Earn In The Big Apple With The Best NYC Side Hustles
Living in the busy, bustling ‘city that never sleeps’ is an exhilarating experience. With its diverse neighborhoods, vibrant culture, and limitless opportunities, you’re guaranteed to never run out of new, exciting places to go and sites to see.
Yet, all that excitement can be expensive. Residents of the Big Apple have to struggle daily with the high costs of living, which can be a challenge.
To help ease their financial burdens, many are turning to freelancing or part-time gigs to supplement their income and offset the high cost of living. In this post, we uncover some of the best NYC side hustles and how to find the one that best goes with your skillsets.
- NYC side hustles include freelancing, tutoring, delivery driving, and pet sitting.
- Digital marketing and affiliate marketing offer flexible, high-demand remote options.
- Opportunities like event planning, photography, and renting space suit various skills.
- Success requires time management, clear goals, and building an online presence.
Brett Helling is a gig economy expert who has been running his own small business for over 10 years.
NYC Side Hustles At a Glance
NYC is a city with plenty of opportunities to leverage your skills for extra income. To get started, take a look at the top 10 side hustles that can help you make ends meet while doing something on the side that aligns with your expertise and interest.
- Freelance Digital Marketing: Best Overall
- Become an Affiliate Marketer
- Advertise on Your Car
- Delivery Driver
- Pet Sitting and Dog Walking
- Online Teaching or Tutoring
- Event or Wedding Planner
- Photography and Stock Images
- Rent Out Your Space
- Errand Services and Personal Shopping
Getting Started with NYC Side Hustles
Side hustles are the perfect way to embrace NYC’s vibrant and eclectic range of work opportunities.
What Are NYC Side Hustles?
In many parts of the world, side hustles have become a popular way to bring in some extra cash. Yet, for New Yorkers, they’ve become more of a choice and rather a necessity to keep up with the high demands of living in the Big Apple, which is one of the most expensive cities in the world.
They range from remote work where all you need is a laptop and high-speed internet to something more hands-on like a dog walker, delivery driver, or home organizer.
Take a look at a few statistics so you can get an idea of what side hustles are like in NYC.
- 57% of New York residents need a side hustle to supplement their income
- 46% have two or more side hustles
- The highest-paying side hustle in NYC is freelancing via sites like Fiverr and Upwork
- Photographers make the highest pay from a side gig in NYC
Why Should You Consider a NYC Side Hustle?
New York City is currently one of the most expensive places to live. Most people work and get paid for one of three things: to make ends meet, pay off debt, or enjoy a bit of financial freedom.
You can’t do that in NYC without a side hustle, unless, of course, you’re a big-shot broker on Wall Street or a fancy lawyer.
For the rest of us, side hustles are our best option. Luckily, the city is brimming with all kinds of side hustle opportunities.
Overview: Our Top Picks
Living in NYC can be a financial challenge, but it has a lot to offer in terms of side gigs.
What Is the Best NYC Side Hustle?
While there are plenty of high-paying side gigs to choose from, the one that seems to be the popular choice is freelancing, aka remote work.
If you have skills that allow you to work from home like writing, editing, graphic design, project management, and more, you’ll find numerous job opportunities online.
Can I Make Six Figures in NYC?
Getting a side hustle to take off isn’t easy, but with hard work and dedication, you can earn six figures per year, maybe even more!
To help you reach this goal, you have to know how to market your business. You also have to create engaging social media posts to boost traffic, find new leads, and start earning the big bucks.
The Best NYC Side Hustles
Read our roundup below to find out how much each one costs to get started and where you can find it.
- Freelance Digital Marketing: An Overview
There’s an increased demand for freelance digital marketing and it looks like this sector will continue to grow over the next couple of years. As a side hustle, it offers multiple benefits, such as flexibility and financial freedom.
You can set your own work schedule and choose which projects you want to work on.
Costs to Get Started
To help you stand out from the competition and potentially earn more, you’ll need to enroll in a digital marketing program. You can choose between in-person classes, certificate programs, or boot camps in your area. Or, if you prefer, you can take an online course available from almost anywhere in the world.
Basic, one-day boot camps will cost you around $250 while more intensive courses can set you back $15,000 or more.
Where to Find Freelance Digital Marketing Jobs
To get started as a freelance digital marketer, you should create an account on several freelance platforms. Then, work to promote your online brand.
Some of these platforms are:
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- Bark
- FlexJobs
- Thumbtack
- Become an Affiliate Marketer: An Overview
With no shortage of products to market, being an affiliate marketer is a great way to generate a bit of passive income through commission. It’s an easy, straightforward side hustle that doesn’t require any experience.
The trick to making it as an affiliate marketer is to hone your ability to promote whatever offer you’re in charge of. By understanding who your target audience is and becoming familiar with the product or service, the sky is the limit.
Costs to Get Started
Becoming an affiliate marketer requires almost no initial fees to get started. Most affiliate programs cost nothing to join. So, the start-up cost is almost zero.
All you need is a laptop or smart device, which you probably already have. You also need to hone your writing skills so that you can create high-quality content that allows your affiliate links to fit in naturally without feeling forced.
Where to Find Affiliate Marketer Jobs
If you don’t have a product or service to promote, then your best option is to search for affiliate marketing jobs on any of the freelance platforms mentioned above.
If you do have something to promote, consider partnering with non-competing websites, industry influencers, or key social media personalities.
- Advertise on Your Car: An Overview
Advertising on your car, also known as ‘car wrap’ advertising is another legitimate way to make money. If you own a vehicle, you could earn a commission based on how many miles you drive per month.
So, if you regularly commute or a delivery driver who uses their car, why not turn your vehicle into a mobile billboard? You could potentially end up making hundreds of dollars a month depending on whether you have a full or partial wrap.
Costs to Get Started
There are no set-up costs with car wrap advertising. Whichever company you decide to with, you’ll be asked to download the app to track your mileage and collect your paycheck.
Some companies will ask you to fill out an application. Then, if your vehicle is compatible with one of their advertisers, they’ll contact you.
Where to Find Jobs That Pay You to Advertise on Your Car
There are a handful of companies that pay for drivers to advertise on their vehicles. Some give out a flat rate, whereas others offer a per-mile rate.
Here are five legit companies to consider:
- Wrapify
- Sticker Ride
- Free Car Media
- Pay Me for Driving
- ReferralCars
- Rideshare or Delivery Driver: Overview
The demand for ridesharing and food delivery apps has been on the rise for some time now. So, it’s a no-brainer that working as a delivery driver would be a lucrative side hustle.
Whether you drive people to get to where they need to go or deliver food, groceries, or personal items, this side gig allows you to set your own hours. This means that the amount of money you make depends primarily on the number of hours you work.
Costs to Get Started
If you’re over 18 years old, have a valid driver’s license and already have a vehicle like a car, bike, or scooter, you can get started with next-to-no startup costs. All you need is to download the app of your choice on your phone, and you’re all set.
Where to Find Rideshare or Delivery Driver Jobs
The most popular ridesharing apps are Uber, Juno, and Lyft. As for delivering food, groceries, and restaurant meals, the top trending platforms are DoorDash, Postmates, and Grubhub.
With these apps, you’ll plenty of job opportunities where you can earn some extra cash working part-time or during the weekends.
- Pet Sitting and Dog Walking: Overview
New Yorkers are known for their love of pets. Yet, with their overpacked schedules, it can be difficult to find the time and effort to provide them with the care and attention they deserve. So, they seek out reliable pet sitters and dog walkers, making this a pretty rewarding side hustle.
Costs to Get Started
Compared to other side hustles, dog walking is relatively low-cost. There’s no retail space to worry about or investments to budget for. On a basic level, you can start to work with minimal requirements, like your cell phone, laptop, or computer, and enough poop bags to last you the full walk.
As your business grows, you’ll need to get pet sitting insurance, which can cost around $300. You may also need to consider the costs of fuel and vehicle maintenance if you require transportation for your side hustle.
Where to Find Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Jobs
Apps like Wag! And Rover can connect pet caregivers with pet owners in the area. Create an account, then start looking for jobs that best suit your schedule.
- Online Teaching or Tutoring: Overview
Do you have any kind of expertise in a specific topic or subject? Are you fluent in a foreign language? Then, why not start offering online teaching services to individuals or small groups?
You can choose the topic you want to teach and set your schedule. You also get to decide whether you want to charge per session or hourly, both of which can add up to a sizeable supplementary income each month.
Another great bonus is that you tutor or teach online from virtually anywhere in the world. All you need is high-speed internet and a decent smart device.
Costs to Get Started
To succeed as an online tutor, you need to have the necessary certifications for the subject you’ll be teaching. Other than that, you really don’t need to pay up any startup capital.
The main thing you should invest in is a high-quality webcam to make sure you come across loud and clear to your students.
Then, as you get more clients, you can invest in a user-friendly website, marketing expenses, and more reliable computer software for your business.
Where to Find Online Teaching or Tutoring Jobs
Many online platforms specialize in connecting educators with learners seeking personalized instruction on a topic of their choosing. Some of these platforms include Wyzant, Chegg, iTalki, and VIPKid.
Other platforms, like TutorMe, require you to fill out an online application before choosing your areas of expertise. Then, if they see you’re a good fit, they’ll contact you and you can start tutoring right away.
- Event or Wedding Planner: Overview
If you love the skills to be an organizer and planner, consider embarking on an event or wedding planning side gig. There’s a constant demand for reliable, quick-thinking planners to come up with original ideas and bring them to life, especially in a hustle-and-bustle city like NYC.
Costs to Get Started
It helps to have a bachelor’s degree in marketing, design, business, or something similar. After that, you can invest in event planning certifications, but these aren’t a requirement.
The most important thing in this line of work is networking and marketing. So, you may need to invest heavily in a comprehensive, eye-catching campaign to promote your brand.
Where to Find Event or Wedding Planner Jobs
Almost every single freelance platform we mentioned in this post will have multiple listings for event or wedding planners.
You can also get started by word of mouth and get clients to sing your praises online.
- Photography and Stock Images: Overview
If you have any expertise in photography, you can offer your services as an event photographer. In the Big Apple, you’re sure to find a concert, party, wedding, or corporate event to be photographed.
Another idea is to upload your photographs on online platforms where they can be sold as stock images. Various stock image platforms accept high-quality images and sell them to advertisers, content creators, and businesses.
So, each time someone buys and downloads one of your photographs, you earn a royalty fee, which goes directly into your pocket.
Costs to Get Started
Photography is one of the more expensive side hustles to get started with because it requires expensive equipment. While anyone can take a decent-looking photo on their smartphone, it takes someone with special skills and a pricey camera to get it looking amazing.
To start your side gig as a photographer, you can expect to pay at least $10,000 for cameras, lenses, backdrops, computer software, and more.
The good news is that freelance photographers in NYC charge an average of $33 an hour. That’s a pretty high rate compared to other side hustles with a huge return on investment.
Where to Find Photography Jobs
The first place to look for work as a freelance photographer is online platforms, such as Upwork, Flexjobs, Fiverr, and others.
To sell your photographs as stock images, start with authentic sites, such as Adobe Stock, Getty Images, and Shutterstock.
- Rent Out Your Space: Overview
If you have extra space in your apartment, you can offer to rent it out and make some easy money on the side. In a busy city like NYC, visitors and tourists are always pouring in, and providing them with affordable accommodations can generate significant income.
We recommend you familiarize yourself with lease agreements and building regulations before signing up as a rental host.
Costs to Get Started
When renting out your space, the biggest costs are the utilities. You should also budget in maintenance and redecoration fees.
Some renters seek out courses on federal fair housing laws and how to make the most of taxable income for rentals. This will allow you to legally rent out a space in your home without worrying about potential liabilities.
Websites to Rent Out Your Space
The easiest way to advertise your space online is via any of the rental listing sites available online. Besides Airbnb, the most reliable platforms include Agoda, Apartments.com, Doorsteps, and Realtor.
- Errand Services and Personal Shopping: Overview
An errand service is where you perform tasks or run errands like delivering packages or picking up their dry cleaning. Clients seeking this type of service are either senior citizens or those too busy to do it themselves.
As a personal shopper, you help clients with their shopping needs. This could be groceries, personal items, or clothes.
Costs to Get Started
To get started with this side gig, you’ll need to take an online personal shopper course, which can cost between $100 and $500. Other fees to consider are marketing, transportation, and liability insurance, which can set you back between $50–$500 per month.
Where to Find Errand Services and Personal Shopping Jobs
Most New Yorkers are willing to pay someone else to handle their errands and shopping because it’s more convenient. So, there’s a high demand for this niche, making it a lucrative side gig.
How to Start a NYC Side Hustle
Many people are turning to side gigs to earn extra income, have financial freedom, and pursue their passions.
Whatever your motivation is, starting a side hustle is both rewarding financially and personally fulfilling. Yet, there’s a lot of work that goes into launching a thriving side business.
Below are five tips that can help set you up for success.
Identify Your Skills
The first step of any successful side hustle is to specify what you’re good at. Think about the things you’re passionate about and enjoy doing in your free time.
To make the process more satisfying and increase your chances of success, the side hustle you choose should align with your interests and expertise.
Establish Clear Objectives
Before jumping in feet first, establish what you want to achieve with your side hustle.
Having clear objectives and well-defined goals will go a long way in keeping motivated and focused. It will also help you develop a budget, effective marketing strategies, and a projected timeline.
Set a Realistic Schedule
An important aspect of side hustles is knowing how to manage your time wisely. Determine how many hours per week you can invest in your side business.
Then, create a realistic schedule that takes into account your full-time job, your side hustle, and some downtime to avoid burnout.
Build Your Online Presence
Make use of digital marketing strategies to reach a wider audience and bring in potential customers.
Create a catchy logo and design a professional-looking social media profile. Then, set up an easy-to-access website where you can showcase your services and connect with potential clients.
Network and Collaborate
One easy way to grow your network connections is to join online communities to connect with like-minded people in your chosen niche.
You can also attend networking events and collaborate on projects with others who can open up new opportunities for you later on down the road.
Wrapping Up
Of all the NYC side hustles we researched, the one that seems to be the most popular is freelancing, especially in digital marketing.
One of the benefits of this, and other, side gigs, you get to work on diverse projects that help develop your skill set and boost your experience.
With a well-thought-out plan and the commitment to put in the effort, you can turn your skills and passion into a booming side business.
So, which of these side gigs do you feel is the most suitable for you? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Similar Side Hustles to Check Out
Looking at the current financial landscape of the market, there seems to be an unlimited supply of side gig job opportunities for anyone to take advantage of. Here are a few examples:
- Remote Side Hustles: Remote side gigs, such as writing, tutoring, and designing, allow you to work from anywhere with a laptop or smart device to supplement your income.
- Weekend Side Hustles: Gardening services, decluttering, and blogging are all examples of good-paying side hustles you can do on weekends.
- Part-Time Side Hustles: For just a couple of hours, you can make some extra cash by providing pet services, working as a delivery driver, or being an affiliate marketer.