Make Money by Working for Yourself
The number of adults working flexible jobs is on the rise — we’ve rounded up some of the best gigs to help you earn extra income.
Whether you call it a side hustle, freelancing gig, or contract work, one thing is clear: There’s never been a better time to earn extra income by working for yourself.
Self-employment here to stay, thanks to gig communities like Flexjobs, Freelancer, and PeoplePerHour that make it easier than ever to find possible work, schedule your availability, and even get paid securely. Even traditional job search sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter have job listings for contract work.
Find the Flexible Gig That’s Right for You
Discover practical tips and access online workshops for getting started and finding work in the Freelancing Resource Center – free from the experts at AARP Foundation.
More and more, employers are turning to more experienced workers to fill in gaps for on-call help. The share of 55-and-older workers accounted for 37 percent of all independent contractors in 2017, up nearly 10 percent since 2005, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).
Most side hustlers make up to $500 in a given month, and 11 percent bring in more than $1,000, according to a 2019 survey by Bankrate.com.
Best of all, freelance work is flexible, allowing you to pick up or drop down hours depending on your schedule each month. These six side gigs may be your key to finding some breathing room in your budget — take a look.
1. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are the modern version of administrative assistants — or what we used to call secretaries. As the job title implies, you’ll be working remotely for your client — or clients.
As a virtual assistant, you may be asked to manage schedules, arrange meetings, coordinate newsletters, oversee social media, or perform market research. It will all depend on the role and what your client, who could be a small business owner, entrepreneur, or top executive, needs help with.
If you have an administrative background or strong organizational, communication, and time management skills, virtual assistant work could be a great fit. Learn more from the International Virtual Assistants Association a nonprofit trade association that provides continuing education, networking opportunities, and a listing in a membership directory.
2. Copy Editor or Proofreader
Are you good with grammar, spelling, and punctuation? Do you have a sharp eye for detail? Then you could moonlight as a copy editor or proofreader.
While similar, each role is slightly different. Copy editors make sure the author’s text is clear, readable, and error free. Proofreaders correct errors the author or copyeditor may have missed in the final version or “proof.”
A variety of industries hire freelancers for their copyediting and proofreading needs, including publishing, healthcare, life sciences, marketing agencies, and colleges and universities.
Two professional organizations — The Society for Editing (ACES) and the Editorial Freelancer’s Association (eFa) — offer training, professional support, and job listings that can help you break into this work-from-home role.
3. Tutor or Substitute Teacher
Do you speak a second language? Are you a whiz at math? Did you enjoy writing essays back when you were in school? There are all sorts of online tutoring organizations looking for tutors to help elementary, high school, and college students with their studies.
Tutors usually work nights or weekends when the kids aren’t in school, so it’s ideal if you’re busy during the day. You’ll be expected to help students understand their assignments, prepare for tests, and nurture their study skills in general.
If you’re free on weekdays, your local school district may be looking for substitute teachers. You don’t usually need a teaching certificate, but you may need to complete a school district training, pass a background check, and be able to demonstrate an aptitude for working with students. Type “Substitute Teaching Jobs Near Me” into a search engine to see if your local school district is hiring.
Both roles require strong communication skills, plus a healthy amount of patience, humor, and confidence to connect with the students.
4. Home Health Aide
The need for home health aides — or care aides — is expected to grow substantially over the next 10 years.
Typical tasks include preparing meals, housekeeping, helping with personal hygiene, running errands, and providing companionship to those who live with a disability, are recovering from an illness, or simply need some extra assistance at home. There are several online platforms for finding this type of work: Papa, Honor, and ElderCare.
Home Health Aides should have a supportive attitude, patience, and good organization skills. No formal education is required for this role, but employers may prefer candidates who are aware of basic emergency techniques.
5. DIYer
Are you good at home maintenance? Do you know how to hang a door, install an appliance, or fix a garbage disposal? You may be in demand for your do-it-yourself skills.
There are no formal education requirements for offering “handyman” services, but do-it-yourselfers typically know how to cut and measure materials, provide quotes to customers, and repair a variety of household items like refrigerators, drywall, and indoor plumbing. While not every state requires you to have general liability insurance, purchasing a policy is a good idea because it can protect you from costs related to property damage or injuries.
You can list your services and find work on Handy, Snagajob, or HomeAdvisor. Taskrabbit makes it even easier to find specific home-related gigs like TV mounting, yard work, painting, furniture assembly, and other one-time only jobs.
6. Delivery Driver
These days, people can hire someone to do just about any errand in minutes right from an app on their phone. You could earn income by picking up dry cleaning, shopping for groceries, delivering take-out, or walking the dog.
Here’s how it works. When you sign up to be a dog walker on Rover, for example, you pay for a background check and set your availability, services, and fees to get started. Rover clients book and pay you through the app — and you sign up for walks on the app, too.
Every app has its own requirements, but you typically need a valid driver’s license, an active smartphone, and must pass some sort of background check. For most delivery gigs, you will also need access to a car. Depending on the location, you may be able to do deliveries by bike or scooter, allowing you to get in some exercise while earning that extra cash.
Apps like Instacart offer grocery delivery services while DoorDash and Postmates do restaurant take-out delivery. You will be able to set your own hours and can usually get started quickly.
In addition to attention to detail, you’ll need time management, customer service, and communication skills to be successful in this kind of freelance role.
Next Steps
Whatever kind of freelancing work you choose, doing some research before you take the plunge will help you know what to expect.
When deciding what kind of work to pursue, consider the following questions:
- Will I need some training to make myself more marketable?
- Do I need to pay any upfront costs to get started? (Learn how to spot potential job scams here.)
- Is this a reputable organization I can trust?