The best side hustle is the one you'll actually do. I've ranked 20 options by flexibility, earning potential, and barrier to entry so you can find what fits your life, not just what sounds good on paper.
The reality is that "best" depends on your situation. A college student's ideal side hustle looks nothing like a working parent's. Someone with a car has different options than someone without. This guide helps you filter by what actually matters for you.
I've organized these from lowest barrier to highest, so you can start immediately with the first options or work toward the higher-paying ones over time.
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No Barrier Side Hustles (Start Today)
These require nothing but a phone or computer. No skills, no investment, no approval process. Start earning within hours of deciding to try.
1. Survey and Reward Apps
Earnings: $30-100/month. Flexibility: Anytime, anywhere.
Apps like Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, and InboxDollars pay for opinions, watching videos, and completing offers. Low pay per task but zero commitment. Perfect for filling spare moments. See best survey apps for top payers.
2. Cashback and Receipt Scanning
Earnings: $20-60/month. Flexibility: Passive.
Earn money back on purchases you'd make anyway. Rakuten, Ibotta, Fetch, and similar apps take seconds to use. Not active income but stacks nicely with other methods. Check best cashback apps for setup guide.
3. Micro-Tasks
Earnings: $50-150/month. Flexibility: Anytime.
Amazon Mechanical Turk, Clickworker, and Appen pay for small digital tasks. Data labeling, transcription snippets, image categorization. Low per-task pay but tasks take seconds. Good for consistent small earnings.
4. User Testing
Earnings: $50-200/month. Flexibility: When tests available.
Companies pay $10-60 to watch you navigate their websites and apps. UserTesting, TryMyUI, and Userlytics are major platforms. Requires computer with microphone. Availability varies but hourly rate is solid.
5. Selling Unused Items
Earnings: Variable (one-time). Flexibility: Your schedule.
Most people have hundreds of dollars in unused stuff. Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Poshmark, and Mercari make selling easy. Not recurring but great for quick cash and decluttering simultaneously.
6. Participating in Research Studies
Earnings: $50-300 per study. Flexibility: When available.
Universities and companies pay for research participation. Respondent.io and User Interviews list paid studies. Pay is excellent when you qualify. Availability depends on your demographics matching study needs.
Gig Economy Side Hustles
These require showing up physically but offer flexible scheduling and fast pay. Most need a vehicle or specific equipment.
7. Food and Grocery Delivery
Earnings: $15-25/hour active. Flexibility: Choose your hours.
DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, and Grubhub let you deliver on your schedule. Peak hours (lunch, dinner) pay better. Most offer instant cashout. Requires car, bike, or scooter depending on market. Check side hustles that pay daily for instant payout details.
8. Rideshare Driving
Earnings: $18-30/hour active. Flexibility: Choose your hours.
Uber and Lyft driving pays better than delivery in many markets. Requires newer vehicle meeting platform standards and background check. Weekend nights and event times pay premium rates.
9. Task and Errand Services
Earnings: $20-50/hour. Flexibility: Choose tasks.
TaskRabbit, Handy, and similar platforms connect you with local jobs. Furniture assembly, moving help, cleaning, minor repairs. Set your own rates and accept jobs that fit your schedule. Skilled taskers earn significantly more.
10. Pet Sitting and Dog Walking
Earnings: $15-40/hour. Flexibility: Varies by booking.
Rover and Wag connect pet lovers with pet care opportunities. Walking, sitting, boarding. Great if you love animals. Can be very lucrative around holidays when demand spikes.
11. Parking and Storage Rental
Earnings: $100-500/month passive. Flexibility: Passive.
Rent your driveway, parking spot, or storage space through apps like Neighbor or SpotHero. Urban areas with parking scarcity pay most. Truly passive once set up.
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Skilled Side Hustles
These leverage skills you already have or can develop. Higher earning potential but require proving your abilities first.
12. Freelance Writing
Earnings: $200-2000+/month. Flexibility: Deadline-based.
Businesses constantly need blog posts, articles, and marketing copy. Upwork, Fiverr, and Contently connect writers with clients. Start at lower rates to build portfolio and reviews, then increase pricing.
13. Graphic Design
Earnings: $200-3000+/month. Flexibility: Project-based.
Logos, social media graphics, marketing materials. Same platforms as writing. Design skills are learnable through free resources. Canva made basic design accessible; skilled designers command premium rates.
14. Web Development
Earnings: $500-5000+/month. Flexibility: Project-based.
Building and maintaining websites for small businesses. Higher technical barrier but excellent pay. Many businesses need simple WordPress sites that don't require advanced coding.
15. Online Tutoring
Earnings: $20-80/hour. Flexibility: Scheduled sessions.
Teach subjects you know through Wyzant, Tutor.com, or Preply. Test prep and specialized subjects pay premium rates. Flexible scheduling works around other commitments.
16. Social Media Management
Earnings: $300-2000+/month per client. Flexibility: Daily check-ins.
Small businesses need help with social media but can't afford full-time staff. Creating posts, engaging with followers, running basic ads. Can manage multiple clients once systems are established.
Side Hustles That Require Investment
These need upfront money or inventory but can scale to substantial income.
17. Reselling and Flipping
Earnings: Variable, potentially high. Investment: Inventory capital.
Buy low, sell high. Thrift stores, garage sales, clearance sections. Resell on eBay, Amazon, or Poshmark. Requires learning what sells and managing inventory. Can scale from side hustle to full business.
18. Print-on-Demand
Earnings: Variable. Investment: Time for designs.
Create designs for t-shirts, mugs, posters. Platforms like Redbubble and Merch by Amazon handle production and shipping. No inventory risk. Income is passive after designs are uploaded. Requires creative skills or learning design tools.
19. Rental Income
Earnings: Variable. Investment: Property or equipment.
Rent out a spare room on Airbnb, camera equipment on ShareGrid, or car on Turo. Requires assets to rent. Can be quite lucrative for minimal ongoing work once established.
20. Digital Products
Earnings: Variable, potentially high. Investment: Creation time.
Ebooks, courses, templates, presets. Create once, sell repeatedly. Platforms like Gumroad and Teachable handle delivery. Requires expertise people will pay for. Semi-passive after creation.
Full Comparison Table
All 20 side hustles compared by key factors.
| Side Hustle | Monthly Potential | Flexibility | Barrier | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survey Apps | $30-100 | Anytime | None | Spare time |
| Cashback Apps | $20-60 | Passive | None | Everyone |
| Micro-Tasks | $50-150 | Anytime | None | Detail-oriented |
| User Testing | $50-200 | When available | Low | Good communicators |
| Selling Items | Variable | Your schedule | None | Declutterers |
| Research Studies | $50-300/study | When available | Low | Various demographics |
| Food Delivery | $300-1000 | Choose hours | Vehicle | Flexible schedules |
| Rideshare | $400-1500 | Choose hours | Newer car | Evening/weekend |
| Task Services | $200-800 | Choose tasks | Skills vary | Handy people |
| Pet Services | $200-600 | Booking-based | Low | Animal lovers |
| Parking Rental | $100-500 | Passive | Has space | Urban residents |
| Freelance Writing | $200-2000+ | Deadline-based | Portfolio | Writers |
| Graphic Design | $200-3000+ | Project-based | Skills | Creative people |
| Web Development | $500-5000+ | Project-based | Technical skills | Tech-savvy |
| Online Tutoring | $200-1000+ | Scheduled | Expertise | Teachers |
| Social Media Mgmt | $300-2000+ | Daily check-ins | Skills | Social savvy |
| Reselling | Variable | Your schedule | Capital | Deal hunters |
| Print-on-Demand | Variable | Passive after setup | Design skills | Creatives |
| Rental Income | Variable | Semi-passive | Assets | Property owners |
| Digital Products | Variable | Passive after creation | Expertise | Experts |
Earnings vary by location, time invested, and individual effort.
Choosing Your Side Hustle
The "best" side hustle depends on your specific constraints:
Limited time? Focus on passive methods like cashback apps and receipt scanning, or flexible options like surveys that work in 5-minute bursts. Skip anything requiring scheduled commitments.
Need money fast? Gig economy apps like DoorDash and selling unused items generate cash quickly. Freelancing takes time to build. Check earn money fast for urgent options.
Have a car? Delivery and rideshare become available and pay well. Without one, focus on remote options like surveys, micro-tasks, and skilled services.
Have marketable skills? Freelancing pays far better than task-based work. Writing, design, coding, and teaching all command premium rates once you're established.
Want truly passive income? Digital products, print-on-demand, and rental income require upfront work but generate money while you sleep. Surveys and gig work stop paying when you stop working.
Most successful side hustlers combine 2-3 methods. A typical stack might include passive apps for baseline income, one active gig for reliable earnings, and one skilled service for growth potential. For more combinations, see how to make money online.
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FAQ: Best Side Hustles
What's the best side hustle for beginners?
Survey apps and cashback programs have zero barrier to entry. Download, sign up, start earning within minutes. You won't get rich but you'll learn how side income works without any risk or commitment. From there, expand to higher-paying options as you learn what fits your schedule.
How much can I realistically make from a side hustle?
Passive apps generate $50-150/month. Gig economy work averages $300-1000/month part-time. Skilled freelancing can reach $1000-3000+/month. The more time and skill required, the higher the earning potential. Be realistic about the time you can actually commit.
What side hustles can I do with a full-time job?
Flexible options work best. Survey apps during lunch breaks, delivery driving on weekends, freelancing in evenings. Avoid anything requiring daytime availability or fixed schedules. Check make money after work for specific ideas for employed people.
Do I need to pay taxes on side hustle income?
Yes, side hustle income is taxable. In the US, you'll receive 1099 forms from platforms paying over $600. Track your earnings and set aside 20-30% for taxes. Deduct legitimate business expenses like mileage, supplies, and home office space. Consider consulting a tax professional as income grows.
What's the highest paying side hustle?
Skilled services like web development, specialized consulting, and certain freelance work can earn $100+/hour. However, these require significant expertise. For accessible high earners, rideshare driving during peak hours and skilled TaskRabbit work both pay $25-40/hour with lower barriers. See apps that pay real money for verified options.
Can a side hustle become a full-time business?
Absolutely. Many full-time freelancers, content creators, and business owners started as side hustlers. The key is treating it seriously from the start. Track income and expenses, reinvest in growth, and build systems. When side income consistently exceeds job income, the transition becomes possible.