Candice Kilpatrick can thank her side job for being able to keep a roof over her head. “I’ve been laid off three times in five years,” says the mom of two who works in content marketing in New York City.
Says Kilpatrick, “Airbnb has kept me from being on the streets. Renting my bedroom through them, I earned $10,000 my first year, $12,000 my second year, and I’m working on my highest-earning year yet. The money pays my rent, even during lean freelancing months when I’m looking for full-time work.”
Airbnb has kept me from being on the streets. Renting my bedroom through them, I earned $10,000 my first year, $12,000 my second year, and I’m working on my highest-earning year yet.
Kilpatrick isn’t alone when it comes to having a side job. According to a 2016 survey by CareerBuilder, 29% of workers have a side gig.
The trend is highest among millennials: 44% of people ages 25 to 34 and 39% of people ages 18 to 24 work side jobs.
Whether you need money to make the rent or want a little extra spending cash, the following 11 side jobs are good places to start looking for extra work.
1. Rent out a room
As Kilpatrick’s experience illustrates, real estate can be a lucrative asset. You can advertise your room on your own or team up with industry leader Airbnb.
This online hospitality service marketplace connects travelers looking for a place to stay with people who provide lodging via their home.
2. Rent out a vacation home
Rather than renting a vacation home through a realtor, why not rent it on your own with VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner)?
This company gets the word out to travelers in 190 countries through a network of more than 50 websites. Their reservation tool allows you to manage the reservations yourself.
3. Rent your stuff
You may own items that you can rent out to earn some extra cash.
For example, Turo enables you to rent your car to travelers who are in need of one. The platform allows for a quick and easy transaction. They also include $1 million in liability insurance.
Another example is the company Babierge, who is “like an Airbnb, but for baby gear,” says Trish McDermott, vice president of community and communications. You deliver baby gear to travelers at hotel rooms and Airbnbs. Once the vacation is over, you pick everything up.
McDermott says, “Many members of our gig-economy team are stay-at-home moms seeking a side gig that is flexible, fits nicely with their parenting schedule and capitalizes on their knowledge of baby gear.”
4. Provide transportation service
If you enjoy driving and chatting with strangers, being a one-person taxi service may be the way to go.
Uber and Lyft are the top transportation companies offering this service. They do so through an app that allows customers to request a ride with the click of a button. If you’re in the area and respond to the request, you’ll pick up the passengers, take them where they need to go and get paid.
The earning potential can be high, especially in a major city. It’s really up to you. The more rides you complete, the more money you’ll make. In fact, many people do this as their full-time job.
5. Be a delivery driver
If you know your way around town and have a reliable vehicle, there are plenty of options to be a delivery driver.
Some of those options are:
Amazon Flex pays top dollar to drivers delivering Amazon Now and Amazon Prime products.
PostMates is another popular option, and you don’t even need a car. They allow deliveries by scooter, bike, and on foot.
DoorDash hires drives to pick up a variety of items from local merchants and deliver them to customers. You can choose your schedule, including late nights or early mornings.
Instacart may be the way to go if you enjoy shopping. For this on-demand grocery delivery service, you go to customers’ favorite local stores, handpick items for them, and deliver the groceries to their doorsteps.
Shipt employs drivers to pick up and deliver customer groceries.
GrubHub hires drivers to deliver food from local restaurants to customers.
6. Sell your digital skills
If you have marketable digital skills, you can get work in a variety of online marketplaces.
One of the top markets is Fiverr. This platform advertises the services of freelance contractors so that they can sell things like graphic design, programming, and digital marketing.
Those who are looking for freelancing writing gigs can find work on sites like UpWork, Elance, and Freelancer.
7. Express your opinion
If you enjoy telling people how you think and feel, get paid to take online surveys. Some top companies that pay for surveys include OneOpinion, MyPoints, and SwagBucks.
After you earn a certain amount of points with OneOpinion, you’re eligible for rewards like Visa debit cards.
MyPoints is a digital rewards program where you earn points by taking surveys, watching videos, and reading emails. The points you earn can be turned in for cash or travel miles.
SwagBucks allows you to earn gift cards for watching videos, taking online surveys, and shopping online.
8. Profit from your handyman (woman) skills
If you’re handy, you can make some quick money by performing handyman duties.
Handy is a platform that connects clients needing home repairs with skilled handymen. TaskRabbit is another platform that allows people to request help with a variety of tasks, including handyman work.
9. Be a mover
If you’re strong and able to lift heavy and cumbersome items, being a mover may be the way to go.
Earn up to $30 per hour working for Dolly. The company provides moving services for just about any move, including junk removal.
10. Offer your skilled expertise
If you’re licensed in massage therapy or have similar skills, you can make a great deal of money.
Work for Zeel, and you can earn a nice side income providing in-home massage services to clients. The Zeel app has a check-in and check-out feature designed to help keep you safe.
11. Be a dog walker or pet sitter
Animal lovers are in high demand. Busy pet owners are in need of reliable pet sitters and dog walkers to attend to their furry family members when they can’t.
Work for a company like Rover— who pairs you up with local pet owners– and you can earn money by simply hanging out with people’s pets. Does it get any better than that?
FAQ on side job
How do I make more money with Uber?
6 Ways to Make Extra Money Driving for Uber and Lyft
- Turn your car into a vending machine with Cargo.
- Get paid to place advertisements with Vugo.
- Turn your car into a billboard with Wrapify.
- Become a semi-private driver with Uzurv.
- Increase your driver and passenger referrals.
- Improve your odds of getting tips.
Which is better LYFT or Uber?
Lyft wins, in part for greater transparency. In addition, because Uber is generally more popular in most cities, in my experience its surge markup is often significantly higher than Lyft’s, meaning riders are typically better off summoning a Lyft when cars are in high demand.
Is owning an Airbnb profitable?
Owning an Airbnb rental property especially is a profitable investment. So when looking into the option of owning an Airbnb, make sure to consider the Airbnb friendly cities and the most profitable locations for real estate in general.
What can I rent out for money?
Here are some of them.
- Rent a Room in Your House.
- Make Money Renting out Your Car.
- Lease Your Bike, Surfboard, or Snowboard.
- Rent out/Lend Your Money.
- Turn Your Unused Office Space into Cash.
- Love Someone’s Dog for a Day.
- Rent out Your Dinner.
- Rent out Your Time & Expertise.
Is renting RV profitable?
The RV rental market is a lucrative and often overlooked opportunity to generate a very profitable income stream. RV rentals are typically a seasonal business opportunity with the majority of your rental capacity happening during the peak camping season from Memorial Day in May through Labor Day in September.
Start your side job today
These are just 11 promising side jobs for you to consider. The truth is, if you want to earn some extra money with a side job, your options are nearly limitless.
To help you decide which side job is best for you, check out our now Side Jobs Reviews page. You’ll be able to explore a variety of possibilities so you can you make the best decision.
Julie Bawden-Davis is a widely published journalist specializing in personal finance and small business. She has written 10 books and more than 2,500 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications, including Parade.com, where she has a weekly column. In addition to contributing to SuperMoney, her work has appeared in publications such as American Express OPEN Forum, The Hartford and Forbes.
