The highest-paying side hustles include freelance writing, editing, notary work, and small business automation, and can bring in up to $10,000 a month or more. Plus, they don’t require you to hustle 24/7 or burn out in the process!
June 26, 2025
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Daniella Flores
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Side hustles are nothing new. People have used them for centuries to make ends meet, explore hobbies and passions, or pivot their careers, even before the internet was around. Some of the highest-paying side hustles have even helped folks quit their day jobs to run their own business, like Salary Transparent Street's founder, Hannah Williams, did when she quit her job as a data analyst to run the brand full time.
I'm also another proponent of side hustles, having run my own website on the side working full time as a software engineer while also freelance writing, until I quit my job in 2022 to write full time.
Half of Americans actually report having a side hustle, according to a 2025 survey by MarketWatch. But we all know that when you already work full-time, it’s hard to juggle another job on top of that just to survive, let alone keep your mental health in check in the process.
The best side hustles shouldn’t require another full-time commitment, be expensive to start, nor have high barriers to entry. They should also be able to give you the highest return for your time spent, in both money and fulfillment.
Let’s dive into some of the top-paying side hustles we’ve found that are truly part-time and where you can find them!
Key points:
Here’s a sneak peek into our side hustle conversation on our podcast, Two Cents:
We’ve identified these top side hustle ideas using salary data from the past 3+ years of Salary Transparent Street interviews with real professionals, data we’ve collected in our Salary Database of over 13,000 publicly shared salaries, and wage data from various career resources like Glassdoor.
Many of these side hustles require working as a freelancer. Not all, but many. They typically charge hourly or by project, and have to set aside money for income and self-employment taxes.
As W-2 employee, your taxes are automatically taken out of your paycheck, but that won't be the case when you're working as a freelancer. You'll have to pay those yourself quarterly or ask your employer to withhold more taxes to account for your side hustle earnings.
Self-employment taxes are also higher at 15.3%. Your employer normally pays half when you're a W-2 employee, but freelancers pay the full percentage. Keep this in mind when looking at any side hustle-related pay data.
You can find more transparent pay data by searching for any of the below side jobs in our Salary Database. Don’t forget to join and add yours too!
Average hourly wage: $25 - $100 an hour
Freelance writers and editors get paid to create content for countless mediums. The most popular type of content with a high demand for them right now is web content and social media content, but many businesses are also increasing the demand for documentation, training, and other types of internal content.
Think of anything you read online in your daily life or your job. They make their money by charging clients for that content, like blog posts, social media posts, newsletters, video and podcast scripts, and user guides. Copywriters, who write to get the reader to take action on something (like make a purchase), specifically have one of the highest-paying creative jobs.
Freelance writers can also become ghostwriters, writers who get paid to write content without credit or as someone else (like a CEO's LinkedIn posts). We interviewed a ghostwriter that makes $200,000 a year!
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Don’t sound the AI alarm yet. Writer’s won’t cease to exist because of word-generating algorithms. This field thrives on human creativity and perspective, something AI can't replicate.
How to get started: As a freelance writer myself, I created a blog that many of my clients were able to find me through. When you’re starting from scratch, try publishing some work on a free site like LinkedIn, Medium, Substack, or your own blog. Also, look for courses to help you with your craft, such as these writing courses.
Where to find gigs: List your services on marketplaces like Fiverr, write content on Substack and charge subscribers, or look for writing gigs and open calls for writers on job sites like LinkedIn, Freelance Writing Jobs, and our own Salary Transparent Job Board.
Pro tip: If you want to turn your side hustle into a real business, consider registering your business. This helps unlock tax benefits, protect your personal assets, and boost credibility. Start with our recommended business registration services, which guide you step-by-step from LLC formation to EIN registration and more. Compare top recommended services and get started here!
Average hourly wage: $20 - $40 an hour
Virtual assistants (VAs) have a similar demand to freelance writers and editors, in which they’re the glue that holds many online business operations together. They offer a variety of services depending on the specialty they choose, such as social media content creation and management, email marketing, site support, and even full-on business administration.
VAs get paid pretty well too. We found a part-time VA in our Salary Database making $48,000 a year with only a high school degree!
While AI is an apparent threat in this area, there are ways to position yourself as a VA with high demand skills that AI can never compete with. AI can't create anything original. AI can't connect emotionally with social media followers. It can't even fact check itself and make sure it isn't making mistakes.
Show clients how your strategic thinking and human touch are packaged in your customized services and how that outweighs any simple task completion bot.
How to get started: Choose a niche (like inbox management, social media, or customer support), then build a simple portfolio using Canva or Notion. Taking helpful courses that focus on social media and how to use Canva can also be helpful. Also look for established VAs on social media (like this one) to learn the ropes, and start networking in entrepreneur-focused Slack groups, LinkedIn, or Reddit threads.
Where to find gigs: Use LinkedIn or Slack and Facebook groups to find jobs (search for “virtual assistant jobs” or #virtualassistant on LinkedIn) or work with a site like Magic to find clients. Following other successful virtual assistants online and pitching directly to business owners (CEOs are a huge market for this!) can help you find work.
Pro tip: Use our free Market Research Guide to help set your market rate.
Average hourly wage: $40 - $150 a session
If you didn’t think you could get paid for your opinion online, think again. And no, I’m not talking about surveys. I’m talking about user testing and market research panels.
User testing usually involves a user (you) testing out a website, application, or product. It’s actually one of the highest-paying tech jobs available and a great side hustle to get your feet wet with if you want to eventually get into tech.
Market research panels are a little different and involve getting paid to give your opinion on something. A real-world example of a market research panel is when a healthcare company recruits people to give their feedback in an ongoing study for a medication or medical device.
How to get started: Create an account on any user testing and market research panel websites you can find. You can find these by Googling terms like "user testing sites" and "market research panels near me". Then ask Google (or whatever ChatGPT look alike you use) questions like, “Is UserTesting.com a legit site to get paid for user testing?” to make sure the sites you find are legitimate.
Where to find gigs: Use testing sites like UserTesting, UserFeel, and TryMata to find testing opportunities. Usually these require passing a small test before you can start accepting tests. For market research, Respondent is a great app to get started on with many opportunities paying $50 or more.
💸 Want more ways to get paid for your opinion? Earn up to $100 per survey with Money.com’s top paid survey providers (some even offer a free $5 signup bonus for new members)!
Average hourly wage: $20 - $40 per walk and $50 - $150 per day
If you love animals, this is one of the most fun and low-barrier side hustles to get into, and it can be surprisingly lucrative 🐶. Pet sitters care for animals while their owners are away, either by visiting the home daily or staying overnight. You can also offer dog walking services and have animals stay in your home for day or overnight boarding services.
Rover and Wag are the the best for this and can easily set you up to run your business locally. Some successful pet care pros even earn six figures annually, like this dog walker we interviewed who makes $100,000 a year with this side hustle.
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How to get started: Create a profile on pet-sitting apps and make sure to include your experience, availability, and any certifications (like pet CPR). Start by offering competitive rates and asking friends or family for reviews to build credibility.
Where to find gigs: Use apps like Rover, Wag, and Meowtel. You can also post flyers at local vet offices, pet stores, restaurants, or in neighborhood Facebook groups. Word of mouth spreads quickly in pet parent communities. Once you get one happy client, more will follow.
Average hourly wage: $500 - $10,000 a month
Online instructors create and sell courses on platforms like Gumroad and Udemy. They may teach topics like software tutorials, design, and how to start a business. Some instructors even contract with companies to design employee training programs as freelance curriculum creators.
Courses can be video-based, text-based, or a mix of both. Once you build them, they can become a long-term passive income stream with a little maintenance here and there. Even niche skills like spreadsheet tricks and resume writing can sell well if packaged the right way to the right person.
How to get started: List out 2 to 3 topics you’re confident in teaching, then validate your ideas by searching for similar courses on platforms like Udemy. Choose one to start with, outline your content, and record short videos using tools like Loom or Canva. Also look for online resources that can be helpful in learning how to be an effective teacher.
Where to find gigs: Use platforms like Teachable, Gumroad, and Udemy to host and sell your own course. To contract out your skills, look on LinkedIn, Fiverr, or pitch course creation services directly to small businesses, online coaches, or education startups. CodeAdvantage is a platform that often hires online instructors skilled in coding for up to $40 an hour. We found one of their instructors in our Salary Database making $48,000 a year!
Average hourly wage: $75 - $200 per signing
Notaries are licensed professionals appointed by a state official who witness and verify signatures on legal documents like loan agreements and real estate paperwork. Mobile notaries in particular bring their services to clients, meeting them at homes or wherever they happen to be. If you've ever bought a house, you might've had one come to you for urgent mortgage and deed paperwork.
This side hustle is especially popular with real estate and legal professionals, and it’s both flexible and pays pretty decent. We interviewed a notary that makes $25 an hour! It does require some paperwork and a state license, but once you’re certified, you can offer your services on your own terms.
How to get started: Research the notary commission requirements in your state (usually via your Secretary of State’s website or the National Notary Association). You’ll need to complete an application, pay a small fee, and pass a brief exam. Once approved, get a notary seal and logbook, then start offering mobile or remote services.
Where to find gigs: Sign up on notary directories like Snapdocs, NotaryRotary, and SigningOrder. You can also reach out directly to real estate agents, loan officers, law offices, and title companies in your area to partner with
Average hourly wage: $100 - $500 per project
Voice actors and narrators get paid to lend their voice to audiobooks, anime, explainer videos, podcasts, ads, and anywhere a voice is needed. It’s a side hustle that thrives on personality and tone, and one where your voice is its own resume.
You don’t need a professional studio to start, but sound quality matters. Many use closets or small spaces with sound-absorbing materials, and that works just fine. With basic equipment (like a good USB mic and free audio editing software), you can begin auditioning for projects.
How to get started: Start by listening to popular narrators and voiceover reels on platforms like Audible. Then record a demo reel using a basic script (you can find samples online) and edit it using free tools like Audacity. Since dubbing is in such high demand, a fun way to do this is recording some signature lines from your favorite dubbed anime characters. Some basic acting classes can also help you get familiar with voice acting.
Where to find gigs: Post your reel and apply to jobs on ACX.com (Amazon's Audiobook Exchange), Findaway Voices by Spotify, and Voices.com. You can also find freelance voiceover gigs on Fiverr, Upwork, and in podcast or indie author communities on Reddit and Facebook.
The above side hustles are great areas to explore but there are so many other possibilities out there which much less saturation (and lower barriers to entry).
Average hourly wage: $30 - $150 per episode
Podcast notes writers get paid to listen to episodes and turn them into reusable content for summaries and timestamps, guest bios, and social media posts. Good show notes boost a podcast’s visibility and listener engagement, making this role in high demand, especially with business and educational podcasts.
This is a great gig if you love writing and are like a hawk with details. Don’t be discouraged by AI in this field because it can’t replace the perspective that is required for a podcast notes writer. AI doesn’t know their subject matter well enough nor the audience it’s designed to reach.
How to get started: Choose a few favorite podcasts in the niche you want to explore (like travel, wellness, or tech) and write 1 to 2 sample episode summaries to build a mini portfolio. Use tools such as Google Docs or Notion for formatting show notes (utilize the built-in AI in them as well!). Bonus if you know how to optimize for SEO (search engine optimization) or create content repurposing templates.
Where to find gigs: Pitch podcasters directly via Instagram, LinkedIn, or their website contact forms. You can also search freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. Slack groups for podcasters are another great place to network and find leads.
Average hourly wage: $25 to $150 an hour
A digital decluttering coach helps people clean up and organize their digital lives, including chaotic email inboxes, cloud storage like their Google Drive, password management, and even their own videos and pictures on their phone. Unlike in-person organizers that declutter closets and kitchens, this type of organization can be done 100% remotely.
If you're someone who loves digital organization and helping others simplify their online life, this is a niche side hustle with growing demand. Many of us are extremely unorganized on our devices with no time to do anything about it. That's where you come in.
How to get started: Decide on 2 to 3 services to specialize in, such as email management, digital file organization, password vault setup, etc. Create a portfolio (you can even use a case study from cleaning your own digital life) on a simple website builder like Canva, and offer free or discounted sessions to get testimonials. Bizway has a great article on digital decluttering service ideas to help you define your niche.
Where to find gigs: Promote your services on LinkedIn, Facebook groups for productivity and organization, or offer sessions on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and TaskRabbit (under virtual tasks). You can also pitch yourself as a productivity assistant or digital organizer to online business owners and creators.
Average hourly wage: $50 - $150 an hour
Helping businesses set up automations so they can get more done (and make more money) is a huge area of opportunity right now. With the rise of AI, all anyone can talk about automation, and businesses desperately need it if they want to scale their operations.
This side hustle goes by many names, such as automation specialist or consultant, business operations engineer, or something similar. They automate tasks like client intake, email marketing, and sales funnels, and is a great side hustle for folks who love tech and figuring out cool ways to use it.
How to get started: Pick 1 to 2 automation tools to learn well. Zapier is a great beginner-friendly platform. Practice building automations for your own workflows, or offer free help to a friend’s business to build a case study. Post your projects with before/after transformations on LinkedIn and follow automation experts to see how they position their services.
Where to find gigs: Pitch yourself directly to small business owners (like e-commerce store owners) who are active on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok. You can also find freelance automation gigs on Upwork and list your services on Fiverr or Clarity.fm under tech consulting.
Read also: 7 Highest-Paying In-Demand Jobs for The Future
Average hourly wage: $300 to $2,000 per project
Online reputation cleaners help their clients, usually people with a public-facing job or responsibility, manage how they appear on the internet. This also includes removing or pushing down any bad press or links about them.
This is a niche side hustle for people with a background in digital marketing, PR (public relations), or content strategy. It's also something people are willing to dish out a lot of money for. You're basically rewriting a person's online image (and history), and not many people know how to do that.
How to get started: Learn the basics of SEO and digital PR using online courses or by moderating your own online presence. You can also pick a few of your favorite public figures to see how their own online reputations might be managed. Familiarity with tools like SEMrush and Google Alerts, or reputation monitoring software helps too.
Where to find gigs: Offer your services on LinkedIn and pitch directly to professionals in industries where reputation matters (like law, real estate, influencer marketing, or local government). You can also network in PR Slack groups and other online business communities where reputation issues often come up.
Average hourly wage: $50 to $750 per project
Digital menu consultants help restaurants and food businesses digitize their online menus and optimize them so they're easy to find online. This may include creating digital menus for QR codes and designing user friendly layouts. They may also include writing item descriptions and improving usability for online ordering platforms in their services.
This niche is growing in popularity as more restaurants want to go digital. Many restaurants are also starting to utilize QR codes for self checkout at the end of meals, which can be added as another task for a digital menu consultant. It’s a great opportunity for consultants who understand design, branding, and customer experience, all at once. And if you love food? It’s a win-win.
How to get started: Research popular platforms like MustHaveMenus, Canva, or GloriaFood that restaurants use to build and share digital menus. Offer to revamp a local restaurant’s menu for free or a discounted rate (or a few free meals) to build your portfolio. Use that to showcase before-and-after examples that you can show potential clients.
Where to find gigs: Pitch restaurant owners directly via email, Instagram, or Google Business Messages. Join local business Facebook groups or walk into independent cafés to introduce yourself.
As you dive in head first into the world of side hustling, don’t get too far ahead of yourself just yet. That’s how you exhaust yourself and eventually burnout. Start with what you already know or do well. Lean into skills you’ve already used at your job, in hobbies, or helping others (writing, organizing, customer service, etc.).
We actually created a free Side Hustle Quiz to help you decide what to do and how to do it. 👇
Once you have a better idea of what you want to do, start small with at least one or a few of these actions each day.
As much as you want to make some waves with your new side hustle, be mindful of your current lifestyle and how you can remain grounded and balanced. You need to still make time for yourself between your job, second job, and personal life. This means scheduling your time for your side hustle outside of family and social obligations, as well as taking care of your health and rest.
Don’t sell yourself short on your pay either. Prioritize gigs that pay $20/hr or more (or what best matches your market rate) and allow you to work flexible hours without sacrificing your mental health. You know yourself best, so do what feels right.
Don’t forget to browse our other resources as you start your side hustle and move to the next chapter in your working life:
And that's it for today! I’m Daniella Flores, a former engineer who writes about tech, money, and careers, member of the CNET Money Expert Review Board, and side hustle expert quoted by CNBC, TIME, and Buzzfeed. I’m extremely passionate about workers' rights and financial freedom, so it’s a pleasure to be able to bring you this type of content through the Salary Transparent Street blog (thank you for the opportunity, Hannah!) You can also follow me on Linkedin. Chat soon!
If this guide helps you land a higher-paying job, let us know! Send us an email ➡️ hello@salarytransparentstreet.com
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