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Making extra money on the side is something everyone can benefit from.
Whether its to add more to your savings account, pay for college, or travel – making more income can help you achieve more things in life and relieve you from financial stress.
This list contains some of the best ways to make money online or from home. Or if you’re stuck in a tight money spot, this will definitely help you!
Each of the jobs and second income opportunities here are based on real data and trends that were present in 2020, which also continued in 2021. Keep in mind to choose something that fits your lifestyle and needs.
1. Online tutoring
The coronavirus pandemic, the movement restrictions, and the lockdowns made both formal and informal education to be mostly online. Tutoring also moved online.
The online tutoring market is valued at over $133 billion and is set to reach $369 billion by 2025.
If you know math or any other teachable skills, you can easily monetize them via online tutoring. The industry average is $30 per hour, whereas you can earn as much as $60 per hour for more complicated subjects. Websites such as Tutor.com can help you find tutoring opportunities.
2. Freelancing
There are more than 64 million freelancers in the US alone, and that number is only going to get bigger. It is estimated that by 2027 almost 50.9% of all the US workforce will be made of freelancers.
Whether you are a web developer, copywriter, graphic designer, or 3D artist, you can find a client at some of the most popular freelancer platforms.
Websites such as Freelancer, Upwork, PeoplePerHour, Guru, and so on. The best part is you determine how much you want to earn and your working hours.
3. Delivery Job
If working from the comfort of your home isn’t your thing, then delivery work might be the right fit for you. The delivery industry is valued at around $30 billion in the US, and it is already expanding rapidly.
On average, delivery jobs are one of the best-paid jobs in the gig economy. Companies such as Postmates, DoorDash, and UberEats, are always on the hunt for folks interested in a delivery job.
Related: Best Passive Income Ideas for College Students
4. Pet Sitter
Almost 53% of all households in the United States own at least one dog.
A big percentage of those people have full-time jobs and need help with their dog, at least a couple of times per week.
Pet sitting is an underserved industry that, by all accounts, is set only to grow in 2021 and in the years to come.
Websites such as Rover.com can help you find clients. Rover is the single biggest network of dog walkers in the US. Pet sitters can earn at least $10 per short, thirty-minute stroll, per dog.
Then, the overnight pet sitting can bring you as little as $25 and up to $100.
5. Rent Your Vehicle
The car rental industry is expected to grow by $1103.75 billion between 2020 and 2024. Those with an eye for business will smell an opportunity there.
Nowadays, you can enter this industry with the help of many online apps such as Getaround.com and start making money right away.
6. Try Transcribing
Transcribers earn between $15 and $30 per hour. It is a simple job in which you need to create a written version of a video or audio recordings.
If you can type fast, you should check out websites such as Speechpad or GoTranscript.
7. Rent Your Tools
If you have a nice collection of power tools lying idle in your garage, know that you can make some extra income by renting them out.
You can easily make $10 or more per hour for some of your power tools. To that end, you can use websites such as Toolzdo, Anyhire, Zilok, and others.
8. Help People Move
If you have a van or a truck, you can start helping people move. Websites such as Schlep and Clutter can help you find clients.
This is one extra income idea that can bring you as much as $1,000 per week!
9. Do Homework for Others
Imagine you could make money doing other people’s homework. Well, websites such as AceMyHomework, Tutor, SchoolSolver, and JustAnswer will let you do other people’s homework.
There is no limit to how much you can earn as the rate is per assignment. It is a simple and easy way to create some extra income online.
10. Virtual Assistant
We can’t make a list of extra income ideas from home without adding a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant gig can bring you anywhere from $15 to $100 per hour. But you do need some skills to work as a virtual assistant. Often that includes:
- Email management
- Content creation
- Bookkeeping
- Graphic design
- Excellent communication and time management skills.
11. Rent any available space
You can rent anything from a spare bedroom to a vacation home. Even if you have a half-empty shed, you can rent it out to folks that need storage space.
If you live in the center of a big city, you can even rent your parking space. Spacer.com and Justpark.com can help you find people to whom you can rent your parking space and earn a hundred or more dollars per month.
12. Start a dropshipping business.
If you have ever searched for how to make extra money on the side, then you probably have heard of dropshipping.
Dropshipping is one of those extra income ideas that require a minimum investment, yet it can turn into something way bigger than a side gig.
Essentially, you sell stuff on your website, Amazon, Social Media, or some other platform, while someone else fulfills the orders. Some of the best websites for starting a dropshipping business are Oberlo, Aliexpress, Doba, Sunrise Wholesale, etc.
13. Sell Second-Hand Apparel Online
The second-hand apparel market is worth billions. According to some estimates, last year, it was worth more than $25 billion in the US alone.
You can sell via social media, your website, Amazon, eBay, or other online eCommerce platforms. In addition to your old stuff, you can start helping your friend’s sell their old apparel too.
14. Get into Cloud Cooking
If cooking is your thing, then you can prepare meals for others and get paid. Cloud kitchens is a rapidly growing market estimated at well over half a billion US dollars. There is no cap on how much you can charge, and there are many apps that can help you find customers.
15. Website and Mobile Application Testing
There is a big demand for testers of different age, sex, and interest. The average payout per test is between $10 and $100.
Experience testers earn even more than $100 per test, but it takes time and experience to get there. You can use websites such as Userlytics, Testbirds, UserFeel, BetaFamily, and others to enter this industry.
As far as learning how software testing works, there is a wide selection of YouTube videos online and many free Udemy courses.
Some Final Thoughts
Even though there’s a million things you can do online to make extra money, you should choose something that you like doing.
If you’re starting a side hustle and putting in hours on top of your regular job, then it should be something you would enjoy spending time doing.
- Is your side hustle something you want to eventually replace your job with?
- Or is it only adding a little bit each month to cover your gas and entertainment?
Asking yourself questions like these will help you better understand which type of work you want to do to make extra money.
