10 Side Hustles That Pay Well [Income & How To Start]

If you feel that the money you make from your primary job isn’t enough to give you the lifestyle you want, you should think about starting something on the side to make extra cash.

When you look for side hustles that pay well, you’ll find many options to choose from.

In this guide, we’ll provide you with valuable insights and tips on how to start ten of the best-paying side hustles.

Our Top Picks

Here’s a list of the best side hustles for you to choose from when looking for ways to make extra money:

• Freelancing: Best overall
• Flipping Things: Best for savvy entrepreneurs
• Dropshipping: Best for low startup capital
• Filling Surveys: Best for stay-at-home moms
• Airbnb Business: Best for real estate junkies
• Food Business From Home: Best for foodies
• Online Jewelry Business: Best for jewelry enthusiasts
• Picking Up Trash: Best for limited budgets
• Cleaning Windows: Best for those in good physical shape
• Cleaning Gutters: Best for those who live in rainy areas

Getting Started With Side Hustles That Pay Well

Here are a couple of questions people commonly have about side hustles that pay well:

What Are Side Hustles That Pay Well?

Side hustles that pay well are activities to engage in next to your main job that allow you to make a lot more money than you usually would.

These side hustles usually involve selling a product or service for extra income.

Why You Should Consider Starting a High-Paying Side Hustle?

In the tough economic times we live in, any opportunity to make extra cash is one you should take advantage of.

This is why starting a high-paying side hustle is a great idea.

The Best Side Hustles That Pay Well at a Glance

Many people question whether starting a side hustle online is a viable option to make additional income in your spare time.

In short, it is, and here are your best options:

What Is the Best-Paying Side Hustle?

The best-paying side hustles include freelancing, dropshipping, filling out surveys, and starting an Airbnb business.

All these side hustles require minimal startup capital and have the potential to be extremely lucrative.

How Can I Make an Extra $3,000 Per Month?

You can easily make an extra $3,000 per month by starting a food business from home, picking up trash, cleaning windows, or cleaning gutters.

Alternatively, you can capitalize on passive investments such as reselling VPS hosting.

The Side Hustles That Pay Well

Without further ado, let’s dive into the best-paying side hustle ideas to start and take your income to the next level:

1. Freelancing

In this day and age, you don’t need to be employed full-time at a company to utilize your talents and get paid well.

Since the world is more connected, you can reach clients from all over the globe and provide them with the services they need.

Some examples of fields you can freelance in are writing, graphic design, coding, web development, and translation.

Costs to Get Started

Starting a lucrative side hustle as a freelancer typically doesn’t cost anything upfront.

In some cases, the platform you list your services on may charge a fee to create your profile.

Some people take the alternative route of launching a website and listing their services on it.

In this case, you’ll incur the cost of creating the website.

Where to Find Work/Gigs For Freelancing

Here are some of the most popular platforms for freelance writing and other freelancing opportunities:

• Upwork: 10% commission on earnings
• Fiverr:

PlatformFees/CommissionPayment MethodsUpwork10% commission on earningsPayPal, credit/debit card, bank account (ACH) transferFiverr20% commission on earnings

Credit/debit card, PayPal

2. Flipping Things

The concept of buying for one dollar and selling for two is the cornerstone of any successful business involving physical products.

You can apply this concept to almost anything. For example, a lot of people have made tons of money flipping real estate.

Other great products to resell include Legos and concert tickets. Flipping things isn’t limited to physical products either, you can also resell services like VPS hosting.

As long as the item in question has a high resale value, flipping it will be a successful venture.

Costs to Get Started

The main cost of starting such a side hustle is the money you’ll spend to buy the product or service you plan to resell. Additionally, you should invest some capital in marketing your offering to improve your chances of finding willing buyers.

Where to Find Work/Gigs For Flipping Things

The platforms suitable for flipping things largely depend on what it is you’re flipping. Sticking with the examples mentioned above, here are the best platforms to flip Legos:

PlatformFees/CommissionPayment MethodseBayUp to 13.25% of the sale price, plus $0.30 per orderPayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, credit/debit cardFacebook Marketplace5% selling fee per shipment

Credit/debit card, PayPal

CraigslistNo listing fees and no commission Cash and check

As for concert tickets:

PlatformFees/CommissionPayment MethodsStubHub15% commission on the amount due to the sellerAmerican Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, StubHub gift cards, or PayPalTicketmaster15% commission on the amount due to the sellerAmerican Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Diners Club, Ticketmaster Gift Card, PayPal, or VenmoVivid Seats10% commission on the amount due to the sellerAmerican Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Google Wallet, Apple Pay, PayPal, PayPal Credit, and Android Pay

3. Dropshipping

You’ve probably heard this term a lot from bloggers and influencers on social media. But, what exactly is dropshipping?

It involves selling products on your website that you don’t keep in stock. Instead, you relay the orders you receive to another company for them to ship it directly to the customer. 

Essentially, you act as the middleman and get paid extremely well for it if you do it right.

Costs to Get Started

Technically, you can start a dropshipping business without any costs. This is possible because you don’t need to build inventory and some e-commerce platforms don’t charge listing fees.

That being said, your dropshipping business is more likely to be successful if you operate on your own website.

Where to Find Work/Gigs For Dropshipping

You can run your dropshipping business on various platforms. They include:

PlatformFees/CommissionBigCommerce15-day free trial, then $39 per monthWixStarting at $17 per monthWeeblyStarting at $13 per month

4. Filling Surveys

Do you want to make stacks of cash without having to get off your couch?

Believe it or not, there are surveys that pay cash instantly when you fill them. A lot of companies pay you great money to be a respondent in market research studies about topics you’re already interested in.

That means you get to make your voice heard as a consumer and line your pockets with cash at the same time. Talk about the perfect side hustle!

Costs to Get Started

Starting a side hustle filling in surveys doesn’t have to cost anything at all. You just need to set up your profile on one of the many available platforms, which is usually free. 

Some platforms offer you the option to pay for a premium account, which makes you more likely to be chosen for high-paying online surveys.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Filling in Surveys

Here are some of the platforms people use to get paid for filling in surveys:

PlatformRate Per SurveyRespondent.ioUp to $200 per surveySwagbucksUp to $50 per survey

5. Airbnb Business

There’s a common misconception that you can’t make money on Airbnb unless you own a house.

In reality, this isn’t true at all. There are many ways to significantly boost your income on Airbnb that don’t involve renting out your own property.

The key is rental arbitrage. This strategy involves renting a property with no intention of living in it. Instead, you list it for rent to a third party at a higher price than you paid and pocket the difference.

Costs to Get Started

The bulk of your startup cost will be the money you pay to rent the property. Additionally, you may need to furnish it, so this is an extra expense to consider.

You should also invest some cash in taking high-quality photos of the property and marketing it to attract potential tenants.

Other Ideas for an Airbnb Business

Rental arbitrage isn’t the only way to make big bucks on Airbnb.

You can also start an Airbnb cleaning service. This pertains to offering your services to other Airbnb users who need to keep their property clean and up to par.

Alternatively, you can make great money as an Airbnb copywriter. Many Airbnb users hire copywriters to spruce up their properties’ descriptions on the platform.  

6. Food Business From Home

If you fancy your talents in the kitchen, why not take advantage of them and turn them into a financial asset?

Starting a food business from home is an excellent idea because the initial startup capital is minimal. All you need is the right ingredients and your magic touch!

Costs to Get Started

Since you’ll make food for large numbers of people, you’ll be better off finding a supplier to buy ingredients from in bulk instead of getting them from the grocery store as usual. This way, you’ll get better deals and minimize your costs.

You should also consider investing in equipment like a larger oven and a stovetop with more space.  

Ideas for a Food Business From Home

There are numerous ways to put your cooking talents to good use.

One way is to start a catering service. People are always going to throw parties, and inevitably, will need food for those events.

You can also give cooking classes. Whether these classes are online or physical, they can potentially make your wallet a lot fatter.

7. Online Jewelry Business

If you have a passion for jewelry, why not use your expertise to start an online jewelry business?

You can either sell ready-made products or homemade jewelry. Either way, it’s important to know the type of customers you’re targeting.

This knowledge will clear up the way you position your brand. Are you a premium jewelry brand or a budget-friendly one, for instance?

Costs to Get Started

The costs of starting an online jewelry business involve setting up your website. Services such as Wix or Shopify make this step easy, but they do charge a fee.

You’ll also need to source your products or the materials you’ll use to make jewelry at home. In both cases, you should spend some money on marketing your offerings.

Ideas for an Online Jewelry Business

Jewelry is quite a broad category, so which type of jewelry should you sell?

You can make a name for yourself by selling custom-made jewelry. This appeals to your customers and forms a bond between them and your brand.

You should also consider selling men’s jewelry to take advantage of the lower competition in that market.

8. Picking Up Trash

There are some services we take for granted, but at the same time, we can’t live without them. A prime example of this is picking up trash.

You can start a parking lot cleaning service, or collect junk from sidewalks and make a killing selling it or depositing it at recycling centers.

Costs to Get Started

Starting a trash pickup side hustle requires minimal startup capital.

All that’s required is a broom, a litter collection tool, and a vehicle to get from one job to the other.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Picking Up Trash

Asking around at office buildings and strip malls that have parking lots is your best chance at finding regular gigs picking up trash.

To widen your reach, you can list your services on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.

There are also some excellent platforms for finding gigs picking up trash. They include Handy, Thumbtack, and Takl. 

9. Cleaning Windows

Another side hustle that pays really well is cleaning windows.

You can cater to the needs of commercial or residential clients, keeping their windows squeaky clean from the inside and outside.

Provided you’re in good physical shape, you can work 20 hours a week and make $35,000 to $50,000 a year in additional income.

Costs to Get Started

The expenses you’ll incur to start a window cleaning business mainly revolve around buying the equipment needed.

If you don’t already have one, you’ll also need to buy or rent a vehicle that can carry all your equipment and get you around.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Cleaning Windows

Like with picking up trash, the best places to start your search for window cleaning gigs are business complexes and strip malls in your area.

You’re likely to find a lot of opportunities on Handy, Thumbtack, and Takl too.

10. Cleaning Gutters

Are you sensing a theme here?

Like picking up trash and cleaning windows, cleaning gutters can be a gold mine. This is especially true if you live in an area that gets a lot of rain. Locals will need your services often because their gutters will get clogged every other day.

Costs to Get Started

You can start a gutter cleaning side hustle with around $2,000. This money will be spent on gutter cleaning equipment like leaf blowers and power washers. You also need a truck that can carry at least one ladder.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Cleaning Gutters

Apart from the handyman freelancing platforms mentioned in the two sections above, you can find work cleaning gutters by listing your services on online platforms like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.

How to Start a Lucrative Side Hustle

The next step after finding a side hustle that suits you is to know how to start it.

Here are some of the most important steps you should take when starting an online side job:

Find a Product or Service to Sell

The first step to start a lucrative side hustle is to find a product or service with high consumer demand. When you provide this product or service to consumers, you’ll benefit from the high profit margin it offers.

Oftentimes, you’ll have fierce competition. To overcome this, you need to differentiate your offering or set your brand apart from others through effective positioning.

Find a Platform to Sell on

Now that you’ve settled on a product or service, you need to have a suitable platform to sell it on. Which platform is best in your case largely depends on what you’re selling.

Make Sure You Have a Solid Business Plan

Before you dive head-first into your side hustle, make sure that you know how it’s going to make money first. Many people make the mistake of figuring out their business plan on the go. This leads to them realizing they’re losing money.

Market Your Product or Service

No matter how great your product or service is, you won’t be able to take advantage unless people know about it. As a result, marketing your offerings effectively is essential to the success of your side hustle.

Hire Help if Needed

As you experience initial success, your side hustle will grow. When this happens, the larger scale of operations can be overwhelming. At this point, it’s a good idea to hire some people to help you out.

Wrapping Up

If your main job’s salary isn’t cutting it, side hustles that pay well are the answer. Your search for high-paying side jobs will yield numerous options.

We believe the best option is freelancing. You don’t have to pay anything upfront and you can use your talents to boost your income significantly. Flipping products or services and starting an Airbnb business are also excellent choices.

Put your thinking cap on and decide which side hustle is best for you!

Similar Side Hustles to Check Out

Here are some of them:

• Fast Side Hustles: Do you want to make some extra cash but don’t have much spare time? Check out these quick side hustles that’ll be perfect alongside your main job.
• Remote Side Hustles: Sometimes circumstances don’t allow you to move around. In that case, these remote side hustles will be just what the doctor ordered.
• Weekend Side Hustles: Are you a believer of “no days off?” Explore these side hustles to do over the weekend and make the most out of your week.