6 Side Hustles for Middle-Class Retirees in 2025

Need to work a side hustle for extra income in retirement? Don’t despair at the prospect of getting back into the workforce again. There are plenty of side gigs you can work that allow you to utilize your skills, set your own schedule and even allow the items in your home, like sports equipment, to do the work for you. (We’ll explain more in a minute!)

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Here are some of the best recommendations GOBankingRates has received for middle-class retirees who need simple, well-paid side gigs this year. 

Last year, we spoke to Dan W., a senior who works as a tasker with the online marketplace Taskrabbit who graciously shared how his lifetime of hands-on work has translated into consistent annual income via tasks he completes through the platform. Dan told GOBankingRates he has completed more than a thousand tasks in IKEA assembly and general furniture assembly through Taskrabbit, charging $47 per hour for his services.

If you’re great at assembling furniture, Taskrabbit might be the platform for you. And if you aren’t, consider checking out other areas where taskers and their services are in high demand. According to the Taskrabbit website, these include but are not limited to cleaning, painting and outdoor help services.

Does your closet contain a lot of clothing, shoes and/or accessories that you’ve never worn or have used gently just a few times? Consider listing these items on the social commerce marketplace Poshmark to clear out your space and make some money.

When we previously spoke to Amber McCasland, VP of global brand and communications at Poshmark, McCasland told GOBankingRates that Poshmark takes a flat commission of $2.95 for all sales under $15. Sales of $15 or more allow sellers to keep 80% of the sale with 20% designated for Poshmark’s commission.

To effectively resell, take nice photos of the items you’re putting up for sale, give each listing a title, description and price and post it within the Poshmark app.

While you’re clearing out your wardrobe, it’s time to tackle the various gifts you’ve accumulated over the years and had no real use for. 

Much like Poshmark, you can utilize a marketplace like OfferUp and sell these unused gifts to local buyers. When we previously spoke to an OfferUp representative about the marketplace, they referred to findings from their Recommerce Report that indicated 40% of Americans surveyed use “recommerce” as passive income. They earned an average of $1,000 from selling items.

Did you ever buy a boat, kayak, paddleboard or canoe? Your days of letting those pieces of sports equipment gather dust or — worse — selling them for way less than what they are worth at a garage sale are over. 

Consider listing out this equipment as rentals on GetMyBoat, the world’s largest boat rental marketplace. Val Streif, marketing manager at GetMyBoat, previously told GOBankingRates the average owner on GetMyBoat earns over $15,000 annually. 

If that hasn’t convinced you to give the app a try, we interviewed a retiree known as Captain Jim last year who told GOBankingRates how he is able to earn $800 a month in retirement as a boat captain through GetMyBoat.

While this option is more akin to passive income than side hustle, it’s not a bad idea to look into renting out extra space in your home. 

Consider looking into a self-storage marketplace such as Neighbor.com, where hosts are able to set fair terms and renters can find friendly spaces. You can list out the space you’d like to offer for storage, which can include a basement, attic, garage or driveway, and provide terms for how renters interact with you. If your space meets their needs, they’ll reserve it and schedule a move-in date. A Neighbor representative previously told GOBankingRates that the platform pays out monthly and many hosts on the platform are able to bring in thousands of dollars each year.

Summer will be here before you know it. If you don’t have a fear of heights and love to start your mornings right as the sun rises, don’t write off the prospect of becoming a hot air balloon crew member. 

When GOBankingRates previously spoke to Eliav Cohen, chief pilot at Seattle Ballooning, about this side hustle, Cohen said most crew members make $100 to $120 per flight.