The side hustle shuffle: Mapping the USA’s most popular gigs

Although the term “side hustle” has been around since the 1950s, Google Trends shows that side hustles have really grown in popularity in the US since 2016. They especially boomed during the pandemic, perhaps due to job insecurity, remote work flexibility, and the desire for extra income.

We have become an industrious nation, with the rise in the cost of living further fueling our drive for financial stability. Now, side hustles are part of the modern work landscape, with over half of Americans (54%) supplementing their primary source of income with a side hustle, or ‘a side job’.

One trend, many motivations

Today’s challenging economy drives many individuals to start side hustles – they simply want to make ends meet. In fact, two-thirds of Americans (66%) say they live paycheck to paycheck, with no real financial safety net in place.

Other motivations include clearing debt, increasing savings, and increasing disposable income. A shift towards hybrid/remote working has made this easier to achieve, allowing people to juggle multiple income streams more effectively.

Some have turned their hobbies into small businesses, hoping that eventually, it will become their main income, while others have learned an entirely new set of skills.

Millennials are making the most money

We know there are various motivations for starting a side hustle, but are they proving worthwhile, giving Americans the desired income boost?

The statistics would suggest so.

While Gen Z is most likely to have a side job, millennials make the most money, with an average of $1,129/month.

Looking at all generations, the average side hustle earns$891/month, an increase of $81 in 2023.

To achieve this result, hustlers generally spend 11-16 hours per week on their side job, with an even split on when they work (i.e. morning, afternoon, evening, or weekends). Most run their venture solo, though some have a side hustle with their spouse, friends, family members, or dedicated business partners.

But despite the additional revenue stream, four in ten Americans (44%) say they still feel “financially insecure.” Many have become dependent on their supplementary income and feel it’ll always be necessary to have a side hustle.

Which side hustles are the most popular, and where?

To determine which states have the largest appetite for side hustles, we analyzed search volume data across all US states. We looked for a range of relevant keywords, which are specific phrases that people type into search engines, such as Google.

High search volumes for these phrases suggest a strong interest in the topic. That’s why we mainly focused on keywords, such as ‘side hustle ideas’, ‘ways to make cash on the side’, ‘best ways to earn extra income’, and ‘side hustles that pay way’.

Taking the data on a per capita basis (per 100,000 people), here are the locations where Americans have the strongest interest in having secondary income:

1. Utah
2. Minnesota
3. Indiana
4. Arizona
5. Wisconsin
6. Georgia
7. Illinois
8. Michigan
9. Florida
10. Washington

This data changes when you look across the top ten side hustles in 2024, which are as follows:

1. Virtual assistant
2. Delivery driver
3. eCommerce
4. Creative writing
5. Online surveys
6. Dog walking
7. Tutoring
8. Pet sitting
9. Rideshare driver
10. Rent a car/home

Those living in Delaware are most interested in the above job types, especially making money through online surveys, creative writing, and virtual assistant roles.

Rhode Island residents are almost as hungry for extra income as any other US state, with the state coming in second place – though virtual assistant roles are in more demand than a quick bit of cash through online surveys. Rhode Island also has more searches per capita for dog walking than any other US state.

Here is a full look at the top ten side hustles per state, on a per capita basis:

Virtual assistant roles are highly sought after

To determine the most popular ways to make more money this year, we gathered search volume data for a range of individual side hustle-related keywords.

The data highlights a huge desire for virtual assistant jobs, with more than a million searches a year for virtual assistant-related keywords.

On a per capita basis, those living in Georgia, Maryland, and Nevada are most likely to apply for this type of role.

And looking at the top three side hustles per state, virtual assistant is the most sought-after side job in Florida, Hawaii, Montana, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Virginia.

The reason is pretty clear – according to Indeed data collected in October 2024, virtual assistants earn an average base salary of $26.76/hour, which can be a noticeable addition to your salary.

Massachusetts has the most interest in delivery driving

In the US, almost 700,000 searches are made annually for delivery driving jobs. These jobs pay an average of $19.57/hour, though earnings can range from $12.63 to $30.33 at the higher end of the spectrum.

Delivery driving covers many different types of roles and responsibilities, including:

• Services for couriers
• Van driving
• Local delivery
• Long-distance trucking
• Specialized delivery services
• On-demand delivery services

This type of side hustle is most popular in Massachusetts, Georgia, and Kansas. In Massachusetts, there are more searches for delivery driving jobs per capita than for anything else, followed by online surveys and virtual assistant roles.

Alaska is home to the most budding entrepreneurs

With the internet at our fingertips, there are endless opportunities to make and sell handmade goods or create a dropshipping business.

This can be done through a dedicated eCommerce website or an online marketplace like Etsy, eBay, or Amazon.

There are around 680,000 searches for eCommerce opportunities each year, with keywords such as ‘how to start a dropshipping business’ and ‘how to make money with Etsy’ most commonly typed into Google.

People in Alaska, Wyoming, and Vermont are keen to start their own businesses. In Alaska, more people are interested in selling things than in any other side hustle.

Check out the infographic below, showing the states most interested in each side hustle.

What’s the top side hustle in the US’s most populated state? Making a quick buck through online surveys

While California sits just outside the top ten states for interest in side hustles, residents make almost 50,000 searches annually for ‘side hustle ideas’, and more than 22,000 searches each year for ‘ways to make money on the side’.

Those in the US’s most populated state seek ‘quick wins’, with online surveys being the most common way to make some cash through sites such as Swagbucks, Opinion Outpost, and Pinecone Research. Earnings from online surveys can vary from a few cents to a few dollars.

Virtual assistant and delivery driver roles sit in second and third place, respectively.

When compared to the rest of the states, California ranks 7th in per capita searches for tutoring side hustles and 9th for dog-walking jobs.

We also took a deep dive into four of California’s most populated cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco), to discover whether there are any clear differences in preferences.

Here are the top three side hustles for each city:

Los Angeles

1. Online surveys
2. Virtual assistant
3. eCommerce

San Diego

1. Virtual assistant
2. Online surveys
3. eCommerce

San Jose

1. Online surveys
2. Virtual assistant
3. Tutoring

San Francisco

1. Online surveys
2. Virtual assistant
3. eCommerce

Texas is a top ten state for virtual assistant and delivery driver roles

Texas – the US’s second most populated state – paints a similar picture to California.

Texans love to make some extra cash for a few minutes of work, filling out online surveys and are also keen to apply for virtual assistant and delivery driver roles.

When compared to the rest of the US, Texas ranks 4th in per capita searches for delivery driver side hustles and 9th for virtual assistant jobs.

As with California, Hostinger also analyzed data from four of Texas’s most populated cities (Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio) to highlight any variances.

Here are the top three side hustles for each city:

Houston

1. Online surveys
2. Virtual assistant
3. Delivery driving

Dallas

1. Online surveys
2. Virtual assistant
3. Deliver driving

Austin

1. Virtual assistant
2. Online surveys
3. eCommerce

San Antonio

1. Virtual assistant
2. Delivery driving
3. eCommerce

Methodology

Now let us explain how we got the information this article is based on.

In order to determine the most desired side hustles for 2024, we gathered a range of resources highlighting popular side jobs people search for. After seeing which side hustles were featured the most, we were able to whittle them down to a top ten list.

Using a search volume tool, we then looked at the average number of monthly searches for each side hustle and multiplied by 12 to give yearly data for the US. Data was taken per capita (per 100,000 people) for greater accuracy and proportionality.

To discover general interests, we used search results for the following 15 keywords: 

• side hustle ideas
• side business ideas
• best side jobs
• best side hustles
• ways to make money on the side
• ways to make cash on the side
• side hustles to make money
• side jobs to make money
• side jobs from home
• best ways to earn extra income
• easy side hustles
• side hustles that pay well
• most profitable side hustles
• most lucrative side hustles
• how to start a side hustle

11 keywords were used to research the individual top ten side hustles, using the following keyword format: 

• <side hustle> business
• <side hustle> side hustle
• how to start a <side hustle>
• make money <side hustle>
• start <side hustle> business
• starting a <side hustle> business
• how to make money <side hustle>
• <side hustle> jobs
• <side hustle> jobs near me
• how to get <side hustle> clients
• <side hustle> for extra income 

The only variation to this was for online surveys, where a distinct set of appropriate keywords were used.

Data is correct as of October 2024.