Welcome to the gig economy – where people make their own schedules working one or more side hustles to boost their income. There are so many side hustle opportunities these days that it’s common to meet people who’ve traded in their 9-to-5 jobs to start earning 100% of their income with side gigs.

The best side hustles put you in control of your own life and time, and how you spend your days making money.

People are driving for ride-sharing apps, walking dogs, delivering food, teaching English via video chat, and an endless number of other gigs that can be done with flexible scheduling. There are all sorts of ways to pick up extra money.

With so many people out there wanting to know more about how they can earn money in the gig economy, we decided to put together an in-depth list with some of the top side hustle ideas on the market.

Keep reading to find out which gigs are best for you!

1. Make Money Playing with Dogs (Seriously)

Are you a dog lover? Then Rover might be one of the best side hustle ideas for you. It gives you the opportunity to earn money helping busy dog owners make sure their pets are happy and healthy.

By becoming a “sitter” with Rover, you will get paid for dog walking, dog boarding at your home (both during the day or overnight), or dog sitting at the owner’s home – including drop-ins just to check on their furry friends.

Rover allows its sitters to set their own schedules, decide which services they want to provide, and even specify which sizes and types of dogs they are willing to work with. On top of that, Rover provides $1,000,000 in coverage for all services and offers 24/7 support – including vet assistance.

Everything is done on the easy-to-use app, and you can start sitting dogs with Rover now!

2. Take Surveys as a Side Hustle

You may be just a regular person, but your opinion really matters – and there are people in the marketplace who are willing to pay for your honest input! Participating in online surveys is simple and straightforward, and also the best side hustle for opinionated people with internet access. On top of that, there are several trustworthy, high-paying sites that you can test out:

→ Survey Junkie wants your honest opinions, which will help determine the future consumer climate in different industries. As soon as you rack up $10 worth of points from taking surveys with this platform, you can cash out with either a PayPal deposit or by receiving a gift card.

→ Vindale Research gives you the opportunity to take surveys from just about anywhere and get paid cash via check or PayPal. Surveys topics cover a wide variety of categories like health and beauty, politics, food and much more. Vindale Research has already paid out about $7 million to its users.

Other sites that will pay you to complete surveys are:

OneOpinion

PointClub

Opinion Square

Pinecone Research

Pro Tip: Join as many survey sites as you can to get access to more surveys and compare how much you can earn.

3. Make Money Doing Easy Stuff Online

Getting paid to complete online activities doesn’t stop at surveys. There are a few side hustle ideas where companies will reward you for doing all sorts of tasks!

→ Inbox Dollars pays its users in real cash for completing a number of online activities, and has already paid out more than $57 million. Users are able to earn by simply playing games, shopping, watching videos, reading through emails, and taking surveys – plus you get access to sweet cash back deals, free samples, and coupons! Right now, Inbox Dollars is giving users $5 instantly just for signing up.

→ Swagbucks also gives its users a ton of ways to earn: watching videos, filling out surveys, playing games online, and surfing the web. You can also score rewards when you sign up for new services or try free samples. Payouts are in cash back, PayPal, or gift card rewards, and Swagbucks has already paid over $297 million in rewards. Sign up for Swagbucks for a free $5 bonus!

→ MyPoints has already paid users $236 million in free rewards, who earn gift cards and PayPal cash by being a part of the platform. You can take surveys, but it doesn’t stop there! MyPoints also rewards users for completing other easy activities, such as playing games, watching videos, and shopping at their favorite online retailers. You can score a free $10 bonus if you sign up for MyPoints now.

→ Nielsen will pay you to download an app and allow their platform to track your online behavior for market research purposes. You don’t have to do anything other than the quick sign-up process, then you simply use the internet like you usually would! Start making effortless money with Nielsen.

4. Get Paid to Go Grocery Shopping

Did you ever think you could turn shopping at the supermarket into a side hustle? Instacart will pay you to do exactly that!

Instacart shoppers get to work whenever they want, get paid weekly, and can earn more when working during peak hours to maximize their income. It’s a great side hustle idea for supermarket aficionados. Additionally, customers can add an extra tip when they’re completing their orders – further boosting your earnings.

Don’t have a car? No problem! You can become an Instacart In-Store Shopper who puts together the online orders. If you do have a vehicle, however, you can become an Instacart Full-Service Shopper – doing both the shopping and the delivering (sometimes just the delivering). Either way, you get to set your own schedule, take time off whenever you want, and work in a team environment.

If you know your way around your local grocery store’s aisles, then in just five minutes you can sign up to become an Instacart shopper.

5. Score Some Easy Freebies

Although this isn’t exactly a side hustle it will put extra money in your pocket. While your shopping for everyday items or perhaps items for your side gig needs, you could be earning cash back. We often make purchases with our credit cards to earn points, but those aren’t the only points we can be earning – and redeeming for rewards.

These days, there are many more ways to earn rewards, beyond the traditional ways of credit card rewards.

→ Ebates is an effortless way to get free money just by shopping. Just go through the Ebates website before you go shopping at your favorite online retailers and make your purchases like you normally would. You earn cash back in the form of a paper check or a PayPal deposit. There are no points to collect, no forms to fill out, and no fees to pay. Ebates has already helped its 10 million users rake in more than $1 billion for simply shopping – and they also have a $10 sign-up bonus going on right now!

→ Ibotta pays you to do your normal shopping – all you have to do is fork over your shopping receipts! By selecting cash back goods on the app, then submitting pictures of your receipts after you buy them, you can get easy cash back rewards on cosmetics, groceries, apparel, electronics and more. We’ve seen Ibotta cash back deals like $3.00 back on dog food, $0.75 back on greek yogurt, and $10 cash back on popular electronics purchases. Your cash can be redeemed via PayPal, Venmo or gift cards. Sign up for Ibotta now and get an instant $10 bonus.

6. List a Room on Airbnb

Airbnb makes it safe and easy for you to host travelers and get paid. If you have a spare bedroom or an entire home that you can afford to list, becoming an Airbnb host is an extremely lucrative way to monetize them – and also one of the best side hustles in general. In some locations, hosts can make more than $10,000 per year! Depending on the housing market in your city, you can make even more as a host.

The best part about Airbnb is that hosts are in complete control when it comes to prices, house rules that guests must follow, and which days your space is available. You are the boss of your mini-hotel. You even get to control how much you interact with your guests, if at all.

Not only is there 24/7 global customer support, each stay in your Airbnb space is insured for $1 million related to property damage, as well as another $1 million in liability insurance to cover accidents – so you can feel at ease hosting as many guests as you want.

If you have a space you’d like to list on Airbnb, it’s a simple 3-step process to start hosting. The site even suggests a market price for you to list your space, so you don’t have to think too much about earning a fair amount.

Sign up to become an Airbnb host.

7. Monetize Your Car When You Don’t Need to Use It

If you own a car, you might be missing out on one of the best side hustle ideas. With Getaround, you can let other drivers pay to rent your car whenever you aren’t using it.

Car owners who list their car onto the app can earn thousands of dollars a year!

Since it’s your car, you get to decide when and how it’s available to renters, and you can even make it available on a per-hour basis. Longer-term rentals are doable as well.

It’s also almost effortless for car owners to participate: Getaround will remotely rent and unlock your car whenever you’re not using it. There’s no need for car owners to ever come face-to-face with renters, since everything is done for you.

Needless to say, car insurance is included – to the tune of $1,000,0000. On top of that, Getaround provides its users with 24/7 roadside assistance.

For the moment, Getaround is only available in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Diego, Chicago, Portland, Washington DC, Boston, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, New York City, and Miami.

Sign up to list your car with Getaround now. Also, you can take a look at our in-depth Getaround guide.

8. List Your Vehicle to Rent on Turo

In just 10 minutes, you can list your car on Turo and start making some serious extra cash.

Turo is sort of like the “Airbnb” of car rentals, helping you make money off your car when you’re not using it. The income potential is considerable, with the average car host in Miami, for example, earning $1,141 per month. 

Hosts have total control over the minimum daily price for trips, mileage limits, and get their car back with a full tank of gas. There are zero fees and no buy-in either! Turo covers your car against theft or physical damage, and you also get $1 million in liability insurance on top of that.

It’s one of the best side hustles when you consider the fact that you’re monetizing something that would otherwise just be sitting around all day! After your customers use your car, Turo will pay you through a direct deposit within just five days.

Earnings really depend on your specific car and location. Check to see what you could earn.

Pro Tip: Want to maximize earning potential for your vehicle? List your car on both Turo and Getaround simultaneously!

9. Deliver Just About Everything with PostMates

PostMates is a big hit – everyone loves ordering delivery from this platform. The best part about this particular app is that users can order a plethora of diverse goods to their homes, including office supplies, alcohol, groceries, and – yes – food from restaurants.

Who makes it all possible? It’s the dedicated and much-loved PostMates drivers who make this modern convenience a reality for all of us – and you can get paid to deliver with PostMates too!

Drivers on this platform pay zero fees, so they take home 100% of what they earn as well as 100% of their tips. You’re paid once a week or can opt to cash out every day, which can be the best option for those of us who need side hustle ideas that pay fast.

Don’t have a car? That’s not a problem, because you can deliver for PostMates using a bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, or even just do it on your own two feet! All you need to deliver with PostMates is to be 18 years old, have a smartphone, and meet a few other basic requirements.

Sign up to deliver with Postmates here. It’s free to start, and you only need to complete a few quick steps!

10. Start Your Own Blog

Anyone can make money by monetizing a blog, and SiteGround is one of the most affordable options to make this happen. For just $3.95 a month you can get a blog side hustle started.

SiteGround provides its customers with a free website builder (your choice of either WordPress or Weebly website building tools), unlimited free email accounts that can be accessed from anywhere, daily automatic site backups, a 30-day money-back guarantee, as well as 24/7 support via phone calls, chat, and tickets. They also promise no hold time! SiteGround’s top-rated hosting support gets consistently excellent customer reviews.

Site speed and security is very important to SiteGround and their hosting is compatible with WordPress, Magento, WooCommerce, Joomla, and more. If you already have a site, no problem, SiteGround will transfer your site at no cost.

Blogging can lead to some very high earnings from a variety of sources: ad revenue, sponsored posts, affiliate partnerships, selling your own products, and much more. In fact, very successful bloggers can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. It’s certainly the best side hustle if you love to write! Launch your site with SiteGround now.

Already have your site all set up and need a way to get more visitors?

For those of you with a blog site already up and running, you can get more visitors by advertising on Bing. Bing Ads will give you a $100 credit when you spend your first $25.

You’ll also need to stay in contact with your audience:

You should make sure to use an easy email marketing platform to stay in contact with your site visitors and customers. Constant Contact is a really easy to use email marketing tool that will allow you to collect website visitors email addresses, craft awesome looking emails, and track your results like how many are actually being opened.

Sign up for a 60-day constant Contact free trial.

11. Launch an Online Store with Shopify

Have any of your side hustle ideas involved being a trendy shop owner? It sounds fun, but the work and resources involved in setting up a brick-and-mortar business make it almost impossible! Thankfully, Shopify can turn your shop-keeping dream into a reality – where you can launch your own brand and open up your very own online store in just 35 minutes.

Shopify helps you with each step of the way as you start, run and grow your online business. You can personalize your shop exactly how you like it, and you can spend your time focusing on the fun parts of operating your own e-commerce business.

You can select from hundreds of different graphic themes, easily accept your customers’ credit card payments through Shopify’s payment portal, and you can keep track of all your store’s orders via the online dashboard. You also don’t need to pay a single cent for web hosting, since Shopify also deals with that for you. That perk alone could be worth the tiny monthly fee of $29.

On top of that, Shopify gives you a free 14-day trial to try it all out!

Well over 800,000 merchants are already using Shopify to do business, and the average Shopify project earns $10,000. Shopify has cranked out countless success stories, from the to the naturopathic doctor who needed a way to sell her revolutionary medication patches to the mother who was laid off and decided to become an entrepreneur online.

You can also check out our guide to setting up a Shopify store.

12. Become a Beloved DoorDasher

DoorDash enables anyone to earn good money while making your own schedule. DoorDashers make deliveries to customers who order through the DoorDash app, and get paid to do it – with the additional potential to get an extra tip with each delivery.

All you need is an Android or iOS smartphone, and a car. In some locations, a bicycle, motorcycle, or even your own two feet, can be your mode of transportation.

Dashers also get opportunities to earn even more through what they call guaranteed minimums: by completing enough deliveries during specific peak hours, there is a higher-than-usual guaranteed hourly rate.

On top of that, Dashers can even get paid daily –  which makes it one of the better side hustle ideas that pay quickly!

Start delivering with DoorDash.

13. Deliver Food – or People – with Uber & Uber Eats

Uber Eats is another widely-used food delivery app where its delivery partners can get paid to bring popular restaurant food to hungry customers around town. With Uber Eats, delivery partners get to make their own schedule, be their own boss, and decide both when and how they get paid.

In fact, Uber Eats delivery partners who need access to quick funds can cash out up to five times daily when registered with a debit card for Instant Pay. Terms Apply.

To get started making money with Uber Eats, some requirements you need are a mode of transportation (car, or scooter or bicycle in some cities), a smartphone, and a bank account where you can receive that delicious extra income.

More of a people person? You can use Uber to drive passengers around town on your own schedule and get paid. Like Uber Eats, everything with Uber is done on the app. You are the boss when it comes to how you get paid, how often you get paid, and when you drive.

Uber has a huge active network of regular riders, so there are plenty of opportunities to make good money – not to mention all the tips you can get!

Sign up to drive with Uber and Uber Eats now.

14. Shuttle Passengers around as a Lyft Driver

Driving with Lyft can put extra money in your pocket by giving rides to passengers, even if you already have a full-time gig.

Lyft even guarantees that new drivers will make at least $1,000 in their first 30 days of driving with Lyft, which applies to every single one of the many cities where Lyft operates. There are additional incentives, like getting paid extra to drive during some of the busiest time frames and getting a bonus when accepting 90% of the rides that pop up.

Combine all those earnings with tips (of which you keep 100%), and you have a pretty lucrative side gig! Did I mention you can get paid daily with the Lyft Express Pay feature?

Can’t decide between Uber and Lyft? Fear not! You don’t have to choose between these two profitable side hustle ideas. You can drive with both platforms simultaneously.

Start earning money driving with Lyft.

15. Sell the Hottest Womenswear

Interested in side hustle ideas that are perfect for fashionistas? Want to put your style to use and make some extra cash? Become an independent stylist for Stella & Dot, a popular womenswear brand that pays you to sell its gear.

Stella & Dot will give you a whopping 20% – 30% commission on all the items you sell, both online and in person. You can work from home, build your own schedule, be your own boss, and get paid on a weekly basis!

S&D stylists use social media, host Stella & Dot parties, and employ a variety of other techniques to make sales.

You can even build your own sales team, earning 18% of your team members’ sales. Some Stella & Dot stylists even make this their full-time job, raking in a six-figure income. Like all side hustles, you earn as much as you want – based on how much time you dedicate to your Stella & Dot activities.

Another added perk of being a Stella & Dot stylist is enjoying a 25-50% discount on their products – and even scoring free products!

Start selling Stella & Dot merchandise.