27 Best Side Hustle Ideas to Make Extra Cash in 2025

I started my first side hustle when I was in college and wanted to make extra money. I started with online surveys, which aren’t most lucrative side hustle, but I did make a few extra bucks.

But it wasn’t until I started this site on the side of my teaching job that my love of side hustles really took off. I eventually quit my stable teaching job to run this site full time, and then I started running Facebook ads on the side of that.

Finding a side hustle that suits your needs, from financial to available time, can truly be a game changed if you want to make extra cash. So I’ve put together a list of my top side hustle picks for 2025. Check them out below to learn how much you can make and how to get started.

Want to give surveys a try like I did? Check out Survey Junkie and Branded Surveys .

1. Drive with Lyft

New Lyft drivers can cash out earnings at any time, plus new drivers (of any gender) can earn a $400 bonus by giving 40 rides in 7 days. Terms apply.

You probably recognize Lyft as one of the leading rideshare platforms, and they launched a Women+ Connect feature to help women and nonbinary drivers and riders feel more in-control of their ride experience*. Drivers get all of the flexibility and bonus offers that Lyft is known for, with the added benefit of increased chances to match with women and nonbinary riders.

If you’re interested in driving with Lyft, you must meet the following requirements:

• You’re at least 25 years old
• You own an iPhone or Android smartphone
• You have a clean driving record and auto insurance
• You have an eligible 4-door vehicle (car year varies by region)
• You consent to a criminal background check and review of your driving record

*This is not a safety feature and cannot guarantee safety, but it can help women and non-binary users have more choice.

Learn more in Best Driving App for Women in 2025.

2. Food Delivery

Earning potential: Varies by delivery

Food delivery is honestly one of the easiest side hustle ideas to start if you’re looking for flexibility. DoorDash currently dominates the market with nearly 65% of the market share, and they are always looking for new drivers. 

How to get started: You can learn how to get started and what to expect in our article How to Become a DoorDash Driver (Requirements and Signing Up).

3. Run Facebook and Instagram Ads

Earning potential: $1,000 to $2,000+/month

This is my favorite side hustle idea because it’s the exact one I started when I wanted to make money on the side of this blog, and it involves creating and managing ads for small businesses. It might surprise you, but Facebook continues to be some of the best platforms for small business owners to reach new customers. Business owners pay digital marketers because they often lack the time or knowledge to run an effective ad campaign.

How to get started: Join my FREE training here to get started, even if you have no experience.

4. Bookkeeping

Earning potential: $20 to $40+/hour

Freelance bookkeepers help business owners record and manage daily financial transactions. This can include paying bills, managing payroll, and collecting payments. Bookkeeping is not the same thing as accounting, and that difference is why you can start an online bookkeeping side hustle without a degree or certification.

How to get started: Join our FREE Brilliant Bookkeeper Side Hustle training to get started from home today.

5. Proofreading

Earning potential: $20 to $50/hour

Proofreaders are responsible for polishing written content for bloggers, content writers, website owners, academics, business owners, and more.  If you cringe when someone uses the wrong verb tense or can’t tell the difference between their/there/they’re, then proofreading might be one of the best side hustles for you.

How to get started: 

• Our article, How to Become a Proofreader, outlines everything you need to know about starting a proofreading side hustle.
• Check out our FREE training to learn how to start proofreading.

6. Freelance Writer

Earning potential: $500 to $5,000/month

Freelance writing is a broad field that can encompass a number of different jobs, from blog posts, web copy, technical writing, and more. This is one of the best side hustles for anyone who loves storytelling and is good with words.

It can take a little time to build your portfolio and business, but freelance writers can realistically make $1,000 to $5,000+/month.

How to get started: How to Become a Freelance Writer explains the steps to starting, and you can also check out this list of Best Sites Paying Writers in 2025.

7. Branded Surveys

Earning potential: $1 to $3/survey

Large companies use market research companies to learn about the opinions and habits of their target customers. Because companies pay for the research, market research companies pay members an average of $1-$3 to complete surveys. This isn’t the highest-paying of these side hustle ideas, but online surveys are honestly one of the easiest, fastest, and flexible ways to make money online.

How to get started: Join Branded Surveys here and claim your 100-point bonus.

8. Survey Junkie

Earning potential:  $1 to $3/survey 

It’s completely free to sign up for Survey Junkie, and the process takes about 5 minutes or less. You earn points for each survey you complete, and 100 points = $1. You can request a payout once you reach 500 points.

How to get started: To learn more about this side hustle idea, check out our in-depth Survey Junkie review or click here to get started with Survey Junkie.

9. Drive With Uber

You have multiple options for rideshare companies, and Uber has become a top pick for anyone who wants to make money driving. What stands out so much about Uber is that you have a ton of flexibility as you can set your own schedule. There are no minimums, and you can drive when it works for you because the Uber app is available 24/7.

How to get started: Read Is Driving for Uber Worth It? to learn more.

10. Clean Houses

Earning potential: $20 to $50/hour

While it’s not the most exciting option on this list of side hustles, cleaning houses. Cleaning houses pays surprisingly well if you work for yourself. House cleaners can make $20-$50/hour working for themselves. 

How to get started: Care.com is a great place to start listing your services.

11. Invest in Commercial Real Estate

Earning potential: Varies on the market

While this side hustle takes a financial investment to see any returns, you can start investing in real estate for as little as $10. Overall, learning how to invest in real estate can be a fairly lucrative and passive side hustle, but it’s also an excellent hedge against inflation.

How to get started: We highly recommend Fundrise if you’re interested in getting started because you can start investing in commercial real estate for as little as $10.

12. Get Paid To Grocery Shop

Earning potential: $15 to $25/hour

Having your groceries delivered is incredibly convenient for families, busy professionals, and anyone who has different priorities for their time. Getting paid to grocery shop requires that you’re at least 18 years old, have access to a reliable vehicle, and a smartphone. You must also be able to lift 40lbs.

How to get started: DoorDash has recently partnered with groceries stores to offer grocery delivery services, and you get the same flexibility as their food delivery program.

13. Become a Virtual Assistant

Earning potential: $500 to $1,000+/month

We have several virtual assistants (or VAs) on our team who help us manage social media accounts, with inbox management, scheduling, data entry, WordPress tasks, and more. Having a solid VA is lifesaver!

Additional virtual assistant tasks include responding to emails, project management, bookkeeping, blog management, preparing reports, and more.

How to get started: You can leverage skills and experience you’ve learned in a past or current job and start looking for side hustle work in How to Find Virtual Assistant Jobs. You can also check out Fully Booked VA.

14. Start a Blog

Earning potential: $500 to $10,000+/month

Blogging easily has the highest earning potential on our list of best side hustle ideas. It’s a slow business model overall, but look at what I’ve done: I started this blog in my spare time after coming home from my job as a high school band director, and in five years I was able to turn my blog into a seven-figure business that I run from my laptop.

That trajectory isn’t the norm for everyone, but you get out of it what you put into it. You can start and grow your blog on your lunch break, after the kids go to bed, and on the weekends.

How to get started: If you’re interested in starting one of the best side hustles ideas, I highly recommend Bluehost because you’ll get a professional-looking site without paying for web design services. 

15. Sell on Shopify

Earning potential: $500 to $5,000+/month

Shopify is an easy-to-use platform for setting up and running your own eCommerce store.

You use Shopify’s platform to build your eCommerce site — there are over 70 customizable themes, a drag-and-drop editor, and custom domains. You select items to sell on the site that can be dropshipped. You don’t touch, store, or ship these goods. You’re only listing them for sale, and then connecting the customer with the supplier.

How to get started: You can learn how Shopify works and how to set up your eCommerce site in our full Shopify review.

16. Find a Flexible Part-Time Job

Earning potential: $20-$50+/hour

You’ve probably seen a store or restaurant in your area with a “Help Wanted” sign up, and you might not want to overlook those options because sometimes the best side hustles are the ones right in front of you. While part-time jobs aren’t technically side hustles, it might be exactly what you need to realize your financial goals. Major companies like Amazon, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Michael’s are all hiring.

How to get started: If you want an even more flexible part-time job, we highly recommend FlexJobs. This platform specializes in flexible or remote-work positions, and they vet all of the jobs before listing them so you know they’re legit. Learn more in our full FlexJobs Review.

17. Buy Fractional Stock Shares

Earning potential: Varies on the market

Financially savvy people understand that investing is how you grow true, long-term wealth. One of the easiest ways to start investing is with fractional shares of stocks. It’s when you buy a portion of a stock instead of a full share, which can be expensive! It’s far more affordable, and you can quickly diversify your portfolio.

How to get started: Acorns is a beginner-friendly investing app. It costs as little as $3/month, and you can start investing with as little as $5. Learn more in our full Acorns Review.

18. Sell Printables on Etsy

Earning potential: $500 to $1,000+/month

Founded in 2005, Etsy has become the go-to marketplace for all things crafty. It’s grown into a massive site that saw over $3 billion in sales in 2021, and some of the best things to sell on Etsy these days are printables, like planner pages, wall art, lifestyle trackers, stickers, and more. These are digital files that you only need to create once and sell indefinitely.

How to get started: Grab your copy of this FREE ebook called the Seasonal Products Secret to learn what sells best each month of the year.

19. Watch Videos on Your Phone

Earning potential: $1/hour

Here’s another one of the easiest side hustles to make extra money. You can realistically expect to make under $1/hour watching videos (I know that’s low), but think of it as something that can run in the background while you’re working on other side hustles.

How to get started: Here are a few platforms to check out if you want to learn more:

• MyPoints: Get paid to watch videos, take surveys, play games, and more. New users can earn a $10 bonus reward for signing up today.
• InboxDollars: Make money watching videos, playing games, and taking online surveys. New users can claim a $5 sign-up bonus.
• Swagbucks: Get paid to watch videos, take online surveys, shop online, and more. New users can take advantage of a $10 sign-up bonus.

20. Play on Pinterest

Earning potential: $500 to $1,000+/month

Pinterest is a great place to find recipes, workouts, DIYs, etc. But did you know that online business owners and bloggers have a high need for Pinterest virtual assistants who make an average of $500 per month/per client. Their responsibility include creating pins, optimizing images, developing a pinning schedule, doing keyword research.

How to get started: Check out How to Make Money on Pinterest for more information about working as a Pinterest VA and more options.

21. Walk Dogs & Pet Sit

Earning potential: $15 to $25/walk and $35 to $70/overnight stay

Rover is a platform dedicated to connecting pet owners with dog walkers and pet sitters in their area. Pay varies depending on where you live. You’ll be paid more if you live in an urban area, which can be around $25 per walk or $70 for an overnight stay. Rover can help you find clients, but you can also list your services on social media. Because trust is such a big part of this side hustle, referrals go a long way. 

How to get started: Join Rover here Join Rover here to list your service. Be aware that there is a $35 fee to join and create a profile. Or learn how Rover works and how to set up your account in our Rover App Review.

22. Earn Cash Back Shopping

Earning potential: $5 to $50/month

I was a little hesitant to put this on my list of best side hustles because there’s not big money in cash back sites and apps, but it’s honestly too easy to leave out. I mean, if you’re already shopping, why not make money back on your purchases?

Here are my top cash back app recommendations:

How to get started: Sign up for Ibotta to earn cash back when you shop online, and use Ibotta to earn cash back when you shop online.

23. Sell Old Electronics

Earning potential: Varies based on what you sell

If you have unused or out-of-date electronics sitting around your house, you can make a little extra money selling them. People and companies can refurbish them to use or resell for a profit. 

How to get started: Decluttr will buy gently used electronics, and they send you a prepaid shipping label and pay you a day after receiving your items.

24. Tutor From Home

Earning potential: $15 to $40/hour

If there is a subject you know well and can teach to others, tutoring is one of the best side hustle ideas for teachers because the hourly pay can get pretty high, around $15-$40/hour depending on where you live. 

How to get started:You can sign up and start tutoring through BookNook, and their tutors make $15-$22/hour.

25. Rent Out Your Car

Earning potential: Average of $700/month

HyreCar is a peer-to-peer rental platform where you can list your car, which dates it’s available, and then rent it out to prescreened customers. Most of the cars listed on the HyreCar list are for approximately $35/day, and HyreCar takes a 15% to 25% commission. This is a great side hustle to offset the cost of your car payment, or if you aren’t driving as much these days.

How to get started: You can check out our HyreCar review for more information.

26. OnlyFans

Earning potential: Varies based on audience and content

I know, OnlyFans isn’t the best side hustle idea for everyone, but it’s become a very lucrative way to make money online from the comfort of your home for those who are interested. You might be surprised to learn that you can make money on OnlyFans with content that is safe for work.

How to get started: If you want to learn more, check out How to Make Money on OnlyFans.

27. Selling Plasma

Earning potential: $30 to $100 per donation

Many plasma donation sites actually pay you each time you donate plasma. The process is similar to donating blood, but it takes a little more time, up to two hours. The requirements are similar to donating blood, an you’ll have to go through a short medical screening before you start the donation process. It’s a simple side hustle if you’re eligible!

How to get started: Doing a quick Google search of “where to sell plasma in” and add the name of your city at the end is the fastest way to find a donation center near you that pays for plasma donations.

What is The Best Side Hustle of 2025?

There is no magic pill to earn more money, and I see lots of so-called magic pills online. That drives me to produce lists like this. I want my readers to have the best options available, like:

• Driving for DoorDash: Get paid to deliver goods and groceries for Doordash and drivers set their own hours and can work as little or as much as they want. This is a nice side hustle if you’re looking for something that offers both a low commitment and decent pay.
• Become a bookkeeper: Bookkeepers make around $500/month per client, and that’s working 5-10 hours a month. It’s an incredibly flexible option if you’re organized and good with numbers. You can learn more about how to get started here.
• Take online surveys: Sign up for Branded Surveys and Survey Junkie and make $1-$3/survey. It’s not a lot of money, but it’s super easy.

The reality is that not all side hustles are created equal. Do your research, read the reviews, and find the best side hustle to make your goals happen.