Here are the top side hustles in 2025

In a time of uncertainty with the economy, earning extra money through a second gig in addition to your full-time job can be essential for a variety of reasons, including covering daily expenses or building long-term savings. 

Regardless of what the motivation is for having a side hustle, almost 40% of Americans say they have one, with 61% of individuals admitting that if they didn’t have the second income, their life would be expensive without it, according to a LendingTree survey. 

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The online lending marketplace released a 2025 survey centered on side hustles, and delves into how many have them, why they have them, how much time they devote to them and how essential they are to financial health.

What are the top side hustles?

By the numbers:

GoBanking Rates unveiled its list of top side hustles on the job market in 2025, including the average salary for each one. 

1. Lawn care professional ($55 an hour/average salary)
2. TaskRabbit Tasker (Job allows you to set your own salary/average salary)
3. Frequent flyer specialist ($80 to $150 per project/average salary)
4. Bookkeeper ($24 an hour/average salary)
5. Online instructor ($42 an hour/average salary)
6. Sign language interpreter ($32 an hour/average salary)
7. Curriculum writer ($33 an hour/average salary)
8. Education training specialist ($30 an hour/average salary)
9. Executive assistant ($28 an hour/average salary)
10. Consultant ($100 an hour/average salary)
11. Project manager ($49 an hour/average salary)
12. Social media marketing specialist ($26 an hour/average salary)
13. Software developer ($54 an hour/average salary)
14. WordPress developer ($45 an hour/average salary)
15. Online reseller ($40 an hour/average salary)

Most popular side hustles

Local perspective:

Approximately 38% of Americans have a side hustle and LendingTree noted that the most popular gigs for workers are delivering food or groceries (15%), online freelancing (15%) and part-time or seasonal work (14%). Respondents to the survey said as side hustlers they earn an average of $1,215 per month. 

RELATED: More Americans taking 'side hustles' to make ends meet

These second jobs also offer financial security for many with 61% of people sharing that their life would be unaffordable without their side hustle income, and 77% adding that their side hustle improves their quality of life. And another 44% say their side hustle provides long-term financial security.

About 19% of side hustlers said in the survey they spend less than five hours a week on their hustles, and 45% say they spend at least 10 hours a week, which includes 9% of respondents who spend more than 20 hours at their side job. 

Higher cost of living drives need for second income

Dig deeper:

The high cost of living for many Americans was the impetus for them picking up a side hustle. Lending Tree reported that a third of side hustlers explain that they have one because of cost-of-living expenses, 29% admit they need the money for bills and 28% say it’s used for discretionary income. When asked what the motivation was for beginning their side hustle, 49% said the current economy, 42% said inflation and 21% said the pandemic.

LendingTree collaborated with QuestionPro to conduct an online survey of 1,999 Americans ages 18 to 79 from Feb. 4 to 5, 2025 to gather the findings for their report.