer wear. Selling these items online or locally can bring in extra cash so you can buy them new clothes since they never seem to stop growing out of their old ones.
Sell Those Unused Gift Cards
Unused or unwanted gift cards can be exchanged for cash or other gift cards that you can use. Several websites offer this service but always research before trusting them with your gift cards, as not all are legitimate.
Rent Your Belongings
You can rent out anything you own and make extra cash. From jewelry to your RV, power tools, parking spots, and yards for dogs—you name it, there are likely people out there looking to rent it.
Consider Moonlighting
Moonlighting entails getting a part-time job aside from your primary one. The options are endless, and though the extra work may be a burden, the financial benefits are worthy of consideration. You can become a freelance graphic designer, part-time bookkeeper, or caregiver. Moonlighting can also be a great way to initiate a career change that will afford you better financial stability.
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