Top 70 Ways To Earn Extra Cash Online

Earning extra cash online offers incredible flexibility, with most side hustles requiring $0 to start. The most immediate ways to get paid include taking surveys, testing websites, or monetizing existing skills like writing, graphic design, or teaching through global freelancing marketplaces.

Below, we are going to provide 70 ways to earn some extra cash online and some easy ways to make money offline. Let’s get into it.

1. Start a Food Blog

Are you a foodie who wants to blog about it? This hustler shares what it’s really like running a food blog on the side, annual revenue numbers, ups and downs, and advice on starting this type of business if it’s something you’d like to try.

2. Productize Your Knowledge

There are only so many hours in the day, so if you’re trading your time for money, there’s an upper limit on how much money you can make. But if you have specialized knowledge that you can turn into an online product — such as a webinar, book, or online course — then you can start earning money from your product even when you sleep! As an example, a woman who lives in a camper sells books and online courses about tiny living. She’s taken her expert knowledge on minimalist living and found a way to share it with others via an online product. The best part: There’s no upper limit on your passive income opportunity here.

3. Flipping Guitars

If you’re an instrument collector or guitar geek, then you know a great price when you see one. One couple made almost $10k/year by buying and reselling guitars at a profit. Because guitars are high-price items, it’s easier to make a bigger profit off them than reselling things like clothes. If you love instruments and don’t mind shipping bulky items, then flipping guitars could be music to your ears. Heads up that it will take some cash to build your inventory at first — try stalking eBay and specialty music stores like Reverb and Sweetwater to get started!

4. Online Proofreading/Editing 

Hey, word nerds — this one’s for you. If you flinch every time you see a typo on the Internet, you can become part of the solution by parlaying your grammar skills into an editing gig. You’ll have to meet deadlines and juggle your clients’ various style requirements, but you’ll be learning something new with each piece you read — and you get to pick your clients.

5. Selling “Printables” on Etsy 

Etsy is a great platform for getting your craft on. But when you make a sale, you have to pack it up and ship it — effectively trading your time for money. What if you could make your buyers deal with the receiving end of things? You can, my side-hustle friend! Just create a digital file of your design/product on your computer, upload it to Etsy, and let customers buy and download it … with no more work on your part. Printables/digital downloads are a great way to make passive income.

6. Tutoring People on Standardized Tests

You don’t have to work with kids to be a tutor: Plenty of grad-school hopefuls need help preparing for exams like the LSAT and GRE. And when you’re working with adults, they’re usually spending their own money, which means your incentives are more aligned (so it doesn’t feel like babysitting). Pro tip: Find your niche. If you’re tutoring “GMAT math” as opposed to just “math,” you can charge a much higher rate to students who need the more specific help.

7. Selling Crickets Online

Here’s a real-life example of setting up a business simply because it has very little online competition. Find a product or topic niche that no one else is really talking about, optimize your online content like hell, and watch your hard work pay off after a few years. As our favorite cricket seller, Jeff of TheCritterDepot.com, can attest, “Although [search engine optimization] is a grind, fighting through it can reap many rewards as long as that foundation is properly built with a popular topic and low competition.”

8. Finding Hidden Money as a Forensic Accountant

If you enjoy research, you can make decent coin by locating other people’s lost investments or bank accounts — like when a relative dies and you want to find all the assets she squirreled away. Most sleuths charge by the hour, and a typical search can bring you a few thousand dollars. If you have more accounting experience and other training, you can even help small businesses uncover embezzlement schemes!

9. Picking Up Trash in Parking Lots

This side hustle is as easy as taking a walk outside (with a broom and trash collection bag, of course). You can get paid to handle the daily litter removal for almost any kind of office or retail building — although commercial real estate companies will be your best source of business. This gig lets you spend time outdoors, doesn’t require special skills or training, and helps the environment. It’s also easy to fit around your full-time job.

10. Making Rings and Jewelry From Coins

It takes money (OK, pocket change) to make money when you’re creating handmade jewelry from coins. But for one artist, the nominal start-up costs were worth it. After teaching himself how to make a ring out of a penny, he was able to quit his job within a year and now has his own jewelry line. You can try the same with any of your artistic creations and sell them wholesale or at craft fairs.

11. Running a Christmas Tree Stand

If you can rustle up some muscle, a vacant lot, and some evergreens, you could become an independent Christmas tree stand for the season. You’ll have to invest in some supplies and work long, cold hours — but the money’s not bad for a month’s worth of work.

12. Craigslist “Gigs” 

Accepting Craigslist jobs for manual labor can be a great, low-commitment side hustle. In this real-life story, the hustler’s gigs during one month included yardwork like mowing and mulching, demolishing furniture, and helping take down an art display. He earned more than double the minimum wage for his efforts — with no long-term strings attached.

13. Amish Taxi Driver 

Yep, this is like Uber for Amish people, but it’s a little more low-tech. Amish people don’t own vehicles, so when they need to get somewhere farther away than their feet or horse can carry them, they call an Amish Taxi Driver and ask to go to a specific spot and be picked up at a specific time. You get paid by the mile and for waiting time, too. The best part: Getting a front-seat glimpse into another culture. Downsides: Insurance and gas add up.

14. Mechanical Turk Worker 

Amazon-owned “mTurk” calls itself a “marketplace for work.” Businesses can post tasks they want done for a specific price, and side hustlers can check out the available opportunities and claim the ones they want. This could be something like categorizing items in a spreadsheet or transcribing handwritten notes — but all the tasks require a human to think through it (the tasks are called “human intelligence tasks.”) All the tasks can be completed online and typically don’t take much time, so this is one way to earn pocket money during your downtime. It’s easy to get started, but be aware that mTurk’s typically low pay isn’t gonna help you quit your main job.

15. Freelance Bartender

If you know how to mix drinks — or are willing to go to bartending school — then you have everything you need to start your own freelance bartending business for private events. By cutting out the middleman of an agency or caterer (where you can also get bartender gigs), you keep more of your hard-earned money. This is a fun hustle if you like meeting new people and attending sweet events!

16. Brand Ambassador 

Hey, extroverts! You can get paid to hang out with other fun people at big events as a brand ambassador. Brand ambassadors are freelance contractors who help companies with in-person marketing — stuff like wearing branded shirts and giving out free samples in places with a lot of foot traffic. To break into the promotional marketing biz, you’ll need a resume tailored to ambassador gigs, and it’s helpful to get extra certifications like for food handling and the TIPS alcohol certificate (these will help you stand out in the competition). If you love being in the mix at big events like sports games and music festivals, this side hustle could literally be your ticket in the door.

17. Patent Researcher 

Did you know there’s a whole kinda sleazy industry calling “patent trolling” where people exclusively make money by suing others? Patent trolls try to sue companies for infringing on their patents (which they usually obtain rather dubiously), so the companies try to combat this by proving that they didn’t. If you’re into researching, especially in niche topics like technology, you can help the companies shut down the patent troll’s claims and save the day. No legal background required.

18. Voiceover Acting

You know those voices on TV, the radio, and podcasts that are trying to sell you something? Or the voice warning you that the subway door is closing? That voice could be yours when you’re getting paid just for speaking. There’s a lot of competition in the voiceover acting industry, but the work is flexible and can be very lucrative. If this sounds fun, you should think about speaking up!

19. Working NFL Stadiums

You don’t have to have the physique of a bouncer to snag a job working security at Sunday’s big game — and there are plenty of other jobs at the stadium, too, like usher and ticket-taker. This can be great weekend work (but not every weekend, which is a plus for your social life) that pays you while you root for the home team. And stadium work isn’t limited to football season; you can get in on gigging for concerts, trade shows, and conferences.

Read Also: How to Make Money Online from Home without Investment

20. Skydiving Drop Zone Worker 

Ever thought about the logistics of skydiving? Like how the parachutes magically fit into those backpacks and how there’s always someone there to meet you on the ground after you jump? You can make money and meet some fantastic people by working at a drop zone — repacking parachutes and shuttling jumpers to and fro. You won’t get rich at it, but the atmosphere is full of positivity and you get to spend your workday in the great outdoors.

21. Production Fit Modeling 

If you’re into fashion and are one of those lucky people who always stays the same weight and size, you could have a modeling career! Production fit models are like real-life mannequins for clothing designers. You just need to have the proportions that match industry standards. For work, you go to a designer’s workspace and try on their new clothing design ideas — moving around in them to see how they fit and feel. Production fit models get paid very well to try on clothes, but you have to remain the exact same size, which can be a challenge.

22. Emptying Septic Tanks 

Was your childhood dream to be the guy who gets to ride on the back of the garbage truck? A side hustle pumping septic tanks is kinda close. As one expert puts it, “I truly think that waste removal is the backbone of society. … Wait for your septic to backup and let me know what the most important job in the world is lol!” This is a good side hustle if you enjoy helping people, like being outside, and have free time in the summer, which is the high season for portable toilet and septic tank pumping.

23. Playing Santa Claus 

Yes, Virginia, you can make real cash playing Santa Claus. If you like kids and have that holiday spirit, this can be a fun side hustle that can help cover your Christmas expenses. Invest in a quality Santa suit (or elf outfit!) and start ho-ho-ing at private family Christmas parties, company events, and church activities. You can charge big-time extra bucks for visits on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day — some families like to have Santa personally deliver their presents. Not bad money for an hour’s work!

24. Selling Junk Mail 

The coupons in your junk mail may be worthless to you — but someone else might be willing to buy them. Try posting your unwanted coupons for sale on eBay or Craigslist and see if you get any bites. One hustler got $14.51 just for selling a single coupon she didn’t want!

25. Children’s Book Author 

Once upon a time, a guy turned his passion for bilingual learning into a profitable side hustle creating dual-language children’s books. Wanna try, too? Can’t draw? No problem. Hire a freelance illustrator. Don’t speak another language? Hire a translator. You can self-publish and start selling on Amazon in a matter of months. Tim’s making about a thousand dollars a month now without doing any more work. (We love a happy ending!)

26. Lyft and Uber Driver 

You know you’ve thought about this one! You directly control how much money you make by deciding how long you want to drive, and the flexibility you have over your work hours is awesome. Another nice benefit is that you can drive for both Uber and Lyft to try to snag as many riders as you can. Be aware that you need a clean driving record and a newer car that will have to be checked out by a mechanic.

27. Sim Card Mogul 

Sometimes you can find a great deal in bulk pricing (think: 700 SIM cards for cellphones) and then turn a big profit selling the items individually. This hustler ran his business selling SIM cards out of a shoebox and made 600% profit! Try applying his methods (he learned a lot and made improvements as time went on) to other products and see what you can do.

28. Teleprompter Operator 

Here’s one way to make the news: You can actually help … make the news. A teleprompter operator uses a machine to scroll through the script that news anchors read when they’re on the air. Pro: It’s great supplemental income. Con: Most stations are using newer technologies now, so these jobs are harder to come by than they used to be.

29. Virtual Assistant 

This popular side gig involves doing work for companies/people who don’t have the time or talent to do it themselves. The variety of tasks is huge (this hustler ended up typing an erotic novel that a 70-year-old had written by hand) but they can be anything that allow you to work remotely using just your computer or phone. Being a virtual assistant is a steller side hustle for people who want to work from wherever. As long as you have connectivity, you can be in business!

30. Playing in a Band 

Bar managers love it when bands bring in extra customers, so if you’ve got a groovy thing going, see if you can turn your musical hobby into a paying gig at a local watering hole. Hit up bartenders and managers and let them know you can pack the house … and ask if you can play for a percentage of the bar tab. Be sure to tell all your friends to come hear you play. 😉

31. Bakery Cake Decorator

Morning person? Consider getting a part-time job at a bakery as a decorator. It’s physically demanding work but a good creative outlet, and the pastry perks are sweet.

32. Photo Booth Operator

Everyone loves a good photo booth at a party. They’re a tidy little rental business, too. If you can afford a few thousand dollars in start-up costs and don’t mind working weekend nights during the wedding season, you can snap up some serious cash with your photography hobby.

33. Public Speaker 

We’ve all been to a conference where the speakers were less than inspiring. Bet you could do them one better? Do you have personal experiences you can draw on to tell a relatable story? Are you cool with public speaking? You can get paid serious cash to fill a speaker slot at a meeting or conference. Look up associations, colleges, and businesses in your area and see if there are opportunities to be a paid speaker for them. Many will pay speaker fees, so dust off your fantasy TED Talk and hit that conference ballroom.

34. Money Planner Maker/Seller 

This hustler created digital workbooks that help people focus on their financial goals, like affording a baby or starting a business. Selling these digital downloads on Etsy brings in passive income each month — not enough to replace an income, but enough to provide some nice padding.

35. Taste Tester/Focus Group Participant 

It’s legit possible to get paid to eat French fries … if you’re part of a taste test focus group. See if there are any market research companies in your area and ask if you can join their database of testers — check out GreenBook.org to search in your region.

36. Chick-fil-A Cow Mascot 

Being a mascot won’t let you quit your day job, but it’s a fun way to interact with people and earn a little extra money. You can usually apply through a regular job application at a restaurant, sports stadium, or any other business that has a mascot. Fair warning that it’s great exercise but also realllllly hot inside those suits!

37. Group Cruise Planner

If you’re always the friend who organizes your crew’s outings, you can turn that skill into a side hustle by becoming a group cruise planner. You can score a free cruise or a commission by organizing a group trip. You can plan the logistics yourself (a ton of work), or you can also partner with a travel agent and simply deliver the guests while the agent does the planning. Most agents are happy to pay you a portion of the passengers’ fare if you bring them people ready to set sail.

38. Referee 

You’re gonna get yelled at. But if you can handle that (it’s great for beefing up your conflict-management skills), being a referee is a fun way to earn extra money while staying in shape and participating in a sport you love. Expect to take classes and clinics to qualify, and you’ll probably have to buy a uniform and gear. The start-up costs can be worth it if you’re going to spend the weekend watching sports anyway … why not get paid to do it?

39. Substitute Teacher 

Subbing doesn’t pay a ton, but it’s super flexible: You get to decide where and when you’re willing to work. It can be a good option if you have days free and don’t want to give up your nights for a side hustle.

40. Car Washer 

Hand-washing cars can be a lucrative and fun side gig if you’re into automobiles and are a stickler for detail. The start-up costs are low: You just need a bucket, a sponge, some water, and car soap. Clients love it because you can provide a better wash than the drive-throughs for less money. And you can charge more if you get into detailing and waxing.

41. Estate Sale Host 

You can get paid to help other people sell stuff they don’t want anymore. This side hustler started his own estate sale company that let him get first crack at the best items (and a cut of their resale profit) while also helping his clients make a profit off the whole inventory.

42. Classic Video Game Flipper 

Hey gamers, all those years you spent staring at the screen just might pay off. Tons of people are getting rid of old-school video games, and most of them don’t have any idea what they’re worth. If you have a good grasp on how much a classic video game is worth, you can probably flip it for a tidy profit. Power up!

43. Collectible Sneaker Reseller 

Shoe dogs can clean our their closets and clean up, too. Special edition or limited release sneakers can have high demand, especially if you never wear them and have the original packaging. The older and rarer, the better.

44. Frequent Flyer Mile Specialist 

Lots of people have airline points racked up and are eager to do some travel hacking but aren’t sure where to start. You can make extra cash by helping people figure out how to maximize their frequent flyer miles. Bonus: All the warm fuzzies you get from clients who have awesome trips because of you.

45. Watch Dealer 

Certain super-high-end watches can be impossible to find, even if you can afford them. But if you have an in with a retailer, you can buy rare watches even when the general public can’t — and then resell them for a handsome profit.

46. Freelance Copywriter 

Marketing copywriters can charge a pretty penny for content that helps a client win more sales. If you get a rush from converting prospects to customers, then freelance copywriting can be a lucrative side hustle for you. One downside (as with all freelance writing) is that the work may come in waves, so you never really know when you’ll have assignments.

47. Building Websites About Graphic Design

Rather than continuing to build websites for other people, this entrepreneur with design skills turned his know-how into his own business: creating websites geared toward graphic design professionals. Proof that if you’re a subject matter expert, you can profit from it.

48. Running Coach 

Seasoned runners are often asked for advice about how to get started or how to get faster. If you’ve been running for a long time, answering these questions is easy because you intuitively know how to help. So if you’ve been around the block a few times, why not get paid as a running coach? You can take on clients from anywhere if you limit your services to creating training plans and occasional phone calls (no in-person meet-ups on the track). One downside: You know exactly how needy some runners can be.

49. Air Force Reservist 

This side hustle is actually like having a second career while keeping your first one going. Take it from Erin, a high school teacher who’s also in the Air Force Reserve — enjoying amazing benefits while working only one weekend a month (plus 15 days a year) in the Reserves. If you keep at it for 20 years, you even get retirement benefits.

50. IT Freelancer 

If you’re good with computers, you already know that everyone around you will ask for help, so you probably won’t need much marketing for your IT side hustle. Remote connection software makes it easy for you to work from anywhere and still be able to tap into your client’s machine.

51. Online e-Commerce Store Owner 

Tools like Shopify make it much simpler to set up your own online store and sell whatever you want. Read how this hustler opened an online shop for luxury women’s clothing.

52. Yoga Instructor 

If you’ve fallen hard for yoga (or spin, or Pilates, or any other studio fitness class), you’ve probably dreamed of becoming an instructor and earning money by teaching rather than spending it to take a class. You’ll need to get certified to become a yoga instructor, and this can be expensive and time-consuming, but it’s easy to make the money back, and the fitness industry just keeps on growing.

53. Standardized Test Question Writer 

We all love to hate standardized tests, but they’re not so bad if you’re the one writing the questions. If you know your stuff in a specialized field, like Chinese language or chemistry, you can get paid to help test others’ knowledge of it. You usually get paid per question and have a few weeks to complete your assignment.

54. Food Truck Worker 

If you’re really into a certain truck’s food, try befriending the staff and asking if they need help. Food trucks almost always do, from taking orders to working the grill to picking up supplies at the grocery store. You can learn all kinds of new job skills depending on what role you end up playing that day, and you’ll save money on your own food costs by eating your favorite stuff off the menu for free.

55. Bouncer 

It helps if you look the part here because you’re probably gonna need that muscle on the job, at least eventually. As a bouncer for a club or a bar, you’ll also need the abilities to read people, stay super sharp and observant, and to say no. If you can do all that, you have a ton of earning potential (it’s easy to pick up extra shifts) and can end up meeting some cool people in your side hustle as a bouncer.

56. Starbucks Barista

Working at Starbucks is a tempting side gig thanks to the generous benefits — health care, stock and savings options, paid time off, and free tuition to Arizona State University — that you just don’t find with other side hustles. The pay’s not great but the benefits make up for it.

57. Sample Passer-Outer 

Those mini chicken tacos don’t sell themselves … they’re pushed by independent contractors for in-store marketing companies. If you’re friendly and can be on your feet for many hours at a time, try becoming a product demonstrator. The work is flexible; if you’re offered a job on a date that doesn’t work for you, you don’t have to take it.

58. “Phone Actress” (AKA Phone Sex Operator) 

How’s this for a $exy side hustle?!! As one actress puts it: “It doesn’t matter if you are old or young, black or white, or heavy or skinny; it is the voice that counts the most.” If a recruiter likes the sound of your voice and you pass a background check, you’ve got yourself a job! And a flexible, at-home one with good job security — because this industry doesn’t experience recessions.

59. Dog Walker 

Talk about grateful clients! You’re always greeted by a furry friend who can’t wait to get outside for a walk. Other job perks: fresh air, exercise, and adorable customers. The hours are short, too, so this is a good side hustle if you don’t want a huge time commitment.

60. Worm Counter 

As long as there are fishermen, they will need bait. And someone needs to package it up to be sold. If you’re a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-dirty sort of hustler, sifting through the dirt to count worms could be just your thing. You get to wear gloves and the work is literally as easy as counting 1-2-3.

61. Book Seller 

Selling second-hand books can be a fun way for readers to flip a profit. You can build up an inventory by shopping at used bookstores, garage sales, and even sometimes the library and then re-sell your books on book sites, eBay, or private Facebook groups. It’s an easy way to make some spare change and you can even read the books before shipping them off to a buyer.

62. Tutor 

If you love to teach and have special knowledge in a field, you can make extra money while you help someone out — a win-win! Post an ad on Craigslist or use the site UniversityTutor.com to find students. Word of mouth and social media advertising work great, too. This side hustle has no start-up costs and tons of flexibility, as you choose when and how often you want to work.

63. USA Triathlon Official 

If you or someone you love is into tris and you enjoy the culture and hanging out on the scene, why not get paid for it as a race official? After some training, you’re eligible to be paid for your help during races. The work can mean getting up very early on the weekends, but you’re usually done around 11 a.m. or noon and have the rest of the day ahead of you … with some more money in your pocket.

64. Lifeguard 

Not just for high schoolers in the summer! Pools are open year-round and you can cash in on that. This hustler picks up early morning shifts to watch people swim laps before heading into her primary job. The biggest perk? Free gym membership, which is a huge savings.

65. High-Fashion eBay Reseller 

Have an eye for fashion (and a cheap-ish way to score designer brands)? You can make extra money flipping high-fashion clothes and handbags. This side hustler lives in an affluent area and discovered she could buy name-brand cast-offs at local thrift stores — many just one season old — and re-sell them on eBay for a nice profit. She says the trick is to find trendy cuts by popular designers, so if you know what those are, maybe you can hustle your way toward affording those yourself. 🙂

66. Mystery Shopper 

Hey, shopaholics, you can get paid to shop: Companies hire anonymous shoppers to shop in their stores. This helps them better understand their customers’ experiences. You have to take lots of notes and deal with your taxes, and it’s very low pay at first … but this hustler shares some tricks on increasing your income. Sign up at MysteryShop.org.

67. Etsy Seller 

So many crafters have turned their hobby into an extra income stream by selling their projects on Etsy. This entrepreneur shares how she got started selling jewelry on Etsy and what to expect when you’re just starting out (it’s slow going but worth it if you love crafting).

68. Meal Plan Helper 

This entrepreneur found a way to make extra money from a task her family was already doing: creating healthy meal plans. Once she realized that meal-planning isn’t something everyone has time to do for themselves, she built an online business around it!

69. Gun Permit Instructor

Here’s another (very different) example of turning a hobby into a business. After this hustler and his friend took training to get a permit to carry a pistol, they figured they could provide a better training experience. After getting several teaching certifications, they launched their own in-person business that teaches people what they need to know about legally carrying a gun.

70. House Cleaner

Okay, scrubbing toilets will never be sexy, but the extra money you can get from it is very $exy. Here’s how one self-starter went into the cleaning business for herself and makes about a grand a month (and gets exercise while she works). This side hustle has low start-up costs, and unlike some other gigs, there’s no downtime that you end up not getting paid for.