35 Best Side Hustles To Make Money In 2024 

Want to start a side hustle in 2024? Of course you do! But you don’t just want to start. You want to make money doing it. This article lists the best side hustles to make money right now, as well as how to get started and how much money you can make in your spare time!

Love this? Check out these 15 Best Low-Cost Business Ideas With High Profit!

If you’re thinking about starting a new side hustle in 2024, you are not alone. 40% of Americans currently have a side hustle, a number which grows to 59% if you’re part of Gen-Z and 61% if you’re a Millennial.

Even better, though – each hustler earns an average of $1,057 per month, with some earning significantly more than that!

Whether your goal is to pay down debt or save money for a vacation, build an emergency fund, or carve out a little extra room in your budget, a side hustle can be the thing that gets you there!

Plus, the quickest way to achieve financial freedom is to make more money. And one of the best ways to make more money is to start a lucrative side hustle!

Of course, you already know that, which is why you’re here.

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

After all, I started this blog as a side hustle, and I turned it into a 6-figure business in less than 2 years. So I know what I am talking about.

Below is a list of the 35 best side hustles to make money right now, along with how to get started with each today.

I’ve even listed what you can expect to make by working no more than 10-20 hours per week.

So, let’s get right into it!

35 Best Side Hustles To Make Money In 2024

1. Take part in research

Earning potential: $40-$450 per focus group
Minimum time commitment: 30 minutes per week

You might not know this, but companies spend billions of dollars every year researching what their audience likes and its attitudes toward brands or ideas. And you can make money helping them by participating in online focus groups.

On a per-hour basis, focus groups are one of the most lucrative side hustles out there.

Many will pay $75 for 30 minutes of your time and even up to $450 for some specific one-hour studies!

I’ve found that the best platforms to find online focus groups are User Interviews (my favorite – I made $535 in a month on it! Read my full review) and Respondent.io (which offers some international studies as well).

But signing up with as many platforms as possible will maximize your chances of qualifying for more focus groups.

Check out my list of the 15 Best Online Focus Groups to get started.

Note: The number of focus groups you can take part in every month is limited. But you’ll still be able to easily make an extra $150-$450 a month without much effort.

2. Answer questions

Earning potential: $500+/month
Minimum time commitment: 1 hour per week

Another good option to make money in your spare time is to answer questions online.

If you are an expert in a specific field (doctor, software engineer, plumber, electrician, or lawyer, to name a few), you can answer people’s questions and get paid for it.

You can set your own hours and work at any time, from anywhere (but you need to be US based). The more questions you answer, the more money you can make.

If you answer quickly and accurately, you’ll build trust and get more customers.

You can earn up to $7,000 a month (yep, that’s right!) if you have the right skills!

3. Sell things for money

Earning potential: $500-$10,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 10-20 hours per week

There are many people running a successful side hustle flipping all sorts of things they find at thrift stores, garage sales, or as part of limited-time discounts.

Rob and Melissa are doing that and make more than $42,000 per year, working less than 15 hours per week!

A great way to break the ice and dive into this side hustle is to simply look around your home for items you aren’t using anymore and list them for sale.

This will help you get comfortable with the ins and outs of selling before you make an investment in products to flip.

For more ideas on what to sell, take a look at my list of the 30 Best Things to Sell to Make Money Right Now. Then start selling them with one of these apps.

4. Sell used clothes

Earning potential: $500-$10,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 10-20 hours per week

When thinking about flipping, used clothes deserve their own special mention.

You can sell clothes you don’t wear anymore. But it’s also possible to find fashionable items at thrift stores and estate sales and sell them for a hefty profit online.

I love the story of Olivia Hillier, who started in the used clothes game by selling a $5 t-shirt she bought at a thrift store for $20 on Poshmark, and went on to make $85,000 in her first year in her spare time!

Check out my complete guide on How to Sell Clothes Online for Money for tips to do the same.

5. Become a tutor

Earning potential: $250-$1500/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-8 hours per week

If you’re an expert in a particular subject, and especially if you have teaching experience, tutoring can be a great side hustle.

Parents are always looking for tutors for their kids in subjects like math, science, writing, history, and so on. And today, they are finding these tutors online.

If your area of expertise is reading or math, have a look at BookNook. They hire online tutors for groups of up to four kids. 

You can simply sign up (it takes less than 10 minutes!) and get tutoring!

And if you want to go further, think about Outschool, where you can teach kids with your own custom classes!

6. Deliver food and groceries

Earning potential: $150-$2,000/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-20 hours per week

Food and grocery delivery is one of the fastest growing trends out there right now, making this undoubtedly one of the best side hustles to make money in 2024.

Making deliveries is simple and straight forward. You don’t need special qualifications and can make good money with tips for good service. It’s the ultimate low-commitment, flexible gig you can do whenever you have spare time.

All you need to do is download a delivery app like Instacart or DoorDash to see a list of available orders in your area.

Just choose one, deliver it, and get paid. It’s that easy!

You can also check out my list of the 15 Best Ways to Get Paid to Shop for other similar ideas!

8. Sell things on eBay

Earning potential: $500-$10,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 10-20 hours per week

If you want to turn your selling side hustle into something lucrative, you should look at eBay.

Why? Because with 135 million active buyers and 1.7 billion active listings, eBay has an enormous potential customer base and an endless number of things you can sell.

Things like home decor items, car parts, and jewelry are in incredible demand. You can simply buy these items in bulk for a discount or look at companies that will drop ship them for you directly to the buyer.

Check out my list of the 19 Best Things to Sell on eBay to Make Money to find out what are the best items to sell for a profit.

9. Sell digital products

Earning potential: $500-$10,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 0-4 hours per week.

Today, “digital goods commerce is growing twice as fast as physical goods commerce.”

Selling digital products is one of the fastest growing, and absolute best side hustles to make money right now.

Digital products are electronic assets or media that can be stored digitally and sold online.

Think about things like PDFs, graphics, digital templates, audio content, an online course, and one of my personal favorites, printables.

The best part is that once you create a digital product, you can sell it an infinite number of times, meaning digital products can be an excellent source of passive income. And you won’t even have to worry about shipping them!

For ideas, check my list of the Best Digital Products to Sell in 2024.

10. Sell handmade goods

Earning potential: $500-$10,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 10-20 hours per week

If you love DIY, selling handmade goods online can be a great way to turn your creativity into cash.

There are so many things you can make and sell online – from bath bombs and natural cosmetics to soap and candles, to jewelry and sewn items, to artwork, and beyond!

Dan and I used to make and sell salt dough dolls when we were around 18, and we saved enough money in just a few months for our first trip to Paris!

So I know what I am talking about. And this was before marketplaces like Etsy. Etsy is the home of hand-crafted and handmade goods, not to mention the eighth largest online marketplace in the world with nearly 100 million active buyers in 234 countries.

In my opinion, Etsy should be the go-to if you are looking to start a side gig selling things like handmade jewelry, homemade bath and beauty products, wedding products, craft supplies, or even digital artwork or printables.

Begin with my complete guide to How to Sell on Etsy.

If you need help deciding what to sell, take a look at my breakdown of the 15 Best Things to Sell on Etsy in 2024.

11. Rent Your House

Earning potential: $500-$5,000+/month
Minimum time commitment:4-8 hours per week

If you’ve got an extra room in your home, a guest house, or even a cottage or other second property, renting this space to others can be one of the most lucrative side hustles.

The best part is that it’s so easy to start making money renting on places like Airbnb (better for big cities and holiday locations) or Roomster (if you only have a room to share).

Airbnb is great as it provides all the tools you need to list your place and start booking visitors. You can even get estimated earnings before you start based on your accommodation and where you live.

Perfect to get you started!

12. Rent storage or parking space

Earning potential: $100-$2,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 2-4 hours per week

If you don’t want to have a visitor staying in your home, you can still make money off your extra space.

Do you have a spare room, garage, parking space, or even an empty closet?

Renting this space on an online platform like Neighbor, which has been called the “Airbnb for storage,” is an easy way to make a few hundred, or even a few thousand, extra dollars per month with almost no effort.

Particularly in an era of e-commerce, many small businesses and side hustlers are looking for places to keep their inventory, meaning now is the perfect time to put your extra space to work for you.

13. Rent your car

Earning potential: $500+/month
Minimum time commitment: 2-4 hours per week

If you have a vehicle you don’t use that often, now is the perfect time to turn it into a source of income.

With apps like Turo and HyreCar, you can rent out your vehicle on days you don’t need it, or even while you’re at work or at school.

There are even people that buy cheap used cars and rent them on Turo for a good profit.

Pro tip: If you have an RV or a camper which you use sporadically, it can be an excellent source of extra income. Many people enjoy camping, but can’t afford to purchase an RV or camper, so they look to rent using platforms like RV Share.

14. Do small tasks for others

Earning potential: $400-$4000/month
Minimum time commitment: 2-20 hours per week

Doing small tasks and odd jobs for others might be the original side hustle, but today, it has never been easier to make money from these things on your own schedule.

Apps like TaskRabbit and Steady will connect you with people, businesses, and organizations in your community looking for quick, one-off type gigs. This might mean helping someone around their home or in their yard, helping at a local event, or even running errands.

Helping others with small tasks is one of the best side hustle ideas for someone with a variety of skills who does not have a specific gig in mind and just wants to make some extra cash.

15. Drive people around

Earning potential: $150-$2,000/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-20 hours per week

Like delivering food and groceries, driving people around is an extremely flexible and easy side hustle you can do whenever you have spare time using ridesharing apps like Uber or Lyft.

In most places, all you need is a valid driver’s license and an insured vehicle less than 15 years old, and you can get started right away.

In fact, many drivers begin getting fares in the first week they sign up!

Especially if you live in a major city, driving people around can be one of the best side hustles to get started today.

16. Blogging

Earning potential: $500-$10,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 10-20 hours per week

Ok, so maybe I’m biased, but I think blogging is an amazing side hustle. Especially if you don’t need to make money straight away. Blogging is a long-term investment, but if you put in the time and stick with it, the money will come.

It is not only a great way to monetize your hobbies and share something you love with the world, but when it comes to making money, the sky is pretty much the limit!

And you don’t need much money to get started.

Seriously, I started Gathering Dreams in my spare time with no previous experience and was able to earn $3,800 after only three months, and now I earn over six figures every year!

17. Become a Virtual Assistant

Earning potential: $500-$5,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-20 hours per week

The rise of remote work and the digital economy mean virtual assistants are in higher demand than ever before, and a virtual assistant side hustle is one of the best ways to make money from the comfort of home.

A virtual assistant is someone who completes administrative tasks for businesses remotely.

This could include booking appointments and meetings, writing emails and providing online customer service, data entry, and even managing social media accounts.

Need inspiration? Just look at my friend Abbey, who started a VA side hustle while she was a stay-at-home mom and was fully booked and able to work her own hours and set her own rates after only one month!

How did she do it? Take a look at my comprehensive breakdown on How to Become a Virtual Assistant with No Experience to find out.

And use her useful checklist to boost your chances for success.

18. Writing and Ghostwriting

Earning potential: $500-$5000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 10-20 hours per week

If you’ve got a way with words, it has never been easier to turn this talent into cash using platforms and writing websites like FlexJobs, Fiverr, and ProBlogger.

A freelance writing side hustle could mean ghostwriting articles, blog posts, or even books; it could mean writing marketing campaigns, email newsletters, or website copy for businesses; it could even mean writing social media content for influencers and companies.

Don’t believe freelance writing can be a lucrative side hustle?

Just take a look at Alex, who started freelance writing while still working a full-time job, and now makes over $300,000 per year!

19. Proofreading

Earning potential: $500-$2000/month
Minimum time commitment:4-20 per week

With written content creation at an all-time high, proofreading is definitely one of my favorite side hustles for 2024.

Proofreaders check written material for spelling, grammar, and punctuation, as well as readability.

The best part is that you don’t need any special certification or experience, or even a college degree, to become a proofreader.

Check out my breakdown of How to Become a Proofreader in 5 Simple Steps. Then, start looking for work with my list of the 20 Best Online Proofreading Jobs.

20. Transcribe audio

Earning potential: $500-$3000/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-20 hours per week

Transcription is one of the fastest growing side hustles right now.

Podcasters and other content creators increasingly need transcripts of their episodes. Businesses need written transcriptions of their meetings and conferences, marketers need transcription of focus groups and product tests, and more!

As a transcriptionist, you will listen to audio files or video records. Then, type what is said into a document. It’s that simple!

Take a look at my step-by-step breakdown of How to Become a Transcriptionist, then find your first paid transcription work on my list of the Best Online Transcription Jobs for Beginners.

21. Become a bookkeeper

Earning potential: $500-$5,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-20 hours per week

If numbers, not words, are more your thing, bookkeeping might be the perfect online side hustle for you.

As a bookkeeper, you will be responsible for documenting the financial accounts of companies and small businesses, including things like recording sales and filing receipts, managing bill payments and reconciling expenses, and even producing reports for record keeping.

Even when just starting out, bookkeepers can charge between $18-$23/hour, while those with more experience can earn an hourly rate of $60 or more!

Take a look at my detailed guide on How to Become a Bookkeeper. Then, start looking for your first gig with my list of the Best Online Bookkeeping Jobs.

22. Become a photographer

Earning potential: $1,500-$5000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-20 hours per week

If they keep asking you to take pictures at events and outings, you can turn this talent into a profitable side hustle.

While weddings are by far the most lucrative photography niche, there are actually so many other opportunities to get hired and make extra cash. Think about corporate events, holiday photography, school portraits and graduations, model shooting, and even my favorite niche, pet photography.

Pro tip: While you do not need the newest, most expensive camera to get started with a photography side hustle, I would strongly recommend investing in a photo editing program like Lightroom, so that you can make sure your images are perfect before sending them to your clients.

23. Sell your photos

Earning potential: $200-$500+/month
Minimum time commitment: 0-8 hours per week

If you are looking for a more passive way to make money with your photos, you need to look at selling stock photos.

It’s simple. Business owners and content creators need images for their content, and to get them, they head to stock photo agencies.

By listing your photos on platforms like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock, you will earn a commission every time someone downloads your work.

The best part is that once you have taken the photo, it can be purchased and downloaded an infinite number of times, meaning that your stock photos can earn you money over an over again.

To get started, check out my guide on How to Sell Photos Online. Then, head over to Shutterstock and Adobe Stock and start making money today!

24. Freelancing

Earning potential: $1,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-16 hours per week

If you are a writer, programmer, or consultant, freelancing can give you the opportunity to put your skills to use and earn money on the side.

You have the flexibility to choose when, where, and how much you work, allowing you to work around your existing job and schedule.

Plus, you get to build a diverse portfolio and network of clients, which could lead to even more exciting opportunities in the future.

Flexjobs is one of my favorite platforms to look for side gigs. It has plenty of legit jobs ranging from entry-level to executive and freelance to full-time.

You’ll have to pay a small monthly fee to access their listings, but you can cancel at any time if you don’t find what you are looking for!

25. Babysit

Earning potential: $500+/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-16 hours per week

If you enjoy children, babysitting or nannying might be the perfect side hustle for you.

Taking care of children is great for college students on summer vacation workers with set openings in their schedule, or even those who don’t mind running kids around to activities.

A great place to find babysitting side jobs is Care.com, which is the platform for bringing together caregivers and those seeking care.

What I especially like is that it doesn’t have to stop with babysitting. On Care.com, there are opportunities to get paid to provide care for seniors, those with special needs, and more!

26. Start your online store

Earning potential: $500-$10,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 10-20 hours per week

If you really want to get serious about selling things online, consider taking complete control of your side hustle by starting your own online store.

It has never been easier to get this done with platforms like Shopify. This is where Dan and I started our online business selling tea a few years ago, and in my opinion, it is the best place to launch an online store to this day.

And if you don’t have a lot of money or time to invest initially, think about dropshipping.

This means that you don’t have to purchase or hold any stock, but rather that when a customer purchases something from your online store, a third-party vendor – the dropshipper – creates and sends the product to the customer for you!

Check out everything you need to know about How to Start an Online Store in 2024. Then get started on Shopify!

27. Take surveys

Earning potential: $50-$150/month
Minimum time commitment: 30 minutes-1 hour per day

Though not as lucrative as focus groups, online surveys are still an easy way to make a few dollars in your spare time.

Most online surveys take between 5-30 minutes to complete, meaning you can make money on your lunch break, while watching Netflix, or while waiting to pick your kids up from school.

In my experience, the best online survey sites to start making money today are Swagbucks and Survey Junkie.

But like with focus groups, signing up for more platforms will increase your chances of making more money.

28. Start a YouTube channel

Earning potential: $500-$1,000,000+/month (it’s true!)
Minimum time commitment: 10-20 hours per week

I know what you’re thinking: can you actually make money from YouTube these days?

The answer is a definitive yes! Starting a YouTube channel is a bit like blogging. It’s not a quick way to make money, but if you are willing to invest your time and build a following, it can become incredibly rewarding.

Many YouTubers make good money in their free time not just by running ads on their videos but through affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and even selling their own products.

And the best part is you don’t have to have a huge channel to get paid – many content creators with small channels that receive high engagement are making a substantial living in their spare time.

29. Start a TikTok account

Earning potential: $500-$1,000,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 10-20 hours per week

You’ve probably heard by now that TikTok is taking over the social media world. The platform already boasts over 1 billion active users, and in fact, was the most downloaded app globally in 2020, 2021, and 2022!

But it’s not just dance crazes. TikTok is quickly becoming one of the best places for those looking to turn their creativity into cash.

Similarly to YouTube, many TikTok influencers are making big money in their spare time through sponsorships and paid collaborations, affiliate marketing, and selling their own products, even without a huge following!

To launch a side hustle as a TikTok influencer, start with my complete breakdown on How to Make Money on TikTok in 2024.

30. Become an affiliate marketer

Earning potential: $500-$50,000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 10-20 hours per week

We’ve already spoken about it above, but really, affiliate marketing deserves its own specific mention.

Most simply, affiliate marketing means you will earn a commission by recommending products or services to your audience, and it is the best way to monetize content creation side hustles.

The best part about affiliate marketing is that there is really no limit to how much you can make. Just look at Michelle and her Making Sense of Cents blog, which now earns over $50,000/month from affiliate marketing alone!

Check out my complete breakdown of Affiliate Marketing for Dummies to get started.

31. Get paid to test apps and websites

Earning potential: $10-$25/test
Minimum time commitment: 2-12 hours per week

For businesses and app developers, nothing is worse than a website or app that is laden with bugs or simply doesn’t work.

That’s why they want to pay people like you to go in and check that sites and apps are easy to use, that all the links and buttons work and that there are no hidden bugs.

The best place to get paid to test websites and apps is with platforms like UserTesting and BetaTesting, where you can get started with short, 20-minute tests right away.

Bonus: You don’t need any experience or technical expertise. The whole point is the navigation experience of the ordinary person.

32. Give tours of your neighborhood

Earning potential: $500-$2000/month
Minimum time commitment:2-12 hours per week

If you are an expert of the ins and outs, hidden gems, and history of your neighborhood or city, you can now make good money sharing your knowledge with others.

With Airbnb’s Experiences feature and platforms like Viator becoming more popular, giving neighborhood tours is fast becoming one of my favorite side hustle ideas to start right now.

Not only is becoming a neighborhood tour guide a great way to enhance the experience of tourists and welcome new residents, but it is a great way to connect with and share your pride in your community.

Check out this handy guide on creating a unique Airbnb Experience. Then, offer your tours on Airbnb and Viator!

33. Clean houses

Earning potential: $350-$4000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-20 hours per week

Though it may not be the most exhilarating option on this list, a cleaning side hustle can be surprisingly lucrative.

Even for those just starting out, it is not unusual to make $20-$50/hour cleaning houses, making it a good side hustle for those who want a quick influx of cash in their spare time or on weekends.

Better still, expanding into commercial cleaning, which handles things like warehouses and retail spaces, or focusing on specialized cleaning businesses like power washing, carpet cleaning, or move in/out cleaning can make you even more!

Start by looking for freelance house cleaning jobs in your neighborhood on HouseKeeper.com.

34. Wash cars

Earning potential: $500-$2000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-8 hours per week

Perhaps the best specialty cleaning side hustle is washing people’s vehicles for them.

Yes, most people know how to wash a car, they just don’t want to do it, and those commercial drive-thru washes often just don’t get the job done. This is why many are willing to pay a premium for a hand wash from someone with a detailed eye.

To increase profits even further, you might expand car washing to include other detailing services like waxes and protective coats, interior cleaning, or even light paint touchups.

35. Start a junk removal service

Earning potential: $400-$2000+/month
Minimum time commitment: 4-20 hours per week

The beauty of a junk removal side hustle is that everybody has junk they need taken away – from homeowners and small businesses to construction companies and contractors to hospitals and schools.

If you’ve got a truck and/or a trailer, junk removal can be one of the best side hustles to make money.

To get started, you can put a junk removal ad on free sites like Craigslist, or even visit locations that seem to produce a lot of junk in person and ask if your services are needed.

Check out this Ultimate Guide to starting a junk removal business for some inspiration.

How to start a side hustle

Now that you’ve looked at all the best side hustles out there, you might be asking yourself, “But how do I start?”

Follow these 5 simple steps to begin earning money in your spare time!

1. Find the right side hustle for you

With so many to choose from, how do you pick the right side hustle for you?

To begin, think about what you are passionate about.

A large part of starting a side hustle is developing the freedom to make money from something you enjoy doing. Thinking hard about what you are passionate about is the first step to turning this passion into cash.

Then, think about what you’re good at.

• What are your strongest skills?
• What things do others often ask for your help with?
• What experience do you already have?

Don’t take your existing skill set for granted, it can form the foundation of a side hustle that can achieve immediate success.

2. Determine how much time you have

As we’ve seen above, different side hustles can require dramatically different time commitments. Make sure you are honest with yourself about how much time you have to put towards your efforts, then choose a side hustle that fits into your schedule.

It is important to remember, though, you don’t have to be working 24/7 to build a successful side hustle.

Many on this list can earn good money with only a few hours per week.

3. Be clear about why you want to start a side hustle

Before you actually begin to try to make money with a side hustle, it is a good idea to be absolutely clear about why you want to make extra money in the first place.

Having a specific goal or goals in mind is a crucial part of succeeding with a side hustle – it makes it easier to measure progress, and easier to stay motivated when difficulties arise.

4. Start small

Many side hustlers have made the mistake of trying to jump into a million-dollar business on the first day. This is a mistake.

Instead, start small, and give yourself room to make adjustments as you go along.

When you are just beginning, don’t worry about profits, rather, focus on perfecting your product or service and finding the best ways to reach customers.

Remember, you don’t have to quit your day job or invest a whole bunch of money right at the start to build a successful side hustle. Just be patient and focus on putting the work in. Building a strong foundation will make things easier as you move forward.

5. Don’t get burned out

Of course, starting a successful side hustle can take time and a lot of work. So, how do you avoid burnout along the way?

First, always keep your goals in mind. Remember why you are doing what you are doing, and let the excitement build as you get closer to those goals.

It is helpful if you think of the time you put into your side hustle not as work or a chore but as an investment into your future which will grow over time.

Additionally, you should not feel constrained by your side hustle. Remember, you aren’t stuck with any one idea, and if the side hustle you’ve chosen isn’t working, simply choose another!

Also check 50 Must-Visit Websites to Make Money Online

Ready to start your own side hustle?

I hope this list of the best side hustles gave you some ideas! Let me know in the comments which one is your favorite.

Or if you have any other suggestions that worked for you and you think I should add!