You don’t need specialized skills to find a good side hustle. If you have a smart phone and transportation to get to and from work, there are plenty of side hustles anyone can do.
Side hustles anyone can do
What qualifies as a side hustle that anyone can do? It needs to be a job that doesn’t require a degree, experience, extraordinary talent, great strength, nor specialized equipment. We have assumed here, however, that you have a smart phone and ready access to a car to get around. We’ve also assumed that you can pass a criminal background check. (Some work platforms don’t require background checks. But an increasing number do, particularly when the job entrusts you with children or another person’s safety.)
We’ve also culled the options to get rid of side hustles that pay less than minimum wage. To be sure, anyone can take online surveys and earn $1 or $2 per hour. But why would you want to? This listing also is restricted to side hustles that help you make a reasonable amount of money.
Dog walk
If you’re an animal lover, one of the most attractive and readily-available side hustles involves dog-walking. Two online platforms — Rover and Wag — can help you find dog walking jobs that typically pay between $12 and $15 per half-hour.
Of the two sites, Rover is more freelancer-friendly, charging lower fees and allowing workers to set their own rates. Rover also allows you to create a profile to offer other animal-related services, including overnight dog-sitting.
Evaluate
Several sites pay freelancers to check out a product, building, or accident scene and report back about its condition. All of these companies pay between $5 and $35 per gig, depending on the time and travel involved.
Ivueit matches freelancers with owners of commercial property, who want an on-the-scene review of maintenance or repairs. Jobs generally involve snapping a few photos and filling out a short form.
ProductTube pays freelancers to video themselves providing a short product evaluations either at home or at a store. This might involve videoing yourself comparing two types of snack foods, or showing how you decide which beer to buy in the grocery store, for instance. The videos are typically 2 to 4 minutes each.
WeGoLook pays freelancers to inspect cars, accident scenes, real estate, and businesses. The freelancer will be presented with a “look” that details the pay, location, and what’s involved. If you accept a job here, you’re expected to complete the assignment within 24 hours.
Drive
Driving for Uber and Lyft were once popular side hustles. But these companies are constantly tinkering with their driver terms, and the new rules are rarely driver-friendly. Fortunately, they’re not the only options. Better alternatives for people who want to make money driving passengers around include Wingz, RideZum, Kango and HopSkipDrive.
Wingz specializes in pre-scheduled trips to and from airports. KidCar, RubiRides, Kango and HopSkipDrive book rides for minors who need a lift to and from school, sports and other youth activities. While all three of these sites pay better hourly rates than either of the ride share giants, they also expect you to pass a background check. Kango and HopSkipDrive all expect you to have experience with children too. A site called Zum will hire you to be a school bus driver.
Deliver
Delivery options for freelancers include GrubHub, DoorDash and UberEats, which shuttle take-out orders to restaurant customers. All three sites offer relatively low guaranteed delivery fees. However, most customers tip with these apps, providing average pay that comfortably exceeds minimum wage.
Additional delivery options can be found with AmazonFlex and Roadie.
Shop
If you can navigate a trip to the grocery store, you can make money shopping and delivering groceries for Instacart, Shipt and Dumpling. Instacart and Shipt enlist freelancers to do on-demand shopping, paying the freelancer a fee that’s sometimes based on order size. Dumpling, on the other hand, helps personal shoppers manage their own businesses, setting their own rates and availability.
Serve and stock
A number of sites promise to find workers jobs in retail, restaurants and warehouses. Qwick primarily connects workers with food service gigs that pay up to $30 per hour. Wonolo, MyWorkChoice and Blue Crew offer a wider array of options, from stocking shelves in warehouses to working in retail. Pay ranges from minimum wage to about $25 per hour.
Watch
With summer coming and many parents going back to work, there’s plenty of demand for babysitting services. And gone are the days when junior high kids would watch the offspring for a few bucks an hour. Nannies and babysitters can now expect to earn at least minimum wage and, often, up to $25 per hour.
Some sites where you can land a babysitting gig include Care, Urban Sitter, Bambino, and SitterCity.
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