6 Top Gig Economy Jobs To Start Earning Money Now in 2023
Written by
Daria Uhlig
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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Gig work — work for hire as a self-employed freelancer or independent contractor — is more popular than ever. In fact, 36% of employed respondents to McKinsey’s 2022 “American Opportunity Survey” (AOS) identify as independent workers. Twenty-six percent of that group identify as gig workers.
Most gig workers earn less than $25,000 per year — not bad for what many do part-time in addition to a regular job.
Examples of the Best Gig Economy Jobs
Merchant Maverick analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data for nonemployer businesses — a designation that covers most gig workers — and wage data from job site to identify the highest-paying gigs in the top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas. It presented its findings in a report, The Gig Economy.
Here are some of the positions listed in the report and the hourly wage you can expect to earn in 2023, per ZipRecruiter.
1. Computer Programmer
- Average computer programmer pay: $35 an hour
- Potential for growth 2021-2031: -10%
- Where to find computer programmer gigs: Dice, Gun.io, Fiverr, Upwork
Computer programmers have their choice of niches, including web developer, programmer analyst and database administrator, to name a few, and they have the potential to grow into a full-time business. Although you’ll likely need a degree or certification, you can charge serious money for your work, so it’s worth acquiring the necessary skills.
2. Handyperson
- Average handyperson pay: $33.27 an hour
- Potential for growth 2021-2031: 6%
- Where to find handyperson gigs: Handy, TaskRabbit
Homeowners, including investment-property owners, need help with all manner of household maintenance, as well as assembling furniture, connecting home electronics and mounting televisions and art on the wall. If you have the skills to provide these services, there’s a good chance you can build a loyal following.
3. Laborer
- Average laborer pay: $19 an hour
- Potential for growth 2021-2031: 4%
- Where to find laborer gigs: Dolly, Lugg, TaskRabbit
If you’ve got the muscle, you can make good money helping people move or hauling away their unwanted bulky items. Laborers who have trucks or vans can make even more by using their own vehicles.
Good To Know
The gig economy is missing several things that you’ve come to take for granted from your employer. This includes health benefits, vacation time, sick time and even payroll taxes, all of which you’re responsible for covering.
Some experts suggest that you put aside as much as half of what you make from any given job away in a bank account to pay for taxes and benefits that you’ll no longer be receiving from an employer.
4. Content Creator
- Average content creator pay: $27 an hour
- Potential for growth 2021-2031: 6%
- Where to find content creator gigs: Social media, Fiverr, Upwork, FlexJobs
Writers, editors, graphic designers, photographers and video professionals can create their own income-generating content or create it for other businesses.
Popular platforms for monetizing your content include:
5. Tutor
- Average tutor pay: $27 an hour
- Potential for growth 2021-2031: 5%
- Where to find tutoring gigs: Varsity Tutors, Chegg, TutorMe
There’s plenty of demand for academic tutors who have the appropriate degrees and licenses. But even without formal teaching credentials, you can use your subject-matter expertise to prepare adult students for professional licensing exams you’ve passed.
6. Uber or Lyft Driver
- Average rideshare driver pay: $21.50 an hour
- Potential for growth 2021-2031: 12%
- Where to find rideshare driver gigs: Uber, Lyft, Curb, Wingz
Rideshare demand plummeted at the beginning of the pandemic, forcing drivers to find other ways to earn income. Three years later, ridesharing services are struggling to keep up with demand, prompting Uber, for example, to offer bonuses and other perks to attract new drivers.
What Is a Gig Economy Job?
The IRS defines the gig economy, aka the sharing economy or access economy, as “activity where people earn income providing on-demand work, services or goods.” A gig economy job, then, is a job you perform on-demand. The space is wide-open in terms of sources of gig work, but opportunities often come from digital platforms.
5 Types of Gig Workers
“Freelance Forward” — an annual study commissioned by Upwork, a popular freelance job platform — identified five segments of freelance workers:
- Independent contractors (21.1 million workers): Traditional freelancers working project by project
- Moonlighters (14.3 million): Workers with a traditional job who do freelance work on the side
- Diversified workers (9.3 million): Workers with multiple sources of income from traditional and freelance work
- Temporary workers (5.5 million): Individuals working temporarily for a single employer or client
- Freelance business owners (2.8 million): A business owner who also identifies as a freelancer but has one to five employees
The number of freelance workers increased three points from 2021 to 2022 and now stands at 39% of the workforce, according to the study. Over half provide skilled services like programming, marketing, IT or business consulting. The vast majority, 83%, freelance to earn extra money, and significant numbers also cite scheduling flexibility, control over their financial future and a desire to be their own boss.
The study revealed that freelancers are more satisfied with all areas of work compared to non-freelancers. More than three-quarters are optimistic about their personal income and salary increases for 2023.
Where To Find Work
In addition to tapping your professional and social networks for opportunities, browse some of the many freelance job platforms and gig economy apps that have popped up in recent years.
| Freelance Job Platforms | Gig Economy Apps |
|---|---|
| Upwork | Dolly |
| Guru | Handy |
| Freelancer.com | TaskRabbit |
| People Per Hour | Uber |
| Solidgigs | Lyft |
| Fancy Hands | Uber Eats |
| Toptal | DoorDash |
| Fiverr | GrubHub |
| FlexJobs | Instacart |
| Postmates | |
| Amazon Flex |
Earn More By Stacking Your Gigs
If you need more income than you’re likely to earn from the gigs listed above, consider stacking, or combining, them in a way that increases your earning potential. You can create a side hustle stack by working two or more unrelated side hustles or by creating two or more streams of income from a single side hustle.
For example, you could drive for multiple ridesharing services or expand into deliveries. Or, if you’re earning cash creating content, you might tutor other creatives in launching their own business — and perhaps even create your own course to establish a stream of passive income. By making the best use of your time and skill, you could turn your gig-economy job into a full-time career.
FAQ
Here are the answers to some common questions about the gig economy.- What gig economy job pays the most?
- Computer programmers and other highly-trained workers are likely to make the most money using their skills for a side gig.
- It's important to remember, though, that as a freelancer, you may need to take some time to build up your customer base before you can charge top dollar.
- What are some examples of a gig economy job?
- Driving for a ridesharing service like Uber or Lyft, tutoring and providing your services through a platform like TaskRabbit or Handy are a few examples of gig economy jobs, but the possibilities are endless.
- How do you get into the gig economy?
- The first step you need to take to start a side gig is to decide what skills you have to offer, from driving to moving heavy objects to specialized skills like programming or graphic design. After that, you can either market your services independently or join a gig app like Lyft, Fiverr or TaskRabbit.
- You'll probably need to provide references or a portfolio of your work, so it's a good idea to have that prepared before you start actively searching for gigs.
Nicholas Pell and Amber Barkley contributed to the reporting for this article.
Information is accurate as of May 19, 2023, and is subject to change.
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- Upwork. "53 Million Americans Now Freelance, New Study Finds."
- Merchant Maverick. "Top 10 Gig Economy Jobs in 2021."
- ZipRecruiter. "ZipRecruiter."
- Indeed. 2022. "11 Types of Programming Jobs (With Duties and Salaries)."
- Internal Revenue Service. 2023. "Gig Economy Tax Center."
- Upwork. "Freelance Forward 2022."
- McKinsey & Company. 2022. "Freelance, side hustles, and gigs: Many more Americans have become independent workers."
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics."
