About 45% of people in the US have a side hustle or second job. Most Americans with a side hustle aren’t making a life-changing amount of money; only 10% make more than $1,000 per month. But even if you don’t make a huge amount of money from your side hustle, it can still help you pay your bills, save more money every month, or spend more on what brings you joy. Not all side jobs are created equal, and some have the potential to give you a much better return on your time than others. Here are the best side hustles available in 2025.
1. Use your existing specialization or expertise
Your quickest path to a successful side hustle is likely monetizing skills you already possess. This can really be anything, and may not even be a skill you use at your main job. If you speak a second language, you could become a tutor for students that speak your secondary language and are looking to learn your primary (or vice versa). If you are skilled at designing websites, try that. If you enjoy being outside, perhaps try landscaping or mowing lawns.
Don’t limit yourself and don’t be afraid to try something out that may not be a sure thing. A side hustle allows you to dip your toes in the water and take risks that would be very difficult to take with your main source of income. If your big idea doesn’t work out, then you’re no worse off than you started.
2. Resell goods online
I have years of experience reselling online myself, and while you can certainly make great money reselling, there are many misconceptions. Reselling is not passive income or easy work. It takes time to build a sustainable and successful business. It is a very competitive space right now, so you will need to be smarter and work harder than your peers to make good money. All that being said, I think it is a great way to earn income.
You can start reselling as soon as…today. Start small by selling some things around the house you no longer use or want. Electronics, clothing, collectibles, video games, household products, you name it, if it’s in your house, you can probably sell it online. If you feel comfortable selling items you already own, try purchasing items specifically to resell. You can buy items to resell at thrift stores, yard sales, estate sales, auctions, and more. Usually the most in-demand items are harder to find, but niche products are often overlooked and can sell for great money.
3. Good-paying seasonal jobs
Side hustles can be regular jobs that you work in addition to your main job. Many businesses have busy seasons where they are looking for seasonal workers and some can pay very well. UPS is one example of a good-paying seasonal job that could help you get your foot in the door for a regular position. It’s not uncommon for full-time UPS drivers to make over $100,000 per year, and it is a union job with health insurance, a pension, and financial aid for tuition.
4. Market your services on sites like Upwork and TaskRabbit
If you are looking to start your own business, websites like Upwork, Fiverr, and TaskRabbit can help you find customers interested in your services. The types of services offered on these platforms range from specialized work such as writing, logo design, and marketing to assembling a couch or mowing your lawn and everything in-between. Fiverr and Upwork are global websites, so you may be competing with others that are able to offer similar services at a lower cost due to a significant difference in cost of living. However, customers often want to work with someone located in the same country and are willing to pay up for high-quality services.
5. House-sitting or pet-sitting
If you enjoy animals or hanging out by yourself, pet-sitting or house-sitting could be the side hustle for you. You can use apps such as Rover to launch your side business or do it the old-fashioned way by stapling posters to streetlights or posting an ad on Craigslist. People love their pets (or their house) and are willing to pay good money for someone to take care of them (or it) while they are away. For pets, getting to stay at home is often a more enjoyable and less stressful experience than being boarded.
If you do a great job pet-sitting and caring for animals, don’t be afraid to set high rates. The pet sitter we regularly use is a vet student at UGA and takes great care of our cats. She charges more than anyone else we’ve used, but she takes excellent care of our cats and we can truly relax on vacation knowing they are being well cared for. That hasn’t always been the case with past pet-sitters, so we are happy to pay more for peace of mind (and happy cats).
You might have noticed that some of the most popular side hustles, like delivering food or driving for rideshare services, are not on this list. While these can be viable sources of income for some, many areas are oversaturated with gig workers and it is difficult to make even minimum wage after you factor in all of your expenses. Many drivers have no idea how much they actually make because they don’t factor in wear and tear on their vehicle, the cost of gas, time spent waiting in-between jobs, and other expenses.
It’s difficult to find detailed analyses on real driver pay after expenses, and companies only share gross pay before any expenses or taxes. However, one analysis found that, after accounting for all expenses and cost of operating, DoorDash drivers make $1.45 per hour, on average, with many losing money dashing. A writer that tried driving for Uber last year found they made $10.49/hour after paying for gas. That might sound alright, depending on where you live, but the writer did not factor in wear and tear on their vehicle. If you subtract the standard mileage rate from the IRS of $0.70 per mile, they actually lost money driving for Uber.
Side hustles won’t get you rich quickly and are usually quite a bit of work. Be very wary of anyone telling you otherwise. Side hustles can, though, get you rich slowly. If you are able to invest an extra $200 per month from a side hustle, not a crazy number by any means, you could have almost $500,000 extra by retirement (assuming you start at 30, retire at 65, and earn 8%). Check out our new compound interest calculator to see what your side hustle could turn into.
