21 Best Side Hustles In 2024 [Actually Tested]

Last Updated on March 31, 2023 by John Cirelly

There are plenty of things you could do to make money, but which side jobs are actually worth it? I put together 21 of the best side hustles that offer the most freedom and earning potential.

Best Side Hustles For More Freedom and Money

Here are 21 of the best side hustles you can start in 2024:

Online freelancing allows you to choose where you work, how you work, and how much you get paid. For many, freelancing can feel intimidating, but it’s actually much easier than you think.

Platforms like Upwork, FlexJobs, and Toptal make it easy to get your feet wet in the world of freelance. A great strategy is to offer what you currently do in your career as a freelance side hustle.

Think of a service you can offer to others online. You don’t have to be an expert, just good enough to do it better than any random person. Some examples of freelance jobs include:

• Programmer
• Writer
• Lead Generator
• Graphic Designer
• Copywriter
• Commission Sales
• Data Entry
• IT Support

YouTube is a great way to build an audience and passive income in your spare time. While it takes time to master video creation, this is something you can continuously work on as your channel grows.

Even small YouTubers can expect to make a few hundred dollars each month off ads alone. Success on YouTube widely depends on your audience and how many views you get from each video.

YouTube is one of the best side hustles for creatives, and people who want to either educate, entertain, or both!

Amazon Flex is one of the best side hustles for people who just want to earn some extra cash in their spare time without putting in a bunch of extra effort to build something from scratch.

Flex workers are considered independent contractors, and choose their own hours on the Flex app. Once you’ve picked a block you want to work, simply pick up can drop off packages using your vehicle.

As a contractor, you can write off things like gas and depreciation on your vehicle because you are using it for work, allowing you to keep more of your hard-earned money. Flex is a great way to earn money fast, as they pay out twice per week.

Blogs can grow to attract thousands of visitors per day and generate massive returns. In fact, there are entire businesses around building and monetizing blogs. Bloggers can make money from running display ads, promoting affiliate products, selling white-label products, and more.

You don’t have the next Hemmingway to start a blog. In fact, some of the most successful blogs are built by people wanting to share their passions with others. A few niche blog ideas could include:

• Caring for your pet Tucan
• How to plan a wedding
• Video game tutorials
• Trip reviews
• Homeschooling
• Family budgeting

The best blog topics blend your experience with a problem people are looking to solve. While it can take time to grow, blogging is one of the best side hustles, especially for those that love writing.

Got a spare shed or space in the basement? You could be leaving money on the table each month! Through platforms like Neighbor, you can rent out your spare space for cold hard cash each month.

Unlike Airbnb, you won’t deal with crazy guests or huge startup costs. Renting your space is one of the best side hustles for retirees or minimalists that aren’t using all the space they currently have.

Getting paid to talk sounds like a dream job (especially for my girlfriend). But podcasting is far from a dream, it’s an entire industry. Podcasting only takes a few hours for each episode and can easily be done between jobs.

Podcasters make money through sponsorships, affiliate deals, and ad placements. The amount you earn typically depends on many listens your podcast gets each month. Podcasting is one of the best side hustles for people who conversation but aren’t huge fans of the camera.

Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime. That’s why I poop on company time.

But what if your job was really just to… You know. Well, it’s not a joke, and it actually pays pretty well. Scientists want to study a wide range of subjects, such as bacteria, diet, and health. Believe it or not, our poop holds a lot of valuable data that scientists need.

The clincher is (no pun intended), that you have to fit the criteria scientists are looking for. This could be age, weight, diet, etc.

Amazon’s Kindle platform lets any writer publish their writing as an ebook. Kindle offers 35% royalties for all sales you make. Kindle Publishing is a great way to make passive income if you publish multiple books.

Ebooks can range anywhere from 25-150 pages and cover topics such as business, health, romance, and a ton more. The most successful publishers write multiple books on their topic and build a presence in their area of expertise. Some people even outsource their ebook creation and publish hundreds of books each year.

If your car is collecting dust, it might be time to put it to work. Many people who transitioned to remote work do use their vehicles as much as they used to. Platforms like Turo let you rent out your vehicle to travelers.

If you live near an airport or in a large city, you could potentially rent your vehicle out for the entire month. To get started, you’ll need a newer vehicle. You can get started on platforms like Turo, Ridester, and HyreCar.

Another man’s trash could be your treasure. All you need is a truck and a little ingenuity. Apps like Curb-It make it easy to start finding jobs in your area. From small landscaping projects to construction waste, all junk needs a place to go.

You can easily make a few hundred dollars daily simply by hauling junk. “Junk” like firewood and topsoil can even be resold for more profit on the side.

One of the easiest side hustles you can start is pet or house sitting. Animal lovers can earn extra income by simply taking care of someone else’s furry friends. If you already care for animals, this might not even feel like a job. If you have experience giving pets medication or providing more advanced care, you can change even more per night.

House sitters can earn similar rates by simply spending the night at people’s homes and performing tasks like watering plants, feeding pets, and doing basic chores. If you can work remotely, this opens up the opportunity to work and travel rent-free.

Retail arbitrage is the art of buying items from stores at a discount, then flipping those items on marketplaces like Amazon for a profit. If you love shopping around for the best deals, retail arbitrage could be a great way to make extra cash.

You don’t need an extra mortgage to make money off your spare real estate. It’s no secret people make significant money from Airbnb, but what many underestimate is what you can make simply by renting out a spare room.

Living in a city or near an airport can significantly increase the amount of booking you generate. At the very least, you can transform that spare guest room into some side income if you’re comfortable with that arrangement.

If you’re knowledgeable about cars, you could make a healthy profit buying, fixing, and reselling them. With a bit of spit shine and some repairs, project cars can be worth a pretty penny. However, hidden issues can increase your repair costs and labor time, so do your research.

Starting a newsletter can be one of the best side hustles, especially if you combine it with other activities like blogging, or YouTube. Believe it or not, some people actually PAY to be on a newsletter if it offers enough value.

For example, a stock guru could charge $5 per month for his newsletter when he shares winning stocks for the month and gives timely advice on what to do in the market. If you have something valuable to share with the world, starting a newsletter is a great way to bring in some extra cash.

On the flip side, you can offer free newsletters and monetize them through affiliate sales, sponsorships, and white-label products.

If you’re handy around the house and want to leverage that skill on the side, doing odd jobs can be a great side hustle. There are plenty of people in your area that need help installing appliances, building furniture, and making repairs around the house.

Platforms like Task Rabbit and Handy make it easy to see what’s needed in your area. Simply sign up on the app and start replying back to job listings in your area.

If you live in an area that gets snow, snow plowing can be a great way to make some serious seasonal income, especially if you already have a truck. The initial investment is fairly high, with snow plow blades running between $900-$4000.

However, with a steady stream of clients, you can expect to break even within your first two months. If you’re in the midwest up or up north, you can typically count on 3-5 months of snowy weather.

White labeling is where you take someone else’s product or service and put your logo on it to sell it to your audience. The key here is that you have an existing audience to sell to. While white labeling isn’t for everyone, it can be a great way to start selling something under your own personal brand quickly.

For example, a personal trainer at a gym can now offer their clients unique and branded blends of protein powder and supplements. Instead of only making money from that training session, their client now buys supplements monthly from the trainer.

The only downside to white labeling physical products is the startup cost. Many products have a MOQ, or minimum order quantity – meaning you have to buy your inventory in bulk.

Consulting is one of the best side hustles for professionals looking to earn a bit more in their free time. Businesses often seek out consultants for large projects or when making big changes in their business.

You can leverage your existing knowledge to help others achieve their goals. A few examples of common industries consultants work in include:

• Management
• Information Technology
• Finance
• Legal
• Health & Saftey
• Marketing

If you just want to make an extra few hundred bucks a month, app testing is the side hustle for you. Developers, UX designers, and marketers want to test their app designs before they launch to millions of people.

You can sign up for multiple testing sites to find the most opportunities. Trymata, Usertesting, and Analysia are great places to start. You’ll rate how easy the site is to use, test specific features, and give honest feedback on your overall experience.

Compared to doing surveys, app testing pays considerably more per hour, and has significantly less sketchy websites associated with them.

If you have a background in education, or simply love helping others, you could earn extra income on your own watch. Online education is big business, and there are tons of ways you can get a slice of the pie.

High school and college students often look for exam prep tutoring, all of which can be done online. Platforms like Chegg connect students to online tutors, with tutoring earning up to $2,250 per course.

On the flip side, anyone who speaks English can start teaching others English as a second language (ESL). Millions of people all over the world want to improve their English skills. Platforms like Skooli allow native English speakers to teach kids all over the world online for a competitive hourly rate.

If you hold an actual teaching degree or certification in your area of expertise, expect to earn even more for your time teaching.

Your opinion is more valuable than you may think. One of the best side hustles for easy money is market research, where researchers have you test products and software before they go to market.

Researchers typically look for specific demographics, so you won’t always be a good fit for every study. However, there are tons of opportunities out there, so just keep looking. For example, I was paid $400 for an hour-long phone interview giving my take on a remote work app.

For physical products, you sometimes get to keep the item. I tested a VR headset where I got to keep the headset and get paid for my time. Not too shabby!

After participating in a focus group, you might be privately invited to other research opportunities, which can make getting more jobs a lot easier. If you do join multiple focus groups, I’d recommend using an alternative email to keep track of everything.

What Didn’t Make The List And Why

Not every job made it on my list of the best side hustles. Here are a few that didn’t make it:

• Ridesharing/Uber – Gas and vehicle depreciation ruin margins.
• OnlyFans – Oversaturated. Requires outside marketing.
• Copywriting – Entry-level positions being replaced by AI.
• Land Flipping – Requires a decent amount of cash and can take time to sell.
• Virtual Assistant – Lower wages due to overseas competition.
• Transcription – AI is replacing low-level transcribers.