What Type of Side Hustle is Best for You?

Side hustles can be an excellent way to earn supplemental income while working in a more flexible employment situation. The timing has never been better to start a side business — a recent survey reported that 56% of Americans said they’d feel more financially secure working for themselves than at a conventional job in 2020, up from 32% in 2011.

Before you dive in, take time to consider the many possible opportunities available for gig jobs. Finding a side hustle that matches your talents and interests, as well as your availability and desired income, is a critical first step. Here’s how to figure out which side hustle jobs are best for you.

Part-Time Jobs

Part-time jobs can be your best bet if you’re looking to earn extra cash or build your resume, and may supplement your full-time job. Part-time jobs are also useful to fill employment gaps when you’re between more steady, full-time work. You can find a part-time job in virtually any industry and suiting every experience level.

The benefits of a part-time job include:

• More flexibility, like evening hours or remote work.
• Less of a time commitment compared to a full-time position.
• Chance to learn a new skill and possibly gain experience in a different field.
• Opportunity to build your resume.
• Greater stability than other gig jobs (since the company hired you directly in a permanent role).

Freelance Jobs

Opportunities are growing for freelance work, which you can find in nearly any field to suit your interests and talents — whether that’s blogging, graphic design, marketing, business development, research, video editing, and more.

As a freelancer, you work for yourself and not a company. If you perform contract work for a company, you’re considered self-employed and must file your own taxes. Freelancers can also be referred to as contractors or independent contractors. In 2019, 41 million Americans counted themselves as freelancers.

Here are the best things about freelance work:

• You decide how much you work and when, as well as the clients you take on.
• You typically can work from your home office during hours of your choosing.
• You can choose freelancing projects that align closely with your talents.
• You can build your own company and pursue your passions on your own time.

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Temp Jobs

A temp (or temporary) job is a short-term job that lasts a predetermined amount of time, such as six months, nine months, or a year. As a temp, you’re either hired by the company directly or by a staffing agency that helped you land the position. Sometimes companies hire temp workers to fill gaps, such as when a permanent employee takes maternity leave, during busy seasons, or for specific projects.

You might enjoy temp work if you:

• Enjoy roles with flexibility.
• Thrive in project-based roles.
• Want to gain experience in different fields and sample other industries.
• Would like to build your network.
• Need to keep your professional skills sharp during a gap in employment.

Seasonal Jobs

A seasonal job allows you the flexibility of working only at certain times during the year, such as the holidays or summer. The retail industry tends to be the most popular choice for seasonal workers during the holidays — and it’s a solid move if you need extra cash around this time.

You can also find seasonal jobs at restaurants, e-commerce organizations, delivery companies, event planning services, and spas or salons. During the summer, you can pick up work at a camp or tutoring service, or you could help with filing taxes at your local tax filing service during tax season. If you live near a tourist destination, you could bring in healthy side hustle income working in a restaurant.

Since companies tend to take on seasonal workers during their busiest seasons, keep in mind you may have to contend with a hectic workload, challenging hours, and lower pay.

If you’re looking to earn some extra money without making a big commitment, seasonal jobs may be a good fit. Some of the other benefits include:

• A chance to learn more about a business or industry in which you might not have experience.
• Ability to fill in resume gaps.
• Possible path to a more permanent position
• Low barrier to entry, meaning you can get started with minimal experience and training

Consulting Jobs

If you have specialized expertise in a certain area — such as business, management, IT, or finance — consider branching out with a consulting side hustle job. Consultants offer their expert advice to businesses and individuals. Your invaluable advice can help them solve a problem and meet a desired goal, either on an ongoing basis or for a designated one-time event such as a training or seminar.

With enough diligence and hard work, consulting jobs can be an excellent springboard to a full-time career. You can build an entire business around your particular in-demand expertise.

The perks of consulting jobs include:

• Your expert knowledge in a field will continue to grow as you constantly stay on top of the latest trends and research
• Projects are varied and change often, which gives you access to a variety of different work environments, industries, and people
• Growing your network
• Becoming a company’s go-to person for guidance on a specific topic, which may increase your earnings and lead to other career opportunities

Ready to find your next side hustle on iHire? Filter your searches by “Employment Type” to drill down into opportunities that meet your needs. And, don’t forget to sign up for our Gig & Part-Time Job Alerts from your Email Preference Center.