Let’s face it: figuring out ways to make money on the side with a full time job can be pretty tough.
The thing is, a 9-5 job isn’t really just 9-5…between commuting, running errands, prepping for the work week, and generally being a functioning adult, it can sometimes seem difficult to find free time.
However, if you’re ever in a crunch for cash or are simply looking for some part time side hustles, a full time job doesn’t put you out of the running.
In fact, you can still find plenty of opportunities to earn extra money that don’t completely destroy your social life or energy levels.
So, today we’re covering some of the best side jobs you can use to make extra cash, even if you have a day job and busy life.
Let’s get to it!
Looking for other quick & flexible ways to make extra money? Checkout:
- DoorDash – Get paid $23 per hour on average while out on deliveries!
- Steady – Find local gig jobs to make extra cash on the side with the Steady app!
The Best Side Jobs For Busy People
I’m going to make an effort to compile the best side jobs for busy professionals that meet the following requirements:
- Have no contractual obligation or offer a very flexible schedule.
- Only require a few hours a week at the most to start earning income.
- Have decent starting pay or the potential for long-term growth.
It’s truly important to have control over your schedule here.
Plus, you also want to choose a side gig that actually pays enough for it to be worth your time.
That being said, let’s examine some of the best side jobs for busy people you can use to boost your income!
1. Charge Scooters For Money
If there’s on thing I love about writing articles for This Online World, it’s discovering new side hustle ideas that are both lucrative and pretty out of the box.
If you live in a major city that has electric scooter rentals available from companies like Bird or Lime, you can actually start a decent part time side hustle by keeping these scooters charged.
The revenue model behind the electric scooter business is fairly straightforward. Users simply download a scooter app, setup an account/payment method, and can then rent electric scooters in their city and pay per minute to zip around town.
It’s an effective transportation solution that is growing in popularity in many major cities in the U.S. and around the world.
As a scooter charger, you essentially scoop scooters off of the street, charge them at your home or office, and then return the scooters to a central hub once they are fully charged.
Payment per scooter varies on how long it’s been since a scooter was charged. Additionally, it only takes around $0.25-$0.40 in electricity costs to fully charge a scooter.
According to Kevin from Financial Panther, both Bird and Lime pay between $3-$5 per scooter charge.
Kevin is able to pick several scooters up during his commute, enabling him to earn anywhere from $10-$30 a day if conditions are right.
Kevin now currently earns anywhere from $150-$1,000 a month just by charging scooters, which is pretty insane…seriously, check out his blog post and the screenshots to see what I’m talking about.
If you live near a Lime or Bird hub, this could be a very lucrative part time side hustle to consider!
2. Work For Food Delivery Apps
While food courier companies have gotten a lot of negative press in the last few years over worker wages and demands for better pay, I’m a firm believer that food delivery jobs are still one of the best side gigs.
Yes, earning an entire living wage from delivering food is an immense challenge. However, if you’re just looking for a flexible way to make extra money, I don’t think delivering food is a terrible idea.
In my post on delivering for DoorDash versus Uber Eats, I was able to interview one of my good friends to learn how much money he makes by delivering food in Toronto.
My friend is able to make upwards of $20 an hour by delivering during dinner rushes or late night bar hours, and he also avoided putting mileage or wear and tear on his car by solely delivering via bike.
Plus, there’s several popular food delivery companies you can work for, including:
- DoorDash – Deliver food in your city and make money on your own schedule!
- Postmates – Deliver food and everyday essentials to people in your city, with earnings comparable to DoorDash or even higher.
- Instacart – Make money on the side by delivering groceries to people and earn around $15 to $20+ per hour!
- Uber Eats – Become a delivery driver for Uber Eats and hustle on the side to earn extra cash like DoorDash.
As you can see in the screenshot above, some people make amazing money delivering for DoorDash or similar food delivery apps.
Granted, if you’re only going to deliver for a few hours per week after work, you won’t be making thousands of dollars per month.
However, even if it’s $200 a month or some other amount, I think food delivery jobs are one of the best side gigs for busy people.
If you want to make money on the side, get some exercise, and work 100% on your own schedule, I’d highly suggest checking out some popular food delivery companies in your area.
Extra Reading – DoorDash Driver Tips & Tricks To Earn More Money.
3. Try Various Micro Jobs
While I’m not always a huge fan micro jobs sites like Amazon MTurk or any GPT site, these platforms can work if you’re only looking to earn some extra grocery every month while doing mindless tasks like watching TV.
There are plenty of beermoney websites and apps where you can earn free gift cards or PayPal cash for completing tasks in your spare time.
Some popular sites include:
- Survey Junkie. Answer surveys online and cash out with PayPal or free gift cards at just $5.
- Zap Surveys. Earn $6.25 for answering your first survey and make some spare cash on the side.
- Amazon MTurk. Complete micro tasks like data entry, image tagging, and transcription on this micro task website.
- Gamehag. Play premium PC games and earn points, which are redeemable for free Steam games, gift cards, cash, and other prizes.
- Mistplay. Play new Android games and earn free gift cards with this gaming loyalty program.
- Prolific – Earn around $6.50 per hour for answering surveys and taking part in studies!
Realistically, you can probably earn an extra $100-$200 per month if you take a bit of free time to complete short tasks online…more if you grind a bit harder or can get a job with websites like Appen or Lionbridge.
However, this category of side jobs for working professionals is pretty straightforward since you choose whenever you want to make money online.
Micro tasks generally include stuff like surveys, identifying objects in photos, answering surveys, transcribing audio, or completing data entry tasks.
It isn’t glamorous work, but between the assortment of sites I’ve covered in some of my posts on This Online World you should be able to find some work!
Extra Reading – Best Apps That Pay You For Playing Games.
4. Start A Blog
Alright, I swear that every guide on the best side jobs mentions making money with a blog.
By now, you might be rolling your eyes, thinking this isn’t possible.
However, while I think it’s true that most blogs don’t make money, this is still one of my favorite side hustle ideas for people who have a day job.
See, I started This Online World while I was a full-time student and working 20 hours a week at Starbucks.
And, what started out as a college side hustle gradually grew from grocery money into something more serious.
Take a look at the first few months of my blogging income:
I was over the moon when This Online World was earning $200 to $300 a month.
But, fast forward three years, and I made $22,000 blogging in 2020.
Most of my blogging income came from affiliate marketing and running display advertising with Mediavine, a premium ad network.
It also took a long time to get here, but I held down full-time jobs the entire time.
So, I think starting a blog is a viable side job for busy people because you can do it on your own schedule and the growth potential is immense.
I mean, not many side gigs can turn into a full-on business, so that’s one powerful pro of blogging that’s worth considering.
Plus, blogging lets you branch into other outlets, like starting a Podcast or making money on YouTube.
If you want to get started with blogging, it doesn’t have to be expensive.
You can checkout SiteGround hosting, the same provider I used to grow This Online World to 50,000+ monthly readers, and spend less than $7 per month to start your own website.
5. Walk Dogs & Pet Sit
If you’re an animal lover, dog walking or pet sitting can be a great way to make extra money while working a full time job.
Companies like Rover or Tailster have created marketplaces where dog/pet owners can pay to have someone walk or look after their beloved furry friend.
Taking care of pets or walking dogs is a decent side job for a few reasons.
Firstly, companies like Rover allow you to set your own schedule and pay rate, and there is no minimum monthly requirement for how active you need to be.
Secondly, all pet sitter or walkers are insured under companies like Rover, so you are protected while doing your work. Considering that you can make upwards of $19/hour walking dogs with Rover and even more by pet sitting, there’s definitely money on the table (especially if you live in a major city).
This is definitely one of the more fun gig apps as well, so don’t be afraid to start a dog walking or sitting side hustle in your city!
6. Flip Items On eBay
In another one of my Young Money interviews, I got to hear from Nathan of Millionaire Dojo on how he makes hundreds of dollars every month flipping items on his eBay store.
I you’re willing to put in some time on the occasional weekend or two and invest in a modest amount of inventory, you can start to earn extra income every month and diversify your income (without sacrificing all of your free time).
The proof is in the pudding.
Nathan earns more than $500 from flipping on eBay every month, and he also interviews other successful sellers on his blog while documenting his own progress.
If you enjoy thrifting and can find a few hours a month to buy inventory, this might be a viable side job for additional income.
Having a truck or larger vehicle to transport items around can help, but it definitely isn’t required for beginners.
Extra Reading – Best Ways To Make Money With A Pickup Truck.
7. Referee Sports
While this money making idea is slightly less flexible than the other jobs I’ve mentioned in this post, I think it’s still worth mentioning since refereeing a game for a sport you enjoy is actually a pretty enjoyable use of time.
Refereeing soccer matches was how many of my friends made money as teenagers, but I also know several older people who have been refereeing matches for as long as I can remember/have been playing.
Now, becoming a referee generally requires you to complete a course and have some understanding of the sport you’re officiating, and you don’t set your own hours. However, if you can find a gig officiating a summer game every now and again, it’s pretty decent money.
Refs can easily get paid $50+ per game, or even more if you make it to higher levels/age groups of play.
Besides, who doesn’t want to get paid to enjoy some outdoor weather and a sports game? If you don’t mind angry parents yelling at you, it’s an absolute walk in the park!
If you’re looking for even more creative side job ideas, you can also checkout one of my YouTube videos on other side hustle ideas:
8. Rent Out Assets
I’ve already written a pretty comprehensive post on ways you can rent out your assets for cash, and this would probably be my go-to for extra money right now since I’m pretty swamped with a full time job and blogging these days.
It doesn’t matter if you’re using Airbnb to rent out a spare room or rental marketplaces like Fat Llama to rent out gear or gadgets; this is a fast opportunity for semi-passive income you can start immediately if you own the right asset.
Some examples of things you can rent include:
- Cameras
- Audio equipment
- Sports gear
- Bikes
- Golf clubs
- Musical instruments
- Clothing
This is a nifty source of passive income, and in terms of side jobs for busy people, it’s by far the least intensive option.
Living in a major city will probably make this side gig more viable, granted, but I still think it is worth exploring if you want to earn extra money alongside your full time job.
9. Teach Music Lessons (In-Person & Online)
If you play an instrument or can sing, you are actually sitting on a money making opportunity.
Growing up, I was fortunate to have parents who were able and willing to enroll me in guitar lessons.
Back then, taking in-person lessons with an instructor was pretty much the only option out there, although a lot has changed since then.
However, thanks to the internet, it’s now possible to make money by teaching music lessons online thanks to companies like TakeLessons or Live Music Tutor.
Online music lessons are appealing to parents because they offer flexible scheduling, don’t require any driving, and are often cheaper than private lessons.
However, teaching music lessons online is still an awesome at-home side job that pays well.
The average cost of an hour long lesson on TakeLessons is $65, and teachers earn 90% of lesson fees after they’ve taught 15 lessons or more. Plus, teachers with more accreditation can tutor higher level players and charge a higher hourly rate.
Teaching lessons in person is still a great way to earn extra cash outside of your full time job, so consider posting flyers in your area or posting ads on local classifieds.
Extra Reading: Is A Second Job Worth It?
10. Contractless Gig Jobs
Thanks to the power of the gig economy, it’s never been easier to make money on the side whenever you find some free time and motivation.
Now, while many of these sorts of jobs have some requirements or are less flexible than I’d like for this post (like many online tutoring jobs, for example), there are still plenty of contractless side jobs out there.
A few of the ones that come to mind include:
- TaskRabbit or Thumbtack – get paid to assemble furniture, do yard work, help with moving, or complete other odd jobs as you see fit.
- Handy – make money assembling furniture or cleaning.
- Bellhops or Dolly – help people with their move for some side cash.
- HelloTech – get paid to help people with their tech problems and installations.
You can also make some serious money here: just checkout this screenshot from a weekend of working for Handy:
These are all manual labor jobs for the most part, but hey, they pay very well per hour and leave the client booking process entirely up to you!
So, if you don’t mind some physical work, I think these gig jobs are some of the best side jobs for busy people that are out there.
Extra Reading – 9 Apps Like TaskRabbit To Start A Side Hustle.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, balancing a social life, personal health, and a full time job can seem quite hectic at times. If you tack on the need or desire to make additional income and improve your financial well-being, things can get seem even tougher.
However, I’m a firm believer that there has never been a better time to be alive or been as much opportunity to succeed as there currently is.
Between the power of the internet/technology and the drive to improve one’s own finances, the world is flush with opportunity.
Play to your strengths, pick a side job, and put in the work to get the result you want!
It might take some time, but the rewards are always worth it in the long run. Just never forget to also enjoy life and to live a little!
That’s all for this one! I hope this list of the best side jobs for busy professionals helps you to earn a bit of extra income in addition to any full time job you might have.
Catch you guys in the next one.
Want extra ways to boost your income? Checkout:
DoorDash Disclaimer: Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries completed, time of day, location, and expenses. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery (from the time you accept an order until the time you drop it off) over a 90 day period and includes compensation from peak pay, tips, and other incentives.
Tom is a 24 year old recent college graduate from Canada with a passion for side hustling, passive income, and marketing. This Online World is all about providing people with honest ways to make and save more money by using technology. To learn more about Tom, read his About Page!
If you’re interested in freelance writing services or want to partner with This Online World, please visit Tom Blake Digital to get in touch!