Best side hustles and gig jobs in 2024

If you want to increase your earning potential in 2024, or are saving up to finance a dream car or other big purchase, one of the best ways to do so outside of your full-time job is to start a side hustle or do gig jobs. Unlike getting a part-time job to supplement your income, this kind of work lets you set your own hours and, sometimes, your own pay rate. Many people look to established companies for gig work, like delivering food for Uber Eats, driving for Lyft or doing odd jobs on Taskrabbit. However, if you are comfortable marketing your skills, then you can start a side hustle as a babysitter, artisan, landscaper or photographer, for example. You just need to determine which path works best for your timeline, earning goals and long-term objectives, such as whether you want to turn your chosen path into a bigger business. To help you brainstorm your next move, we’ve created a list of the 10 best side hustles and gig jobs that’ll put some extra money in your wallet in 2024.

1. Share your car when you don’t drive

Car sharing is a great side hustle because it lets vehicle owners rent their car out to other drivers to earn money. Some car sharing platforms, like Turo, require significant ongoing effort on your part, like communicating with borrowers and handing off the keys. Avail, on the other hand, is low effort and high reward with a passive income guarantee. You simply list your car, drop it off with the keys and earn money. Avail handles the logistics — including borrower vetting, key handoff, cleaning and payments — and customer service, and also protects your car with Allstate insurance. Although Avail only operates in Chicago and Denver, they accept cars from across the U.S.; contact their support team to find out more.

Earning potential: With Avail, you’re guaranteed to earn a minimum of $50 per week. You’ll earn even more if your car is booked more often than not during its listing period. Standard sedans, mid-size SUVs and vans earn $20/day when booked, while large SUVs earn $25/day. Share a direct link to your vehicle page on social media or with friends and family, and earn an extra $100 bonus each time a new borrower signs up using your link and completes a booking on one of your cars.

2. Drive for ridesharing services

Driving for Uber, Lyft or any other ridesharing service is a great way to learn the ins and outs of your city in addition to meeting interesting people from all over. Compared to car sharing, ridesharing requires you to drive other people around, so it takes time out of your schedule and requires a high level of customer service if you want to receive a five-star rating. 

Earning potential: Depending on your location, bonuses/promotions and final tips, Uber drivers generally earn between $15-$25 per hour and sometimes as much as $50 per hour. It’s a wide range because the earnings from the three factors we mentioned can vary widely among drivers. Lyft operates in a similar manner.

3. Be a delivery driver

If driving people around doesn’t sound appealing, you have other options, like delivering food or products for UberEats, Postmates or similar services, or working with a restaurant or store for direct deliveries. Delivery driving can be a great way to unwind by yourself, listen to music or podcasts, and earn money while you’re at it.

Earning potential: The national average for a Postmates driver, according to ZipRecruiter, is $18/hour. Generally, you can expect to make $14-$17/hour, sometimes as high as $25.

4. Make some furry friends

Get paid to play with dogs. Do we need to say more? The work can be a bit dirty (you know why), but being a dog walker is among the most low-stress gig jobs. One of the biggest benefits of this side hustle is that it’s consistent and predictable. For example, you can create packages (instead of selling one-off walks) that guarantee you’ll get regular work, such as weekday walks or 20 walks per month.

Earning potential: Work for yourself by marketing your services to locals with flyers and postcards or at events such as a farmers market. Or, you can join a service like Wag or Rover. Both let you set your own rate, but the platforms charge a service fee, which reduces your take-home pay.  

5. Spend time with kids

A couple of the best side hustles for those who enjoy being around kids are babysitting and tutoring. Gone are the days where word of mouth was the only way to find families in need of help. Now, sites like care.com, among others, verify providers and post listings for babysitters and tutors.  

Earning potential: You set your own rate, but care.com notes that the average rate for child care in the U.S. is $18/hr, while tutors earn $20 on average.

6. Sell used clothes

Online consignment shops like thredUP and Poshmark — and local ones if they are available in your neighborhood — are great ways to turn your old clothes into cash. While it’s not always lucrative, it can be a fun way to earn extra money, as well as help reduce waste. Luxury consignment sites like The RealReal can pull in bigger paydays if you own expensive brand-name clothing and accessories.  

Earning potential: Varies with item, quality, demand and other factors. Common, everyday clothes can net anywhere from a couple bucks to a couple dozen a piece, while high-quality luxury items routinely go for $100 or more.

7. Do odd jobs

Taskrabbit is a catch-all online marketplace that lets you make money by offering your skills or physical labor, whether you’re handy around the house, good at running errands or ready to roll up your sleeves for lawn work. To get going, you’ll build a profile and highlight the work you’re willing to do so that those in need of help can find you and request your services.  

Earning potential: Taskers set their own rate, but on average earn $20-$40/hour depending on the location and task.

8. Participate in surveys, studies and focus groups

Participating in research surveys, scientific studies or focus groups can be a really interesting side hustle, potentially exposing you to new products or helping you become more self-aware of your feelings toward particular concepts. Respondent is an online platform connecting researchers to participants, or you could check local listings or bulletin boards to find these gig jobs. 

Earning potential: This varies greatly and depends on the length of time required, the number of sessions and which organization is funding the research. You may be compensated with a $10 gift card for a quick survey or hundreds for a more in-depth study.

9. Cook up a storm

Do you consider yourself an advanced home chef or baker? There are a number of ways you can make money off of your cooking, including selling seasonal festive desserts, hosting a weekly supper club, starting up a food cart or partnering with a local business to carry your products. 

Earning potential: This will vary by the route you choose. A supper club, for example, might charge $50 or more per person for three courses (depending on the cost of ingredients), while individually packaged brownies might go for $3 each. 

10. Leverage your creativity

Consider your hobbies and skills and how you can put them to use to create the best side hustle that’s unique to you. This could materialize as selling handmade candles on Etsy, becoming a social media content creator, building websites for small local businesses or giving saxophone lessons.

Earning potential: This will vary, as it depends on factors such as your product or service, demand, required overhead, platform commission, etc.

Finding your side hustle

Even the best side hustles and gig jobs come with pros, cons and tradeoffs. Ask yourself how much time you’re willing to commit per week outside of your primary job. What resources can you use? What talents do you have? There are dozens of options, with some taking more effort than others. At the end of the day, this is extracurricular work done on the side, on your own terms and time. Always keep your mental health top of mind to make it fun and avoid burnout.