23 High Paying Side Hustles to Maximize Your Income

Starting a side hustle is a popular and effective way to increase your income. But while you can pursue many different side hustle ideas, the income potential varies significantly from one to the next.

If you’re looking for a way to earn a significant amount of money outside of a traditional job, you’ll want to focus on high-paying side hustles that will compensate you generously for your time and effort.

Here, we’ll look at several of the highest-paying side hustles so you can choose the one that’s right for you. Keep in mind that some options allow you to start earning money quickly, and others require some patience while you build a business.

The Highest-Paying Side Hustles

The best side hustles make it possible to earn a significant amount of money in your spare time. And who knows, your side hustle may even turn into a full-time income.

1. Web Design and Development

You can start a business designing and developing websites if you’re good with technology and know your way around HTML, CSS, and other web development technologies (like WordPress).

You can earn $50-$100 per hour (or more) working freelance as a web designer or developer. And if you can land some long-term clients, you can easily make a six-figure income.

Thanks to modern website builders like Squarespace, you don’t even need to code to offer web design services. Instead of building sites from scratch with HTML, you can use Squarespace to create custom sites for clients without even touching the code.

Many small business owners are looking for an affordable website and don’t know how to do it on their own. You could help them set up a professional site for a fraction of the cost of having a site designed and coded from scratch by an agency.

Of course, starting a web design and development business is not something you can do overnight. It takes time to build up a portfolio of work to make extra cash. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, it can be a very lucrative side hustle and even become a legit full-time business.

See our article How to Make Money as a Web Designer to learn more.

2. Investing

Investing is one of the best ways to make money, but it’s not always considered a side hustle since it takes time to see results. However, if you’re investing for the long term (five years or more), it can be a great way to earn some extra income on the side.

You can also choose to invest in individual stocks, which is riskier but also provides the potential for higher returns. Platforms like Public.com, Webull, and Moomoo make it easy for anyone to get started as an investor.

Another option is to invest in real estate instead of the stock market. Fundrise and Arrived are perfect for passive real estate investing, even if you’re starting with a small amount of money.

One of the best things about investing as a side hustle is that it will help you improve your financial and money management skills, which will prove extremely valuable in many ways.

3. Rent Out an RV or Camper

Do you have an RV or camper that you don’t use very often? If so, you could make some extra money by renting it out on a site like RVshare. The earning potential is excellent.

RVshare is kind of like Airbnb but for RVs and campers. You can list your RV or camper on the site and set your prices and availability. When someone rents your RV, they’ll pay through the RVshare platform, and you’ll get paid by RVshare.

Of course, there are a few things to remember before renting out your RV. While this great side hustle is mostly passive, you must clean and maintain your RV before each rental. However, it’s an excellent way to make extra money without dedicating much time to your side hustle. Who doesn’t love passive income?

The rental market for campers and RVs is excellent. Not many people have them, and most would prefer to rent instead of buy. If you have an RV or camper, this could be one of your best side hustles.

4. Rent Out Your Truck

Do you have a truck that you don’t use very often? If so, you could make some extra money by renting it out on a site like Fetch. It’s an easy side hustle.

Fetch is like RVshare, but for trucks and cargo vans. You can list your vehicle on the site and set your prices and availability. When someone rents your truck, they’ll pay through the Fetch, then Fetch will pay you. Fetch even has a device you can install in your truck that allows renters to get into the truck to get the key, so you won’t need to meet renters in person.

According to Fetch, you can make up to $1,800 per month per truck rented on the platform. Not a bad side hustle for passive income!

5. Rent Out Storage Space

Do you have an extra room, closet, or space in your garage that you’re not using? If so, why not put it to good use and rent out the space on a site like Neighbor?

Neighbor is a peer-to-peer storage rental platform where people can list their extra storage space and set their prices. When someone needs storage, they can search for available space on Neighbor and book what they need.

You can list a basement, attic, garage, shed, spare bedroom, parking space, and more. And like the other rental side hustles, this is a great way to earn passive income. All you need to do is list the space and be sure that renters can access it.

6. Trash Cleanup

Brian Winch started a trash cleanup side hustle in the 1980s, and within a few short months, he was making more with his side job than at his full-time job. For more than 30 years now, Brian has been earning six figures per year with his trash-cleaning business.

The concept is simple. Brian focuses on cleaning up litter from parking lots of strip malls, retail stores, office buildings, and other types of businesses. His clients need to clean their parking lots, and they’re happy to pay him to do it.

Brian is the creator of Cleanlots, where he shares all the details of the business model that he’s developed. He calls it “America’s simplest business” because just about anyone can do it. You don’t need any special skills, and you don’t need to invest much money in equipment.

In Cleanlots, Brian shows exactly how you can find clients in your local area so you can start making money quickly. Many of Brian’s students have highly-successful side hustles or even full-time businesses.

One of the benefits of this business is that you can do the work yourself or hire others to do it for you. You don’t need to spend a lot of money since it’s work that requires no specific skills.

For a detailed business plan you can follow for your own trash cleanup business, please check out Cleanlots.

7. Sell Printables

If you’re creative, selling printables could be the perfect side hustle. These are digital files that people can download and print at home. They can be anything from planners and organizers to stickers.

Like print-on-demand, you don’t need to invest any money in inventory. You can create the designs once and then sell them over and over again.

Etsy is the most popular platform for selling printables, but you can also sell them on your own website or blog to make more money. If you want to start quickly, we recommend using Etsy since it’s easy to set up and get started. However, selling on your own website using Shopify or SendOwl will maximize your income potential.

There are possibilities to create printables for various topics and target audiences. For example, you could sell:

• Planners for busy moms
• Organization printables for students
• Recipe cards for cooks
• Budgeting worksheets for people trying to save money
• To-do lists for anyone who wants to be more productive

8. Freelance Writing

As a freelance writer, you’ll get paid to write articles, blog posts, e-books, and more for businesses and individuals. While you’ll need to build up a portfolio of writing samples before landing high-paying gigs, once you do, you can easily earn $50 or more per hour (although most gigs will pay per word or per article).

The rates for freelance writers are all over the place. There are a lot of low-paying writing gigs out there, but there are also plenty of high-paying opportunities.

To maximize your side income as a freelance writer, the best approach is to specialize in a particular topic or niche. Writers who cover anything and everything tend to be paid on the lower end of the scale. But if you take a specialized approach and are good at what you do, you can demand premium rates.

At first, you may need to take some freelance writing jobs for beginners to gain experience and build your portfolio, but you should be looking to move on to higher-paying gigs when you can.

Earning a six-figure income as a freelance writer is possible, and many people are doing it. But even if you only work part-time, you can still get paid well.

Freelance Writing 101 by Brad Merrill is an excellent resource to get you started as a freelance writer on a solid foundation.

9. Blogging

If you’re passionate about a particular topic, you can start a blog and share your insights. You can also turn your blog into a business and make money online with ads, sponsored content, affiliate marketing, digital products, and more.

You’ve probably heard or read about bloggers earning six or even seven-figure incomes working from home on their blogs. Obviously, blogging has the potential to be a high-paying side hustle.

Of course, it’s not as easy as many people make it sound, but having success as a blogger is realistic if you have some patience and are willing to put in the work before you start seeing the payoff. Many successful bloggers make little or nothing for the first 6 to 12 months while working to grow their audience.

Blogging is particularly special to me because I started a blogging side hustle in 2007, and I’ve been doing it full-time since 2008.

If you’d like to make money blogging, see my article How to Start a Blog which will walk you through the steps.

10. Build a Niche Website

Niche websites are very similar to blogs, but there are a few key differences (although the names can sometimes be used interchangeably). A niche website’s key distinguishing feature is that all content is tightly focused on a particular topic.

While a lifestyle blog may cover topics like cooking, travel, money, fashion, etc., a niche website would focus on just one of those topics. And in many cases, the topic would have an even more narrow focus. For example, instead of covering cooking in general, the site might cover vegan recipes.

Blogs are sometimes heavily influenced by the blogger. The blogger’s personality may be the biggest reason people follow the blog. But with a niche website, the person writing the content is usually irrelevant. The site is about the content, not the person writing it.

Most niche website creators prioritize traffic from search engines like Google. Content is usually created around specific keywords people search for to maximize search traffic. Usually, the site owners target low-competition keywords identified through keyword research.

Like blogging, you can start a niche website on any topic that interests you and make extra income. You’ll want to ensure an audience exists so you don’t waste your time creating content that no one cares about. Still, there are hundreds or probably thousands of different options.

Most niche websites are monetized with display ads and affiliate marketing, but other monetization methods are possible too.

See my Complete Guide to Building a Profitable Niche Website if you’d like to make money from niche websites.

11. Start a YouTube Channel

YouTube has become one of the most popular ways to consume content, and it’s also an excellent platform for side hustlers who want to share their original content with the world. It’s one of the best side hustles right now.

You don’t need any special equipment to start a YouTube channel. You can use your phone to record and upload videos to the platform. Of course, if you want your videos to look more professional, you can invest in better equipment as you go, but that’s not essential initially.

The kind of content you create will depend on your interests and what you think your audience wants to see. You could create cooking videos, product reviews, how-to guides, or anything else you’re passionate about and think others would find interesting.

While you can make money from YouTube through ads, most successful YouTubers also use other monetization methods like sponsorships, affiliate marketing, or product sales.

Building a YouTube channel is similar to blogging or starting a niche website. It will take some time and patience before you begin to see the money flowing in. But once you build a following, there’s potential to make a lot of money from your YouTube channel.

12. Start a Podcast

Podcasting is one of the fastest-growing content formats, and it’s a great way to reach an audience that prefers to consume content through audio instead of (or in addition to) video or text.

Like starting a YouTube channel, you don’t need a lot of equipment to start a podcast. All you need for this online side hustle is a microphone and some editing software. You could start with the laptop and built-in mic, although spending a small amount for a better mic is a good idea. Audacity is free software you can use to edit your audio files.

The topic of your podcast will depend on your interests and what you think your audience wants to listen to. You could do interviews, solo shows, or even fiction stories.

Podcasts are usually monetized with ads or sponsorships, but other options exist. For example, many podcasters also sell products or courses. And, of course, affiliate marketing is also a possibility to earn more money.

13. Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant (VA) provides remote administrative, technical, or creative assistance to clients. In other words, you could be doing anything from managing someone’s email to scheduling appointments or writing blog posts.

The great thing about this side gig is that you can work with multiple clients and set your own hours. Thanks to remote work, you can often choose to work with clients in different time zones, giving you even more flexibility.

Of course, the pay for virtual assistants varies depending on the kind of work you’re doing and your experience level. If you want to maximize your income, you could take a specialized approach and work on branding yourself as an expert in your field.

For example, you could work as a Pinterest virtual assistant and manage Pinterest profiles for your clients. If you’re great at your work, your clients will get better results, and you can charge higher rates.

Another option is to specialize in setting up online courses for clients. If you’re experienced with Teachable, Podia, or other course platforms, you could help clients set up their courses and lead generation funnels.

14. Consulting

If you have a lot of experience in a particular area, you could start your own consulting business and help others achieve their goals while earning extra income.

For example, you could be a business consultant and help small businesses with marketing, social media, or finances. Alternatively, you could be a career coach and help people navigate their job search or advance their careers.

The sky is the limit when it comes to consulting. If you have the skills and experience people are willing to pay for, you can start your own consulting business and earn an excellent hourly rate.

Working as a consultant is one of the highest-paying side hustles. It can even become a full-time business.

Maybe you already have some valuable skills or experience you could use to get started making good money. Think about your experience through your current job, past jobs, and even your hobbies.

15. Delivery Driver

If you have a car, you could earn extra money by becoming a delivery driver. Several companies will pay you to deliver food or other items. All you need is a vehicle and a clean driving record and you’ll have a profitable side hustle.

DoorDash is our top recommendation because they’re located in thousands of cities and towns, so it’s probably an option in your area. Also, DoorDash has no requirements for the car you use, so it can be any vehicle.

Instacart offers opportunities for grocery delivery. By working for Instacart, you would be responsible for shopping for clients and delivering orders to their houses.

One of the main benefits of working as a delivery driver is that you can start making money almost immediately. If you sign up today, you can make money within a few days (subject to a background check).

16. Create Online Courses

If you have some expertise in a particular subject, you can share that knowledge with others by creating an online course.

The great thing about online courses is that they can be created once and then sold over and over again. So, if you put in the work upfront, you can reap the rewards for months or years.

To create an online course, you’ll need to decide on the topic, format, and price. You’ll also need to make the content for the course and figure out how you will deliver it to your students.

There are several ways to do this, but one of the easiest is using a platform like Teachable and Podia to make it easy.

If you’re not sure what kind of course to create, think about what skills or knowledge you have that others might be willing to pay to learn. It could be anything from cooking to gardening to web development.

17. Print-on-Demand

With print-on-demand t-shirts and other apparel, you can create your own designs and sell them through several different online platforms. The best thing about this business is that you don’t need to invest any money in inventory. Instead, the company you use will print the shirts when someone orders them.

You can find many companies that offer print-on-demand services, but our top recommendation is Printful. Printful integrates nicely with Shopify, and they have a wide range of products you can add your designs to, including t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and more.

You also sell on platforms like Redbubble and CafePress, but the income potential is much higher by creating your own e-commerce website.

From Design to Product: Sell Your Art Online Through Print on Demand is an excellent resource for this business model.

18. Voiceover Artist

If you have a voice people like, you can make a lot of money by doing voiceover work. You can find voiceover gigs on sites like Upwork and Fiverr.

Businesses often need voiceover artists or voice actors for commercials, sales videos, advertisements, training videos, and YouTube videos. The demand for skilled voiceover artists is high due to the amount of audio and video content being created daily.

Fiverr is an excellent platform for getting started. You can create a profile and start offering your voiceover services. Once you’ve built up some positive reviews, you can start charging more.

19. Social Media Management

Businesses of all sizes need help with their social media presence. And, because social media is such an essential part of marketing these days, there’s a lot of money to be made by helping businesses grow their social media following.

As a social media manager, you’ll create and post content, engage with followers, and manage ad campaigns. If you have experience building your own social profiles, you could turn this into a profitable business by offering services to others.

You could offer general social media marketing services or specialize in a particular platform. Alternatively, you could also focus on ad campaigns, which can be very lucrative.

20. Handyman

If you’re good with your hands and have some basic tools, you can start a handyman business and make some extra cash. This type of business is always in demand since repairs always need to be done around the house.

To get started, you can talk to people you already know. Tell your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and acquaintances about your services and see if they need help. Many people have projects for a handyman, so it’s usually not that difficult to find your first few clients.

Like any other business, standing out from the competition is essential. One of the best ways to do this is by providing exceptional customer service. If you can build up a loyal clientele, you can grow your business organically through word-of-mouth.

For a detailed guide, please see How to Start Handyman Business.

21. Bookkeeping

If you’re good with numbers and have some experience with bookkeeping, you could start your own bookkeeping business. This type of business is perfect for people who are organized and detail-oriented.

There are a few things you need to get started:

• Basic bookkeeping knowledge: You don’t need to be a CPA, but you should know the basics of bookkeeping.
• A computer: You’ll need a laptop or desktop computer to do the work.
• Accounting software: Many programs are available, but Quickbooks is the most popular.

To get started, you market your services to small businesses in your area.

22. Proofreading

If you’re good with grammar and spelling and have a sharp eye for detail, you can start your own proofreading business. This is a great way to make money from home since you can work as much or as little as you want.

You could find proofreading work through an online platform and work as an independent contractor, or start your own business and find your own client. There’s plenty of work available, and the income potential, especially if you start your own business, is very good.

23. DJ

Working as a DJ is an ideal option for music lovers. You could find work as a club DJ, wedding DJ, or mobile DJ. You can also start your own DJ business and build clientele by finding your own gigs to make more money. The income potential is excellent, especially if you start your own business.

This is ideal as a side hustle because many gigs will be for weddings and other events usually scheduled for evenings and weekends. If you work a traditional 9-5 job Monday through Friday, you can still work as a DJ on the side and do quite well.

Final Thoughts on High-Paying Side Hustles

There are many different high-paying side hustles that you can start for extra cash. The key is to find one that matches your skills and interests. With hard work and dedication, you can turn your side hustle into a full-time business and make a very good income.