Need a Side Gig for the Holidays? This Retailer Is Hiring

A lot of people want to boost their earnings in time for the holidays. Here's one option to consider.

Having a side hustle on top of your main job can come in handy at any point during the year. That extra gig might allow you to boost your bank account balance, pay off debt, or save up for another goal.

If there's ever a good time to get a second job, it's during the holidays. Between travel, gifts, parties, and decor, the holidays can be a very expensive time of the year. Even if you tell yourself you'll take it easy on spending, it's easy to succumb to the pressure to go all out.

Now the good news is that there are lots of side hustle opportunities around the holidays. First of all, you can always sign up to walk dogs, drive for a ride-hailing company, or house-sit -- things you can do at any time of the year. But during the holiday, retailers and other businesses tend to need more help than usual, so there are different opportunities that are likely to pop up.

In fact, Amazon recently announced it plans to hire 150,000 seasonal workers to help with its anticipated holiday shopping boom. If you're looking to make some money on the side during the holidays, it could pay to explore your options with Amazon.

Should you apply for a job at Amazon?

Whether or not you're a fan of Amazon, it's hard to argue that the online retail giant pays its workers decently. The company says it'll pay its seasonal workers a starting wage of $18 an hour, and Amazon says it'll pay an additional $3 an hour for people who work overnight or weekend shifts.

There are certain states where Amazon has a particular demand for seasonal workers. The company's greatest needs are in California, Arizona, and Illinois, but it's aiming to hire in many other states, too.

Amazon also says that many of its seasonal workers ultimately become full-time employees. In addition to a decent starting wage, Amazon offers a nice range of benefits. These include health insurance and access to retirement plans.

The downside of working for Amazon during the holidays

Before you rush to apply to work for Amazon this holiday season, make sure you're able to commit to a preset schedule. Chances are, you'll need to be willing to sign up for specific shifts in advance, which means you may not get the same flexibility you'd get with another type of side gig, like shuttling passengers around town for a service like Uber or Lyft.

Furthermore, if you work for a small business in your neighborhood, you may get more leeway with regard to your hours. For a giant like Amazon, you'll be a single cog in a very large machine, and so you may find that your specific needs aren't as easily catered to.

Despite these drawbacks, it could still pay to apply for a seasonal job at Amazon. If you're hired, you may have a chance to boost your income nicely and set yourself to end 2021 on a financially sound note.