The gig economy continues to grow with more new skilled workers taking on side hustles to diversify their streams of income and tap into their unique skills. If you’re looking to earn extra money in 2025, you may already have considered using your skills to make extra income with a side hustle.
shares that 36 per cent of Americans are already engaged in a side hustle. Notably, side hustles are growing in popularity with younger generations, who tend to have a side hustle more often, with 48 per cent of Gen Z engaging in gig work and 44 per cent of Millennials.
What are side hustles and why are they more popular than ever?
Those in the tech world are no exception — in fact, some of the most in-demand side hustles leverage specialized technology skills from mobile app development to AI-driven content creation.
On the other hand, a side hustle also allows individuals to tap into other areas of interest outside of the tech world like a side hobby crafting artisan goods to sell online or even engage in just the occasional cash-earning hustle like completing surveys online.
And with the global gig economy projected to hit 455 billion in 2025 (), it’s clear that side hustles are here to stay.
Defining side hustles
Side hustles are exactly as they sound — any income earned on the side of full-time employment. Most people who engage in the gig economy (AKA side hustles) do so to earn extra income on top of their regular pay cheques.
Multiple streams of income can be beneficial in lowering financial anxiety. The gig economy varies from part-time jobs like dog-walking to earning passive income through investment properties or even crypto mining.
With benefits like setting your own schedule (and choosing if you want to work just a few hours a week, or many) and the ability to work remotely, it’s no wonder that many are looking outside their day jobs to earn money.
The rise of the side hustle economy
Side hustles are appealing as they can be suited to your skills, interests and the level of time investment you are willing to put into them. For most side hustles, you can set your own schedule, determine the amount of investment you want to put into it and often work remotely.
Can a side hustle replace your full-time job?
In some cases, a side hustle idea can even turn into full-time employment (think: highly successful online businesses). In 2025, how can marketers take advantage of this? Read on to see our list of side hustle ideas for those in tech.
Of course, the amount earned from a side hustle can vary drastically based on the job, the market and clients and the investment needed for that job. The investment required for any side hustle can be anything from the training required to skillfully execute the job, to the initial equipment investment, to the amount of time an individual is willing to invest outside their day job into growing their business. On average, Americans earn $891 per month from their side hustles (based on a 2024 survey by ).
Related: Busting the most common myths about affiliate marketing.
The best side hustles to start in 2025
Online side hustles with low startup costs
Affiliate marketing
If you have a large social media following, you can tap into your network and make passive income with this relatively easy and fun side hustle as an influencer. The key here is trust — whether an individual markets candles or clothing, or a B2B company markets SaaS.
While many side hustles are strictly B2C, B2B business owners and marketers can take advantage and increase their revenue streams as well through effective affiliate marketing by leveraging partners through tracked links to drive sales conversions. ɫֱ’s Marketplace can help businesses explore and promote new partner programs. ɫֱ affiliate programs range in commissions from five to 50 per cent, with the majority earning between 15 and 30 per cent.
Virtual event manager
The days of virtual events and workshops aren’t going away anytime soon, since they allow businesses to expand reach and encourage engagement without the hefty price tag of a traditional, in-person event. However, organizing them can be a hassle for companies that would rather focus on content than logistics. If you have strong communication and digital marketing skills, experience in planning events, and are proficient in online event platforms, this could be a decent side hustle, with earnings up to .
Onboarding consultant
Decreasing churn and increasing retention are shared goals among many SaaS companies, so getting the experience right from the beginning is essential in setting the tone. That’s where an onboarding consultant can be key to a business. Many start-ups don’t have a dedicated onboarding specialist in the early stages, but will hire a freelancer for the initial build or to optimize the current flow.
It’s a remote gig that’s still relatively new to the landscape, so there isn’t much competition, although you may have to sell yourself or come with an onboarding system for the same reason. Currently, the earnings for an onboarding specialist salary are around .
Virtual assistant
A virtual assistant is someone who, remote to the client’s office, provides administrative assistance to businesses. This can range from bookkeeping, scheduling, answering emails and completing any other administrative tasks that help keep that client’s business functioning smoothly (not dissimilar to the way PRMs help partners automate what they hate!).
Virtual assistants in the US make an average of . This side hustle idea is great for those looking to use their administrative skills in a part-time capacity and it can be completed from nearly anywhere with a stable WIFI connection.
Dropshipping and eCommerce
Put those marketing skills to use by starting an eCommerce shop or dropshipping business as a side hustle. It’s easy to get started using common dropshipping platforms and the start-up investment is low. If you’re already working in B2B SaaS eCommerce, you’ll be familiar with lead generation and integrating in an ecosystem, which will be key to the marketing and success of your own B2C eCommerce side hustle. The most successful dropshipping stores can make upwards six figures a year, per Shopify data.
Service-based hustles that pay well
Freelance bookkeeping
If you’ve got a knack for SaaS and numbers and are willing to dig deeper into the space, many start-ups and small businesses need specialized bookkeepers who understand metrics and models to keep them on track. It’s a remote job with various tools at your disposal, plus it’s usually monthly work, so you should have a long-term idea of how much money you will bring in. Part-time generalist bookkeepers charge . You could charge even more as a specialist, especially if you can pair bookkeeping with basic financial modelling or forecasting.
UX/UI designer
Interface and experience are key to driving and retaining business, particularly in the SaaS space where new features and updates abound. As a UX/UI designer, there is a growing need for project-based work and ongoing part-time gigs that are often remote. It’s also a great space to break into if you’re newer to design, so long as you can showcase solid skills through a niche portfolio. Rates range from and upwards, depending on your experience level and the project’s complexity.
Consulting
Those in the tech world may want to consider freelancing or consulting in the areas of specialization. According to Upwork, so there is high demand for freelance projects from mobile app development to SEO optimization. Or if you have a specialized skill outside the tech world like writing (maybe you want to start a money blog), photography (hello, profitable wedding world), pet grooming or providing aesthetician services, you can expand your services to beyond those tapped into in your full-time employment.
Depending on the trade, it may require equipment (and certainly a refined skill set) but the most difficult part of this side hustle will likely be finding clients through marketing efforts, word of mouth through social media marketing. For freelancing and consulting, you may want to charge either hourly or project-based rates.
Creative side hustles for extra cash
Content creation
The B2C space has leveraged the power of influencers for years now, but businesses are still catching up. While becoming an affiliate marketer has its perks, businesses are going deeper in 2025 with influencer partnerships. To position yourself as a thought-leader or industry expert, create explainer videos, podcasts, thoughtful content and assets that people will share.
Your number of followers is less relevant than your authority, visibility and credibility, so pick a specific niche and start building your community on platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, Substack and Medium. Micro-influencers, with approximately 10K followers, can .
Want to learn more about influencing? Here are the top B2B influencers in partnerships you should be following in 2025.
Copywriter/content strategist
Blog posts, articles, whitepapers, SEO content, case studies and even email copywriting can be valuable tools in growing a business and converting leads. Because B2B clients tend to research products more than purchasers in the B2C space, businesses benefit from having high-quality materials at the ready. Thought leaders, writers and ghostwriters who can integrate SEO and strategic messaging in their content can earn .
As an individual or business, diversifying income streams and partners can help the scale and growth of your personal or company’s revenue, so there’s no time like the present to start side hustling. Already have a small business? Learn more about marketing vs sales in our comprehensive guide.
This article was originally published in June 2022.
