Where to Earn the Most Money With Summer Side Hustles

Summer is a great time to get out there and make some extra cash. Whether you want to pet sit when the owners go on vacation or even house sit in their home, tutor students, or deliver food, there is a side hustle for everyone.

Here are some side hustles to consider trying out this summer if you want to earn some extra cash.

Side Hustles for Summer 2025

• Freelance writing and editing. If you have a way with words, put that skill to use with a writing or editing job this summer. Look for side hustles at Freelancer, Upwork, ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and LinkedIn. Don’t forget to network.
• Tutor students. If you enjoy children and teaching, try working as a tutor this summer. Many students may be looking to brush up on a variety of subjects during the holidays. You can look for tutoring jobs on career sites and platforms such as Wyzant and Preply.
• Pet sitting or dog walking. If you love animals, sign up as a dog sitter or walker for the summer. Sites like Rover allow you to set your own price and schedule, so you’ll have plenty of flexibility.
• House sitting. With many families going away for the summer, there are plenty of opportunities for house sitting. To find a housesitting job, check out sites like TrustedHousesitters and MindMyHouse.
• Lawn care. If you have a green thumb, working in someone’s yard or garden could be just the side hustle for you this summer. Look for jobs at LawnLove and LandscapeIndustryCareers.org and get your hands dirty this summer.
• Moving help. If you don’t mind a bit of heavy lifting, a summer side hustle in moving may be right for you. For moving jobs, check out TaskRabbit or Dolly for gigs near you.
• Food Delivery. If you have a car, you could be a good candidate for food delivery work. Check out delivery opportunities with sites like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart.
• Paid surveys or focus groups. Another easy way to make cash is through participating in paid surveys or focus groups. All you need to give is your opinion. Explore surveys and focus group opportunities with FocusGroups.org, User Interviews, Find Focus Groups, and Side Hustle Nation.
• Flip items. Buy an item or fix up something in your home, and sell it for a profit on sites such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Depop, or Poshmark.
• Be a babysitter or nanny. Working parents may need additional help during the summer months when children are home from school. Look for jobs near you at Care.com, Sittercity, UrbanSitter, and Nanny Lane.
• Sell handmade goods and crafts. Artists and artisans looking for a side hustle this summer should look no further than their art and craft studios. Empty out your inventory and sell arts and crafts—like crocheted and knitted items and handcrafted jewelry–at local fairs and markets.
• Transcription. If you’re a fast typer, you might try doing transcriptions for pay. Check for transcription jobs on sites such as Rev and TranscribeMe.
• Rent out a garage, a driveway, or a side yard. Got some extra space outside your home? Rent it out to earn some passive income. “People can rent out their garages, driveways, or side yards to store people’s RVs, boats, vehicles, and seasonal items. What’s surprising isn’t just the money people are earning, but how little time it takes,” says Casey Schow, head of public relations for Neighbor.

Financial Costs of a Side Hustle

There are plenty of perks to working as a freelancer, but paying more at tax time isn’t one of them. As a freelancer, you’ll pay regular income tax plus a self-employment tax tax of 15.3%, which covers Social Security and Medicare.

You should also consider any start-up costs. For example, freelance writers typically need a laptop or tablet plus an internet connection. Food delivery is another example: You’ll need a car or bike to deliver orders. And with cars, don’t forget about gas, maintenance, and insurance costs.

Using an online platform may be convenient, but watch out for fees. For example, you’ll pay a 10% freelancer service fee on what you earn on Upwork. Tutors at Wyzant pay a 25% platform fee.

Some of your expenses can be written off or deducted at tax time, such as computer costs, platform fees, internet costs, and car repair costs if you are a delivery driver. The IRS has a tax center to help those in the gig economy find forms, deduct expenses, and file and pay taxes.

The Bottom Line

There are side hustles for just about every interest, including writing, tutoring, dog walking, house sitting, and many more. However, you’ll need to account for the expenses before deciding if a job is right for you.

Watch out for platform fees, and consider the start-up costs before beginning a gig. You may be able to deduct some of those expenses from your taxes, but don’t forget to keep some cash on hand for when you file taxes.