Will Side Hustle Income Go Up in 2026? Experts Weigh In
Written by
J. Arky
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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There is hardly anyone working today who would likely pass on making more money. Lots of workers, in order to make ends meet, don’t just have a day job, but a side hustle, as well.
In 2026, there’s a chance that the gig economy might actually pay out better than years past, that is if all predictions go according to plan.
GOBankingRates reached out to some experts to find out if side hustle pay will go up over the next 12 months. Here’s what’s forecasted for this year’s possible gig revenues.
Skill Based Work Still Valued
If you have a trade, talent or skill that you implement in your side hustles, the chances are that will still be highly sought after in 2026.
“Skill-based work will become the primary side hustle for people who lose job stability,” noted Lacey Kaelani, co-founder and CEO of Metaintro. “Think skilled trades, creative services, handyman services, pet sitting.”
Like most things, Kaelani believes that scarcity and specialization will continue to thrive.
“Don’t hedge your bets on what used to be lucrative like content creation and data entry… you won’t be able to compete,” added Kaelani.
The Need for More Income
All around, employees are picking up side hustles in search of extra income and a bit more flexibility, according to Annie Rosencrans, director of people and culture at HiBob.
“Side gigs have become part of how people think about work,” Rosencrans continued. “More and more, they’re realizing their full-time job doesn’t have to be their only way to make money. And while finances are definitely a factor, especially with the rising cost of living, stagnant wages and mass layoffs, this shift runs deeper.”
Rosencrans added that workers are looking for more freedom, more control over their time and the chance to chase passions that don’t fit into a typical nine-to-five.
Side Hustle Income Projected To Rise
Michelle Baltrusitis, the head of community at Fiverr, shared that her company issues an annual report called the Freelancer Economic Impact Report, which leverages both U.S. Census and tax return data to identify the state of the freelance industry in the U.S. It shares the average individual freelance revenue, how much revenue freelancers are bringing to a region, and which cities have more technical versus creative freelancers.
According to Fiverr’s data, from 2014 to 2024, freelance income has been steadily increasing and one data point from the 2025 report exemplified how Miami ranks sixth with freelancers in terms of individual earnings, making an average of $59,000 each (higher than the national average of $52,000), and reflects a positive increase from last year’s average earnings in Miami of $53,000.
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