A while ago during the Great Recession, there were huge numbers of layoffs across all types of jobs.
People were being fired from jobs they’ve held for the better part of their lives. This prompted the market to shift to freelancers and gig work to take their place in an unsteady economy.
While many people predicted that this would be a short-lived phenomenon, that hasn’t been the case at all. In fact, 57 US Million Workers are part of the gig economy according to Forbes.
Many people have flourished being freelance writers, rideshare apps, taskers, online tutors, or food delivery drivers and they feel that it is the way forward. Clocking in and out of work has been seen to be less desirable these days. Having your own flexible schedule is the way forward.
That's great and all…but…
But which gig economy jobs pay the most?
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Highest Paying Gig Economy Jobs
These side hustles pay top dollar, you ready? All you need is to flex your fingers, scroll through your smartphone or laptop and check out the best gig apps and gig economy jobs that offer flexible work and a whole lotta cash.
1. Buying and Selling Websites
- Median monthly income: Varies
- Median hourly rate: Varies
- Maximum monthly income: Varies
Buying and selling websites is a non-well-known gig economy job that's worth your time. If you're buying and building up multiple websites you can easily make a six-figure income.
You can see my guide on how to make money buying and selling websites so you can learn the ins and out. The process is simple: buy a website from a marketplace like Flippa, fix it up, and resell it for more once it's making more money each month. Websites usually sell at 32x multiples, so if the site is making $5,000 a month you can sell it for $160,000 on Flippa. Rinse and repeat.
Flippa is a global online marketplace where individuals and business owners buy and sell websites, online businesses and other digital real estate.
2. Selling or renting property
- Median monthly income: $500
- Median hourly rate: $81
- Maximum monthly income: $7,000
Selling properties, like homes, land, and commercial real estate is the highest paying gig economy job. The median monthly income for this profession is $500, while the hourly rate goes up to $81. At maximum, you can make $7,000 in a month according to Intuit's research.
You can see the best real estate apps to learn which gigs work best for you. If you don't have time to get your hands dirty with investing and selling properties, you can also check out real estate investing options for everyday investors like you and me.
My personal favorite platform is Fundrise as it's beginner friendly and you can start having your gig income make you money.
Make your money work for you with Fundrise! Start real estate investing with just $10—no need for big bucks to get in. Fundrise gives you access to funds built to grow your money steadily. It’s easy, affordable, and designed for your goals. Want to let your cash hustle for you? Fundrise has you covered.
Real estate investing not your thing? Other smart ways to invest include:
- Acorns: Acorns helps you save & invest. Invest spare change, bank smarter, earn bonus investments, and more! Acorns offers a $20 bonus investment after making a $5 recurring investment.
- Vint: Vint provides an investment platform that offers a simple and accessible way to invest in high-quality wines. Building a diversified portfolio of excellent wines and spirits has never been easier.
3. Ride-sharing
- Median monthly income: $350
- Median hourly rate: $15
- Maximum monthly income: $3,000
Riding-sharing gigs like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar, and Via are also among the top highest-paying gigs. The median monthly income for this profession is $350, while the hourly rate goes up to $15. At maximum, you can make up to $3,000 in a month.
Keep in mind these are the averages that users report. I was talking to my Uber driver the other day and he said he makes over $50,000 a year by working during surge hours, near airports, and working over 50 rides per week. If you’re looking to see different parts of your city than you have before and meet new people along the way, check out these driving apps to make money.
4. Delivery or courier
- Median monthly income: $300
- Median hourly rate: $15
- Maximum monthly income: $3,000
Delivering goods via courier is the third highest-paying gig economy job with a median monthly income of $300 and an hourly rate of $15. At maximum, you can make up to $3,000 in a month as well. The most popular delivery jobs would be Instacart where you deliver groceries and DoorDash where you deliver takeout.
Food delivery apps have seen a surge in usage since the pandemic, and you can cash in on the boom. Plus, with these types of delivery apps, you get to keep 100% of all Instacart tips and DoorDash tips earned. If you're interested in learning more — check out Instacart and DoorDash.
Earn extra money for your short-term or long-term dreams with DoorDash. As a Dasher, you can be your own boss and enjoy the flexibility of choosing when, where, and how much you earn. All you need is a mode of transportation and a smartphone to start making money. It’s that simple.
5. Fitness training or coaching
- Median monthly income: $200
- Median hourly rate: $20
- Maximum monthly income: $3,000
Fitness training or coaching is a good gig economy job if you are passionate about working out and staying fit. The median monthly income for this profession is $200, while the hourly rate goes up to $20. At maximum, you can make up to $3,000 in a month according to Intuit's research. You can start fitness training or coaching on social media apps like IG and grow your business on Instagram and gain clients as your following grows.
6. Freelance work or consulting
- Median monthly income: $200
- Median hourly rate: $20
- Maximum monthly income: $4,000
Freelance work or consulting is another great gig economy job if you have some experience in a particular field. The median monthly income for this profession is $200, the hourly rate goes up to $20. At maximum, you can make up to $4000 in a month according to Intuit's research. The most popular freelancing sites are Upwork and Fiverr.
Popular freelancing jobs include graphic design, freelance writing, web design, copywriting, and more. You can become a freelance consultant by building an online presence by starting your own blog or website.
You can start a blog for as cheap as $2.95 per month when you choose to host your blog on Bluehost which is the best web hosting provider if you want to start a self-hosted WordPress blog or site. Bluehost is one of the few web hosting companies recommended by WordPress.org to host self-hosted WordPress blogs.
7. E-commerce or drop shipping
- Median monthly income: $150
- Median hourly rate: $15
- Maximum monthly income: $6,000
E-commerce means selling goods online. If you are an e-commerce seller, you can sell everything from food items to books in order to make a profit. The median monthly income for this profession is $150, while the hourly rate goes up to $15. At maximum, you can even make up to $6,000 in a month. Drop shipping, on the other hand, is a way of making sales online without actually holding any inventory. The most popular drop shopping companies are eBay and Shopify.
Bring your idea to life with the tools you need to start selling. Create your online store today with Shopify with a 3-day free trial. No credit card required.
8. Tutoring or teaching
- Median monthly income: $150
- Median hourly rate: $15
- Maximum monthly income: $3,000
Tutoring or teaching is another great gig economy job if you are good at something and passionate about it. The median monthly income for this profession is $150, while the hourly rate goes up to $15. At maximum, you can make up to $3,000 in a month according to Intuit's research. You can tutor on Magic Ears, Tutor.com, Chegg Tutors.
9. Reselling items online
- Median monthly income: $100
- Median hourly rate: $20
- Maximum monthly income: $1,500
Reselling items on online marketplaces like eBay or Amazon is also an excellent way of making money. The median monthly income for this profession is $100, while the hourly rate goes up to $20. At maximum, you can make up to $1500 in a month according to Intuit's research.
I personally made $1,300 a month by flipping iPhones, you can see my case study here.
10. Computer repair
- Median monthly income: $100
- Median hourly rate: $20
- Maximum monthly income: $4,200
If you have some knowledge of fixing and maintaining computers, you can start a computer repair gig on the side. The median monthly income for this profession is $100, while the hourly rate goes up to $20. At maximum, you can make up to $4200 in a month according to Intuit's research. You can find clients on sites like Craigslist and Taskrabbit.
11. Direct sales
- Median monthly income: $100
- Median hourly rate: $7
- Maximum monthly income: $1,230
Direct sales companies pay their representatives for making sales. The median monthly income for this profession is $100, while the hourly rate goes up to $7. At maximum, you can make up to $1,230 in a month according to Intuit's research. The most popular direct selling companies are Avon and Mary Kay.
12. Housecleaning or repairs
- Median monthly income: $100
- Median hourly rate: $17
- Maximum monthly income: $1,500
Housecleaning and repairs are also lucrative gigs if you have some skills. The median monthly income for this profession is $100, while the hourly rate goes up to $17. At maximum, you can make up to $1500 in a month according to Intuit's research. You can find clients on Thumbtack, Handy, or Angie's List.
13. Landscaping or gardening
- Median monthly income: $100
- Median hourly rate: $11
- Maximum monthly income: $1,000
If you are good at landscaping or gardening, these jobs can also be a great source of income. The median monthly income for this profession is $100, while the hourly rate goes up to $11. At maximum, you can make up to $1000 in a month according to Intuit's research. You can find clients on Craigslist or Thumbtack.
14. Music or dance performance
- Median monthly income: $100
- Median hourly rate: $10
- Maximum monthly income: $5,000
If you are passionate about music or dancing, why not perform on the side? The median monthly income for this profession is $100, while the hourly rate goes up to $10. At maximum, you can make up to $5,000 in a month according to Intuit's research. You can find clients on Gigmasters and Gig Salad.
15. Photography or videography
- Median monthly income: $100
- Median hourly rate: $20
- Maximum monthly income: $2,000
Photography and videography are also lucrative gigs if you have a nice camera. The median monthly income for this profession is $100, while the hourly rate goes up to $20. At maximum, you can make up to $2000 in a month according to Intuit's research. You can find clients on Depositphotos, Craigslist or Thumbtack.
16. Survey-taking
- Median monthly income: $100
- Median hourly rate: $5
- Maximum monthly income: $3,000
Taking online surveys can also be a nice little gig for earning some extra cash. The median monthly income for this profession is $100, while the hourly rate goes up to $5. At maximum, you can make up to $3,000 in a month according to Intuit's research. You can find clients on Survey Junkie, Swagbucks or InboxDollars.
Swagbucks offers a variety of ways to earn money online. You can take surveys, play games, surf the web, watch videos and more to earn points towards gift cards or cash.
17. Babysitting nannying, or caretaking
- Median monthly income: $100
- Median hourly rate: $10
- Maximum monthly income: $1,500
Babysitting on websites like Care.com or Sittercity is also an excellent way to make money. The median monthly income for this profession is $100, while the hourly rate goes up to $10. At maximum, you can make up to $1500 in a month according to Intuit's research.
Our Favorite Gig Economy Apps
So how you can see how you can profit in the gig economy. But which line of work will you take up?
If you're still stuck — here are some more of my favorite gig economy jobs (separated by type) that I've done in the past to land a few paychecks.
This list is curated by me to maximize your profit for the effort you put in and over a wide variety of different things you can get done.
Let’s take a look at them.
Gigs On Wheels
If you have a car then you are set to make money in the gig economy. Here are some of the top-paying gig economy jobs that require a car.
18. DoorDash
Looking for a new way to bring home the bacon? You can look into start delivering food today and make up to $25/hour with DoorDash. You probably know by now that the best food delivery apps are being used even more due to COVID-19 and you can cash in on the food delivery boom.
You can make money by delivering breakfast, lunch, dinner and more from restaurants right to people's doorstep with DoorDash – and make up $25/hour.
DoorDash launched in San Francisco and has since expanded to 56 markets and more than 600 cities across North America and will deliver your food from hundreds of great local restaurants in your area in 45 minutes or less.
Here's how DoorDash works:
- Get activated: Give them your info and they'll do a background check to get you on your way.
- Get ready: Pick up the basics of Dashing, some gear, and the iOS or Android app.
- Get paid: Turn on the app, accept some orders, and start bringing home the bacon.
Earn extra money for your short-term or long-term dreams with DoorDash. As a Dasher, you can be your own boss and enjoy the flexibility of choosing when, where, and how much you earn. All you need is a mode of transportation and a smartphone to start making money. It’s that simple.
19. Lyft and Uber
If you’re free nights and weekends, you can make money driving your fellow citizens around. You can make money by becoming a Lyft or Uber driver — if you have a car, it’s a perfect way to make a good amount of extra money whenever it’s convenient for you.
A lot of people do this gig economy job full time, so you can imagine that’s it definitely possible to do this on the side and make an extra $1500 per week plus claim a $1,000 driver bonus that they regularly offer.
20. Para and ParaWorks
Para Inc. is the Gig HQ for food delivery and rideshare drivers and has two offerings – Para Tools and ParaWorks.
Para Tools allows drivers to see and track critical job information and helps them multi-app and auto decline trips from all their main gig delivery driver apps such as Uber, Lyft, UberEats and Grubhub.
ParaWorks is a new way for drivers to find and accept new types of high-paying scheduled and on-demand job opportunities to make their workdays much more efficient and profitable.
Drivers can get pre-approved, skip the line, and enjoy expedited onboarding. Stack with existing work and reduce downtime. Know their schedule and pay ahead of time and discover new high-paying revenue streams nearby.
ParaWorks community has fulfilled partner opportunities ranging from product and food delivery to merchandising to courier driving, making it one of the best gig apps in the industry right now. Just sign-up with ParaWorks and make that extra cash today!
21. Turo
Did you know that you can rent out your car when you're not using it? And that you can bring in a lot of extra cash in your wallet by doing so? If so, renting out your car while you're not using it could be an easy way to make passive income. A well-known company, Turo, which has signed up nearly 5 million users to its website, according to Bloomberg, lets you do just that.
It's also really simple to do (and free). Listing your car is quick and easy and takes less than 10 minutes to set up. According to a recent Turo review, somebody listed their car for 5 days every month and made $3,496 in a year. Sounds pretty good to me. Oh, and they also protect your car against physical damage, so you're fully covered. You can also rent out your car using Turo alternatives like Getaround and Hyrecar.
22. Cavertise
This is some seriously passive income. Companies such as Carvertise, Sticker Ride, Wrapify, Pay Me For Driving, Free Car Media and ReferralCars will pay to put a wrap on your car, and then pay you to simply drive you regular routes with the advertisements on your car.
You can get the right to say “no” to a particular ad you’re uncomfortable with the content of the ad. Most companies pay you up to $400 a month to advertise on your car. Not too bad for an easy gig job that requires little to no work.
Pet Care and Home Sharing
If you love dogs or have a spare room to share with guests, then these side gigs are for you.
23. Airbnb Host
If you are looking for a way to support yourself full time in the gig economy you can look into Airbnb. There are good chances that you’ve come across Airbnb and even used their services when you’ve traveled.
Airbnb is a good place to consider earning cash if you have a spare room or a house that you have to rent. They give you extensive cover including $1 Million in property damage and another $1 Million for insurance against accidents. With Airbnb, you can earn income and retire in style with our Airbnb Hosting Guide.
24. Rover
This one is for all the animal-lovers out there! Dog-walking has 3 lucrative benefits – You get to spend time with your four-legged friends and you yourself get some exercise. You can find dog-walking gigs on Rover.
They are one of the nation’s largest networks of pet sitters and dog walkers. Users can easily search for the services they need, connect with a sitter or dog walker, and even book and pay securely without the need for cash, checks, or tips.
What can be more fun than walking dogs around your neighborhood and get paid? You can do it on your time and get paid today with Rover! According to Rover, dog walkers and sitters can earn up to $1,000 per month.
Online Gigs for Money
Now that we've gone over the best gig economy apps, what's next?
That's right — ways to make money from home!
Check out the list below for ways to make extra money right now in the side gig economy online.
All of these you can do from home in order to make money online fast.
These are a lot easier than the gigs above, but the payout is lower.
25. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie gives out cash for taking surveys on different products and services. You also unlock rewards for virtual points that accrue as you take surveys. There are a variety of different products that you can choose based on your preferences.
As you build your profile, more choices open up adding incentives to keep at it. A great simple online gig that'll really pay you in cash.
Survey Junkie is one of the highest-paying survey sites available. Complete three or more surveys a day, and you can earn as much as $100 monthly. With $76 Million paid out to date, Survey Junkie is one of the best survey sites available.
26. Nielsen Mobile Panel
This is an interesting gig economy gig that Nielsen offers – all you need to do is install it on registered mobile devices.
It unobtrusively works in the background and collects certain statistics about browsing habits for which you get paid by them.
This company will pay you $60 a year to keep their app on your favorite internet browsing device and they also give away $10,000 each month. You don’t have to do anything other than initially registering your computer or phone.
27. Swagbucks
If you browse the internet a lot, this could actually turn your past time into a moneymaking endeavor. Swagbucks rewards you for shopping online, watching videos, searching and answering surveys.
You are credited with points that you can then redeem with your favorite e-tailers online including Pay Pal, Amazon, Walmart or cash via PayPal. This is one of my favorite side gigs that pays cash instantly.
Swagbucks offers a variety of ways to earn money online. You can take surveys, play games, surf the web, watch videos and more to earn points towards gift cards or cash.
28. Robinhood
The investing app you should know about is SoFi Money. It’s easy, it’s fee-free, and it’s a bright idea to start investing to make extra money as a freelancer or independent worker.
Not-so-newsflash: Fees are frustrating and they can keep people from investing. It’s why Robinhood charges $0 in transaction and management fees. So there’s no reason not to start investing.
If you get started with SoFi Invest, they'll give you a free stock up to $1,000 to start investing. This is beneficial for those self-employed workers without an employee-sponsored 401K to utilize.
You don't have to be a pro to invest like one, so get trading. Get a free stock (just for signing up) when you sign up through this link.
SoFi Invest is one of the best investment apps, especially for beginners in the US. It offers an intuitive trading experience, active or automated investing, and options like cryptocurrencies. SoFi Invest offers a variety of investment options, including stocks, bonds, fractional shares, ETFs, options, IPOs, crypto trading, retirement accounts, and robo-advising.
29. Rocket Money
Rocket Money is a high-tech AI assistant that you can use which streamlines your financial requirements. Automation is the key phrase here – Rocket Money can help you save money by effectively automating a user’s everyday spends.
It has some features that will surprise you like automatic Comcast bill negotiation. Rocket Money trims the excess fat from your spending habits and keeps your financial profile lean and mean!
Rocket Money helps 3.4+ million members save hundreds. Get the app and start saving today. Save more, spend less, and take back control of your financial life.
30. Blackout Bingo
A personal favorite, I love me some game apps to win real money.
Welcome to Blackout Bingo a brand new bingo-style game where you can win real-world rewards and cash prizes. This game boasts over 13K+ positive reviews in the App Store.
Dive fast and use fun boosts to take the Bingo world by storm. Travel the world and play in amazing and exotic places. A recent player left a Blackout Bingo review saying:
“Are you going to make $700 from this game? No, probably not possible! But the two days I’ve been playing this I’ve earned about $34.59! “
It takes concentration, speed, and strategy to become a bingo master. Do you have what it takes?
You can make money playing bingo for free with this brand-new bingo-style game. With over 86K positive reviews in the App Store, it's a legit way to make money.
31. InboxDollars
InboxDollars is a survey-based website app that offers attractive rewards for taking surveys. They payout real cash after you complete watching videos or taking surveys.
They have great reviews from their customers and look like they revert with payments quickly. An award-winning company, they have paid out $57 million in cash rewards so far.
InboxDollars offers a variety of ways to earn money online. You can take surveys, play games, surf the web, watch videos and more to earn points towards gift cards.
32. Mistplay
One of the easiest ways to make money online is by getting paid to play games.
Mistplay pays you to play games, no really it does. While earning money playing games sounds like a dream, this app lets you do just that.
How it works:
1. Install a game in your mixlist.
2. Play that game to start earning units.
3. Redeem your units for free gift cards.
That’s it.
To get started you can download the Android app and start playing and earning.
Earning money by playing games on your phone sounds like a dream. But Mistplay really pays you for playing new games with free gift cards. It is 100% free to play and you never have to deposit any money.
33. Branded Surveys
Another survey site, Branded Surveys is an up and coming brand that has already paid out more than $2 million to its customers.
This website only deals with surveys and nothing else – so if you have a keen eye for surveys, you should try this.
Branded Surveys is quickly becoming one of the top survey sites. At up to $5-10 a pop for some surveys and a free 100 points for signing up, it pays to check in daily to see which ones are available to you.
34. Swabucks LIVE
Have genius-level IQ and looking to test it out by using trivia apps for money? Well, we’ve got just the thing for you. Swagbucks LIVE gives you the option to satiate your thirst for trivia and also win prizes.
You’ll win Swagbucks LIVE’s digital currency which you can then use to redeem gifts off their website.
Swagbucks LIVE is the live trivia game show where you test your knowledge daily to win huge cash prizes. It's free. Download the app to play and win!
Gig Economy Examples
We are smack dab in what we call the Gig Economy – where independent contractors and side-hustlers are doing just as well for themselves compared to the people working regular shifts at a job. This has impacted the economy considerably – the Freelancers Union has over 300k members meaning over 35% of the total US workforce are freelancers. This equates to about $1.4 trillion last year.
What this means is that more people are inclined to create their own jobs. There is a lot of debate about this and how it affects the economy in the long run, but gig workers are quite upbeat about it. According to HustlerGigs.com, some freelancers feel that working gigs can even lead to better work opportunities.
Jobs in the Gig Economy
There are a plethora of opportunities out there for you if you are a talented freelancer. There are a few things that you need to keep track of to survive in the economic climate today. We are going to list a few of them here and help you plan your independent contracting career.
Proper Budgeting
This is perhaps the most important part of your freelancing stint, and this can make or break your plans. Budgeting is especially tough because your income stream is going to be intermittent for quite some time. It is advisable to start small in any case – if you’ve never freelanced before, set a low budget while keeping spending to a minimum.
One valuable tip is to focus on what you can control when it comes to your budget – this includes everything from utilities to food and even entertainment. You need to keep this number as low as possible or until you start to get more steady-income stints on your freelancing platform. This step is critical because it sets the minimal basic budget for jobs. You can even accept gigs for a few months and then work out your budget from your lowest earning month.
Flexible Financial Goals
While the gig economy is a great enabler for people who thrive on being their own boss and setting their own goals, the opposite is sometimes true as well. Some people who are not used to this kind of freedom might find it too unstable for daily functioning. What is required here is proper goal-setting which also needs to be able to flex a bit in response to your changing requirements.
Working gigs can be, for the lack of a better word, temperamental. For instance, there might be a steady client who might uncharacteristically request a whole bunch of revisions because they have a new engagement with stricter guidelines. This means that payment would be delayed and you need to sort things out. It would be best if you allowed your budgeting and goals to be a bit more flexible compared to a regular 9-5 stint. This means initially when you are still learning the market, you should make sure that you don’t “rock the boat” too much.
Plan for the Endgame
You can’t work endlessly, and you need to hang up your boots – regular office goer or freelancer. You should focus on planning for this inevitability, and you need to keep adding to your emergency savings fund as well as for your retirement. A lot of financial experts have said that you need to save at least 15% of your income for a decently sized nest egg.
The key is to route your spending effectively so you can put away enough for your retirement. You cover basic expenses first, then you route it to your emergency savings and the rest you put it into your retirement fund. If you have debts of any sort, that should come way before anything else on the list.
Finally, don’t forget to apply for insurance. Insurance requirement for freelancers are slightly different and most professional insurance companies can help you out with this. You can take a look at online insurance quotes – we have several options you can choose from. We can give you the most effective coverage you need to set up your own home workspace so you can have complete peace of mind.
The Gig Economy is Alive and Well
If you don’t like your job but are paranoid about making money in a side gig economy, don’t be.
As you can see, there are many ways where you can make money, and you don’t have to be stuck in a dead-end job for you to lead a comfortable life.
I hope that this article gave you some tips on how you can make side gigs work for you in the gig economy!
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