I Asked ChatGPT Which Side Gigs Are Actually Worth Starting in 2026 — Here’s What It Said
Written by
Jordan Rosenfeld
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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Financial influencers often swear that side gigs can make you rich. While it’s absolutely true that the right side gig at the right time can be lucrative, not every one is a winner. I decided to ask ChatGPT which side gigs are actually worth starting in 2026 and why. I also determined an average income you might be likely to earn at it in 2026.
AI-Assisted Freelance Services
Is the AI biased? Maybe. It suggested that AI-assisted freelance services such as writing, design, marketing and editing could be good side gigs so long as you use these tools as support, not as replacements for the actual skills.
Service providers who learn how to use AI for speed and scale “can confidently charge market rates while working faster than competitors,” ChatGPT suggested. A caveat: Be very careful that if someone is hiring you to write content, you’re not letting AI do it for you.
Potential earnings depend on your service. Freelance writers, for example, earn an average of around $22 per hour and up to $52 on the high end, according to Indeed.
Niche Consulting in Your Area of Expertise
Consulting is one of those terms that sounds vague but really means you bring a specialty set of skills to people who need them, often without being an employee. ChatGPT said that while companies appear to be moving more toward layoffs than hiring these days, they still need specialty help. Thus, “micro-consulting is booming.” If you’re a pro with a track record, particularly in areas like finance, human resources, marketing or operations, the AI said you can package your expertise into hourly consulting at a good rate.
Earnings vary widely. According to Indeed, the average consultant salary is $91,963 and $158,883 on the high end.
Digital Products
It’s a digital era where more work happens online and people want easy-to-access products for their businesses. ChatGPT suggested that those who can create courses, templates, guides and other digital toolkits may be able to make significant profit. It even said digital products have the highest profit margin of any side gig.
Potential income ranges widely. Online courses can net anywhere from $1,000 to six figures, according to one industry site. A lot depends on the product type, your level of expertise and your ability to market.
Local Service Businesses You Can Start Quickly
It may be a digital era, but you can’t go wrong with small, local businesses that meet an essential need. These could include pet services, home organization, yard cleanup and hauling or home tech setup, ChatGPT suggested.
It reasoned that these always work because they solve essential problems people won’t DIY. These services help older adults with limited mobility, working parents who don’t have much time and many other demographics.
Rates vary, but the average hourly rate for a handyman in the U.S. is around $23 and up to about $41 on the high end.
Resale and Flipping
Resell platforms are in a second boom because of higher prices on goods. Vintage, unique and cool items are also popular again. And the sustainability and anti-waste movement has become more mainstream, ChatGPT said.
It recommended focusing on mid-century furniture, luxury handbags, cameras and lenses and refurbished tech in 2026.
While it’s hard to pin down exact earnings, sellers in a Reddit thread reported amounts ranging from $200 per week to $800 per month, and one seller even reported earning $150,000 per month.
Content Creation but Only in These Niches
Content remains king in some ways, but not all content is profitable anymore. ChatGPT said that most content creation isn’t profitable unless you’re in niches where advertisers pay a premium. These include personal finance, midlife health and wellness, home improvement and DIY solutions, parenting teens, AI productivity, minimalism and life simplification and small business/side hustle education.
Again, it’s hard to predict exact earnings. ChatGPT suggested it can range from $9,000 to $60,000 per year when the right elements are in place.
Airbnb Experiences or In-Person Micro-Events
ChatGPT suggested that although short-term rentals have cooled and many lone Airbnbs may sit empty, experiences have exploded. It said people pay for curated outings, workshops, tours and small events. It recommended storytelling, craft classes, cooking, nature walks and hobby instruction.
While this may be true right now, if the economy continues to wobble into 2026, people may dial back on leisure activities just to afford basic expenses. You might not earn a reliable income from this, but you could make small bursts of money when something resonates.
Virtual Assistant or Remote Ops Support
Hundreds of thousands of solo business owners need help with scheduling, inbox management, light bookkeeping and content planning, ChatGPT said. Name a business and there’s probably someone who needs a virtual assistant. The AI suggested this side gig scales fast if you get specific, such as “VA for therapists” or “VA for authors.” However, competition can be steep, so you’ll need to find ways to stand out.
Indeed reported that rates range from $16 per hour on the low end to $44 on the high end, with an average of around $26.
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