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Looking for a list of the best second jobs?
Below you’ll find some examples of flexible side gigs that you can fit into your schedule.
But which one is best for you?
That depends…
…you may need a second job to pay the bills, to save for a trip, to learn a new skill, or just to do something fun.
You also have to consider your abilities, situation, likes and dislikes.
Choosing the best second job clearly gets pretty subjective, so this is not a definitive list.
Instead you’ll find jobs divided into these six categories:
- Work at Home Jobs
- High Paying Jobs
- Jobs Where You Can Get Hired Quickly
- Training For A Business Jobs
- Jobs Where You Learn New Skills
- Interesting Jobs
Some of the jobs listed are traditional part-time jobs, while others are actually contract work where you’re not technically an employee.
These side hustles are particularly great for working and single moms, those who want to make money on the weekend or simply to earn extra cash in the evenings.
Some can even turn into full-time jobs.
To help you with the job searching process, let’s get you started with the 20 best second jobs.
Table of Contents
Working From Home Second Jobs
What if you want a second job but you don’t want to spend your spare time out of the house?
Get a job you can do at home!
These jobs totally exist.
Of course there are both advantages and disadvantages of working from home.
But if a home-based job is what you need, here are some of your best options…
1. Online Surveys
Some of the best jobs are the ones that allow you to work from home.
While taking online surveys isn’t a full-time gig, it’s great for a little extra side income.
When I was really struggling for cash, I used survey sites to increase my income by an extra $600/month or more.
Keep in mind that you should never pay for a survey site.
If at any time they ask for your payment information, it’s most likely a scam.
Here are some of my favorite FREE online survey sites:
- Survey Junkie (great payout rate: earn $10 – $18/hour with high-paying surveys)
- Swagbucks ($10 sign-up bonus – many ways to earn other than just surveys)
- LifePoints (not many surveys, but when they do have them they pay very well)
- Springboard America (really high payout rates)
- Vindale Research ($1 sign-up bonus)
Some other best practices to consider with survey-taking include:
- Never give out sensitive information
- Never pay to get money back
- Do not join a survey company that doesn’t compensate you (rewards, gift cards, cash, etc.) since your goal is to make money
- To make the most money, join multiple companies
- Track your efforts and money made in a spreadsheet
- Set up a separate free email address (like Gmail) for surveys only
- Take advantage of refer-a-friend programs
Never Give Out Sensitive Information
You want to be cautious of the information you give out to survey companies.
It’s acceptable to give out your name and address or even information about your background and demographics, since this will play a role in matching you with surveys.
But, if you’re asked to give out sensitive information, know that this is not usually a requirement of survey companies.
Never Pay to Get Money Back
Next, never pay to get money back.
This scam is prevalent amongst many different money-making opportunities.
Don’t fall for this one.
You shouldn’t have to pay for anything in regards to survey-taking.
Do Not Join a Survey Company That Doesn’t Pay You
And then, don’t join a survey company that doesn’t pay you.
Since the goal is for a second job for extra money, you want to be compensated, right?
Whether it be in cash, PayPal cash, gift cards or other rewards.
So make sure you are getting rewarded for your efforts, which a lot of survey companies offer, like the companies we recommend below.
Join Multiple Survey Companies for the Most Money
How can you make the most money?
Join multiple survey companies!
If you can make $100/month with one survey company, why not join 5 to make $500/month?
If you have the spare time and want to make more money taking surveys, give this a shot.
Track Your Hours
This is totally optional but if you track your hours, surveys taken and income made, it really holds you accountable, which can help you make even more.
To get started, make a simple spreadsheet and when you complete your day, jot down how many survey offers you did, how long it took you and how much you made.
Simple.
Get a Free Email Address
Getting organized with a free email address specifically for survey offers is a great way to ensure you don’t miss out on valuable survey or panel opportunities.
If you have survey offers going to your primary email address, it’s easy for those offers to get lost in your inbox.
Instead, open a free email account like Gmail and sign up with survey companies using that email address only.
It will better help you track your earnings, as well!
Join Referral Programs
You won’t want to miss out on referral programs that many survey companies offer.
With referral programs, it pays you to refer friends and family members.
Depending on the program, you could earn a flat rate, like $10 per referral or earn a percentage of your referrals’ earnings (or both)!
Read: These 10 Survey Sites Will Make You $300+/Month in Extra Income
2. Teaching English Online
If you’re a native English speaker and have a computer, you can earn $18/hour or more with programs like VIPKID or Education First.
You’re given a full curriculum so you know exactly what to teach.
However, you need to be entertaining and fun to keep receiving positive reviews and have a few regulars on your list.
The higher-paying programs usually have stricter requirements.
What’s the best part about these online companies that pay you to teach English?
You can create your own schedule and choose your available teaching hours.
It’s a flexible job for extra money and you get to teach one student at a time.
Earn up to $25/hour, all while working from home.
Some teachers have reported making up to $2,500/month and others have used it to pay off their student loans.
Where to Find Job Opportunities as an ESL Teacher?
Head to these companies to get started:
Teaching English online is a great side job from home that’s becoming more and more popular and is an easy way to boost your income.
Wondering exactly how much teaching English can boost your income?
This teaching English pay calculator shows you how much money you need to make in order to reach your personal finance goals.
3. Blogging
Blogging isn’t very lucrative at first (in most cases), but over time it can be a great side gig.
This blog started out just writing a couple of articles a week.
Eventually it turned into a way for me to pay off debt, and now it’s used to make a full-time income.
Just be sure to find something you’re passionate about and are willing to write about if you can’t hire writers yourself.
Furthermore, be patient with your results.
It may take some time for income to start coming in and to get traffic from Google and social media platforms.
The great thing about blogging is that it’s really cheap to start.
We’ve partnered with HostGatorto give our readers a special deal of a free domain your first year and a hosting plan for as little as$2.75per month when you use our link to sign-up.
Don’t be like me when I first started – hesitant because of the costs involved.
Even if it doesn’t make that much money, it can still bring in a bit of side income to make up for the cost of hosting.
Curious how much you can make?
Bloggers have reported earning up to $5,000/month in their first year, all while being able to work from home!
If you’re really completely new to blogging, be sure to check out our FREE 5-Day Money Making Blog Crash Course to get started that teaches you:
- Set up a blog from scratch
- Get traffic via Google and social media
- How to write a great blog post
- The basics of affiliate marketing
- Designing your blog
- More
How to Create a Blog?
It’s a lot easier than you think and you don’t need to be tech-savvy to succeed at building your first blog.
First, name your blog.
Then, get hosting and domain.
Lastly, connect WordPress and add content.
And, launch!
What to Blog About?
The great news about blogging is that you can blog about virtually any interest or passion you have.
If you get hyper focused on your niche, you can get even better results, too!Here’s a quick general list of some blogging niches, to give you some inspiration:
- Travel
- Making money
- Budgeting/frugal living
- Food/recipes
- Parenting
- Homeschooling
- Lifestyle
- College life
- Military life
- Living overseas
- Pets
- Business
- Career
- And, more
How to Make Money Blogging?
There are many ways to make money blogging:
- Ads
- Affiliate marketing
- Products and services
- Sponsorships
Advertisements can be placed on your blog and make you money when a reader clicks on them.
Affiliate marketing involves placing affiliate links throughout your blog, making you a commission when a reader clicks the link and buys the product.
Then, you can create your own products and services, making money selling them to your readers.
An example of this is creating a cookbook, if you’re a food blogger.
And lastly, collaborating with sponsors, where a company or brand pays you to blog about them!
Like when you’re listening to your favorite radio station and hear those commercials.
Those are sponsors!
Read: 7 Steps For Starting a Successful Blog
4. Search Engine Evaluator
As a search engine evaluator I was paid $13.50/hour.
I looked at search engine results and rated them by various criteria, and I was hired without previous experience.
I worked when I wanted to, and often I didn’t even get out of my sweat pants before sitting down at the computer (or on your phone).
In other words, this is a great second income if you want to stay home.
It isn’t technically a job, however, so you’ll get no benefits and you’ll have to pay your own taxes.
You can apply for these positions at companies like Leapforce and Appen.
5. Customer Service Agent
There are many companies that hire home-based workers, and these are real jobs, often with benefits.
Typically you’ll be at your computer as you take phone calls from customers.
What Skills are Required for Customer Service Agents?
- Great communicator
- Self-starter
- Well-organized
- Multitasker
What Experience/Background is Needed for Customer Service Agents?
A background in customer service is helpful, though not required for a lot of CSA jobs.
If you are helpful, diligent and patient, you could be an excellent customer service agent.
These jobs typically only require a high school diploma with no formal background or experience required.
You can apply directly to some large companies (American Express, for example), or you can apply to work for providers that contract with various companies, like Sykes, for example.
6. Transcriptionist
TranscribeMe.com says they start at $20 per audio hour.
How much you actually make as a transcriptionist depends on how fast and accurate you type.
For example, at $20 per audio hour, if you need two hours to transcribe each hour of audio, you‘ll make only $10/hour.
You earn a higher rate if you specialize in medical or legal transcription.
But, wait a minute.
What does a transcriptionist actually do?
What Do Transcriptionists Do?
You are paid to transcribe audio.
That means you’ll listen to audio files and type what you hear, in a transcript.
It’s not unusual to make up to $25/hour doing this and you can work one-on-one with private clients like attorneys, teachers, podcasters, etc.
You can also apply directly for a transcription company, like TranscribeMe or Rev.
This might sound like the easiest job ever, just to type what you hear, but to succeed in this job you will need to be patient, self-starting, a fast typist and great at following directions.
Your transcription job will likely have a style guide attached, which is like an instruction manual that tells you how to transcribe the audio file and special equipment like a foot pedal and headphones may be required.
With TranscribeMe, you’re hired out as an independent contractor, responsible for your own taxes, and with flexibility.
However, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be given work.
If you’re interested in this position, we recommend searching“transcription” on job websites like Indeed.com.
7. Online Tutor (Other Than English)
If you know enough about any subject from math to poetry to creative writing, you can tutor students from the comfort of your home.
While tutoring has always been a decent way to generate a second income, it has become simpler thanks to platforms like Tutor.com.
They find the students for you and handle all of the billing.
Payscale says the median wage for tutors is $17.07 per hour, and higher pay is the norm if you tutor students on topics like physics, science, math, reading, and French language.
Where to Find Tutoring Jobs?
Turning to traditional job banks like Indeed or Careerbuilder is a great start.
You can have luck finding gigs on online classified sites or neighborhood sites too, like Craigslist or Nextdoor.
Then, there are tutoring sites, like Tutor, TutorMe, and Preply, to name a few.
How to Get Started?
Find jobs and apply!
Some of the tutoring sites may require a skills test so be prepared for that.
Then, be on your way to making money as a tutor!
Making a Good Hourly Wage
If you value your time, a job has to be either something you love doing or something that pays well.
This is especially true when you already have a full-time position and you’re looking for a side job.
Here are some of the best candidates for part-time jobs that will net you the most money for your time.
8. Uber Driver
When you work for Uber or Lyft you get to set your own schedule, which is a nice feature for any sideline income.
But it’s especially important in this context, because you can use that flexibility to make more money by working during busy times.
That’s when Uber uses “price surging,” and you get paid more.
When it’s busy you also have less unpaid “down time.”
When Buzzfeed analyzed Uber drivers’ pay, they found a range between $10.71 and $31.44 per hour after expenses.
Work the right areas and at the right times to get near the upper end of that range.
Read: Make $6,000/Month Using Your Car as a Taxi with These 3 Companies
9. Bartender
Many of the best second jobs involve tips.
Just ask the Margaritaville bartender who made $760 in one shift.
The key here is to work weekends, which might be the only days you have free for a second job anyhow.
It also helps to work at a bar that’s busy and has relatively high prices.
10. Restaurant Server
As a server, you can do well despite a low base wage, thanks to tips.
As with all tipped positions, you want a job at an expensive and popular place, because tips are largely based on the size of the bill, and serving more customers means collecting more tips.
Work the busiest shifts that fit your schedule.
Working the right times at the right restaurant, a part-time server can make over $25 per hour.
In high school, I had a friend making $1,200/month working at a popular steak restaurant on weekends only (mostly from tips)!
Being a restaurant server is especially great for those looking for summer jobs to earn extra money.
11. Event Disc Jockey
As a DJ for parties and other events you typically work weekends, making this good work if you have a full-time weekday job.
Individual party-goers might toss you a dollar or two for playing their favorites, and that can add up, but weddings can be even better.
Contributors to a forum post on WeddingWire.com show a range of fees from $495 to $1,800 and tips on top of that ranging from $40 to $200 for the session.
You can even do arbitrage with this kind of job.
Find a client, hire a DJ, and outsource the work to them.
For example, you find a client on Craigslist and charge them $1,000, then find a DJ that will work for $400, and you keep the difference ($600) as your profit!
I recently read a story in Reddit about how a guy did this exact practice with a valet service in a wealthy neighborhood and made $2,000 in an afternoon!
Getting Hired Right Now Jobs
If it’s easy to get hired right now, the job probably doesn’t pay well.
On the other hand, it may meet other important criteria.
It may be close to home or offer flexible scheduling.
And, of course, if you need a second income as soon as possible, you have limited options.
Here are some of them…
12. Fast Food Restaurant Worker
The employee turnover rate for fast food restaurants is over 100% per year.
That’s bad news for the owners, but for you it means there are almost always jobs available.
Part-time positions are common, another aspect that makes these decent second jobs in the right situation.
What Kind of Jobs Do Fast Food Workers Do?
These are jobs at fast food restaurants like Taco Bell or McDonalds, as well as chain restaurants, and mom and pop restaurants.
Examples include:
- Dishwasher
- Greeter/host
- Server
- Line cook
- Cashier
Where Can I Find a Job as a Fast Food Worker?
Look in your local area and you’ll surely find at least a handful of restaurants hiring.
You can also look in classified ads and local job boards and job websites.
13. Pizza Delivery Driver
Turnover is high in these positions too, so if you have a car and/or a valid driver’s license, you can probably get a job delivering pizza within a few days.
And this is usually a big step up from fast food work because of the tips.
Although tipped positions have a lower minimum wage, most pizza restaurants pay the regular minimum wage to their drivers, so your tips can push your total income to $15 per hour or more if you work the busy shifts.
You can extend this to other kinds of delivery driver jobs too, not just pizza delivery, and work for companies like:
The advantage of working these other delivery jobs is that you can work when you want to, no uniform required, and independent work, among other perks.
14. Day Laborer
There are two kinds of temporary agencies.
“Job placement” firms like Manpower have a more traditional interview and placement process that takes a while.
But “day labor” firms can put you to work right away.
For example, Labor Works says, “Arrive early.
Get a job every day.”
Like most day labor employers, they pay you at the end of each day.
That makes this the fastest way to get a paycheck from a second job.
What Are Examples of Day Laborer Jobs?
- Landscaping
- Warehouse
- Construction
- Small Equipment Operator
- Factory work
Training for a Business Jobs
A second job can be a great way to make money to eventually start a business, but it also can be a way to learn what you need to know about a particular business or investment.
Here are a few examples…
15. Renovation Worker
An investor hired me at $100 cash per day to help him renovate houses, and I was free to work when I wanted (I worked 2 or 3 days per week).
More experienced crew members received $160 per day, but I also received knowledge and experience.
Since working that job, my wife and I have made money on several homes.
If you take a part-time job working on houses, and your goal is to learn the ropes, be sure to work for someone who is willing to talk and answer questions.
Watching and working will help, but you need to learn about the numbers, the permitting issues, and so on.
16. House Cleaner
Many small cleaning companies need part-time workers.
The pay is not usually that high, but this is a great opportunity to learn about the business.
If you want to specialize, like doing foreclosure cleaning, for example, find a company that does at least some of that work.
Of course, the business is more than just cleaning, so ask a lot of questions.
And if you hope to start a cleaning business in the same general area, work for a company that does not require you to sign anon-compete agreement.
17. Tax Preparer
Tax preparation companies need part-time workers during the season, and you are typically paid for your training time.
This is a great way to learn how to do taxes if you think you might want to make a business of it later.
For those with an accounting background, this is a nice gig that only requires work for part of the year with the ability to earn you enough money to supplement second job income for a full year!
If you have to sign a non-compete agreement consider working further away from home so the agreement doesn’t cover the area where you plan to do business.
Learning New Skills For Jobs
Sometimes another job can be great for learning new skills and introducing you to new careers.
Here are some possibilities to consider…
Read: 14 Udemy Courses Under $20 For Learning a New Professional Skill
18. Adult Education Teacher
You don’t always need a teaching degree to work part-time as an adult or “continuing education” teacher.
Often you just need enough knowledge about a subject, which could be “How to Use Facebook,” “How to Identify Wildflowers,” or any number of other possibilities.
In fact, you often get to propose your own classes.
Classes are typically in the evening, so they can fit with a day job.
For example, when we lived in Naples, Florida, my wife taught Spanish for two hours three evenings weekly.
She was paid $20 per hour and there was even a retirement plan.
Teaching is a great way to develop your speaking skills, and you may be able to promote your books or business as well.
To find these positions, check with your local schools and Google “continuing education” for your area.
What About Online Teaching?
You can teach as an online instructor as well, creating your own online course using tools like Teachable.
This involves creating your curriculum, lesson plans and bundling it all together in an online course that you can sell for any price you’d like.
For example, you could teach Python programming in an online course priced at $200.
If you sold 40 courses per month, that’s an extra $8,000/month added to your income!
This kind of gig is going to be like a side business so be mindful of taxes and understand that other costs may be associated, like course hosting costs, marketing, etc.
19. Freelance Writer
Freelance writing is not technically a job (you’ll be self employed), but it can be a great second income.
Look at Nicole Dieker’s income report for an idea of what’s possible.
If you like writing and you develop a good clientele you might transition to writing full-time as your new career.
You also could be hired by a client.
I’ve been offered full-time positions with benefits (but I prefer the freedom of freelancing).
Freelance writing is great for developing new knowledge and skills.
For example, researching writing about credit cards and bank accounts helped me make thousands of dollars annually from credit card and bank bonuses.
For various clients I’ve had to do research about wine coolers, real estate, and pre-employment testing.
One of my favorite freelance sites is Hubstaff Talent since they charge 0% fees.
You can also find other freelance positions aside from just writing.
Read: Top 8 Online Companies That Pay You to Write
20. Temporary Worker
Day labor companies were discussed under “Getting Hired Right Now,” but some temporary agencies place you in positions for longer periods of time.
When I worked for Manpower I had positions in factories, an infomercial shipping operation, and as a highway flagger.
These were meant to be long-term assignments, but I routinely quit so I could be assigned to something new.
This is a great way to learn new skills to add to a resume, and to find a position you might enjoy doing.
Keep in mind that some temporary jobs listed are only seasonal job.
Make sure to ask ask about the duration of the work you’ll be doing when applying for the position.
When it comes to temporary jobs,beware of scams.
A lot of these jobs say that they’re commission based only to get you to start working and will never pay you.
Be sure to do your due diligence beforehand.
Doing Something Interesting
A second job might pay poorly but still be fun or interesting.
In Florida I had a part-time job driving an electric tram, taking passengers from their homes to their seaside restaurants.
We stopped to watch alligators eating turtles, bird eating snakes, and cute baby owls hiding in the mangrove swamps.
When the job was no longer interesting I moved on.
Here are some other potentially fun or interesting second jobs.
21. Trail Builder
Building trails is a great temporary job if you love the outdoors and you have summers off (if you’re a teacher, for example).
How interesting trail building is depends on what kind of environments you enjoy and therefore where you work (I wouldn’t build trails in southern Florida).
The Professional TrailBuilders Association can help you find a position; they organize training events and sometimes post open positions on their website.
Other outdoor interesting second jobs include being a camp counselor, rafting guide, or tour guide.
Is Getting A Second Job Worth It?
Depending on your needs, getting a second job is a great way to save money, earn a little extramoney, boost your income or to help you reach your personal financegoals.
There are a lot of different jobs listed in this article, but hopefully you’re able to choose at least a few to earn extra cash outside and inside your home.
And last but not least, beware of scams.
If you find a second job that’s too good to be true, it most likely is.
Not only that, but you don’t want to give away your social security number to just anyone.
Didn’t find anything on our list?
Here are some more of our favorite side jobs to earn extra money outside your normal job:
- Graphic Design
- Data Entry
- Senior Care
- Web Designer
- Direct Sales
- Career Adviser
- Car Insurance Salesman
- Real Estate Agent
- Tour Guide
- Life Insurance Salesman
If you enjoyed this list of the best second jobs ideas, you may also be interested in the following:
- 12 Best Side Jobs For Nurses To Make Extra Money
- 20 Best Side Hustles for Introverts | No Skills Required
- 10 Best Side Jobs For Teachers To Earn Extra Money
Which are the best second jobs in your experience?
Tell us about them below.
