Best Paying Side Jobs and Side Hustles in 2020

It’s good to have hobbies in life: doing something creative or productive when you’re not at work gives you something to look forward to at the end of a long day. But sometimes, it’s even better to have a second job – just a side-hustle to grab some extra cash in your off-hours.

But which side-hustles are the best? There are gig economy jobs that give back, scratch a creative itch, and even jobs that can actually help pay for your next dream vacation.

Let’s look are some of the best paying side jobs to help you earn some extra income this year.

Most Creative Side Jobs

Thrifting and selling clothes – Did you ever think your love for fashion could earn you an income? It definitely can! Your keen eye and love for the hunt could have you tracking down clothes at consignment and thrift stores or vintage shows, to resell on an online shop.

Antiquing and reupholstering furniture – A fine eye for quality furniture can lead you to a really lucrative side-hustle. Find old pieces and restore or reupholster them for resale.

Professional organizer – Your no-nonsense approach for putting things away can be a gift for some people who find themselves drowning in ‘stuff’. Share your gift and make a difference in someone else’s life by offering your services as an organizer.

Passive Income Sources

Affiliate marketing – Your personal blog can earn you cash through affiliate marketing programs with companies like Amazon or web hosting services like BlueHost. All you do is promote other people’s products in your blogging or writing, and provide an affiliate link for your readers to purchase them. You get cash for each reader that buys the product using your link. Earn money while you sleep!

Cash back rewards – Cash back rewards credit cards are one of the easiest ways to make extra cash if you do it right. Find the card that earns the most based on your regular spending habits, pay your bill in full each month, and watch the rewards roll in.

Highest Paying Side Hustles

Delivery driver – In this age of ordering everything online, delivery drivers are crucial to the movement of goods. You can sign up on UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub, or PostMates to get food to your door. There’s also the old steady of part-time jobs: pizza delivery. You can even become an Amazon delivery driver (Amazon says you can earn $18-25 per hour).

Other delivery apps like Roadie let you pick up a package and deliver it on a trip you’re already taking. Pick up your next delivery, get it to its final destination on time, and earn great tips on top of your wages. If you’re into driving, you could drive people, too, through apps like Lyft, Uber, or Turo.

Handy work – Not everybody has the tools, time, or talent to fix broken things around the house, and getting a contractor can be too much to handle. Capitalize on your handy nature by completing these little tasks for cash. You can make it easier to get matched up with jobs in your area by teaming up with an app like TaskRabbit. According to Entrepreneur’s research, average employees earn $110/mo, but there are reports of taskers earning much more.

Freelance writer/graphic designer/social media manager – Busy companies with marketing to do will pay good money for quality content and social media know-how. Market your skills as a writer or designer online, or sign up with a talent network like ClearVoice to earn in your spare time – the company has examples of writers who earn $100K a year on the platform.

Side Jobs That Are Easy to Get

Customer service rep – If you’ve got an internet connection, a phone line, and boatloads of personality and patience, you can become a customer service rep for countless companies.

Data entry – Freelancer.com and Flexjobs list data entry jobs starting at about $15/hr, which you can do with just your spare time and your computer. Fill out spreadsheets or type out and recreate PDF files in Word format to earn cash on those sleepless nights.

Babysitter – Sometimes parents just need some time off, and that’s where babysitting come in. Ask acquaintances for references to try an app like Care.com to line you up to help care for kids, tutor, check in on seniors, or look after pets.

Dog walker – Busy schedules are the norm nowadays, so many folks need help to walk Fido during the day. Advertise around your neighborhood for nearby jobs or check in on Rover.com to find dog walking or dog sitting jobs.

Use Those Special Skills

Music teacher – Not everybody has the time or means to sign up for in-person music lessons. Virtual lessons can fill the gap – conduct guitar, piano, or voice lessons online, and earn while doing what you love.

Bookkeeper – Small businesses often struggle to keep up with monthly book work, like accounts payable and receivable. It could be easy money for folks with knowledge of systems like QuickBooks and lots of attention to detail.

Freelancing – There are ways to turn your talents into money no matter what they are. Born performer? Try podcasting or starting a YouTube channel. New graphic designers can get a start on Fiverr or Upwork to get cash for their work. You can get start blogging or acting as a virtual assistant, with those apps too, or get paid to test out software with UserTesting.

Online Side Jobs

Surveys – Complete surveys for money during idle time for a chance to earn cash, gift cards, and other rewards. Sign up at a site like Swagbucks.com to find loads of ways to earn extra loot.

Twitch – Start up a Twitch channel to stream your online gaming. Market your channel on other social media platforms to get more followers. More followers means a higher potential for great ad revenue.

How Will You Earn Cash on the Side?

With the “side-gig” economy’s continued growth, it’s going to be more common for people to earn with a “side-hustle.” Whether you’re saving for something special or just trying to get by, there are plenty of opportunities to earn extra money outside of your day job.