With the cost of living increasing and wages failing to keep up, more individuals are looking to make extra money outside their ordinary jobs.
Thankfully, with the online creator economy currently booming alongside a thriving in-person gig economy, there are many opportunities to get started with supplementary income.
Here’s a list of 40 of the best ways to make side money, including methods online and in person. With the right mindset and hustle, each of these has the potential to replace your current income.
24 ways to make extra money online
Making money online is the dream for many who want the freedom that comes with working from home or being able to work from anywhere as a digital nomad.
Here are some of the best ideas for cashing in online today:
1. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the most accessible and flexible ways to start making money online. As an affiliate marketer, you promote a company’s product and earn a commission for each sale caused by your efforts, often through a unique referral link.
In order to make the most money as an affiliate marketer, you’ll need to pick a niche to create content around and then sign up for affiliate programs within it so you can promote products that are naturally aligned with your audience. Amazon Associates and ClickBank are some of the most popular public platforms for advertising a diverse set of products. Most companies, particularly software companies, use affiliate marketing. Be sure to check if a product you like has an affiliate program and review the rules for signing up. You can also cash in by promoting top-selling digital products right here on Whop.
2. Sell ebooks
Digital products are a great way to earn online thanks to their numerous inherent advantages, including their scalability and low cost to produce combined with high-profit margins.
Of all the types of profitable digital products you can sell, ebooks remain one of the best options. Simply pick a topic that aligns with your expertise and take the time to craft a compelling offering that solves a specific problem and is conveniently packaged into an ebook.
Once made, ebooks have great potential for generating passive income. Platforms like Whop, Amazon Kindle, Etsy, or your own website can be used to host and sell your ebooks; however, to make sales, you need to develop a marketing system to consistently drive traffic to your store.
3. Sell video courses
Video courses have a lengthier and more intensive production period than ebooks, but once completed, they have the potential to command much higher prices—it’s not uncommon to see video courses being purchased for $1,000 or even more.
However, in order to justify premium prices, make sure you create a comprehensive course that delivers clear value and tangible results. You’ll also need a good level of social proof in terms of your existing following or genuine testimonials in addition to creating a solid funnel for selling your course.
The more specific your course is, the more likely you can sell it. For example, a general course on social media marketing might not do well, but if you focus on using TikTok to promote a dropshipping store with organic virality, you’re more likely to find a niche audience.
It’s best to sell a course through a platform like Whop, as hosting and delivering it yourself can prove costly and complicated.
4. Offer email marketing services
Email marketing continues to prove itself as an integral part of a well-crafted funnel. Since this isn’t something that can be easily automated, businesses will continue to look for dedicated staff to fill this role.
Whether you’re writing strategic emails, managing newsletters, creating automated sequences, or developing overall strategies, the roles you can take on and the income potential in this realm can be significant.
Start by getting familiar with email marketing platforms such as Convertkit and Mailchimp, in addition to understanding basic metrics like open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate.
To stand out from other providers, find your expertise and market yourself to business owners in that field.
5. Software as a Service (SaaS)
Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is a model for distributing software services. It has the potential for huge profits in addition to recurring revenue, so if you’re technically inclined, this can be one of the best ways to cash in online. Even if you don’t have fully developed coding chops, you can still utilize no-code solutions or partner with developers to bring your idea to life.
Crafting a SaaS solution will involve a lengthy development phase, but you can expedite this with the help of AI. Once you’re done creating it, you should go through the standard phases of software product launching, including collecting a small batch of initial users for beta testing and feedback before iterating and launching the final version.
The key to success with SaaS is identifying a specific problem that businesses or consumers face and creating an easy-to-use, functional solution. Be sure to research your target market for existing solutions so you can find what people are paying for and figure out where your solution can fit in.
Learn how to sell SaaS the right way in this guide.
6. Become a social media influencer
While their role is often misunderstood or downplayed by the general public, social media influencers play an integral part in the online money ecosystem and are undoubtedly some of the most effective forms of marketing for businesses of all sizes.
Today, building yourself up to a successful influencer has evolved beyond lifestyle content and good-looking photographs. Successful influencers today are highly engaging niche specialists—even if their audience just comes to them for entertainment, they’ve found a unique angle to stand out and gain loyalty.
Growing a following will take time, but with enough consistency and some luck, every post or reel you make has the potential for virality that can grow your audience significantly in a reasonably short timeframe.
For more specific info on being an influencer, check out How do influencers make money? Social media monetization guide.
7. Sell stock photos or videos
If you’re into photography, one of the best ways to take your existing work and turn it into a potential stream of passive income is by selling stock photos or videos.
Whether you’re capturing urban landscapes, portraits that represent moods, lifestyle moments, or iconic landmarks, every photo you take has the potential to become a stock image that someone is willing to pay for.
Platforms like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock will allow you to create a profile and submit media for users to purchase.
8. Print-on-demand
Print-on-demand (POD) is a form of dropshipping that allows entrepreneurs a way to sell unique creations without the burden of managing inventory or investing in it upfront.
Successful POD businesses often target a specific niche or community. For example, someone can make a merchandise store that’s marketed towards parents of newborn babies, complete with clever or meaningful phrases that resonate with new parents.
The key to making good money with POD is to understand and resonate with your audience in addition to having a bit of creative flair.
9. Podcast editing
The boom in podcasting has created a consistent demand for skilled editors to serve this growing group of businesses and individuals. Most of these podcasters will employ freelancers to help with editing, and learning how to become a freelancer editor is easier than you might think.
Get familiar with editing software and consider offering limited free services at first to develop your portfolio or show companies what it’s like to work with you. From there, you can go on to charge either an hourly or a fixed rate, and once you get the hang of it, you can potentially manage multiple clients to stack up a healthy income.
Starting your own podcast is another viable extra-money idea if you’re willing to make the commitment. See these standout podcast topic ideas to get started.
10. Short-form video editing
Perhaps the most lucrative form of editing is in short-form videos—creators know they have the greatest shot at going viral basically overnight if they do these right.
Free and easy-to-use video editing software like CapCut opens the potential for anyone with a bit of creativity and the willingness to learn. You'll need to stay updated with what makes content viral to take on this role.
Experienced editors can charge $50-$150 or even more per video, and with the potential to do a few videos in one hour, short-form editing has big money potential.
To remain on top of the fast-changing world of virality, consider joining a private community, such as a TikTok Discord, so you can stay up to date with winning strategies and trends.
11. Consulting
Subject matter experts can cash in at high hourly rates as consultants in their industry. If you have formal education and professional experience in a certain realm, you can cash in as a consultant outside of your work.
Areas that surround money-making such as business development, marketing and advertising, and customer retention and acquisition have the greatest potential for high hourly rates.
Your success will depend on establishing credibility, which can be achieved by building a strong personal brand. Use a platform like Whop to create a community around your consultancy, provide video training, and sell resources and templates.
12. Personal coaching
Even if you don’t have the professional clout of a traditional subject matter expert, you can still cash in as a personal coach. This field offers more accessibility than traditional consulting, as its client base is broader and cares more about results and reputation compared to formal accreditations.
You can help with life goals, specific skills, or general personal development, but you’ll need to research what existing coaches in your chosen field are doing. Figure out what their offerings and rates are in addition to how they build their reputation and trust to gain clients.
13. Create a newsletter
Paid online newsletters have evolved to become legitimate business models, with successful examples such as The Hustle and Morning Brew sold for tens of millions of dollars.
Smaller creators can still take a piece of this large pie, but you’ll need to build and foster a targeted audience—something that takes time. At first, offer free value to collect subscribers and then you can move on to creating a paid subscription in addition to collecting money from in-email sponsors or ads.
Another great thing about a newsletter is the recurring revenue model. This makes for predictable income and a higher chance of selling your newsletter down the road.
14. Participate in surveys
While this method isn’t a path to big money, participating in surveys or market research is a great way to supplement income with easy-to-complete tasks. The only qualification will be your demographic, and with companies always researching different segments of the population, you can likely find a paying survey or research program that you can partake in.
Top platforms like Respondent and User Interviews pay the highest rates, while companies such as Survey Junkie and Swagbucks will have the easiest approval processes but lower pay rates.
For a similar type of mindless labor, check out Reddit’s r/beermoney, where users share these types of opportunities.
15. Product testing
Companies that make physical products or software will sometimes recruit and pay people to test early versions of their products. This is a win-win situation because users make money and the company gets valuable feedback on what will satisfy consumers for the final version of their product. Given that you follow directions, you will often get paid in free products, a flat rate, or both.
Product testing opportunities might be a bit less common than surveys, but they often pay higher rates. You can check out platforms like UserTesting and Testbirds to find product testing opportunities. Another way to approach this opportunity is to look for newer Amazon sellers who are looking for reviews in exchange for free products and sometimes a flat fee on top of that. You can network with sellers inside private groups and forums, and with many products launched daily from new sellers on Amazon, opportunities are abundant.
16. Make a YouTube channel
YouTube is one of the longest-standing platforms for creators of all types. In the nearly 20 years since it’s been online, the opportunities are only growing, so making a YouTube channel is still one of the best ways to make extra online money today.
Although YouTube is best for launching long-form content, YouTube Shorts has proven to be an effective way to capture a new audience and grow existing ones with clips that are often under one minute.
The key to success with YouTube is a consistent focus on providing value while being engaging and entertaining. For the camera-shy, it’s possible to produce faceless content that can still be monetized in the same way a personal brand can, especially today with the help of AI like Midjourney and ElevenLabs for media and voice generation.
Once you gain traction on your YouTube channel, you can earn money through advertising, sponsorships, digital products, and more. So, if you lay the foundation correctly, this method has high potential to become a full-time income.
17. Create and sell Instagram accounts
Building and selling themed Instagram accounts has gone from a low-key underground market to a well-known opportunity and a legitimate way to make a good source of income.
Themed accounts with large, targeted audiences can sell for five or even six figures, and in the meantime, they can be monetized through a wide spectrum of methods including sponsored posts, private memberships, and digital products.
Successful theme niches include pets, luxury, travel, tech, and business. Simply pick a niche that you align with and consistently put out content. Leverage AI as much as you can and follow trends to achieve virality, which will give you the traction and audience that you can monetize and sell.
18. Teach English online
Much of the world recognizes English as the universal language to communicate across borders, and if you were born and raised as a native speaker, you have the opportunity to cash in on this inherent skill by teaching English online.
Companies like VIPKid, Cambly, and Qkids are actively recruiting native English speakers to teach kids the language, and you often don’t need a formal certification such as TEFL to participate as long as you can prove that you’re a fluent speaker.
This makes teaching English online one of the most popular jobs for both digital nomads and those looking for cash on the side—all you have to do is sign up, get approved, set your schedule, and you’ll have this side hustle up and going.
19. Become a virtual assistant
Most companies today have distributed teams that have evolved beyond the office space, and in many cases, this includes virtual assistants (VAs).
While many companies will outsource VA work to overseas workers at low rates, there’s still a good market for higher-paying work, particularly with companies and entrepreneurs that are looking for individuals with specialized skills.
The tasks you’ll perform as a VA will largely be administrative, so you need to be good at organizing, scheduling, and communicating. While you might get paid on the lower end in the beginning, you can prove your worth and highlight your specialties to eventually gain higher pay.
20. Host a mastermind
Masterminds combine group coaching with selective peer networking for an environment that promotes a high degree of accountability and fertile ground for success. These tight-knit circles create communities that can often command high prices for organizers and hosts.
If you have an in-demand skill, expertise, or extensive history in a professional area, you should consider building your presence to launch a private mastermind.
It’s best to offer a public and free version of your group to provide value and curate the type of people you interact with. This community can also help you figure out which specific topic to set for your mastermind in addition to its schedule.
21. Help build communities
The ecosystem of online communities has expanded exponentially in recent years, with platforms such as Discord and Whop growing to become a home to a plethora of groups on various topics.
With many communities having monetization potential through private memberships, sponsorships, or promotion of their product or services, the majority are willing to recruit and pay people who can help build and foster their audience. Becoming a community builder or manager will rarely have a formal qualification beyond relevant experience or being an active member of the community itself. So, as long as you prove your worth and network, you can become a paid community builder fairly quickly.
Or, rather than helping to build a community, you could create your own. Whop is home to thousands of paid communities (aka 'whops') across a whole range of topics, from sports betting, to ecommerce, to travel, and more. Whatever your niche you can build a community with Whop in just minutes. It's completely free to do so and you can design your community your way thanks to Whop apps.
22. Become a moderator
In addition to community builders, moderators are in demand, and while some moderators are volunteers, there’s an opportunity to receive pay as a professional moderator.
Large communities on Whop, Discord, Reddit, Facebook, or privately hosted platforms will almost always have an opportunity for paid moderation. In order to qualify as a moderator, you’ll need first to be an active member of the specific community; the good part about this is you often don’t even need outside experience as long as you prove that you’re professional and reliable.
As a moderator, your duties could range from tasks like creating and enforcing community guidelines to managing members and answering questions. While being a moderator can be a flexible side hustle, it can also require your presence around the clock, so it’s best to do it in a community you’re passionate about.
23. Sell leads
Selling leads is a side hustle that has the potential to be quite lucrative, especially if you’re dealing in high-ticket niches. You can either charge a commission or a flat fee for providing qualified leads to businesses that are often very willing to pay for them.
Effective lead generation combines marketing skills with sales development, so success will require an understanding of both marketing channels and your client’s specific industry and needs.
Medical, legal, financial, real estate, insurance, and B2B services are the best niches for leads, as they’re always looking for new customers. You can pick one that aligns best with your knowledge and interests to make the most money.
24. Appointment setting
Becoming an appointment setter has evolved from an administrative task to a specific role that presents a good opportunity for extra cash; it can often be done remotely, too.
This role doesn’t just include organizing and scheduling appointments—you’ll need to be good at vetting potential clients so you only bring qualified leads to these sales-centered appointments.
The best appointment setters combine strong intuition with people and sales skills and will ideally almost guarantee that the appointment results in a sale. As an appointment setter, you’ll either get paid a flat rate, a commission, or a combination of both. The income potential can be high, especially if you’re in a niche such as wealth management or high-ticket B2B SaaS.
16 ways to make extra money in person
The old-school form of hustling in person to make cash is still as viable today as it has ever been, and thanks to platforms that support the booming gig economy, it’s never been easier to participate.
Some of the best ways to make money in person include the following:
25. Short-term rentals
One in-person method of making side cash is the market for short-term rentals. This has evolved from being a somewhat underground market to a more common practice.
Beyond the traditional Airbnb rentals, there’s an opportunity for monetizing spaces for other uses like recording podcasts, filming YouTube videos, or hosting events. If you want success with creative short-term rentals, focus on creating a unique experience that solves a specific need and market it to your local community.
It’s important to calculate the startup and ongoing overhead costs in addition to assessing your local market before getting into short-term rentals of any kind. Once launched, you can expand this to a healthy income.
26. Rideshare driving
A car is one of the most costly possessions, but it can be transformed from a money-draining liability to a cash-generating asset with rideshare driving. Platforms like Uber and Lyft have made it easier than ever to sign up and earn money with your car on your own schedule. The key to making top dollar as a rideshare driver is to drive at peak hours such as weekend nights, which can sometimes earn you $50 per hour or more.
27. Food delivery
Another method for making extra money in person is delivering food. This has become increasingly popular following the pandemic, where many people have built and formed the habit of ordering food from companies like DoorDash and Grubhub.
Signing up on one of these platforms is quick and simple, and once approved, you can turn it into a flexible source of income. Test out different areas in your city to see which ones prove the most lucrative and pleasant to work in.
28. DJ
One of the most profitable in-person hustles is DJing, and it’s actually easier than you might think to learn. There are tons of easy-to-follow tutorials on YouTube on the topic.
The only prerequisite to being a DJ is having a good sense of rhythm and flow combined with the ability to read and work a crowd, so if you can achieve this, you can become a DJ once you learn how to work the equipment.
Practice at home to build your skills, and from there, you just need to network and prove that you can draw and retain a crowd and following. Bars, weddings, and corporate events are the most lucrative, with rates at $300 and even $1,000 per night being fairly standard.
29. Bartend
Another side hustle with the potential for high hourly rates is bartending. Going to a bartending school will give you a leg up but is not necessary to get started, as most establishments will put you through training. Additionally, settings like sports bars and clubs don’t require much knowledge of mixology.
Bartending can be quite lucrative, especially through tips that can easily earn you over $50 per hour during peak times like weekend nights. Expect to work late, too.
30. Background actor
While this work isn’t consistent and is only open to locations where movies or TV shows are being filmed, becoming a background actor can be a fun way to make extra income.
The hours can be long and rates might be on the lower end, but the work is often both easy and fun. You’ll get other perks, too, such as potential networking and free food and drinks. You’ll often be free to do whatever you want in between shooting, including work on another side gig.
31. Dog walking
The market for dog walkers continues to expand, especially in urban areas. Busy dog-owning professionals want to keep their dogs active and satisfied.
Apps like Wag and Rover make it easy to sign up and offer services as a dog walker, and you can sometimes even handle multiple dogs at once to max out your earnings.
32. Pet sitting
Another market in the pet niche is pet sitting, which can involve anything from overnight stays to routine maintenance and specialized care while owners are away.
Rover and Petbacker are popular platforms that you can use to create a profile and find pet owners who want an experienced and caring guardian for their furry friends. If you’re living nomadically or looking for somewhere to stay, pet sitting can also open up the door for free accommodation.
33. Sell at local markets
Most cities have vibrant local markets, often on weekends, and open up participation to anyone who has goods to showcase and sell. If you have something that you want to sell, whether it’s crafts or food, you should take advantage of this opportunity by looking into how to participate in your local area.
Be sure that you’re able to meet any requirements. This could include a participation fee and potentially needing a license or permit to sell certain products such as food or drink. Selling at local markets can also be used to test the viability of a product before expanding to a larger market.
34. Perform property services
Performing property services such as lawn mowing, snow shoveling, and gutter cleaning is an old-school in-person side hustle that still has a proven market today.
In addition to common services, you can get creative with offerings like power washing or holiday decorating that can often command higher rates and have less competition due to the up-front costs involved.
Local advertising using Facebook, classifieds, or even flyers and knocking door-to-door are all viable methods for finding and building a customer base that can potentially expand to a full-time income.
35. Car detailing
One specific service that you can offer in person that has a steady market and proven income potential is car detailing. The overhead to start this business is fairly low, as it just includes reusable equipment and cleaning products that have a low cost per use.
To stand out and make big money with car detailing, consider catering to higher-end clientele, showing that you have the attention to detail, professionalism, equipment, and care to deal with expensive or exotic cars.
Offering services like wraps and painting will require training and higher initial investment but can open up the door for services with good income.
36. Become a tour guide
With more people traveling both domestically and abroad looking for unique, local experiences, the demand for local tour guides is steadier than ever.
If you love your city and have been around long enough to be considered a local, you can give a unique experience and make money as a local tour guide. In addition to working with an existing company, you can freelance and provide curated tours, especially with the rise of Airbnb’s Experiences that showcase experiences led by locals.
Tour guides often have high hourly rates and can make a good amount of money especially if they’re leading groups. Check your local competition and what’s in demand; you can use a platform like TripAdvisor or Showaround to find customers.
37. Photography
For the artistically inclined with a good eye, photography remains a great way to make extra money. Not only does this offer the potential for passive income by submitting stock photography online, but it also opens up the door for lucrative in-person gigs.
If you don’t know where to start, consider taking up portrait photography for specific customers such as couples, graduating seniors, or those looking for professional headshots. Continue to brush up on your editing skills, build a profile, and network, and in due time, your photography business can turn from extra cash to a full-time income.
38. Personal assistant
Busy professionals, successful entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth individuals have the disposable income and need for personal assistants. As a personal assistant, you’ll need to be willing to adhere to the demands and schedule of your boss, which can include anything from simple errands like shopping to administrative tasks and comprehensive lifestyle management.
In order to become a personal assistant, you’ll often need to network and ask around. Most of these opportunities come from word-of-mouth, as a high degree of trust and occasional confidentiality is involved.
While you can be a personal assistant on the side for extra income, many of those looking will eventually transition you to a full-time role.
39. Offer cleaning services
Professional cleaning services remain in high demand, opening up the market for sole traders.
The great thing about offering cleaning services is that while you can do the cleaning yourself, you can also arrange a team and outsource work to them while still charging enough to generate a profit without needing to do any of the actual physical labor.
You’ll need to build a professional website and gain trust and testimonials. Facebook ads in particular are great for targeting a local audience for cleaning services, and you can run this operation on your own schedule, even if you’re working a full-time job.
40. Help with moving or packing
People regularly go through transitions in their living spaces, and as many of these individuals are busy, the demand for those who can help move or pack is steady.
To make extra cash as a mover or packer, you can sign up with a company or take on a gig that you can find on local classifieds, or you can create and advertise your own service independently.
Consider specializing in unique services. You could clean and remove items from foreclosures or abandoned property or handle art or estate organization to charge high rates.
Digital products: The best way to make extra money
As we’ve seen with this extensive list of examples, your income doesn’t have to be limited just to your job—an abundance of opportunities for extra money exists both online and in person.
While in-person hustles like rideshare driving or food delivery can be a viable path to earning extra income fast, these have inherent limitations involving both competition and scalability. Most online gigs are also subject to these same concerns, sometimes to a higher degree, especially on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork where you compete with the entire world.
The golden opportunity of making money today lies in creating and selling digital products thanks to their inherent advantages: They cost almost nothing to produce, can be scaled easily, and can generate passive income once they’re created, as they can be sold indefinitely without additional effort.
Make extra money online with Whop
If you’re looking for somewhere to create, host, or launch your digital product, course, or service, Whop offers a comprehensive solution.
Unlike other ecommerce platforms that charge hefty ongoing subscriptions, Whop is completely free to use and only charges transaction fees. It gives you everything you need to succeed, including the ability to create and host your very own whop.
So, whether you want to sell an ebook, course, SaaS solution, or access to a paid private community complete with proprietary tools and content, Whop can support you with smooth payment processing, customer support, and analytics.
Best of all, once you finalize your offering, you’ll gain exposure to Whop’s thriving marketplace, which has generated store owners over $500 million in the past few years alone.
Take the first step by creating or launching your product with Whop today. This will put you in the coveted company of other savvy internet entrepreneurs capitalizing on the modern-day gold rush of digital products.
