5 of the Best Side Hustles for 2024

One of the best moves to improve your personal finances in 2024 is to increase your income. Making extra money on the side can help you pay off credit card debt, pay off a car loan, save for a down payment, or get breathing room in your budget. Whatever your financial goals, a great way to reach them is to start a side hustle in 2024.

Side hustles are a type of flexible, independent work that you can do outside of your regular job. We've chosen a few of the best side hustles for 2024. All of these side hustles involve:

• Quickly earning good money ($20 or more per hour)
• Low or zero startup costs
• Skills and equipment you already have

Let's see how these side hustle ideas can help you achieve big financial goals.

1. Professional freelance work and consulting

If you're a "knowledge worker" and have career skills in technology, IT, graphic design, marketing, sales, web and software development, writing, project management, or other business disciplines, you could put those skills to work as a side hustle.

Companies often need to hire contractors on a short-term or flexible basis, for projects where they don't have the right budget or bandwidth for full-time employees. There are many opportunities for professional freelancers and business consultants to make good money!

How much money you can make with this side hustle: The MBO Partners State of Independence in America 2023 survey found that, as of 2023, approximately 4.6 million American "independent workers" (freelancers, consultants, and self-employed professionals) had annual incomes of $100,000 or more. Depending on your skills, experience, and client base, you could earn an hourly rate of $50 to $100 or more.

2. Work-from-home side gigs

Many people would love to earn extra money on the side, but without a commute. This is where work-from-home side gigs can be a great solution -- these side hustles let you work from home online, with a part-time or flexible schedule. Just plug into the internet and start improving your personal finances!

Here are some of the best online side hustles we could find on FlexJobs, with average pay of $20 or more per hour (exact pay will depend on the employer, your location, your experience, and more):

• Project manager ($37 per hour)
• Executive assistant ($29 per hour)
• Editor ($29 per hour)
• Recruiter ($27 per hour)
• Social media manager ($26 per hour)
• Search engine evaluator ($24 per hour)

Remote customer service is another popular online side hustle. Many companies hire people to provide online and phone-based customer service with part-time schedules, and the work can be done from anywhere in the U.S. ZipRecruiter has listings for remote part-time customer service gigs that pay up to $20 to $25 per hour.

How much money you can make with this side hustle: It depends on your skills, experience, location, and more -- but the online side hustles listed above pay an average of $28 per hour.

3. Home services and yard work

If you're a homeowner, you know how important it can be to get help with home maintenance projects. Not everyone loves yard work or has time for the physical labor of shoveling snow or cleaning gutters. If you're handy with tools or love the look of a freshly cut lawn, you could start a side hustle providing home maintenance and yard care services.

Home organizing is another home-centered side hustle. Many people need help decluttering their homes, getting a house ready to sell, or doing some aggressive spring cleaning. If you've got an eye for detail and love helping people improve their homes, you could make good money as a professional home organizer.

How much money you can make with this side hustle: According to survey data from Angi.com, average pay rates for home organizers range from $55 to $100 per hour, handypersons earn an average of $90 per hour, and lawn care professionals earn $49 to $205 per lawn service.

4. Pet care

As seen with the rising popularity of pet insurance, people love their cats, dogs, and other pets, and are willing to pay good money to take care of their furry friends. But not everyone has time to walk the dog every day, or wants to board their shy cat at a large, noisy facility when they go on vacation. If you love pets, you can use apps like Rover to get dog-walking and dog-sitting clients.

How much money you can make with this side hustle: I found local dog walkers in my city (Des Moines, Iowa) on Rover earning $13 to $20 per walk, and doggy daycare providers charging around $20 to $39 per day.

5. Rideshare driving and delivery apps

If you already have a car, it can be easy to get started earning extra money with rideshare gigs or food delivery apps. These side hustles give you a flexible schedule and let you earn money quickly, but be prepared for a few extra costs like depreciation, gas, and rideshare car insurance.

How much money you can make with this side hustle: It depends on location, time of day, and other factors. But ZipRecruiter survey data shows that the average Uber driver makes about $19 per hour. Analysis from The Rideshare Guy found that Instacart shoppers earn an average of $15 to $22 per hour. You can boost your hourly earnings with high efficiency and bigger tips.

Bottom line: Starting a side hustle can feel incredibly empowering because it lets you turn your free time into extra cash in your bank account. You might even decide to turn your side hustle into a new career or a full-time small business.