Top-rated side hustles, from A-to-Z

With more than 300 money-making platforms rated on our site, SideHusl.com‘s editors wanted to see if we could find top-rated side hustles for every letter of the alphabet. We failed.

When it comes to side hustle platforms that start with the letter’s X and Y, we haven’t found any that earned  “excellent” or “above average” Husl$cores. (We rate side hustles on a scale of 1-5, based on how much you earn, the risks you take, and the working conditions.) We’ll keep looking.

In the meantime, there are top-rated side hustle platforms representing 24 letters of the alphabet. To save you from information overload, we’re breaking these top-rated side hustles into two posts. Here are top-rated side hustles from A-to-L. Next week, we’ll publish top-rated hustles from M-to-Z.

Naturally, they’re in alphabetical order, almost from A-to-Z:

AccountingDepartment.com

AccountingDepartment.com hires accountants, bookkeepers and other financial professionals, who want to work from home. The site is unusual among freelance platforms in that it prefers to hire people who will work 40-hour weeks and are willing to go on staff. The pay is lower than traditional accounting jobs, but you save money by not having to go into an office. If you’re hired, you’ll do business via video and conference calls. Better yet, you’ll get employee benefits, such as health insurance and a 401(k) plan.

BeGlammed

BeGlammed connects customers needing cosmetology services for special occassions, like weddings and television appearances, with the cosmetologists willing to do the job. Customer’s pay $50 to $155 per hour, 60% of which goes to the stylist. The stylist also keeps the bulk of the tip.

Chelsea International Education

Chelsea International Education is a great tutoring site for teachers and college professors looking to make a few extra bucks. But, unlike Varsity Tutors or Wyzant, the site isn’t interested in hiring tutors who aren’t already teachers. You need a teaching certificate and at least two years of experience to apply. Hourly pay ranges from a low of $15 (for elementary subjects taught online) to more than $100 for those tutoring advanced STEM subjects and for college and graduate school test preparation. 

Dolly

Dolly connects people who need help moving with able-bodied side hustlers who are willing to pitch in. If you have a truck, van or trailer, you can qualify as a “helper” and earn $30 or more per hour. If you just have a strong back and the transportation to get you to and from jobs, you can be a “hand” and earn $15 plus tips.

EatWith

If you’ve ever considered opening your own restaurant, EatWith could be a good way to get started. The site allows you to register as a host to cook meals and serve them in your own home. You set the date, the menu, the number of guests you can accommodate, and the price. EatWith will book and charge guests, adding a 13% service fee on top of your price when selling the meal on line.

FreeeUp

FreeeUp is a freelance marketplace for content creators, web developers, tech support, sales and marketing professionals, accounting, translation and administration work. Freelancers on this site joke that they’re screened like they’re going through airport security in a war zone. But if you make it through this screening process, they rave that you’ll find plenty of work and it’s well paid. 

GreenPal

GreenPal connects homeowners in need of yard work with the contractors willing to do it. Contractors post profiles of their businesses and photographs of the yards they have serviced. When customers list jobs on the platform, contractors in the same geographic area can “bid” on the job, presumably giving the customer numerous landscapering offers to choose from.

Heartbeat

If you are someone who loves to take photographs of yourself, your food, your clothes — and tell all of your avid followers about everything you like and hate –you’re going to love Heartbeat, a.k.a. Heartbeat for Ambassadors.

This smart phone application pays you to tout products for major brands by…just being yourself. The concept is that brands get a better bang for their buck when the people touting them are real people — not actors — and are legitimately enthused about telling their friends about their products. Thus, Heartbeat is going to try to match you with things you’ll like. If you have a lot of engaged followers, you might even get free products, in addition to being paid.

ItsWorthMore

ItsWorthMore is in the business of buying and reselling used cell phones, tablets and a limited number of other electronic devices. The site provides an instant quote based on your device’s model and condition; emails the appropriate postage; and pays promptly. SideHusl tests of the site found it offered among the highest prices among cell phone resellers, competitive with sites such as MaxBack and TheWhizCells. However, avoid this site if you’ve replaced a screen on your cell, laptop or tablet. Screen replacements downgrade your electronics to “refurbished” status here, which sharply cuts their value.

JiffyonDemand

JiffyOnDemand connects customers needing repair or maintenance work with the contractors, who are willing and able to do it. Unlike some of the other sites that serve as matchmakers between contractors and consumers, JiffyOnDemand doesn’t let you set your own rates. The site has a rate schedule for 17 different tasks, including lawn care and plumbing. However, the site’s hourly rates are reasonable, paying contractors between $40 and $85 per hour. 

Kango

Kango is one of several sites that specializes in driving kids to and from school and sports. Drivers must be over the age of 21 and are thoroughly background checked, perhaps for obvious reasons. Unlike Uber and Lyft, where there are no hourly pay guantees, Kango promises that you’ll earn at least $20 per ride and $35 per hour. The only downside is the site is still young and has a limited geographic reach.

LessonFace

LessonFace is a tutoring platform that specializes in music and performing arts. It’s among our favorite sites for tutors, and given that tutoring is a generally well-paid job that you can do from home, we like the whole group a lot. What sets LessonFace apart is that it allows tutors to set their own rates and tutor completely online. Importantly too, it’s commission structure is among the lowest in the industry, ranging from 7.5% to 15% of pay, depending on who found the student. 

M-to-Z

Stay tuned. Next week we’ll introduce you to some highly-rated rental, teaching, tourism and professional job sites, when we continue with top-rated side hustles, almost from A-to-Z.