Hustle culture is here to stay, with millions of people around the world signing up to earn some extra cash through selling their skills or services. In 2024, it is estimated that over one in three – over 80 million – Americans will have a side hustle they engage in alongside their full-time jobs. One of the biggest drivers behind this booming new way of life is the internet, which now comes crammed full of platforms ranging from marketplaces to social media that allow entrepreneurs to connect, advertise, and sell. Join us today as we take a look across the digital world of hustle culture and pick out the five most lucrative side gigs for making money online.

Photographer

Photography is a real skill that so many people are passionate about. It’s a hybrid side gig, meaning you’ll most likely be out in various locations before returning home and working from your computer. Payment for photographers is split between commissions for a specific project, or through the number of downloads/purchases each image generates.

Working privately with companies is probably the most thought-of way of making money as a photographer; however, there is also the possibility of selling images to stock sites and being paid that way too. Freelance photographers on average make $33 per hour in the US, but this hustle is more than just grabbing a camera and running for the door – the cost of setting up can be expensive, and honing the craft to where people are happy paying for your shots can be a learning curve.

Online Tutor

While it was already on the rise beforehand, the pandemic showcased to everyone how learning no longer had to be confined to the classroom. Through platforms such as Zoom, Skype, or Hangouts, thousands of students are now signing up for remote classes online. And if you have a skill that you’re happy to teach, there is money to be made from these classes.

The subjects students look for can range from everything from chemistry and maths to professional fitness lessons to understanding poetry and literature. On the subject of English, it is now even possible to teach English online with no degree thanks to platforms such as Preply and Cambly. One of the biggest advantages of being an online tutor is the flexibility it offers – you are free to select when you work, who you teach, and the hourly rate you charge!

Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants help business owners, entrepreneurs, workers, freelancers, and even busy families get their affairs in order. Everyday roles included in supporting people’s to-do lists typically involve:

Researching information

Scheduling meetings

Organizing travel

Managing email accounts

Responding to social media requests

Invoicing

Making and answering phone calls

Preparing reports

Sending reminders

While this side gig might not be as passion-based or glamorous as others on this list, there are plenty of opportunities out there for those with the right skills and mindset for it. No real qualifications or experience are required to become a virtual assistant, meaning it is one of the best entry-level side hustles people pick up.

Blogging

Back onto the side gigs that are firmly rooted in what you’re passionate about, blogging is a great long-term online job that has all the potential to make you money. This isn’t a short-term fix to any immediate money troubles you might have – it takes years’ worth of refinement and effort to even begin getting it right.

However, once you begin to generate consistent traffic, you’ll begin to be able to monetize it. Here are some of the most common means of making money through blogging:

Affiliate marketing

Sponsorships

E-commerce

Course creation

Coaching

Advertisements

In the US alone, 31 million bloggers contribute to 2.5 billion blog posts created every year, meaning that competition isn’t exactly short. Nevertheless, quality always shines through over quantity, and we’re sure you’ll be able to carve out a niche from the 75% of internet traffic that read blogs every single day.

Professional Gamer

Long gone are the days when video gaming was just a mindless distraction enjoyed by basement dwellers across the world. The video game industry is now worth more than its film and television counterparts and is expected to rise to $282.30 billion by the end of 2024. With so much money flying around, it’s no wonder that the very best players in the industry have carved out exceptionally lucrative careers for themselves.

And when we say ‘very best,’ we mean ‘very best.’

Thanks to sponsorships, tournament prize money, and other income streams such as online streaming, professional video game players can now earn a salary of up to $56,000 per year. However,, that figure can rise even more sharply for gamers and influencers who have healthy followings and put in the hours on platforms such as Twitch or Kick.

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