It’s no secret the economy and job market have been in their flop era lately, which may have you feeling anxious and looking for a second stream of income. And you wouldn’t be the only one. More than 40% of Millennial women are thinking about finding a second source of income, according to theSkimm’s 2023 State of Women report, and 33% said they already have a side hustle. Before you try to teach yourself coding or open your own coffee shop, scroll to find out which side gig may be right for you based on your personality and lifestyle.
For the introvert
Make and sell templates online
This side hustle is perfect for the introvert. There’s no human interaction required, and you don’t need a degree in graphic design. Platforms like Etsy and Redbubble have made it easy for anyone to sell their downloadable templates. You don’t need to invest in professional design platforms to make your designs, either. Canva will do just fine.
Earnings: Varies. One seller claims she made $5k a month. Another made up to $30k a month. One even made $50 a month without actively managing her shop for a year.
Time commitment: Varies
Overhead costs: While making templates online can be virtually free, keep in mind that platforms like Etsy charges seller fees of about 20 cents per item, plus a 6.5% transaction fee per sale.
For the extrovert Become a caregiver
Whether you prefer babies or furbabies, caretakers are always in demand — especially ones who are talkative, outgoing, and social butterflies. This side hustle also wins points for flexibility: you can work evenings, weekends, or even during your lunch break. Look for available gigs on sites like Care.com and Rover.com.
Earnings: For babysitting, the average is $20-23 an hour. For pet sitting it’s about $12-17 an hour – but rates can differ depending on experience level and where you live.
Time commitment: Depends on how much you want to work, plus what gigs are available. Don’t forget to factor in commute time.
Overhead costs: None
Deliver food or drive for a rideshare
If you consider yourself the personality hire of your company, you might be perfect for driving or food delivery; both involve interacting with a lot of people. Start with companies like Uber, UberEats, Lyft, and Grubhub. But if you decide to try out this side gig, remember to keep yourself safe. (Here are some safety tips for women delivery and rideshare drivers.)
Earnings: Average of $15 an hour
Time commitment: Varies. You make your own schedule with this one. You can work an hour a day, or a week. It’s all up to you.
Overhead costs: You’ll need some sort of vehicle to get around. Unless you're delivering for a specific restaurant, you’ll be responsible for your vehicle.
Teach a fitness class
If you get an adrenaline rush from presenting at work or telling a really funny story to a group, then teaching a fitness class could be the side gig for you. Aside from making some cash and getting your daily steps in, you’ll be motivating a room full of people with your contagious energy. Keep in mind, if you’re teaching with a fitness studio or gym you’ll probably need to be certified. The type of certification you need can vary depending on the studio and form of exercise.
Earnings: Average of $200 a month
Time commitment: Aside from actually teaching the class, you’ll have to come up with a lesson plan beforehand. So if you teach a one hour class per week, consider how long it could take you to plan out that class.
Overhead costs: Put some money aside for your certification. Plus if you decide to work solo, you may need to pay to advertise your classes.
For the intellectual
Tutor
This side gig could be for you if you like learning new skills or even leading presentations at work. All it takes is your brain and a good lesson plan. Take all that knowledge and put it on paper, then advertise your skills to anyone who wants to learn (like highschool or college students). Keep in mind that if you’re working through a tutoring company or platform, you may need to have specific certifications related to what you’re teaching.
Earnings: Average of $20 an hour.
Time commitment: Varies. You can create your schedule for whenever works best for you and your student – but don’t forget to account for the time it takes you to plan out your lesson and find your students.
Overhead costs: You potentially will need to buy teaching materials (like a whiteboard, paper, pencils, etc.) unless you negotiate this with your tutee(s). Plus if you’re working through an organization, you’ll have to give them a cut of your earnings.
For the handy planner
Rent out your property
If you’re a saver or investor by nature, consider this side gig to set up long-term cash flow. This could look like subletting an extra room, loaning out your car (through sites like HyreCar and Turo), or using your extra space as a creative studio.
Earnings: average of $500 a month.
Time commitment: This can vary largely. If you are renting out a space and acting as the landlord, you could be devoting a good chunk of time to this side gig. This could look like being on call for emergencies, repairs, or guest needs, if you go the airbnb host route. But if you’re subletting your room, it could be as little as finding someone to sublet and signing a contract.
Overhead costs: You’ll have to pay for the space or property itself in order to rent it out. Plus this side gig could include hiring cleaning staff, maintenance workers, or even a landlord for daily upkeep.
For the hoarder
Resell clothing
If you tend to hold on to everything, think about clearing out your junk and selling it for cash. Your home, closet, and wallet will thank you. This could look like selling that vintage jacket that you, frankly, never wear, or that old set of baseball cards your grandpa gave you. Sites like Ebay, Poshmark, Etsy, and Depop have made it easy to resell your forgotten goods. Or if you want to try and side step giving these sites a cut of your earnings, consider listing your items on your local Facebook Marketplace.
Earnings: Varies. This really depends on the item you are selling, it’s market value, and how popular your online shop is.
Time commitment: Varies. You can take a couple photos and post your items online and never think about it again, or spend time curating your profile, purchasing goods to resell, and researching the market value of each item.
Overhead costs: If you’re just selling old items, the overhead costs can be little to nothing. However, if you’re planning on buying cheap used goods (like at thrift stores or estate sales) and reselling them, you’ll have to account for the initial purchase. Keep in mind that most reseller platforms take a percentage of the sale price.
For the hyper-organized
Become a virtual assistant
Do you keep a million to-do lists and have your google calendar timed down to the hour? Then this side gig may be for you. The key responsibilities of this side gig will be conducting administrative work for a client. That could look like scheduling zoom calls, answering emails, or making phone calls.
Earnings: As much as $100 an hour
Time commitment: Varies. This side gig can be as flexible as you want it to be. Just find a client (through sites like Squared Away, Upwork, or LinkedIn) who is willing to work with your time frame.
Overhead costs: Other than a computer to work from, there is little overhead cost for this gig.
theSkimm
Of Americans who have a side hustle, 55% are millennials. Most of those side hustlers make an average of nearly $500 a month. Why not you?
To access our complete State of Women Report, please click here.
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