14 Best Gig Economy Jobs to Make Money

What are gig economy jobs? How have they affected the job market, and which are the best jobs in this category? Read through the article to see some of the best gig jobs that can earn you quite awesome cash.

The global job market has significantly changed over the past few years. We have seen immense growth in the gig market, whereby we see more and more people working as independent contractors.

People are even leaving their regular jobs to work as freelancers in the ever-growing gig economy.

In fact, over 57 million workers in the US are currently in the gig economy. We have seen quite a large number of freelancers over the years, flourish, and doing better in life as compared to their counterparts in regular-shift jobs.

This has made the gig jobs market expand exponentially, with more workers now pushing towards becoming independent freelancers. 

But, besides all the opportunities available in this job market, one has to be aware of what exactly can make them good money.

You don’t want to quit that permanent job you have, just to get disappointed along the way.

That’s why this article concentrates on the best gig economy jobs we have available.

Before you make that decision to go independent, carefully read through this piece and see what gig economy job best suits you.

Pro tip: Manage your various side hustle income with Personal Capital. It’s a free app that tracks your net worth, cash flow and investments. I use Personal Capital to manage my money in less than 20 minutes per month. 

What are Gig Economy Jobs?

This is a free job market system that includes temporary job positions with organizations hiring independent workers to undertake short-term tasks. The word “gig” is used to stand for a job with a specified time frame.

Examples of workers in the gig economy include:

• Freelancers
• Project-based workers
• Independent contractors
• Part-time or temporary hires

A study done by Intuit projected that 40% of all workers in the US would be independent contractors by 2020.

The flexibility brought about by the presence of the internet is one major factor that has led to this fast growth in freelance jobs.

This is because the workforce has become increasingly mobile, with the possibility of jobs being handled from any location.

This gives the freelancers a chance to choose from multiple available jobs, while the employers get a wider pool of skilled workers.

My Top Picks

If you want the skinny on the top gig economy apps and job opportunities. Here is a brief summary of some of the top apps to consider. 

List of the Best Gig Economy Jobs

Let’s get into the top gig economy jobs to help you increase your income and make extra income. 

Take Online Surveys for Money

Taking online surveys is another gig economy job that allows you to make extra money by doing almost nothing.

Multiple survey sites available online gives you a chance to earn points which you can redeem as cash or gift cards after you attain a certain threshold.

Some of the apps reward you with points for undertaking several activities such as:

• Watching TV
• Playing games
• Watching videos
• Shopping

All you need is to sign up with some of these apps and start earning some bucks.

For example, you can sign up with some of the best survey sites, such as:

• Swagbucks: Offers you a $10 signup bonus if you earn 2,500 points within your first two months.
• SurveyJunkie: Pays you between $1 and $50 for each survey you take.
• InboxDollar: rewards you with an instant $5 signup bonus.
• Mypoints: Gives you a $10 bonus signup bonus as well as 775 points for referrals.

For an app like SurveyJunkie, which is one of the most popular survey sites, you can redeem your points as hard cash via PayPal.

Delivery Gigs

Delivery jobs form one of the highest paying gig economy jobs around.

Whether it’s grocery delivery, restaurant takeout, or mail delivery, these jobs continue to increase, and people are willing to pay for the services.

Some of the best gig economy jobs in delivery services include:

Delivering for DoorDash

This is a company that has partnered with various restaurants in more than 300 cities, to offer food delivery services in North America. Anyone with a flexible schedule can take up this gig and make some money.

When you register as a Dasher, you become like a middleman between local restaurants that are registered with DoorDash, and their customers.

All you need is some free hours, be over 18 and have a means of delivery such as a car, motorbike, a scooter or a bike.

As for the pay, you will earn between $10 and $25 per hour, which is quite some decent side hustle cash.

Deliver With Postmates

This app is similar to the previous two apps, except that it includes other orders besides food delivery.

With the app, you can also deliver alcohol or groceries for members within their network. The platform is primarily working in the US, although they have also expanded their operations into Canada.

Another distinction between Postmates and an app like Uber is that here, you take home the entire fee.

Unlike Uber, which takes 25% of the delivery fees.

After you have successfully signed up, you receive a Fleet kit from Postmates in readiness for your work.

In the package, there is a prepaid card that enables you to purchase as per the received orders.

Apart from Postmates, other apps that allow for the delivery of groceries include:

• Shipt: Available in over 260 cities and offers membership at $99 annually for unlimited orders.
• Instacart: Available in over 4000 cities and also offers membership of $99 per year for unlimited orders. Additionally, you can earn tips with Instacart as an added bonus along the way. 

You can visit our Shipt vs. Instacart review to get more information on the two platforms.

Earn With UberEATS

Just like DoorDash, UberEATS is also a food delivery service that helps you to make money during your free time.

Users of this app order food through it, and it’s delivered to them.

If you want to earn from UberEATS apps, here are the requirements:

• Must be 21 years old or more (19 years in the US)
• Have a vehicle that’s is not older than 1998 model
• Valid driver’s license
• Valid vehicle insurance
• If you don’t have a car, a bike or scooter can work

When it comes to earnings, you take 75% of the fees, while 25% goes to the app. You also take the entire tip amount.

In case you are already an Uber driver, you can register by just opting in for the UberEATS on the driver’s section.

Drive People and Make Money

Sometimes you find that you have some extra time away from your regular job. You can efficiently use this spare time by doing something that earns you extra money.

If you don’t mind driving around after your regular shift, several apps can help you make more money driving people around.

For example, you can register with apps like Lyft or Uber to get a chance to earn extra cash for driving during your free time.  

When you register with the Lyft app as a new driver, you get a signup bonus that ranges between $10 and $2,500, based on the city you wish to drive in.

This bonus can also change as the demand and supply of drivers change.

See Related: 8 Alternatives to Uber to Earn Money

Rent Out Your Assets

Renting some of the assets that you are currently not using can also be a great way to make money in the gig economy. This includes renting things like a car or a house.

You can rent your assets for profit through these apps:

Airbnb

The Airbnb platform gives you a chance to list your rental property or free room in your home for travelers to rent. Many people are making serious cash through Airbnb as hosts.

If you’ve got an extra room in your place or a rental property, you can make some serious money being an Airbnb host. Turn your space into a gig and monetize your asset.

If you learn that there is a big conference in town, an upcoming cultural event, or a festival coming, you can take advantage and increase your rental rates.

You should, however, create captivating Airbnb listing to ensure that travelers favor your property. For example, you must include very clear photos and the description of the place, as well as the price and any rules you need to be adhered to.

 Airbnb is one of those gig economy jobs that can fetch you serious profits if you do it well.

A study conducted by Earnest indicates that Airbnb was on top of the list of the most lucrative gig economy jobs in the sharing economy platforms.

Walk Dogs or Become a Pet Sitter

Are you a fan of pets or just want to make additional bucks? Dog walking can be a lucrative gig that doesn’t require much effort or experience.

Fortunately, numerous apps have also come up that helps to connect you to the customers looking for your services.

This means that you don’t need to even struggle that much searching for customers.

With apps like Rover, which is the biggest dog walkers’ network in the US, you will get these gigs quickly and make easy money.

Here, the average rate for dog walking ranges between $10 and $30 for as short as a 30-minute walk. On the other hand, an overnight pet sitting fee can range between $25 and $100.

Why waste those few hours when you can turn them into cash?

See Related: How to Make Money in Your Neighborhood (Proven, Easy Ways)

Rent Out Your Car

If you have a car that you don’t use regularly or that stays idle for the better part of the day, you can try renting it out and make some bucks from it.

This works best if you don’t want to drive the car yourself, but the vehicle is available.

One thing that makes this much more accessible is the availability of online apps through which you can post your car. These apps provide an extensive marketplace that ensures that you get high rates for your vehicle.

For example, you can register with an app such as GetAround and start earning right away. This can very well be a source of supplementary income to support your regular one.

See Related: Thriving in the Gig Economy – 5 Ways to Book More Clients

Gig Economy Jobs from Home

There are a handful of ways that you can conduct gig economy jobs from the comforts of your home. 

Affiliate Marketing

One of the best paying jobs in the gig economy is affiliate marketing, which can fetch you an average of $5,000 every month. This is particularly lucrative for those people who have blogs with high website traffic.

This includes referring your website’s visitors to purchase products online from various companies through your platform.

You will get a link for every product, and any sale made through that link earns you some money.

Numerous people have grown rich through affiliate marketing, which is one of the best sources of passive income. A platform like FlexOffers allows you to partner with a variety of different advertisers no matter your niche.

You don’t even need a website to make money. You can promote products through social media or email marketing. 

Freelancing

Whichever industry you are in, you can use that knowledge to earn some extra dollars offering your services online. And, you don’t need to quit your job for it. You can make money as a freelancer during your free hours.

Both companies and individuals are looking to hire professional freelancers in almost any field. People need freelancers in areas like:

• Content writing
• Web development
• Graphic design
• Marketing
• Voiceover
• Finance

You will certainly have something you can do here. Fortunately again, numerous apps offer incredible platforms that connect job seekers and employers.

A platform like Fiverr is incredible for freelancing, and it provides thousands of money-making opportunities.

Other similar sites include:

• SolidGigs
• FlexJobs
• Guru.com
• Peopleperhour.com
• Paypercontent.net

If you need to make more out of your free hours, these are among the best gig economy platforms that you can give a try.

Check out these other top freelance apps to find jobs. 

Podcasting

Do you think that you can create interesting podcasts that can attract massive listeners? Well, if you do, you can be on your way to making crazy cash.

Through things like affiliate advertising and sponsorships, you can quickly be earning between $250 and $500 for a mere 30-second advert on your podcasts.

That can be a great form of supplementary income that will help you cover minor bills or pay down debt faster.

Podcasting is a decent passive income idea as you create the content once upfront and you’re able to earn from it time after time again. 

Tutor Over Skype

If you have the skills and in-depth knowledge in a particular field, you can then earn easily as a tutor. And, you don’t have to be there physically.

Skype is a fantastic platform that allows you to connect with people from all over the world.

This means that you have a broader market that offers even more opportunities than your local job market.

You can teach any subject or field including:

• Science
• Music
• Finance
• Mathematics
• Engineering

Virtually any area you are good in can make you some dollars. If you like talking to people virtually, pay per minute chat software that will pay you for interacting with people’s customer service requests. 

See Related: 19 Cool, Fun Things to do Online 

Other Excellent Gig Economy Jobs that Can Earn You Money

Here are some other ways to make money in the gig economy. 

Advertise on Your Car

What harm can come by letting your car become an advertising tool? In fact, it can only offer you benefits in terms of extra cash.

If you don’t mind making your car a platform for advertisement, then you can make awesome passive income with it. For example, a company like Carvertise is ready to pay you for just wrapping your car with their advert material.

And, all you need to do is continue with your regular driving routine.

Imagine earning something between $100 and $400 monthly for just going on with your normal daily activities!

It’s an excellent way to make passive money for doing absolutely nothing.

Code Online and Earn

Are you a programming nerd and would like to earn online? If you have not started, know that you are late. But, no need to worry, the internet is full of different ways for you to earn using those skills.

If you are not good at coding but can learn fast, you can also start earning from it. You just need to pursue a quick coding course online and then begin offering your services in the field.

With those programming skills in hand, you can also earn online through various ways such as:

• Blogging
• Developing apps
• Selling courses
• Developing games

All these can help you make an impactful amount of money. These all have significant upside potential for meaningful cash flow.

See Related: How to Make Money at School

Conclusion on Gig Economy Jobs

The gig jobs market has rapidly grown, and it will continue to expand in the coming years. It presents an excellent opportunity for those who want to earn extra money.

Also, for those who want freedom in their working schedules, this is an incredible opportunity.

More and more workers and employers have also come to embrace the gig economy, and for this reason, more growth is expected over the coming years.

Anyone can take advantage of this massive job market and earn from their expertise.

This article gives you some of the best examples of gig economy jobs that you will come across in the market. I hope you find one that helps you change your financial story.

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Related Resources

• 15 Online Business Ideas
• How to Make $1,000 Fast (10 Ways to Get Money)
• 7 Ways to Save on a Tight Budget
• Best Delivery Apps to Work for 

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