I Asked ChatGPT for the Easiest Side Hustles That Make Over $500 a Week

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With a rapidly rising cost of living, many Americans are seeking to earn extra income beyond their primary jobs. The good news is that there are many realistic ways to do so.

That said, any side hustle that’s easy likely has lots of competition and could mean working long hours to hit your income goals. The key is finding work that leans into your strengths and interests so you can command higher pay or at least not mind the time investment.

To get a better sense of what’s possible, without putting in grueling hours or engaging in difficult or risky endeavors like taking out a loan to start a business, I asked ChatGPT about the easiest side hustles that make over $500 a week, which means over $2,000 extra per month.

It told me that hitting this mark is “totally doable,” usually by either:

• Selling time or skills efficiently, or
• Owning some scalable asset (content, product, etc.) that compounds.

What does that look like? Here are examples ChatGPT shared, broken down by category.

Low-Skill, High-Demand

The first batch of side hustles suggested by ChatGPT are ones that you could likely start right away, because they either don’t require significant skills or there’s a low barrier to entry, even if you do need some experience. You often just have to sign up with a platform and go through some basic approvals that might take a few days. And there’s a high market demand for these products and services, which can lead to solid earnings.

Availability can differ by market, however. For example, areas oversaturated with rideshare drivers may place new workers on waitlists.

ChatGPT suggested the following options:

• Delivery and rideshare apps: Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart and Amazon Flex. Earnings average about $20 to $40 an hour, according to ChatGPT, which could mean working roughly 15 to 25 hours a week to earn $500 or more.
• Task-based work: Some gigs require light skills, such as mounting TVs, while others, like cleaning or packing, may be more accessible. Platforms like TaskRabbit or Handy, or even Craigslist, can offer opportunities paying about $25 to $50 an hour, depending on the task.
• Pet sitting or dog walking: Skill requirements vary by platform, but entry is often manageable. ChatGPT suggested platforms like Rover or Wag, where earnings range from about $15 to $40 per walk. As your profile grows, breaking $500 a week becomes more realistic.

Digital and Creative Side Hustles

Plenty of side hustles can be done from the comfort of your own home, and these too often have low barriers to entry and have high demand, albeit the skill requirements can be higher. Some examples include:

• Freelancing on platforms: Freelance work can take many different shapes, but some common areas with relatively low barriers to entry include freelance writing, graphic design, social media management, and virtual assistant work. ChatGPT suggested signing up on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, where you can earn around $25 to $100 per hour, depending on your skill. Note that competition can be high, however, and it can take time to build up a profile so that you consistently get enough clients to pull in more than $500 per week.
• Selling digital products: This is where the idea of owning a scalable asset comes into play. That said, the barrier to entry may be low to sign up through a platform like Gumroad or Etsy to sell digital products like design templates, but it can be hard to attract enough buyers. The advantage, though, is that a lot of the work is put in on the front end to create the digital products and market them, such as on social media. ChatGPT suggested platforms like Pinterest or TikTok. As you drive traffic and get reviews, that could lead to more organic traffic and income.
• Affiliate marketing or newsletter monetization: The skill may be relatively high, but the barrier to entry is low to create a blog or newsletter. You can sign up through platforms like Amazon Associates, Impact, Beehiiv, and ConvertKit, as suggested by ChatGPT. Earnings can range from $100 to more than $1,000 a week as traffic grows, though success often depends on SEO and social media reach.

Moderate-Skill, High-Payout Side Hustles

Lastly, ChatGPT suggested that a few types of side hustles provide relatively easy paths to more than $500 per week, although they might require a bit more upfront learning or investment, so they’re not quite as easy to jump into. These include:

• Tutoring or teaching online: If you have skills in a particular subject, like you’re an English teacher looking to supplement your income in the summer, or you speak multiple languages, you might be able to become an online tutor. ChatGPT suggested platforms like Wyzant, Outschool, and Preply, where you can earn roughly $25to $80 per hour, depending on the subject. One tip from ChatGPT is to specialize in a niche area, like being an “SAT math tutor” instead of a general math tutor.
• Flipping items online: This requires some skill and research to understand what’s flippable, and you might have to spend some money at places like garage sales to scoop up items. But you might then make $200 to $1,000 per week if you know what to buy and sell, according to ChatGPT, across platforms like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Poshmark. The chatbot suggested starting with selling stuff you already have around your house and focusing on niches like vintage clothes.
• Short-term rentals or subleasing: If you have an asset like an extra room or unused garage, or a car you don’t need all the time, you might try renting those for some extra income. ChatGPT suggested looking into platforms like Airbnb, Peerspace, and Turo, where you can make more than $100 a day, depending on the property or car. There can be some upfront work getting the listing set up, and you might need to be involved with areas like cleaning the car between rentals, but in many ways, this becomes passive income once you start building up positive reviews.

See What’s Right for You

There’s no shortage of potential side hustles, and the good thing is you can often experiment with different ones without risking much. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, so try not to get discouraged if one of these side hustles doesn’t make you $500 per week. Another one could do the trick; you just have to find the right match.

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