Ultimate List of 125 Side Hustle Ideas Organized by Interest and Skill

Tired of just barely making it financially? You could always get a part-time job. Or work more hours at work. But who wants that? Side hustles are a lot more flexible than a regular job. And you just may end up making enough extra money to quit your real job.

I started freelance writing over 12 years ago. I left the regular desk job behind over 10 years ago when my daughter was born. Sure, I’ve had some lean times. But the freedom is so addicting. I can’t imagine going back to a regular job. (Well, except maybe some days during summer break when the kids are really driving me bonkers.) So I keep hustling. And you should, too!

Why You Need a Side Hustle

If you’re here, you probably already know what a side hustle is. And you probably already have your reasons for wanting one. But, in case you’re not sure why you should have a side hustle, here are some reasons and ways to use the extra money:

• Build an emergency fund
• Stretch your budget further
• Supplement your existing income
• Quit your regular job
• Grow your side hustle into a business
• Have extra spending money
• Pay for travel (or clothes or cars or whatever your splurge is)
• Have backup income in case you lose your job
• Control your schedule and enjoy the flexibility
• Dabble in different areas to see what you really like
• Reach your financial goals faster
• Learn new skills

So now you know WHY you want a side hustle. How are you going to do it? Check out 125 ideas for side hustles broken down by interests or experience.

20 Side Hustles for Teachers and People Who Like Kids

You spend your days working with kids. And, let’s face it, you don’t get paid nearly enough. Or maybe you’ve decided to stay home with your kids but still want to make an education-related income. Or maybe you’re just someone who loves kids. These side hustle ideas all work with kids or relate to education in some way.

1. Tutor local students
2. Tutor online
3. Teach ESL classes online
4. Test prep
5. Online test scoring
6. Curriculum developer
7. Test item writer
8. Online school teacher
9. Create teaching printables
10. In-home daycare
11. Backup/drop-in daycare
12. Occasional babysitting
13. Summer nannying
14. Teach recreational kids classes (dance, art, sports, computer programming, etc)
15. Referee youth sports games
16. Coach sports teams
17. Children’s party entertainment
18. Substitute teach
19. Provide after-school care for school-age kids
20. Transport kids to preschool, daycare, school, after-school activities, etc

8 Side Hustles for Writers

Put your way with words to work for you with a writing side hustle. Freelance writing is a wide field with many different possibilities.

1. Blogging
2. Manage social media accounts
3. Sell your writing services on Fiverr
4. Write an ebook
5. Writing coach
6. Transcription
7. Freelance editing
8. Freelance writing
   • Web content
   • Business blog posts
   • White papers
   • Web copy
   • News articles
   • Magazine articles
   • Product descriptions (a large part of my freelance income)
   • Grants
   • Business plans
   • Resumes
   • Press releases
   • Bios
   • Lesson plans

15 Creative Side Hustles

Love to be creative? Turn that creativity into an income with a creative side hustle. Some of these side hustle ideas require more experience/talent than others to really be successful, but they don’t require any formal training. Just talent. Passion. And persistence.

1. Freelance website design
2. Sell homemade items (jewelry, clothes, signs)
3. Freelance graphic design
4. Start a YouTube channel
5. Give music lessons
6. DJ events
7. Live music performances
8. Movie or TV show extra
9. Voiceover artist
10. Do alterations to clothes
11. Create a podcast
12. Portrait or wedding photographer
13. Makeup artist
14. Home decorating
15. Hand lettering

9 Selling Side Hustles

Whether you’re a natural salesperson or just have a lot of stuff to get rid of, selling can be an easy way to make quick money.

1. Sell items from around the house
2. Flip items you find at garage sales or thrift stores
3. Sell on Etsy
4. Sell at a local farmers market
5. Sell stock photos
6. Sell breast milk to moms who can’t breastfeed
7. Start an ecommerce store
8. Design and sell T-shirts online
9. Run vending machines

7 Side Hustles for People Who Love to Cook

Why should your family members be the only ones to experience your amazing culinary skills? These cooking-related side hustles let you share your passion for food with a wider audience.

1. Create a recipe blog
2. Work as a personal chef
3. Teach cooking classes (for kids or adults)
4. Decorate cakes
5. Cater parties or events
6. Create meal plans for people
7. Make an online cooking course

11 Side Hustles for People Who Love Animals

Let’s face it. Sometimes animals are much more appealing to deal with than people are. If you’re known in your circle of friends as a dog (or cat or chicken or hamster or whatever) whisperer, it may be a sign you should turn that talent into a side hustle. Here are some ways to do that.

1. Pet walking
2. Train animals
3. Run a mobile grooming service
4. Pet sitting
5. Pet photography
6. Scoop poop
7. Sell handmade items for pets
8. Create pet-themed apparel for pet owners
9. Teach skills dealing with animals, such as horseback riding
10. Pet massage therapy
11. Pet taxi service for trips to the vet, groomer, pet daycare, etc.

6 Side Hustles for Active People

Combine your love of being active with a service people with pay for to boost your bank account with one of these fitness-related side hustles. Whether you’re an athlete or just someone who loves to stay active, you may find that a sports-themed side hustle is just what you need.

1. Personal training
2. Group exercise instruction
3. Referee for youth sports
4. One-on-one skills training for sports (goalie skills for soccer, batting for baseball, shooting for basketball, etc)
5. Sports team photography
6. Running/triathlon/cycling coach

7 Driving and Delivery Side Hustles

Have a reliable vehicle? Many companies offer opportunities to drive or deliver on your own schedule for a little extra money.

1. Drive for Uber
2. Drive for Lyft
3. Deliver for Postmates
4. Deliver for Instacart
5. Deliver for UberEats
6. Deliver for DoorDash
7. Vehicle advertising

5 Travel-Related Side Hustles

Many side hustles let you travel because of the flexibility. But if travel is your passion, you may want a side hustle that relates to travel. Here are some ideas.

1. Be a tour guide for your own tour if you live in a tourist designation
2. Freelance travel agent
3. Customer service for travel company from home
4. Make and sell travel gear
5. Work as a traveling nanny (Adventure Nannies is one place to find jobs)

7 Industry-Specific Side Hustles

Have a background in a specific industry? Turn it into a side hustle. You know your industry better than anyone. What services can you offer as a business or side gig? These options require specific skills. Sometimes they require licensing to legally offer the service, so always check with state and local regulations.

1. Offer computer repair
2. Tutorials related to your specific industry
3. Freelance bookkeeping
4. Hairdresser (from your home or from a booth you rent)
5. Coaching or consulting in your industry
6. Tax preparation
7. Auto detailer

30 General Side Hustles

Not interested in any of the other topics? Looking for even more ways to earn money from home? The rest of the side hustle ideas fall under a more general category. Many of them are things that anyone can do. Some do require some knowledge or skill, but these side hustles are things that many people can do.

1. Rent out a room on Airbnb
2. Rent your driveway if you live near a major attraction with limited parking
3. Answer surveys
4. Mystery shop
5. Do focus groups
6. Clean houses or office spaces
7. Run errands for people
8. House sit
9. Work as a virtual assistant
10. Donate plasma
11. Website user testing
12. Buy rental properties
13. Mow lawns
14. Shovel snow
15. Hang Christmas lights
16. Do handyman jobs
17. Transcription
18. Rent out equipment you own
19. Do customer service from home
20. Window cleaning
21. Renting out bounce houses
22. Sign language interpreter
23. Translator
24. Create closed captioning
25. Property manager for someone who owns rental properties
26. Notary public
27. Event planning
28. Organizer
29. Haul items in your truck (deliver furniture, haul away junk, etc)
30. Create a box subscription service

Which side hustles have you tried? What did I miss? What do you plan to try next?