Whether you’re paying off that high-interest debt, putting a down payment on your house, or going on a vacation abroad, there’s a lot that you can do with extra income. A side hustle can supplement your income and help make ends meet.
The best side hustle not only earns you a decent income but also gives you the flexibility to work on your schedule and doesn’t need much time.
Here are the nine best U.S. hustles you should consider depending on your interests, lifestyle, and schedule.
1. Start a Podcast on a Niche Topic
You can easily launch and build a podcast on a specific topic and earn from it. All you need is quality equipment to record audio files, which you can upload on Spotify, iTunes, Anchor, and other podcast platforms. Podcasters earn their money through sponsored content, ads, affiliate links, and paid subscriptions.
While most platforms have free plans, there are some with premium paid plans. That allows you to earn through ad revenue splits, paid listener subscriptions, and downloads.
2. Offer Tutoring Services Online
Tutoring students online can be a rewarding side gig. You get to choose the subjects you’re familiar with, your work hours, and a preferred time zone. Platforms like Preply, Cambly, and TutorOcean are great places to start tutoring. Additionally, creating an online course can help you generate extra passive income.
3. Start a YouTube Channel
Do you love sharing your life, discussing current events, or sharing what you know from your career? A YouTube channel is an excellent platform for all of these activities. You can monetize your channel once you achieve 4,000 watch hours per year and have at least 1,000 subscribers. Building your channel will take time and effort, but with patience, YouTube can become a profitable side hustle.
4. Become a Beta Tester
Different app and website creators are always looking for people who can evaluate the user-friendliness of their sites or applications. They’ll pay you to assess an application’s design, site’s loading speed, or navigation. Platforms like Userlytics, User Testing, TestingTime, and TryMyUI will pay you to test websites and apps. The best part is that you don’t need a technical background or specialized skills.
5. Create and Sell Handmade Products
Are you creative and can make jewelry, clothes, paintings, or bags? You can earn extra money selling crafty items on sites like Etsy or Facebook Marketplace. Alternatively, you can create your website and sell your products there to get all the profits.
6. Start a Pet Sitting/ Dog Walking Service
If you love spending time with pets, you can consider providing pet sitting, dog walking, or doggie daycare services. You can start as a freelancer and promote your services online or sign up on platforms like Rover if you want more consistent work. While pet sitting and dog walking won’t need a lot of resources, having a boarding service will require you to have ample space to accommodate the pets.
7. Offer Child Care Services
Most parents have a busy work schedule and always seek extra help with their children at home. You can become a babysitter in your free time to earn additional income. While some parents are not keen on qualifications, some will require you to at least have first aid or CPR experience. Others will opt for someone with specific education to help the children with homework. Do your research to determine the best babysitting opportunity for you.
8. Become a Virtual Assistant
As someone good with organizational skills or managing a workplace, you can offer your services as a virtual assistant.
Virtual assistants provide various technical, supportive, and administrative services remotely. You may need to reply to emails, manage social media, do data entry, schedule, etc. Remote job boards, LinkedIn, and social media groups are excellent places to find potential clients. The best part about being a virtual assistant is that you set your work hours and enjoy the flexibility of working remotely.
9. Sell Digital Products
Digital products like budget planners, weekly meal planners, workout plans, etc, are in demand. As a creative, you can make extra income by creating these products and selling them on sites like Etsy or your website.
These are some of the best side hustles in the U.S. Find one that matches your schedule and interests. While some will require a little more effort and time, they are lucrative and can earn you good money in the long run.
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