5 Best Side Hustles for Gen Zers To Work in Summer 2024

There’s no time like the summer for a good side hustle. Whether you want to get outside or stay cool in the AC, opportunities abound for a young person looking to turn the extra hours of daylight into extra cash.

According to a recent GOBankingRates survey, about one third of Gen Zers said they plan to work a side hustle this summer to pay for expenses. 

Whether you’re needing to pay down student debt or you feel inspired by your social feed to start something new, Nick Loper, host of the Side Hustle Nation podcast, says there are plenty of great options regardless of whatever level of skill or capital you have at your disposal. 

“You’re looking for something with low startup costs and relatively low skill or perceived skill to get started with,” Loper said.

Some go-to options that are accessible and in high demand over the summer include mowing lawns, doing yard work, pressure washing and cleaning windows and gutters. Loper also advises side hustlers to look beyond the immediate goal of making an extra buck, though.

“I think the most exciting part of it, beyond whatever money you can make, is setting yourself up for long-term skills and success,” he said. “Talking to people face to face, dealing with customers, managing, potentially hiring and firing employees or contractors — there’s so much to learn.” 

For Loper, that value came from his side hustle of painting houses in college.

“Even though I was taking business classes at school, that was nothing compared to actually going out and doing it in real life in person,” he said. “The education and the confidence and firefighting that had to come from that was so much more important than anything that ever came from class.”

Here are the top side hustles from Loper and more of our experts.

Also see these lucrative side gigs.

You may have to purchase some initial equipment to get started, but you’re likely to recoup the costs of that equipment in just a few jobs. With a good pressure washer, you can offer a broad range of cleaning services, including gutters, windows, driveways, patios and siding. 

Many commercial-grade pressure washers retail at Home Depot for less than $1,500, and you can get one powerful enough to wash a driveway for under $500.

According to TaskRabbit, the average service charge for pressure washing a driveway is between $180 and $240.

Loper also points to the real-world marketing that comes with sprucing up the outside of someone’s house.

“When the neighbors see you out doing it, then they’ll say, ‘hey, how about you come over and do mine afterwards’,” he said.

Car detailing is another option for a side hustle with low startup costs.

“It’s a really common Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift,” said Loper. “It’s labor intensive, and you’re going to spend some time doing it, but if you’re making 250 bucks in a few hours at 17 that’s a pretty good gig.”

A pair of college and high school-aged brothers who Loper featured on his podcast calculated the equipment startup costs for their mobile detailing business to be between $400 and $600. They got the word out by tapping into their friend and family network and running some successful gift card ad campaigns on Facebook. They even procured consistent work from a local car dealership.

After scaling up, the brothers estimate earning an effective rate of $40-$50 per hour.

Thomas J. Brock, a finance professional and expert contributor for Annuity.org, said that launching a dog walking service could be an excellent side hustle for Gen Zers who live in densely populated urban or suburban neighborhoods with apartment communities.

“Most people are too busy with work obligations and life events to give their dogs enough exercise to stay in shape, physically and emotionally,” said Brock. “They want their pets to be as healthy as possible, but they may not realize affordable help exists. This is where you can step in and efficiently market a dog walking service to a densely populated group of potential clients. If you can successfully advertise your service, you may quickly have more work than you can handle by yourself.” 

Brock recommends a multi-pronged marketing approach that includes social media, local small business social events and word-of-mouth advertising. 

According to TimeToPet, the national average rate for a 30-minute walk session in 2024 is about $28. Other expenses to take into consideration include insurance, marketing and gas/travel.

Scott Lieberman, Founder of Touchdown Money, recommends summer tutoring as a side hustle that taps into the market of keeping kids busy and learning while out of school. 

“If you’re skilled in something, sharing that skill with others can really help boost your finances. You can provide tutoring in just about any subject, from English to geography to SAT prep to cooking,” Lieberman said. 

There are many online tutoring platforms that help match you to clients while offering a lot of flexibility. They each vary in terms of required experience, pay and subject matter. Wyzant, Skooli, BookNook, Chegg and Pear Deck Learning (formerly TutorMe) are just a few.

Qualifications typically include a bachelor’s or master’s degree. You can also bolster your credentials with tutor certifications which are offered through organizations like the College Reading and Learning Association, according to ZipRecruiter.

Kate Taurina, head of the casting directors department at allcasting, said there are a lot of side hustle opportunities for young people in the entertainment industry. Voiceover work in particular is seeing a growing demand for authentic and diverse voices in e-learning, gaming and audiobooks. 

Another area of high demand that’s a great fit for young people is content creation — user-generated content (UGC) including photos, videos or product reviews for brand marketing can be monetized through ads, sponsorships, affiliate marketing and selling merchandise.

“Gen Zers are ideal for online content creation due to their tech-savviness and creativity,” said Taurina. “This includes starting a YouTube channel, creating a TikTok account, blogging or producing user-generated content for brands.”

She added, “Identify your niche or passion, create a content plan and start producing regular content. Try to find your authentic voice and reach out to brands you love and offer to create content for them in exchange for payment or products.”