If you’ve started working from home during the pandemic, you’ve probably noticed how much more free time you have. That’s because you no longer have to spend hours preparing yourself for work and commuting back and forth. That might have you thinking about starting a side hustle. Even if you already have a full-time job, it’s still a good idea to begin doing something else – either to earn some extra cash or to develop a new skill.
Additionally, having a second stream of income is especially significant in uncertain times, like the ones we’re living in currently, as it gives you a backup plan in case anything goes wrong with your employment situation.
That being said, in this article, we will take a look at the best side hustle jobs you can take up in 2022 and what you have to do to get involved in them. Let’s get started.
What are Side Hustles?
Usually, a side hustle is something you do in addition to having a full-time job. Its main idea is to either help you make extra money or develop a new skill.
The kind of side hustle you choose depends entirely on how much time you want to dedicate to it, how much money you’re looking to earn, and what you want to do.
The truth is, most 9-5 jobs only earn you enough so you can pay bills and afford necessities. If you want to be able to purchase more expensive items or to be able to save for retirement, then having a side hustle that helps you increase your income is the way to go.
Are Side Hustle Jobs Legal?
If the actions in your side hustle jobs don’t involve breaking any laws, then having another job is definitely not illegal. That being said, some companies make their employees sign a contract clause that prevents them from doing additional work outside their work hours. It’s a good idea to check if your side hustle is a direct competitor or even in the same sector as your full-time job and if yes, then go over your contract carefully to ensure that it’s all okay.
If you feel uncertain about the situation, you can hire a lawyer to go over everything and tell you if it’s okay to start doing your side hustle. After all, it’s better to spend a couple of bucks on a good lawyer than to potentially have to pay a ton more for a lawsuit.
5 Reasons Why You Need Side Hustle Jobs
Besides the obvious one – wanting to earn more money – there are a few other reasons as to why you want to take on additional work in your free time.
Let’s see what they are.
- The extra income helps you reduce the stress you may feel due to a lack of finances.
- It helps you develop your skills, especially if you want to do something creative.
- It gives you the opportunity to dive into a different field without having to lose your current job.
- It adds value to your resume by giving you more work experience in a variety of fields.
Along with that, having a side hustle will make you feel better overall, especially if you enjoy what you do. It will make you more confident in your abilities and more certain that you will get another job if the situation in your current one worsens.
22 Best Side Hustle Jobs to Do in 2022
Now that you know what a side hustle is and why you may want to have one, let’s see the highest-earning and most interesting part-time jobs you can get in 2022.
1. Start Creating YouTube Content
Having a YouTube channel is one of the best side hustle jobs you can get into nowadays. If you manage to create valuable and engaging content, you will be able to win over a viewership and start earning money.
There are a few ways to earn money from YouTube. The first one is by monetizing your account with Adsense; that way, the more engagement your videos get, the more you make. That money comes from ads that run at the beginning of your videos and sometimes during them. The good thing is that you never stop earning money from your videos, so even older ones continue to be beneficial for you.
Another way to boost your income is by doing sponsored videos for companies.
The best part of doing YouTube as your side hustle is that you can make the content for something you’re already passionate about.
- If you love doing make-up and hair, you can devote your channel to “How-to” videos and tutorials.
- If you’re interested in health and fitness, you can use the platform to give your viewers helpful advice.
- If you’re a car enthusiast, you can do videos reviewing vehicles and sharing maintenance tips.
Basically, whatever your hobby is, you can dedicate your videos to it and hopefully gain the interest of people who share your passion.
Link to YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwONmhK_pYQ
2. Have a Personal Blog
If you love writing, having a blog is a great way to do something you enjoy while making money. Blogging allows you to earn money from ad revenue and affiliate marketing links that you place on your website.
The only thing you have to do is create unique, exciting content that gets people on your website and brings enough traffic so that advertisement companies will be interested in using you for promotion. To do that, it’s a good idea to choose a niche that you love and focus on creating blog posts about it.
If you’re uncertain about starting a blog because you don’t know what steps you have to take, don’t worry. It’s pretty simple:
- Pick a Niche: Choose an engaging topic that thousands of others are also excited about.
- Choose a Domain Name: Go for something short that you can easily remember.
- Set-up Web Hosting: Either do this with a domain provider or a direct hosting service.
- Build the Blog: That’s the most challenging part for most people. If you’re not really familiar with web design, it’s good to pick a platform like Wix or Squarespace since they make website creation a lot more straightforward.
- Begin Writing Posts: That’s the essential part. Start writing your content. Make sure that it brings value and is engaging.
- Get Paid: Once you start getting traffic, integrate Google AdSense or other affiliate programs so that you can begin earning money from your blog.
Blogging is a great side hustle: you can do it as much as you like and from anywhere in the world. The only things you need are good ideas and a stable internet connection. One downside to it is that it’s hard to earn money at the beginning, which means that you might go through a few months where you just work without getting anything in return. On the other hand, your content lives forever, so if it’s good, you will continue to earn income from it, even if you stop posting regularly.
3. Start a Dropshipping Business
Everyone was talking about dropshipping in 2020, so much so that I think even my grandma knows what it is. However, the hype wasn’t for nothing.
Dropshipping is basically having an eCommerce store where you sell directly to customers without having to have any products in stock. To put it in other words, a successful dropshipping business helps you earn money from selling items created by another company without having to buy those products in the first place.
There are a few leading dropshipping websites:
- AliExpress: this is one of the best stores to do dropshipping through. It’s free to join and offers many products that can be sold in over 220 regions.
- SaleHoo: another dropshipping service that allows Shopify users to sell thousands of products from AliExpress.
No matter which dropshipping service you choose to use, what’s more, important is the kind of products you decide to sell. Pick something that you think will make people interested and something that will be easy to market. If you manage to do advertising well, then your business will soon take off, and you will be able to earn extra money from it.
Check out this episode from The Side Hustle Show for more on getting started.
4. Take up Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of those side hustle jobs that will earn you money over a long period of time. However, you will have to go through a learning curve before that happens.
It’s not just that you will have to figure out what products to sell, but you will also need to find the right brand to work with. Choosing the right partner will ensure that you have a higher commission and thus enable you to really boost your income from this side hustle. For example, tech companies usually pay a hefty price tag to those who bring them new clients, which makes them one of the best options for you.
All in all, affiliate marketing can be horrible or great, and it all depends on which brand you choose to work with.
5. Create an Online Course
If you have specialized knowledge that others might want to learn about, then it’s a great idea to put your skills to good use and create an online course.
Here are some of the best platforms which you can use to create and sell courses:
- Udemy: One of the biggest platforms in the world that has over 40,000 courses created in over 160 countries. It offers you a solution that lets you build, market, and sell your course.
- Teachable: Another professional website builder for online courses. You can create a new course and add exams and quizzes using this platform.
6. Become a Tutor
Do you have academic knowledge about particular subjects like math, science, or English? If yes, then being a private tutor is a great way to make money off of those skills.
Parents are always ready to pay for someone to help their children advance in school, and the hourly rate for a good tutor can be anything from $30 to $60 per hour, depending on the state you’re in. Along with that, if you want to help students with their SATs or ACTs, you can earn even more money as the demand for tutoring is high.
There are a few sites you can use to tutor with:
- ClubZ.com
- ETutorWorld.com
- Chegg.com
7. Sell Products Online
Is your wardrobe filled with items you don’t need? Do you have an entire attic filled with old presents that you once received but never even used? If the answer is yes, you can earn a ton of money by selling those items on eBay or other websites.
The only important thing is to find the most profitable way to get started. If you spend too much on shipping or packaging, it may leave you with too little profits, making it look like this side job isn’t worth the effort.
If you don’t want to sell your old items, another thing you can do is purchase a ton of items from a wholesale site like Alibaba and then resell them for profit on platforms like eBay or Amazon.
8. Create Information Products
If you love to do research and you like writing, then creating information products might be a great side hustle to get into. This work requires that you invest your time in doing research, writing, and marketing your products. However, the investment can be worth it if you manage to create an enticing product.
For example, suppose you have an interest in a popular topic, and there isn’t enough information about it online. In that case, you can capitalize on that and earn money by creating content such as pamphlets or books about it. Amazon gives you a way to do that easily by allowing you to publish your own books on the platform.
The trick here is to create as many information products as possible and then market them correctly. If you’ve found the right niche, this can be a great source of passive income.
9. Develop a Smartphone App
If you happen to have programming skills or have some knowledge about a Swift or an Android-based development platform, then you can try your hand in creating a smartphone app.
While that’s not an easy and quick way to make money, it still could pay off, especially if your idea is good.
10. Offer Digital Marketing Services
Small businesses are popping up everywhere, and most of them are looking for ways to increase their online visibility and site traffic. Using Google Ads and Facebook Ads is a good way to promote a new company. However, most entrepreneurs have no experience with such platforms and no time to manage their campaigns.
That’s where you come in. You can start earning loads of money each month with just a few simple steps. Here are the basics:
- Find and win over clients. Look for a business that needs marketing services and is ready to spend money on them.
- Create incredible ads and test to see if they engage the audience. Do split tests until you find the right formula.
- Retain your clients by running successful campaigns. Once you earn their trust, you can be in a position where you continue to earn an extra income from them for a long time.
If you’re wondering how much you should charge, the usual amount ranges from 10% to 15% of your client’s ad spend.
11. Write as a Freelancer
This is one of the most flexible side hustle jobs that you can have. It doesn’t require a college degree, tons of previous experience, or anything other than a stable internet connection. All you need to do is write consistently, follow through with your deadlines, and have a well-written portfolio to impress potential clients with.
There are tons of websites where you can find freelance writing gigs. Here are some of them:
- Fiverr: Here, you can apply to get hired for a variety of writing tasks. Most of the jobs are a one-time thing and are either related to social media blog post writing or ghostwriting.
- Upwork: It’s similar to Fiverr, and the main difference is that jobs here tend to be long-term ones.
- ProBlogger: It’s specifically filled with high-quality writing jobs, which include long-term work.
12. Become a Social Media Influencer
A lot of people dream about becoming famous. However, the truth is that not everyone has to be a Hollywood star to be known. Nowadays, you don’t have to be able to sing or act in order to be able to build a personal brand. Instead, you can build a personal brand no matter what kind of talent you have.
Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok give you the opportunity to showcase your skills and knowledge, no matter if you’re a good baker, a fitness expert, or a car enthusiast. By sharing content related to your hobby, you can start building a following around it.
Soon enough, you can start monetizing your Instagram account in a ton of ways: doing sponsored posts, organizing Instagram takeovers, or selling products. Are you wondering if being an influencer is worth it? On average, by doing such work, people earn between $200 and $400 per post. Of course, these rates can vary depending on the size of your audience and the engagement you can generate.
An excellent tip to follow is to be consistent with your content and to have a decent posting schedule in place. Also, remember to be patient. You won’t be able to start earning from the get-go. However, if you work hard and are patient, you will start getting an income sooner or later.
13. Do Work as a Social Media Manager
Currently, every single company needs to have a social media presence. However, most small business owners don’t have enough free time to manage their social media profiles. This has created an enormous demand for social media managers.
In this role, you will get paid to publish content for a company across a variety of social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. In addition to that, you may also need to create tutorials or interact with customers that write to the business profile.
You can either charge hourly (anything from $15 to $100 per hour) or set a monthly fee for this job. If you manage to have more than one client, you can quickly start earning thousands of dollars from your bed or the local coffee shop.
14. Teach English to Foreigners
As a native English speaker, you can opt to teach foreigners the language, especially if you love teaching and have a passion for meeting new people. If you choose English tutoring as your side hustle, you will be able to set your own schedule and interact with kids and adults all over the world.
It’s a great way to earn a good extra income, broaden your cultural knowledge, and create international friendships.
The best platforms to start your English tutoring gig in are
- VIPKid
- Palfish
- SayABC
- QKids
15. Do Graphic Design Work
If you love creative work and you have an eye for design, you can start doing some graphic design work on the side. You only need to learn how to work with programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator, and then you can begin building your portfolio.
If you manage to make some impressive designs, you can start applying for gigs on Fiverr and Upwork. If you manage to have a few clients, you can start earning money right away. The better you get, the more you can make.
16. Be a Delivery Driver
During the pandemic, delivery services have only gotten more popular. Nowadays, almost every restaurant and store offers delivery, which makes being a delivery driver a great part-time job.
It’s a job that gives you a flexible working schedule. For example, you can work just a few hours every evening after getting home from your other job. On average, drivers earn anywhere between $15 to $20 per hour (without tips), which means that you will certainly get an instant boost in income.
Here are the top delivery driver apps that you can use to kick start your side gig:
- Amazon Flex: package delivery
- Postmates, UberEats, and Grubhub: food delivery
- Dolly: moving duty
- Instacart: grocery store delivery
17. Sell Artwork on Etsy
Etsy is one of the most popular marketplaces for arts and crafts globally. Millions of people use it to buy handmade items and remarkable paintings, and thus, it earns billions of dollars in revenue.
That’s what makes it a great place for artistic types who love crafting new items and painting images. Along with that, it’s also a place where graphic designers can thrive. If you have any experience in the area, you can create and sell calendars, business cards, stickers, and even personal diaries.
The most remarkable thing about Etsy is that you can sell dozens of products with minimal overhead. Thus, if you have the right workflow and you make a good product, you can earn a ton of cash on the platform.
18. Become a Virtual Assistant
With each passing day, more and more tasks transition online. That’s why the demand for virtual assistants keeps on growing. As a VA, a person gets paid for helping another professional with a wide variety of tasks, including managing his/her calendar, writing emails, bookkeeping, and more.
The only thing you will need to get started with this job is a computer and a reliable internet connection. The average pay rate for this kind of work ranges from $15 to $28 per hour. You can get started on a multitude of platforms, the most popular ones being
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- FlexJobs
- Zirtual
Overall, being a virtual assistant is one of those unique side hustles that started gaining popularity recently, and it’s one of the easiest ways to make money online. It doesn’t require you to have any particular talent. You just need to be organized and be able to multitask well.
19. Be a Pet Sitter or a Dog Walker
If you love animals, these two side hustle jobs are some of the best ones you can take on, given that your work schedule is flexible enough to fit them in.
For starters, you can look for clients in your area. Go over to sites like rover.com or care.com to find new job openings in your city. Pet owners want to trust the person that takes care of their furry friend. If you are able to prove yourself with the first few clients, they will likely recommend your services to friends and family, and thus you can expand your side gig.
The best thing about this line of work is that it gives you a chance to move, breathe in fresh air, and get away from staring at screens all day.
20. Be a Proofreader
If you’ve ever been called a bookworm, then this side hustle is the one for you. By doing proofreading, you will get paid to go over another person’s work and correct his/her mistakes. It’s a great job for someone who’s detail-oriented, loves to read, and can easily spot grammar and punctuation mistakes.
With blogging becoming more and more common, the demand for proofreaders will continue to grow, which makes it an easy way to earn extra income while utilizing your English skills.
21. Offer Consulting Services
If you have an area that you’re an expert in, no matter if it’s marketing, accounting, investing, or growing a company on social media, you can earn money by offering your advice to young entrepreneurs and small business owners. Nowadays, executives are willing to pay a large sum to hear the words of an expert in a specific field, especially if they have a problem to solve.
Clarity.fm is a marketplace created to connect business owners with consultants that specialize in a variety of topics. Commonly, such experts earn upwards of $60 per hour.
22. Create Reports and Visualize Data
Working with large chunks of data has become more and more common. Many businesses look to hire reporting analysts that help them generate reports and then create visualizations from those numbers.
If you have any experience with using Excel, PowerBI, and SQL, you can utilize those skills to earn an additional income. On platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, you can find one-time gigs that earn you anything from $20 to $80 per hour. If you’re lucky, you can build a relationship with a client and receive regular work.
Final Thoughts
If you’re still on the fence about having a side hustle, hopefully, this article convinced you that it’s worth it. Not only does it allow you to earn more money, but it also lets you develop your skillset.
As you can see, there are many things that you can take up in your free time that will allow you to earn an extra income, and if you pick something that you actually enjoy doing, it will feel less like work and more like spending time on your hobby. Additionally, in uncertain times such as the ones we’re currently living in, having another job to go to, in case anything happens with your primary source of income, is a safety net that will only lessen the stress you feel every day.
Don’t wonder too much. If you have free time and are willing to hustle at the beginning, then go over this blog post again and choose a side hustle that you find enjoyable. After a few months, I’m sure that you will see results and enjoy your newly earned financial freedom.