This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tom Blake, a 29-year-old YouTuber and blogger, about his experiments with side hustles. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
I started experimenting with side hustles in 2014 while I was in college for a simple reason: I needed to pay the bills. Since then, I’ve tried over 100 of them — everything from AI website generation to crypto reward programs to paid shopping.
I read a lot about side hustles on Reddit, and many just didn’t work as advertised. In 2018, this frustration led me to start a blog documenting my side hustle tests.
I studied psychology, minored in marketing, and interned at a digital marketing agency, which became my first job after graduating. I kept side hustling because the job had a pretty low starting salary, and I wanted to build wealth faster.
I then realized I could make more money on my own outside my job if I worked hard.
My content business is now my full-time job
Over time, the blog grew steadily, and my content business — including my main YouTube channel, a smaller YouTube channel, some blogs, and an email newsletter — became my full-time job.
From ad revenue and affiliate links, it made about $1,700 in its first year, then about $7,000 the next, and $20,000 the year after. Over its lifetime, it generated more than $1 million in revenue before I sold it at the end of 2023.
Since then, I’ve become a digital nomad earning six figures by testing side hustles and online gigs on YouTube and my Substack. I make about $2,500 a month from side hustles, including gig apps, money-making websites, investing, consulting, and freelance gigs.
These are five of the most lucrative and realistic side hustles I’ve found, especially for beginners.
1. Paid market research
This is one of the simplest ways I’ve ever made money, and I still do it today.
Companies need feedback from real people. Sometimes they’re looking for niche groups like accountants or grocery store workers, but you can join platforms to find open focus groups or market research calls.
Typically, you apply for studies through platforms like User Interviews or Respondent. If you’re selected, you join a Zoom call with a researcher, answer questions for 30 to 60 minutes, and get paid.
The pay varies widely, but it’s common to earn $50 to $80 for a half-hour session, or $75 to $100 for an hour. A few months ago, I did a 45-minute conversation about AI and earned $200.
The downside is that you won’t qualify for most studies you apply to, and you have to apply to each one. Still, I can usually land one every month or two, and the work is easy and low-stress.
2. Niche gig economy apps
Most people think of the gig economy as Uber or DoorDash, but there’s a whole world of lesser-known apps that can be pretty lucrative.
One example is Sharetown. It partners with mattress and furniture brands to handle oversize returns — things like sofas and mattresses that retailers don’t want back in their warehouses.
As a Sharetown rep, you pick up returned items from customers, resell them on Facebook Marketplace, and split the proceeds with the company. Sharetown tells you what to pick up and what price to list it for.
I’ve spoken with reps who make a few thousand dollars a month, especially in busy areas. You need a vehicle that can haul large items, but for the right person, it’s a clever way to start a flipping business with almost no upfront risk.
There are also apps like Dolly and Lugg, which pay people to help with moving jobs. You can sign up as a driver if you have a vehicle, or just as a helper if you don’t.
3. Rewards and discovery apps
Rewards apps have improved a lot in recent years. They’re apps that pay users for downloading apps, playing mobile games, and trying products and services.
I use Scrambly. I’ve earned more than $1,000 using it in testing over the last few months. One offer I received paid me $250 to open a bank account.
I don’t recommend this as a primary source of income. Most of the time, you’re earning around $4-$5 per hour, but if you’re already playing mobile games or planning to switch bank accounts, it’s worth checking them out.
4. AI training and data annotation
One new side hustle I’ve been testing is AI training.
Many companies hire human testers to review AI-generated outputs from different models and rate them, helping improve them over time. It’s essentially quality assurance for artificial intelligence.
I recently started testing this space and was accepted into a platform called Micro1. After a 20-minute screening process, I was able to apply for paid projects.
Pay rates vary dramatically. Some roles pay only a few dollars an hour, while more specialized projects, such as those that require a Ph.D. in a specific field, can pay $25 to $50 or more. The work is fairly steady, and some even offer 30 to 40 hours a week.
5. Website and app testing
This is another side hustle I did frequently in college and still recommend for beginners through sites such as PlaytestCloud, Userlytics, and Trymata.
Companies pay users to test websites and apps under development. You follow the instructions or navigate the product yourself, then share honest feedback. Most tests pay $10 to $20 and take about 15 to 20 minutes. Longer tests of up to an hour can pay $50 to $100.
The downside is that you have to sign up and claim the tests while they’re available, on a first come first serve basis.
Lessons I’ve learned
Side hustles can be exciting, and I think people should experiment with them, but if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Before trying anything, I always recommend reading reviews and checking forums as part of basic due diligence. If someone online is promising massive hourly earnings with no downside, that’s a red flag.
