30 Best Profitable Hobbies That Make Money (2024)

Learn More:
15 Best Ways to Get Paid to Shop

8. Travel

Travel is fast becoming one of the most profitable hobbies that make money.

First, it has never been easier to start your own online travel planning business.

Just combine deals from sites like Hotwire and Travelocity into vacation packages – think about customized bundles for things like romantic getaways, family vacations, or corporate retreats – then sell these packages through online travel marketplaces like Expedia or TripAdvisor.

Or, if you’re the one doing the traveling, you might start a travel blog or YouTube channel – yes, many people make a living, or at least pay for their own vacations, doing this.

Don’t believe me? Check out this couple, who get paid to travel the world full-time.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Start an online travel planning business, start a travel blog or a YouTube Channel.

Learn More:
How to Save Money for Travel

9. Cooking

Cooking is another one of my favorite hobbies that make money. There are plenty of ways to earn cash from your passion for cuisine.

Meal delivery

Some people have busy schedules, and cooking healthy meals at home can be a challenge. How about helping them out by delivering delicious and healthy meals easy to pop in the microwave?

Spencer did just that and turned Eat Well Nashville into a 7-Figure business. 

Just start locally, offering your service to friends and family, and build up from there.

Make sure to check with your state health department what certifications you need before you start cooking from your family kitchen. You can also rent kitchen space by the hour from different places like universities.

Food blog

How about a food blog? There are plenty of people out there looking for recipe ideas daily. Plus, all you need is a laptop and a smartphone to get started.

My friend Katia started her blog, The Clever Meal, in 2018 and turned it into her own lifestyle business in less than two years!

And if you are not camera-shy, you can also think about starting a YouTube channel. The gist is the same! You create mouthwatering recipes, film them, then upload them on YouTube.

Need motivation? Just remember that the great Martha Stewart started her business cooking out of her kitchen at home.

Online food business

When I was a kid, my grandma used to dry tomatoes under the sun in Sicily, and she then sold them to neighbors. Things have moved on a lot since then, but the idea is the same. You can create your own pickles, cookies, and homemade jams and sell them locally or in your own online shop. 

Know how to make homemade pasta? Or drooling tacos from scratch? You can always teach your expertise in online classes and experiences on platforms like Udemy or Teachable. 

How to turn your hobby into money:
Start a meal delivery service, start a food blog, open an online food business.

Learn more:
How To Sell Food Online

10. Coffee

Did you know that over two billion cups of coffee are enjoyed worldwide every day? In the US alone, 66% of the adult population enjoy at least one cup per day, and more than 7 in 10 brew their coffee from the comfort of home.

What this means is that if you are a coffee connoisseur, there is a huge market to sell your very own customized roast.

Just partner with a supplier and home-roast the perfect bean, or use dropshipping and have someone else do the hard work of roasting for you.

The best part is that in the coffee game, small, unique brands actually have an advantage over established giants. In fact, for the first time in history, more than half of Americans say they prefer to drink coffee classified as “gourmet.”

How to turn your hobby into money:
Sell gourmet coffee online.

Learn More:
How to Sell Coffee Online

11. Photography

Do you often find yourself roaming outside and capturing the world from different angles? Or do you like taking photos of your family and friends? It might surprise you that there are photographers who make hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars a year thanks to their hobby! 

One of the most common ways to make money is to start as a freelancer by taking pictures of other people. This could be weddings, local gigs, events, or model shooting. You can even offer your service to tourists on websites like Flytographer or Perfocal to help them take professional snaps to remember their vacation.

Freelancing can be a very lucrative hobby to make money on the side, but it requires you to put in several hours in person.

Selling stock photography is much more scalable and can be a source of passive income. Digital creators are always looking for good stock images. You can make a few bucks on the side by joining sites such as Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or Getty Images. In fact, Shutterstock alone has paid out more than $1 billion to its photographers worldwide!

Or, you can sell an online course to teach your skills. Clickin Mums has built an incredible community of mothers who want to learn how to shoot stunning pictures of their children.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Freelance, sell stock photos, teach others how to take photographs.

Learn more:
How To Sell Photos Online

12. DIY

Airtasker and TaskRabbit are two apps that let you use your ingenious talent to make money. People list a task they need some help with on the apps. You simply apply to do the job, complete it, and get paid!

Tasks can go from helping to mount a TV on the wall to assembling Ikea furniture. If you know your way around a drill, this is an excellent way to make some extra cash in your spare time.

Or how about selling your creations? If you love making or renovating old furniture, you can turn that into a profit.

And if you want to bring your passion for renovation to the next level, you can think about flipping houses. This requires quite a bit of cash invested upfront, but if you do it right, it has the potential to make you a lot of money.

And it’s exactly what Dan and I did on our journey to financial freedom. We bought an old apartment for a fairly low price, renovated it, and then sold it after only six months for a good profit. Not bad for a few months of hard work in the evenings and weekends.

And if you’re looking for a more passive way to monetize your DIY hobby, why don’t you share your tips on YouTube? Starting a YouTube channel can be a profitable side hustle that can lead to a full-time income over time!

How to turn your hobby into money:
Become a tasker, renovate old furniture, flip houses, start a YouTube channel to share your tips.

13. Teaching

Do you have a passion for education but don’t want to teach in schools?

In this day and age, you don’t need to be stuck in a classroom. There are many different, creative ways to teach online with little or no experience required. This means you can kickstart your new making-money hobby from the security of your own home.

Did you know: the e-learning industry is expected to be worth $645 billion by 2030.

If you want to teach children, try Outschool. On this online platform, you can teach anything to kids. And I really mean anything – from cooking to coding. Just look at Jade, who now earns over $10,000 a month teaching online. Her biggest tip is to be consistent and teach something you are passionate about.

Or you can teach math and reading to groups of up to four K – 8 kids online on BookNook and earn up to $22/hour.

If you want to teach adults, you can create your own course on platforms like Udemy or Teachable. 

What can you teach? Pretty much anything, including any of the hobbies on this list. And you don’t even necessarily have to be an expert. Just look at Once Wed, which has sold thousands of wedding planning courses at $700 each despite the fact that the company’s founder never even had their own wedding!

How to turn your hobby into money:
Teach to kids online on Outschool, or on BookNook, create an online course on Udemy or Teachable.

Learn More:
Quickstart Webinar to earn money sharing what you love

14. Making Crafts

If you love making crafts, then you are already into one of the most profitable hobbies around. These days, you can make and sell so many things online, from personalized gifts to sewn items, to bath bombs and candles and beyond. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box! 

To get started, post shots of your crafts on Instagram and Facebook to build an audience. 

Then, open an Etsy store and dip into the millions of people who visit the platform every day. With Etsy, you’ll have low start-up costs, and you won’t need much technical know-how. Plus, you can switch to your own website once you establish a market for your handmade crafts.

You can also sell your crafting knowledge. If you take good photos or love taking videos, you can create how-to tutorials and post them online.

Like Jennifer Maker, who turned her passion for crafts into a blog, YouTube channel, and craft courses. Within a year, she was making 6-figures. 

How to turn your hobby into money:
Sell handmade items on Etsy or your own website, make how-to videos or blog posts.

Learn more:
20 Easy Things To Make and Sell Online
How To Sell on Etsy And Make Money

15. Sewing

If sewing is your thing, there are many ways to turn that hobby into cash. Yes, you can create not only custom clothing and other fashion accessories but curtains, tablecloths, aprons, pillows, dolls, and more, and sell these things online to a global audience.

Or, you could take inspiration from Cinnamon and Jason. When Cinnamon started making clothing for her daughter’s dolls, she found they became the envy of the neighborhood. Rather than make and sell the doll clothing, though, she and her husband started selling the patterns for the clothing online. They now run Pixie Faire, making over $50,000 per month!

In other words, if sewing is your hobby, you don’t even have to sew things to cash in. Who’d have thought sewing could be such a great source of income?

How to turn your hobby into money:
Sell custom clothing, accessories, or patterns.

16. Calligraphy

If you love experimenting with lettering and handwriting, you could use this passion as a way to make extra money! When it comes to calligraphy, the possibilities are endless.

Brides, for example, are after handwritten wedding invites. Or you can sell handmade cards. Or create personalized gifts.

Considering becoming a calligrapher? Shinah from Crooked Calligraphy left her career to pursue her passion. She now makes over $200k in revenues a year, and she earns hourly almost 30% more than what she was making working as a lawyer. 

How to turn your hobby into money:
Sell hand-made wedding invites, greeting cards, personalized gifts.

17. Home Decor

If you love home décor, you can sell a variety of items online to a global audience with a Shopify store.

Or, you can share your best home décor tips with others. My friend Vivien turned her passion for affordable decor into her full-time job. Her blog, Posh Pennies, and her YouTube channel are followed by thousands of people every month.

How about helping people style their homes before they put them on the market? Staging homes can increase home values by tens of thousands of dollars.

To become a stager in your spare time, all you need is a talent for decorating and creating a cozy yet neutral décor that appeals to buyers. Home stagers can earn anywhere from $500 to $5,000 for a project depending on the home’s size, the number of rooms, and the requirements.

You might even turn your passion for home organizing into a sellable service. Yes, professionally organized homes have become mainstream. As a professional organizer, you’ll earn money training clients to organize their living space better.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Start a home decor blog, start an online store, start a home staging business, become a professional organizer.

Learn more:
Introduction to Professional Organizing
How to Start a Home Staging Business
Secrets to Building a Successful Home Staging Business

18. Flea Markets

It’s simple: people want unique, quirky items for their homes and lives, they just don’t have the time to find these things for themselves.

This is where you come in. Become a flea market flipper – go to flea markets and thrift stores, garage and estate sales, storage locker sell-offs, and hunt for those hidden treasures that online buyers will pay premium prices for.

What type of things should you be looking for to make the most money?

Start by checking out the 30 Best Things To Sell To Make Money.

Then, get in on this free webinar which will teach you about the perfect items to resell, plus give you three insider secrets to help you build your own reselling business.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Flip items you find at flea markets, thrift stores, and garage sales for profit.

Learn more:
7 Times People Got Rich Off Thrift Store Finds

19. Gaming

Is playing video games your favorite activity to unwind? There are many ways to turn this into a profitable hobby. 

Play games on your phone

Easy! Wait. What? You can get paid to play on your phone? Yep!

Mistplay is home to hundreds of different games, and they pay you to play!

Here’s how it works: developers need your feedback to improve the games before launching them on the market. Simply download the app, play for 2 to 5 minutes, and start earning units. You can share your feedback on the game with developers to earn extra units.

Once you reach enough units, you can redeem them for gift cards, including Visa gift cards, Amazon gift cards, Google Play, iTunes, PlayStation gift cards, and more.

You can join here, and it’s free!

Stream games

You can livestream your own gaming online on platforms such as Twitch.

There are so many people who enjoy watching others play that you can get paid to do that. The platform is so popular that Amazon bought it for almost $1 billion.

Once you grow a following, you can ask for subscriptions or donations from your audience and further monetize your gaming by placing ads on your streams.

And get this: the most popular Twitch streamers today are making $30,000 per month, or more!

Make a video game

How about creating your own video games?

If you have some coding skills and an eye for graphics, this could be a fun project to start. You could also start a vlog on YouTube to share your progress, like my friend Pontipants. This is a way to monetize your YouTube channel at the same time as creating an audience interested in buying your game way before it’s ready to be released.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Become a professional gamer on Twitch or YouTube, create your own game, play games on your phone. 

Learn more:
How To Become A Professional Gamer
How to Make and Sell Merch for Twitch

20. Social Media

Do you love spending time on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, or Twitter?

Today, many businesses and influencers hire freelancers to run their social media accounts, meaning that if you’ve got an eye for what goes viral and a nose for interaction, becoming a social media manager is a great way to turn your love of social media into cash.

This means creating eye-catching posts, running ad campaigns, responding to community comments on a daily basis, helping others build and grow their brands, and being paid handsomely for it.

If this sounds like it’s for you, consider investing in this amazing course which will show you how to “master the world of social media marketing” in no time.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Help influencers creating videos, viral posts, and social media content. 

Learn More:
7 Easy Steps to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy
Social media marketing jobs
Powerful Social Media Marketing For Beginners

21. Podcasts

Did you know: over 100 million people listen to podcasts each month in the US alone.

Good news! You don’t need a lot of technical know-how or even a lot of money to start your own podcast. Simply download one of the free apps which facilitate podcasting, record – many of the most popular podcasts out there started recording on an iPhone –  then upload your finished product to Apple Play, Spotify, and Google Play for free!

Worried that no one will listen when you’re just starting?

Get this: research shows whether or not new listeners have heard of you is the least important factor when they consider whether to listen to your podcast.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Start a podcast!

Learn More:
How to Start a Podcast

22. Flying Drones

If you own a drone and know how to use it, you could be making up to six figures a year!

Before you get too excited, you need to know that if you want to fly your drone for business purposes in most countries, you’ll need a license. 

But once you’ve done that, flying a drone becomes one of the most lucrative hobbies there is.

Aerial photos and video footage

There’s something special about drone photography and videography. You can capture things from a different perspective.

You can offer your services to real estate agents – aerial photography is perfect for showing off larger properties and land – or events and weddings that want to capture their most important moments in a unique way.

Or you can simply upload your pictures and videos on websites like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or Getty Images. Every time someone downloads one, you get royalties.

Aerial surveying

But photography is not the only way you can monetize your drone hobby. Drones easily fly over locations that are difficult to reach and, therefore, document. You can offer aerial surveying services, including topography, digital mapping, or inspection jobs.

Private investigation

And if you have a bit of Sherlock Holmes in you, some companies hire drone drivers for air surveillance in large areas that are hard to cover or dangerous to access. Pilotless vehicles like drones make the job safer and easier.  

How to turn your hobby into money:
Sell drone photographs and videos to real estate agents or weddings, surveys areas for money, offer surveillance.

Learn more:
How To Make Money With A Drone
15 Best Websites For Selling Stock Photos For Money

23. 3D Printing

3D printing is next on our list of hobbies that make money.

To start, you can design your own products and sell them on eBay or Etsy. You can create pretty much anything – game pieces, jewelry, action figures, replacement parts – turning your 3D printer into a money-making machine.

And because 3D printers are not something many people own yet, you can rent them out to other people.

You can list your printer on websites like 3D Hubs or MakeXYZ, and local customers will get in touch with you to get their products printed. Or you could offer to print prototypes for local engineering companies.

In fact, 3D printing can be one of the most lucrative hobbies, even if you don’t own a 3D printer.

If you know how to create designs for a 3D printer, you could sell them to people that have one. Shapeways is pretty much Etsy for 3D printing. You can open your own shop and sell designs and 3D models.

And because everything is printed on-demand, there are no upfront costs, and you make passive income.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Sell designs and digital files, create prototypes, rent your 3D printer, sell 3D printed products.

Learn More:
How to Start 3D Printers Business Online

24. Camping

If you love taking the weekend off driving to the countryside and forgetting about your regular life, you might be able to profit from it.

Many people enjoy camping but don’t have a van or RV of their own, so they prefer to rent. If you use your RV sporadically, why not make some money with it? You can list it on RV Share, where you could earn up to $22,000 a year.

If you don’t have an RV or van, you can still make some money off camping.

Consider, finding an overnight parking spot for an RV can be challenging, especially in cities.

This means that you can earn money by renting space in front of your house to van lovers. If you have a big house with an extra parking spot or some space in front of it, you can list your space on Vanly.

Or you could buy a piece of land in the countryside and list it on Airbnb as a campsite for a 180% return in a year.

Yes, you’ve heard that right. You can find a plot for as little as $10k and make around $1,500 by renting it to hipsters with their glampervan.

Don’t believe me? Kate did just that for a hefty profit. 

How to turn your hobby into money:
Rent out your RV when you are not using it, rent a parking space to RVers, rent a plot of land as a camping site. 

Learn more:
Buy Land for $10k, Make $1,500 A Month on It?

25. Working Out

These days, it’s easy to take your passion for fitness up a notch.

In recent years, YouTube channels that share home-based workouts have seen unprecedented growth. How about creating your own workouts and sharing them online?

Adriene Mishler is the woman behind Yoga with Adriene. She started to share her passion for yoga from her own home and now has over 7 million subscribers on YouTube alone.

Or you can post your workouts on Instagram and build an audience there. Then, you can create and sell your online courses, workout plans, or fitness products as a personal trainer.

Need motivation? Check out Jessica Castaneda. While seven months pregnant with her first son, she decided she had to get away from the 11-hour days at a desk job she hated, most especially so she could stay home with her baby when he was born.

So, she started Easy Living Today, a blog to help other moms with fitness and mental health. She now has a second son and a successful home business, making six figures every year!

Or you can even start your own physical business, like my friend Ben did. He has his own website and profitable massage business in London, Massaggi (and if you are in the area, you have to book an hour with him – you won’t regret it!).

How to turn your hobby into money:
Start a YouTube channel, create an audience on social media, and sell online courses and workout plans.

Learn More:
15 Fitness Ecommerce Websites
How Much Do YouTubers Make? And How Do They Really Make Money?

26. Driving

If you’re a car lover, you might be interested to know that driving can be one of the best hobbies to make money with.

If you have a car, a smartphone, and some spare time, one of the easiest ways to start making money is by signing up to drive with apps like Uber or Lyft.

And if you don’t like the idea of driving people around, you can be delivering goods instead! There are apps such as Uber Eats or Instacart that pay you to shop for and deliver groceries or restaurant takeaways.

Know everything about a specific type of car? If you do, you can start reselling car parts on eBay for a profit. Three parts or accessories are sold every second on eBay motors. This means that if you know the market, you can take a share of the profit.

Or, if you don’t mind having some stickers placed on your car, you can get paid to advertise companies. With Wrapify you can get paid up to $452 for having your car wrapped with an ad. Or, if you want something more discreet, just advertise in your back window with Stickr.

You can sign up in 30 seconds and start to make money.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Drive people around, drive food or groceries around, sell car parts, advertise on your car.

27. Walking 

Walking may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of hobbies that make money. But there are plenty of apps that pay you to walk.

Some apps pay you in cash. Others let you collect points that can be redeemed for goodies or discounts. 

And if you love wandering around your town or city, admiring the sights and its architecture, you could become a local tour guide.

If you live in a popular tourist destination, you can make some extra money by registering with Viator or AirBnB. You can plan a tour or a program and list it on either of those sites. Then set your own price.

You will need to pay a small commission to the app, but you’ll be able to reach millions of potential customers and grow much faster than by setting up your own business from the get-go.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Use apps to get paid to walk, become a local guide. 

Learn more:
23 Top Apps to Get Paid to Walk

28. Pet Cuddling

Did you know: 70% of US households have at least one pet. No wonder Americans spend over $120 billion on their pets every year.

Want to turn your hobby of cuddling pets into a business?

One of the most popular ways pet lovers earn money is by pet-sitting. You can get paid to host a furry friend at your home overnight or stay at the owner’s home. Similarly, if dogs are your thing, you can become a dog walker.

Rover is the best place to get started with both of these things. You can set your own prices on the app, offer different services, and fit everything around your own schedule. 

And you can actually turn this hobby into a full-time business. Just take a look at Kristin, who made over $1 million in her dog walking career, working just three days a week.

Bonus: if you are a bit of an expert, start a blog to share your knowledge on your favorite pets. Or open an online store to sell pet products like treats and accessories.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Pet-sitting, dog walking, start an animal blog, sell animal products online.

Learn More:
How to Start a Pet Business
11 Best Apps to Get Paid to Walk Dogs

29. Comedy

What is more rewarding than making people laugh? Answer: making people laugh … and getting paid for it!

How do you do it?

Go viral

Start an Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube account to share your comedy with the world. Once you’ve built an audience, you can partner with brands to do sponsored posts.

Create funny merchandise

With the rise of print-on-demand services, it is so simple to turn your jokes into t-shirts, mugs, home décor, and other products, then sell them worldwide!

Become a freelance comedy writer

Most major comedy websites accept submissions. Or, you can sell your work to stand-up comedians or comedy-based YouTube channels – particularly those that are just starting out are always looking for good material.

You can even sell your comedy skills through services marketplaces like Fiverr.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Start posting on TikTok, start a YouTube channel, create funny merchandise, become a freelance comedy writer.

30. Sharing your opinion

Companies spend billions of dollars every year on market research to uncover their audience’s likes and dislikes. This means that if you’re someone who isn’t afraid to share your opinion on a variety of topics, you can actually get paid for it.

How?

Start with online survey sites like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie, which pay you cash for taking simple, quick surveys.

Then, check out online focus groups at User Interviews or Respondent, which usually pay between $50-$250 for your participation and even as much as $450 for some specific one-hour studies.

The best thing about getting paid to share your opinion? You don’t need any specific knowledge or skills, only to be yourself and answer truthfully.

How to turn your hobby into money:
Take online focus groups, take online surveys.

Learn More:
15 Legit Online Surveys That Pay Cash
15 Best Paid Online Focus Groups
User Interviews: Can you really make $150 per hour?

How To Turn A Hobby Into A Money-Making Business

If you’re still with me, you might be wondering if you can turn your hobby into a money-making business.

A lot of people have done that, so why couldn’t you?

Fun fact: Yankee Candle started as a hobby. Michael Kittredge crafted a candle for his mom’s Christmas gift when he was only 16 years old. He used canning wax, red crayons, kitchen string, and a milk carton as a mold. He then started designing other candles in his family’s kitchen. With his father’s help, he started selling them locally. And one small shop in Massachusetts turned into over 35,000 authorized retailers worldwide.

But before you run off and start working on your idea, there are a few steps you need to take.

1. Validate Your Business Idea

Business experts out there will tell you to do market research. But what you really need to think about is how you are going to help your potential customers.

Find out what they are looking for, what other businesses they use, how you can offer a more desirable product or a more reliable service than the competition.

This will help you to better serve your customers and come up with a business idea they’re buying.

2. Create A Brand

Once you validate your business idea, turn it into a brand. Your name and logo are just a small part of this. People buy from who they trust.

You need to make a clear statement about who you are, what you do, and why you do it – your story. Do you want to sell ethically sourced products like Chloe? Or write website copy for travel agents?

Understand what people that need your help struggle with, their goals, and their questions. Your message needs to be clear to anyone landing on your website or social media profile. 

3. Make A Plan

You don’t need a full-on 40-page business plan. But you still need to figure out how you are going to make money, your goals, and your basic costs. And before you invest any money, think about ways to get to the same point without being out of pocket.

Want to sell t-shirts? Don’t invest $5,000 in stock before you know if people would even like your design.

Look at print-on-demand services like Printify.

Want to teach people online? Use your smartphone to record lessons before investing in a $1k camera.

4. Decide What Type Of Business You Want To Run

Is it going to be an online business? Can you run it from home? Or do you need a storefront? A manufacturing partner?

You also need to decide what type of business structure you want to set up. You can start as a sole proprietor or set up an LLC to protect your personal assets.

5. Build An Online Presence And A Marketing Strategy

Before you start opening social accounts everywhere, you need to know your customers.

Do they hang around on Facebook? Are they on Twitter? Instagram? Make marketing decisions with your customer in mind.

And for everything you do, remember that connecting with your audience emotionally is what is going to create real fans.

Pros And Cons Of Turning Your Hobby Into A Business

Things you should consider before transforming your hobby into your career:

How Can I Make Money From My Hobbies?

No matter what your hobbies are, you can think about three different angles to turn these hobbies into cash:

• You can start an online store and sell what your hobby creates.
• You can start a blog or YouTube channel and become an influencer in your hobby niche.
• Or, you can teach your hobby to others by offering online courses or the skills and templates related to your hobby.

Ready To Make Money From Your Hobbies?

You can absolutely make money doing something you love. There are plenty of profitable hobbies and ways to turn your hobby into a money-making business.

So … what’s your hobby?

If you plan to make money with it but don’t know where to start, let me know in the comments, and I will give you some tips to help turn your hobbies into a business.