The rise of the internet has brought about a rise in gig economy jobs, and this trend is not going to fade any time soon.
Many people want flexible working hours, which a traditional 9-5 cannot offer. That’s why the gig economy is becoming so popular.
A recent study released by the Bureau of Labor shows that freelancers will take up 43% of the U.S. workers soon, as seen in this post. And this is all thanks to online gig economy platforms like Fiverr and FlexJobs.
Wondering how you can find freelancing gigs or make money online?
No problem!
Let’s look at them in more detail.
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What Are Gig Economy Jobs
Looking at the intro, you might have a rough idea of what gig economy jobs are. But to put it simply, they are part-time jobs offering flexible working hours to freelancers and independent contractors.
Gig jobs (side jobs) can range from freelancing services on Fiverr, to renting spare rooms on Airbnb, to buying groceries on behalf of customers using apps like Instacart.
One thing worth keeping in mind is that these are short-term gigs or one-time jobs and are without some of the benefits that a traditional job offers. Simply put, there are gig economy pros and cons.
This means that you may have to personally look into your health insurance and retirement savings, but gig workers still love the flexibility of their jobs anyway.
The best part about having a gig economy job from home is that you can decide how much money you earn, work from anywhere (be location-independent), and choose working hours that fit your schedule.
The gig economy doesn’t have that many job requirements. If you have a computer, stable internet connection, Smartphone, and some marketable skills, you can work a gig economy job.
What Are the Best Gig Economy Jobs?
Here are my top picks for the best gig economy jobs in 2020
We have different examples of gig economy jobs, but here are the top 15 gig economy jobs for both introverts and people who love people.
1. Best Gig Economy Job for Drivers #1 – Grocery Delivery
Grocery or food delivery gigs have become so popular nowadays. People who have busy lives find it difficult to wait in line at the grocery store. They prefer hiring someone to do the shopping for them.
If you have no problem taking a trip or two at the grocery store, you can take up such jobs and earn some extra cash.
Two food delivery companies to work for are DoorDash and Postmates. They mostly deliver food and sometimes groceries.
Related: DoorDash driver requirements.
Two great companies specifically for groceries as Instacart and Shipt.
As a Shipt or Instacart shopper, you will either be asked to shop in-store for customers who are already there or deliver groceries to people’s doorsteps, for those who are home.
Most of these companies have flexible working hours and they pay between $15 and $22 per hour. You can also get tips and bonuses if you do a good job.
If you live in a busy metropolitan area, you can earn a lot of money on your own time with delivery jobs. Just search for ‘gig jobs near me’ or ‘food delivery near me’ and you will be presented with all the available opportunities in your city.
I have just mentioned a few companies, but we have other food delivery apps that you can join to get started!
Gig economy apps for delivering food and groceries
- DoorDash
- Postmates
- Uber Eats
- Shipt
- Instacart
- Amazon Flex
Further reading: 10 best delivery driver jobs hiring now.
2. Best Gig Economy Job for Drivers #2 – Ride-Sharing
If you are an extrovert who loves being around people then driving or ride-sharing is the best gig economy job for you.
You can drive people around in your own time and earn extra money or a full-time income depending on how much time you have.
Ride-share companies like Lyft or Uber will pay you good money if you accept their on-demand ride requests.
As a driver, you will be required to pick up customers from wherever they are and drop them at their desired destinations.
According to Uber, most drivers take home $25 per hour on average. They also have tips for good work.
Alternatively, if you don’t have time to drive people around, you can rent out your car on Getaround or Turo and still be part of the gig economy.
Related: Part-Time Driving Jobs for Retirees
Freelancing Gigs
If you have any marketable skill that can be used online, freelancing jobs can be an excellent option for you to make money in the gig economy. Whether you are skilled in writing, proofreading, designing, marketing, sales, tutoring, programming, or any other field, you can offer your freelance services for extra money.
You can find freelancing jobs on Fiverr, Upwork.com or Freelancer.com
There are also some industry-specific freelance sites like Behance, Toptals, Freelancermap, and more. Freelancing is a great gig economy job that lets you work from any part of the world and on your own schedule. Pay rates vary depending on your skill level and experience.
For example, if you are an entry-level freelance bookkeeper, you can make around $15-$40 per hour. As you gain experience over time and get good feedback from clients, you can charge up to $80 per hour.
You can also read: How to Become a Bookkeeper and Make Money Without Experience.
3. Freelance Writing Jobs
If you have a knack for writing then online writing jobs would be the perfect gig economy job for you. You can find online writing jobs on various freelance sites, article writing job boards, and large content-based websites.
Depending on your skill level, you can write blog posts, newsletters, essays and thesis for both individuals and companies around the world.
Website owners and bloggers are always looking for professional writers to write engaging content for their blogs and publications and are willing to pay good money for quality content.
Here are some of the top sites to find online writing jobs for beginners:
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- ProBlogger Job Board
- Textbroker
- iWriter
- Online Writing Jobs
- ClearVoice
- IncomeDiary
- The Penny Hoarder
If you bid for writing jobs on freelance sites, you can negotiate your rates or accept the rates offered by the clients.
You can earn a fixed amount set by the client or suggest your own amount depending on your skill level and how well you can write.
Expect to earn $10 to $50 per article on freelance writing sites.
We also have websites that hire writers directly to write content for them and they pay several hundred dollars per article.
Some websites accept submissions from writers and pay a flat fee for each article you write provided it is approved. For example, RankPay will pay you $50 per article if it gets approved and Listverse will pay $100 per article.
Related: Can a Freelance Writer Make Money Instantly?
4. Graphic Design Jobs
Graphic design jobs also meet the gig economy criteria. As a graphic designer, you will earn money by designing banners, templates and other related graphics for both print and visual media.
These gigs can be done from the comfort of your home. Depending on your skill level and experience, you can earn $20 to $100 per hour as a freelance graphic designer, making this one of the best paying gig jobs.
Companies offering graphic designer jobs are:
- 99 Designs
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- PeoplePerHour
- Dribble
- Coroflot
5. Virtual Assistant Jobs
Virtual assistants usually work for small business owners who do not have the time or expertise to do certain tasks like replying to emails, data entry tasks, scheduling meetings, and other related tasks.
If you have worked in an office environment before, or currently have a day job as an admin assistant, you can supplement your income by working as a virtual assistant online.
However, the services you offer will depend on your skill level or the needs of the client at that moment.
Not sure which services you can offer? Get instant access to these 150+ VA services today!
If you have WordPress skills, you can become a WordPress VA and publish new posts, update old content, etc. You can also offer social media management services and read customer emails and respond accordingly.
You can make between $10 to $50 per hour as a beginner. Experienced VA’s charge up to $100 per hour.
Further reading: How to Become a Virtual Assistant and Make $40/Hour
6. Online Teaching Jobs
Online English teaching jobs are also among the top gig economy jobs you can take up to make money this year. You don’t have to be a native English speaker but you have to be fluent in English.
A good number of companies hiring for these side jobs may require the applicants to have at least a Bachelor’s Degree or an ESL certification, but some will hire you even without the degree.
A company like VIPKid requires a degree but Magic Ears is a great example of companies that don’t require a degree.
Here are a few reputable online English teaching sites to find online teaching jobs:
- VipKid
- Education First
- Magic Ears
- QKids
- iTalki
- TutorABC
- Cambly
The pay rate varies from company to company but VIPKid pays $22 per hour.
Home Sharing Gigs & Pet Care Jobs
7. Rent a Spare Room in Your Home
If you have an extra room(s) in your home, you can rent it out and earn some extra cash that way. You can even rent your entire home when you are on vacation or while you are away for a few days.
Advertise the spare room(s) or entire house you have on Airbnb for free and make money whenever a business or leisure traveler books a reservation. Airbnb charges up to 3% service fee whenever a reservation is made. You have full control over how much you can charge for the extra space.
Depending on the location of your house or apartment, and the time of the year, you can make up to $700 per week.
Click here to join Airbnb and start earning today!
8. Pet Sitting Jobs
Pet sitting is a great gig economy job for animal lovers to make extra money. Rover is a great pet sitting company that can earn you good money on a monthly basis.
You can make money by looking after pets when pet parents are on vacation or out of town. Depending on your preference and clients, you can look after their pets in your home or at your clients’ home.
Check out these sites offer pet sitting jobs near you:
- Rover
- Pet Sitting
- Pet Sitters International (PSI)
Expect to earn anywhere from $5 to $20 per hour. If you live in a busy metro city, you can find a regular pet sitting gigs to earn extra money. Many pet sitters on Rover earn up to $1,000 per month.
Click here to learn more about Rover!
Related: Online Jobs for Stay at Home Moms
9. Babysitting Jobs
Do you enjoy spending time with infants or children? Then babysitting jobs will be the perfect gig economy job for you. You can make extra cash by watching other people’s kids in the evenings or over the weekend.
If you have some experience and certifications in First Aid and CPR, you can command a higher rate for your services. Many babysitters make over $1000 a month.
Check out these websites to find babysitting jobs in your area:
- Care.com
- UrbanSitter
- Sittercitycom
- Babysits
- Sitter.com
- The Babysitting Company
The sites I mentioned connect babysitters with parents who need babysitters to look after their children.
Payments for babysitting jobs vary based on a few factors like the number of children, certifications, location, and more. You can expect to earn anywhere from $10 and $33 per hour.
10. Paid Online Surveys – Quick Gig Economy Job
Taking paid online surveys is one of the quickest ways to make money online. Taking surveys will not make you rich but your earnings can add up if you do them frequently.
You can earn cash or amazing rewards that come in the form of free gift cards whenever you answer online surveys. If you earn cash, you can cash out your earnings via PayPal, direct deposit or check.
We have lots of survey sites that pay you cash or gift cards in exchange for surveys. You can do them on your computer or on the go using your Smartphone. Some of the reputable survey sites known today are:
- Survey Junkie
- Vindale Research
- Springboard America
- Harris Poll Online
- Pinecone Research
- Global Test Market
- VIP Voice
Taking online surveys is an easy and legit way to earn some extra money in your spare time. If you have some time on your hands, I would encourage you to try out these online surveys that pay cash.
Misc. Gig Economy Jobs
11. Photography
Do you love to take photos? Then you will find photography jobs interesting. You do not need to have professional photography skills to make money as a freelance photographer. If you have a high-quality digital camera you can take pictures at weddings, social events, or other celebrations to make money.
Great places to find photography jobs:
- JournalismJobs.com
- Indeed
- Upwork
- Freelancer
- PeoplePerHour
- Fiverr
- Photography Jobs Online
- Behance.net
- Foap App
Pay rate is determined by your skills, niche and who you work with. You can expect to make around $20-$25 per hour as a freelance photographer.
Further Reading: How to Sell Feet Pics on Foap
12. User Testing Jobs
Did you know that you can get paid to tell people what you think of certain products and services? Well, now you know!
Many web developers hire people to test clients’ websites for usability errors. If you are internet savvy and fluent in English, you can make money as a usability tester testing out websites and apps online.
Clients will give you instructions on what to test and you will then carry out the tests based on those instructions and provide feedback. Is the layout complicated? Is the font too small? How easy or difficult it is to navigate the site? Clients want to know how intuitive their websites are and they use your feedback to arrive at those conclusions.
Here are some reputable companies offering website testing jobs:
- UserTesting
- Userlytics
- Userfeel
- TryMyUI
- WhatUsersDo
- Testbirds
You can also advertise your services on Fiverr and get hired directly by clients if they find your gig and choose to work with you. These tests usually take 10-20 minutes to complete and pay $5-$15 per test, depending on the company.
13. Micro Jobs
Many businesses and individuals need help with small tasks known as “micro jobs”, and they outsource these tasks to remote workers via mobile apps or websites.
These small tasks can be anything from entering data into a computer system, transcribing short audio files, scanning bar codes of products, writing short reviews on products or services, tagging photographs online, searching the web, online research, evaluating search engine results, mystery shopping, and more.
We have lots of micro job apps out there offering money to remote workers. Let’s have a look at a few of the best gig apps.
- InboxDollars
- TaskRabbit
- Field Agent
- Gigwalk
- EasyShift
- Amazon Mechanical Turk
- Clickworker
Most of these jobs do not require special skills or experience. Pay can be anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars. Some apps or websites also offer gigs with higher pay. A good example is Gigwalk that pays up to $100.
14. Local Odd Jobs
Many people need help with odd jobs. They are willing to pay you good money to do these odd jobs for them.
You can land these local odd jobs through a number of apps and web platforms. These jobs can include handyman, cleaning services, delivery services, moving services, and more.
Check out these apps to find local odd jobs to start making money:
- TaskRabbit
- Rover
- Zaarly
- Indeed
- Craigslist
Customer posts their jobs through apps or websites, and you will either bid for or accept the jobs directly.
You can work as much or as little as you would like, depending on your schedule and how much you want to boost your earnings.
Make Money with Gig Economy Jobs
As you have seen, the gig economy has grown in leaps and bounds and the demand for those jobs is high now. I encourage you to go through the gig economy jobs list I have discussed above, then choose at least two top economy gigs based on your skills, education, or interests.
These gigs offer flexible working hours and you can work as much or as little as you want. You have control over how you work and who you work for.
