9 Summer Side Gigs That Pay You an Easy $2,000 a Month

Full-time jobs are a bummer, especially if you are trying to have a fun summer. This is where a side gig where you can clear $2,000 a month in passive income would give your finances a sunnier forecast. Sure, you can drive for Uber Eats, join a grocery delivery service, throw a garage sale, mow lawns or start a blog any time of year, but some of the best and most profitable side hustles where you can offer your services or low-effort involvement come and go in only a few months — and those months are nearly here.

Many of the highest-paying summer side gigs involve working outdoors in the hot sun during the season’s long days, but many others have nothing to do with the weather at all. Earning money doesn’t have to be a fair-weather event, but sometimes you can maximize your earning potential by focusing on this particular season. In fact, in a recent GOBankingRates survey, 40.44% of participants expect to have to work a summer side hustle to cover costs and make ends meet.

GOBankingRates also talked to experts from a variety of industries to get a feel for the summer side jobs that pay the most money and that most people can do, with earnings estimates for each.

Here are the 10 summer side hustles that can boost your budget for the entire year as you can earn an easy $2,000 a month.

• Estimated monthly earnings: $3,625

If you regularly scroll through your social media it will not come as a shock that summer is the season for festivals. Though they are fun to attend, you could also earn extra cash by working a few, which typically means you don’t have to pay for a ticket. This form of making money while you save money is great for those who know their way around a cup of coffee.

“A coffee truck for the festival circuit can be a very lucrative side hustle,” said Oli Baise, founder and managing editor of the coffee blog Drinky Coffee. “During my early 20s, I would rent a food truck and sell coffee out of it at music and art festivals in my county.”

He said he usually pulled in around $20,000 in profit between the months of June and September — but be warned, there are significant startup costs.

“Although you do need to put down some money to do this — around $4,000 to rent a suitable vehicle for three months plus $1,500 for all the relevant licenses and festival booking fees — if you can stump up this money I am not sure if there is a more lucrative summer side hustle,” said Baise.

• Estimated monthly earnings: $2,000

Everyone who owns a pressure washer knows the satisfaction of watching grime disappear in perfect stripes on the deck, sidewalk and driveway as you go — making money while doing it, however, is even more satisfying. You can find clients around your neighborhood or even do some digital marketing to start your budding small business. 

“One of the best summer side hustles going is becoming a professional power washer,” said Kieran MacRae, who blogs about projects and personal improvement. “All you need to get started is the pressure washer, which will cost around $500, then you can charge people $50 per hour to clean up their driveways.”

Just about anyone with a power washer can start making money with almost no other investment or skill. With the above rate in mind if you only worked 10 hours a week you could easily clear at least $2,000 a month in extra income.

“Very little technique is involved, but the value you bring is they only have to pay $50 instead of $500 for their own machine,” MacRae said. “A little practice on your own house and maybe a couple of neighbors as a freebie and you’re good to go.”

• Estimated monthly income: $3,000

Many college-bound high school grads have their acceptance letters in hand before the summer even starts — but not all. According to U.S. News & World Report, many colleges now accept applications throughout the summer as the fall semester approaches, and it’s precisely those kids who need the most assistance.

“Helping high schoolers pass their college admissions is a booming side business — and it is one that can take many forms,” said Mila Garcia, finance consultant and co-founder of iPaydayLoans. “For instance, you can offer ACT tutoring, coaching students on sound interview techniques, how to write their admissions essays, how to build an attractive college application, etc. If you can build a reputation for yourself, a profitable business can easily net you upward of $150 per hour.”

At $150 an hour, you would only have to work nights and weekends to make a killing. On average, if you work five hours a week you would make $3,000 a month.

• Estimated monthly income: $2,250

You can cash in by keeping an eye on their people’s homes while they’re gone on summer vacations. You’ve heard of working from home but working from someone else’s home can be even more profitable.

“During the summer months, lots of people head out of town on vacation,” said Emilia Flores, a personal finance coach and the co-founder of UKBadCreditLoans. “And when they do, house sitting is the perfect opportunity for you to make some extra money. On average, you can expect to charge $25 to $75 per day, depending on the size of the home.”

At $75 per day, if you watched someone’s home while they were gone for a month in the summer, you would earn upwards of $2,250. This isn’t the highest pay but it does also cover your rent for that month so you could either sublet your place to make some money or just avoid a lease altogether to save some money.

• Estimated monthly income: $2,016

Just as summer travelers pay people to watch over their homes while they’re gone, they also pay people to watch over the family members that they can’t take with them on their journeys. Outside of dog walking, pet sitting is the best way to earn some money for those who are animal lovers at heart.

“This could be considered a passive side hustle because it doesn’t require strenuous work and would be a treat if you love animals,” said Werner Jorgensen, sales and marketing manager of Heatxperts. “This can serve as your ideal day job, where you can watch someone’s pet for a few hours and earn fairly well. You can get paid up to $14 an hour and would only be required to work on specific days.”

You could double your efforts as pet sitting is pretty low-effort, so you could also do other side gigs such as mowing lawns, walking dogs and more. At $14 an hour, you would have to do this at least 36 hours a week, which is still part time even with little effort.

• Estimated monthly income: $2,052

Although things rarely end well for them in horror movies, real-life camp counselors can have a lifelong impact on the kids they supervise — and get paid for the pleasure.

“A camp counselor’s primary duty is to supervise campers to provide a fun, healthy and safe summer camp environment,” said Steven Walker, CEO of Spylix. “They are usually responsible for planning and implementing activities and camp programs and providing leadership and development opportunities for campers.”

Walker says the average pay is $12.67 an hour, which a few top salary sites confirm — ZipRecruiter says it’s $10.43, Indeed quotes hourly camp counselor pay at $14.36 and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has recreational workers earning around $16.55 which puts Walker’s estimate right in the middle. At $16.55 an hour, you could work as a camp counselor for 30 hours a week which would put you past your $2,000 monthly goal.

• Estimated monthly income: $2,052

If you don’t get anxious speaking to groups, you like people and you have a passion for history and culture, working as a tour guide might just be the ultimate seasonal side hustle.

“A tour guide’s primary duty is to provide information about the history of religious and historical sites, museums and other significant locations to travelers,” said Walker. “They are also responsible for memorizing information, confidently speaking to small and large group sizes and having great interpersonal skills.”

Walker quotes $14.19 as the average per-hour pay, which Payscale backs up almost to the penny. The Bureau of Labor Statistics quotes tour and travel guides making closer to $19.37 as a mean hourly wage. Several salary sites say you can expect to earn tips, as well, but at a base pay of $19, you would just have to work 26-27 hours a week to make more than $2,000 a month.

• Estimated monthly income: $2,052

Landscaping, mowing and yard maintenance have been a classic summer side hustle in virtually every part of the country for generations. As many clients will supply you with a lawn mower or other equipment, it can also be low overhead.

“Mowing grass is something anyone can do but many people hate doing it themselves,” said Smart Money Advice founder Matthew Robbs, who earned $15,000-$20,000 doing this side hustle with his family every summer to help pay for college in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

“This means you can charge a good amount per hour — often 50%-100% more than minimum wage — and it won’t have a large amount of startup costs either since most people already own a lawnmower. You can also expand on mowing grass and do general landscaping work — things like pulling weeds, putting down mulch, trimming bushes, etc.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists landscapers and groundskeepers as making a median hourly rate of $19.13. You would have to work about 27 hours a week to make at least $2,000 or more.  

• Estimated monthly income: $2,049

OK, so you won’t get money-rich working as a lifeguard, but you can earn a decent income on the side while gaining life-saving skills and experience and fitness training that can lend itself to many different future career paths, including first responder jobs. But beware — you might wind up having fun along the way, and that’s a different kind of rich!

“Not only do you get to spend your days swimming and hanging out at the pool or beach, but you can also make a pretty decent wage,” said Luke Lee, co-founder and interior designer of Ever Wallpaper. “[And] depending on where you work, you may even be able to snag some cool perks like free passes to the water park or discounts on food and merchandise. Plus, what could be better than spending your summer days in the sun and getting paid for it?”

It’s estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that lifeguards make a median hourly wage of $15.07. This means you would have to work part time for about 34 hours a week to reach $2,000 a month.