Earn an Extra $10K in 2024: 10 Quick Side Gigs To Boost Your Income
The side gig industry is still going strong. According to a Zippia report, around 45% of American adults had at least one side gig in 2023. The typical monthly earnings from these side hustles was $483, though some people reported earning as much as $1,061 a month — $12,732 a year.
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For some people, side gigs are a way to supplement their income and pay for basic living expenses. For others, the money earned from these gigs is primarily used as extra disposable income or for savings purposes.
Whatever the case might be, if you’re looking to earn an extra $10,000 or so in 2024, there are plenty of quick, easy side gigs to choose from. Here are some of the main ones, according to experts.
Mow Lawns
Mowing lawns is a simple side gig if you’re looking for some extra cash and don’t want to invest a lot of time or money into getting started.
“With an initial investment of less than $1,000 for equipment, you can start a lawn mowing service. This can include a basic lawn mower, a weed eater, and a blower,” said Gene Caballero, co-founder of GreenPal and someone who got his start in mowing lawns as a side hustle. “The beauty of this side hustle is the potential to earn up to $50-$60 per hour just by working evenings and weekends.”
If you earn $50 an hour and dedicate around five hours a week to this side gig, you can earn up to $13,000 a year — more than enough to cover the initial expenses. And as with many side gigs, you can increase your earnings and rate as you build up a regular client base.
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Virtual Assistant Work
Becoming a part-time virtual assistant online is another easy side hustle to get into.
“If organizing is your forte, you can consider becoming a virtual assistant,” said Tracy Xu, side gig expert and director of finance and accounts at BarkLikeMeow. “They help busy professionals with tasks like scheduling, email management, and social media.”
You can get started on sites like Fancy Hands or Zirtual. You can also earn around $15 to $25 an hour, according to Xu. If you do this around 10 hours a week, you could bring in around $10,000 or more a year.
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Partner With Real Estate Agents
If you’re interested in real estate, you could partner with real estate agents or real estate investors to earn a bit of extra cash through finder’s fees.
“One quick side gig to boost one’s income is to partner with a real estate agent and real estate investor to bring them leads to do business with,” said Sebastian Jania, owner of Alberta Property Buyers.
You can start by connecting with people who are thinking about selling their homes and referring them to local real estate agents. You can then charge the agent a marketing or finder’s fee.
Alternatively, you can work with investors. Jania suggested locating distressed sellers or those with properties that might be distressed and connecting with investors in the area. These investors will often pay a finder’s fee as well.
“For myself, [I] started off by working with real estate investors and agents to find leads,” said Jania. “After I did this, I was able to learn additional skills over time to then start monetizing the leads more myself instead of passing them on to someone else.”
You could earn anywhere from $500 to several thousand dollars with every successful lead, according to Jania.
Paint Houses
Some of the best side gigs are those that have a low barrier of entry, require zero to minimal upfront expenses, and offer quick payouts. One such option to consider, according to Jania, is painting houses.
The average person earns $22 an hour by painting houses. This means you’d need to work around 9 hours a week to make about $10,000 in a year.
Sell Printables
Another quick and easy side gig to consider is selling printables online, according to Julie Berninger, co-founder of Gold City Ventures, a business geared toward helping people earn money through selling printables on Etsy.
“I started this journey selling printable products for bachelorette parties (think scavenger hunt PDFs, printable decorations, etc.) in an Etsy shop that now brings in $1,000+ per month,” she said. Berninger even earned over $10,000 last year when she took six months off to move across the country.
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Sell Live Animals
If you’ve never thought about selling small animals, like birds, for some extra cash, you might want to consider it. That’s how Jeff Neal, owner of The Critter Depot, got started before turning a simple side gig into a fairly lucrative business venture.
“I started selling baby chicks as a side gig. I bought my daughter some hens and a rooster a few years ago. And when they started laying eggs, I was able to sell them at local farmers markets,” said Neal. “Now, I sell baby chicks online for supplemental income. But most of my sales are still through local farmer markets.”
Freelance Writing
Becoming a freelance content writer is another way to earn a few extra hundred dollars or so a month — or up to $10,000 a year. “Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr connect you with writing gigs, from blog posts to website copy,” said Xu.
If you don’t have a portfolio yet, you might start with lower paying gigs. But if you stick with it, you could build up both your portfolio and client base — and increase your earnings.
Online Tutoring
If you have a special skill or in-depth knowledge about something, you could start tutoring in that subject on the weekends for some extra cash, according to Xu. Look into online teaching platforms like Cambly, TutorMe, or Preply.
Through online tutoring, you could earn anywhere from $10 to $20 an hour, on average. Having specialized skills or certifications could increase your earning potential.
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Life Insurance Telesales
“Life insurance telesales is a very simple side gig to get into. You simply take an online course for life insurance and study for over a month, then take your test to get licensed,” said Timothy Connon, life insurance agent and founder of ParamountQuote Life Insurance Advisors. “Once you do this, you can get a job with a life insurance agency that can provide free leads at reduced commissions.”
According to Connon, you can earn around $1,000 per sale of a reduced commission. If you make 10 of these in a year, that’s $10,000.
Rideshare or Delivery Driving
If you’re at least 18 years old and have a clean driving record and reliable vehicle, you could become a rideshare or food delivery driver. It doesn’t take long to get started, but you could easily bring in a few hundred to a thousand dollars or more each month. You will be responsible for costs associated with driving your vehicle, though, such as gas and regular maintenance.
“Rideshare driving or food delivery with Uber or DoorDash offers quick cash based on when you can work, often adding up to a few hundred bucks a week,” said Peter Niebling, dealer principal at Redlands Mazda.
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