3 Side Gigs That Will Help You Work Less — And Earn More
Written by
Martin Dasko
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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According to a recent Quicken survey, 43% of Americans with a side hustle work fewer hours and earn more money than a regular job.
The most popular side hustles for those who admitted to working less and making more are personal assistance (20%), cooking and baking (16%) and caregiving (16%).
While many side gig options exist, they don’t all pay the same because some ventures could require significant effort upfront without guarantees of future returns.
The goal of this article is to examine these three unique side hustles to help you determine if one of them is right for you.
1. Personal Assistant
Working as a personal assistant was rated the best side hustle for those who worked less and earned more. One possible reason is that the participants found highly-specialized work in this field.
Personal assistant work can range from being a virtual assistant online to an executive assistant for a high-level businessperson.
Estimated Earnings
According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly rate for a personal assistant is $23.17. However, the amount that you earn will depend on the type of role that you land.
The average hourly rate for a virtual assistant is $24 per hour, but an executive assistant can earn around $29 per hour.
How To Get Started
You’ll want to begin by deciding what kind of personal assistant services you’ll try to offer. Some of the options for work as a personal assistant include:
- Virtual assistant: This is a role that’s typically performed digitally, with a variety of duties. You could handle administrative tasks or complete specific tasks depending on the person hiring you.
- Executive assistant: This job may pay more since you would be a private assistant for an executive-level person who wants to hire someone to handle personal tasks.
- Personal concierge: As a concierge, you would perform odd jobs that could range from making restaurant reservations to random tasks around the house.
2. Cooking and Baking
Cooking and baking are among the more popular side hustles, which could likely be attributed to the rise of food delivery apps or the different ways to monetize this skill.
You could sell cookies or baked goods on a platform like Cookin or prepare customized meals for local athletes.
Estimated Earnings
According to ZipRecruiter, a baking pastry chef earns an average salary of $25 per hour. While this is a decent amount for a side hustle income, a private chef will earn an average of $43 per hour.
To increase your earnings, you could offer specialized services in this field by providing meal preparation plans or offering catering for large events.
How To Get Started
The good news is that numerous gigs are available within the field of cooking and baking. Here are some of the ways that you can start making money with a cooking or baking side hustle:
- Start your own food truck: You can have a food truck that you bring around the city.
- Sell a product: You could sell this online or locally if you’re known for a sauce or specific item.
- Offer catering for events: You could try to cater to local gatherings or offer food options for special events.
If you want to get started with this side hustle, you’ll want to test out various options to find the best way to make money. You may find a gap in your local community when it comes to catering for events.
Notably, 21% of the survey respondents who made more and worked less reported being business owners. This side hustle could lead to your starting your own business with enormous potential to increase your profits.
3. Caregiving
Working as a caregiver is a unique side hustle option because it doesn’t fall under one of the typical categories that you see on lists of income opportunities.
Estimated Earnings
A live-in caregiver has an average hourly wage of $22 per hour, but the pay will vary on your location and what kind of services you provide.
How To Get Started
If you want to start a side hustle as a caregiver, you’ll want to decide what services you’ll offer. According to Indeed, the services you offer with this side hustle will depend on the arrangement with the patient/client.
Here are some of the ways that you can make money as a caregiver:
- Perform housekeeping tasks for the patient.
- Prepare meals for patients.
- Transport clients to appointments and help them with running errands.
- Assist with hygiene-related tasks.
If you’re looking for a side hustle that will pay you a substantial income, you want to ensure there’s a straightforward way to get paid and a market for what you’re offering so you don’t waste your time.
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