25 Best Gig Economy Jobs for Earning Supplemental Income with MyCityChannels.com
The gig economy has revolutionized the way Americans earn money. From primary income sources to secondary revenue streams, here are the best-in-class options for gig workers looking to make an extra buck.
1. Food delivery – ? Pay: $12 per hour (Source: PayScale)
Similar to online retail, online food delivery sales continue to climb, expected to make up 40% of total restaurant sales by 2023[1]. This could be a lucrative gig job for anyone living in a city or densely populated area.
2. Personal grocery shopper – ? Pay: $13 per hour (Source: PayScale)
Working as a personal grocery shopper is a bit different from the other gigs. Not only are you making the deliveries, you’re also going into the store, finding all the items on your customer’s list, and purchasing them.
This requires more communication with your customers than other delivery gigs. If you can’t find an item or need to make a substitution, you’ll need to confirm it with your customer. The additional level of service required presents an opportunity for higher tips, but it could also result in a lower hourly rate (and more frustration) if you’re not cognizant of your time.
3. Personal tutor – ? Pay: $18 per hour (Source: PayScale)
A common misconception about this gig economy job is that you need a teaching degree or experience to work as a personal tutor. That might be true for certain companies, but the majority of tutoring platforms don’t require either of those things. You will need to be 18 or older for most tutoring gigs.
4. Resident host – ? Pay: $924 per month; average Airbnb host earnings (Source: Earnest)
While many gig companies preceded what became known as the gig economy, few before (or since) have gained notoriety in the way that Airbnb has. A seamless user experience matched with an insatiable need for short-term rentals, property owners found themselves sitting on a gold mine as discretionary spending recovered after the 2008 recession.
Since then, competitors and spin-offs have emerged, creating an entire ecosystem for hosting your home, a room in your home, or even just your couch — and turning those spaces into big bucks.
5. Storage host – ? Pay: $10,000+ per year; according to testimonials (Source: Neighbor)
Not everyone likes the idea of owning rental property or having strangers stay in their home. If you still want to make money from your space, hosting people’s belongings may be a better fit.
Platforms for storage hosts allow you to rent out specific spaces on your property, like your backyard, driveway, attic, or even a closet. Some apps cater to a very specific purpose, like business meetings, weddings, or storing particular types of vehicles (RVs, boats, etc.).
You get to choose your renters and the types of belongings (or events) you accept. With the right renters, this gig can become a reliable passive income stream.
6. Internet gig worker – ? Pay: $2 – $7 per hour[4], up to $22 per hour[5] (Source: Cornell University[4], Side Hustle Nation[5])
There’s a hodgepodge of gig jobs online that consist of completing small tasks for small pay. This could include taking short surveys, cleaning up spreadsheets, collecting data, editing product listings, and a host of other items that take a few seconds or minutes to complete.
These are usually the easiest gig economy jobs, fitting for those small pockets of time throughout the day when you’re waiting in line at your kid’s school pickup or taking the bus to work. These aren’t high-paying tasks, so reserve them for when your other money-earning options are limited.
7. Rideshare driver – ? Pay: $15 per hour (Source: Glassdoor)
Ridesharing is one of the most popular gig economy jobs out there today, which isn’t a surprise since it’s so easy to get started. If you have a license, vehicle, and can pass a basic background check, you can probably work as a rideshare driver. You can make way more money working fewer hours by picking up shifts during the right days and times. For me, living in a college town, that was college football game days. Test out a few different times in your area, like evenings, weekend afternoons, and early weekday mornings, to see what shifts pay the most.
8. Dog walker – ? Pay: $14 per hour (Source: ZipRecruiter)
As a dog owner and pet lover, this is one of my personal favorite ways to make money in the gig economy. I recently started dog sitting on various apps as a way to socialize my dog without going to dog parks.
This could be a relatively easy gig economy job if you already work at home or have pets of your own. You can also offer services that fit with your schedule and lifestyle.
As a dog owner and pet lover, this is one of my personal favorite ways to make money in the gig economy. I recently started dog sitting on various apps as a way to socialize my dog without going to dog parks.
This could be a relatively easy gig economy job if you already work at home or have pets of your own. You can also offer services that fit with your schedule and lifestyle.
9. Scooter maintenance – ? Pay: $3 – $20 per charged scooter (Source: Bird.co)
In cities across the country, on-demand scooter use has become a hot mode of transportation. Rather than wait for a bus, train, subway — or worse, having to walk from Point A to Point B — thrill-seekers are renting strategically placed scooters [think $3 for a 2-mile ride] to get where they need to go.
As it goes, scooter maintenance is perhaps a broad term for what you effectively do with your iPhone at the end of each day — charge it.
10. Proofreader – ? Pay: $18 per hour (Source: PayScale)
Before an article, paper, book, or blog post is published, a proofreader goes through it to look for things like typos, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors. Freelance proofreaders perform this service for authors, journalists, website owners, and other businesses.
11. Virtual assistant – ? Pay: $16 per hour (Source: PayScale)
The virtual assistant (VA) market is another that’s seen rapid growth over the past few years. The total market was valued at $2.58 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $6.27 billion by 2025[3], which means it’s not too late to capitalize on the need for virtual help.
12. Transcriber – ? Pay: $15 per hour (Source: PayScale)
Transcription involves listening to audio recordings and typing them into written reports. Transcription jobs typically pay by the audio hour. For every hour of audio you transcribe, you earn a set dollar amount.
Medical and legal transcription pay higher rates than general transcription. There’s no minimum typing speed required, and you don’t need a certification. However, some companies require that you have a minimum word per minute (WPM) score.
13. Writer – ? Pay: $24/hour (Source: PayScale)
Many writers, especially in personal finance, real estate, or technology, make a solid income from their craft. Writing books isn’t the only option for writers. Large companies with big marketing budgets pay freelance writers for articles. Most jobs you’ll find pay on a per-word basis, and I’ve seen writers charge up to $0.50 per word for 1,200 words. That’s $600 for a single article.
14. Babysitter – ? Pay: $13 per hour (Source: Indeed)
An old-school gig economy job, babysitting isn’t just for teenagers and college students. In fact, many parents prefer that adults watch their kids for them. Babysitting sites are great to get started with this gig.
Fortunately, finding babysitting gigs isn’t as sketchy as it used to be. No longer do you have to post an ad on Craigslist and hope the person who answers isn’t a serial killer in hiding. You can create a profile on websites designed for babysitters and connect with families that match your preferences.
15. Elderly companion ? Pay: $13 per hour (Source: Salary.com)
The role of an elderly companion is to help seniors with day-to-day tasks. You might be asked to go grocery shopping, clean, prepare meals, drive them to appointments, or just keep them company.
Companions are considered non-medical caregivers, so you don’t need a nursing license or medical background for this gig job. However, you may be expected to have a CPR certification. Depending on the company you work with, certain training may be provided.
16. Retail support technician – ? Pay: $20 per hour (Source: ZipRecruiter)
This gig involves completing short jobs for retailers from your phone, like trying out a new restaurant or calling the customer service department at a store, and reporting on your experience. Other tasks may include reviewing physical products, taking photos of product placements, or filling out product surveys.
These jobs pay anywhere from a few dollars each to $20 or more depending on the requirements. While it’s not the most lucrative gig economy job, it’s a great way to make extra money on the weekends, during your lunch break at work, or when you’re already out and about running errands.
17. Developer – ? Pay: $36 per hour (Source: ZipRecruiter)
Experts project the demand for talented web developers to grow by 8% from 2019 through 2029[4], driven by the popularity of eCommerce and mobile web search. Web development is one of those gigs where if you’re not in it, the terminology can be confusing.
Developers need to know a variety of programming languages to design and build software products. Typically, you’ll specialize in one of two areas: front-end (what a user sees when they visit a website) or back-end (what makes a website and its features function properly).
18. Graphic designer – ? Pay: $27 per hour (Source: ZipRecruiter)
Graphic design is a multi-faceted gig. Depending on your skills and experience, you could freelance as an illustrator, website designer, brand expert, or even sell social media templates to bloggers and small business owners.
19. Photographer – ? Pay: $32 per hour (Source: Salary.com)
You might think that with smartphone cameras becoming more and more advanced, the market for photographers would be shrinking. But having a good camera doesn’t make you a photographer, which means there’s still plenty of demand for talented photographers, especially if you can find the right niche.
Most new photographers start out doing family and wedding photos, but you can make more money as a freelance photographer working for businesses and other professionals. A friend of mine started a new photography business last year. He specializes in real estate photography, using a drone to capture aerial footage of large properties. Since companies have larger budgets than individuals, he’s able to charge more per job.
Other options to make money with photography in the gig economy include selling stock photos online or turning your images into art and selling them on canvases, clothing, or household items.
20. Mover – ? Pay: $14 per hour (Source: PayScale)
For this gig job, you’ll need to be able to lift at least 50 to 100 pounds. With gig apps designed specifically for this job, you can view a list of available gigs in your area, pick the ones that fit your schedule, and get paid directly through the app.
Some apps also give you the opportunity to accept tips through the platform and earn more by referring friends to apply. Depending on the companies you work with, you may need to complete an background check before you can begin accepting gigs.
21. Handyman – ? Pay: $23 per hour (Source: PayScale)
Working as a handyman, you’ll perform tasks like moving furniture, hanging televisions or pictures, repairing holes in walls, or fixing loose stairs or deck planks is a tried and true gig economy job. While people used to find this kind of work through word-of-mouth referrals or hanging flyers, gig apps make it easier than ever to find work as a handyman.
You’ll need access to a vehicle and may need specific tools for certain gigs. If you can work with your hands, fix things, and do it in a timely fashion, you can make a consistent income in the gig economy working as a handyman.
22. Delivery driver – ? Pay: $16 per hour plus tips (Source: Indeed)
eCommerce is a booming industry, expected to pass $740 billion in sales[5] in the United States alone and make up 22% of all global retail sales[6] by 2023. With online orders on the rise, companies are expanding their delivery workforce in an effort to keep up.
The growth and crowdsourcing of delivery drivers makes this one of the best gig economy jobs available today. Similar to Uber or Lyft, you can sign up with same-day delivery services and pick up gigs that fit your schedule. Many offer a minimum payout for each delivery as well as the opportunity to receive tips through their app.
25. Housesitter –
House sitting has become a popular way to travel the world on a budget in recent years, but you can also make easy money house sitting in your own neighborhood. Holiday seasons and summer tend to be the best time for finding housesitting gigs. People with pets, plants, or gardens need someone to take care of them while they’re away visiting family or on vacation.
Housesitting apps typically come with a subscription fee of $20 to $100 a year. But for that fee, you’ll be matched with verified homeowners and receive access to both long- and short-term housesitting opportunities in the locations you choose.
