Best Side Hustle Ideas: 12 Ways to Earn Extra Income

Extra income sounds simple until you try to pick something. There are hundreds of ideas online, most of them written for readers overseas, and very few tell you what it actually costs to start or what the work is really like week to week.

Quick answer: the best side hustle is the one that fits the time you actually have, uses a skill you already own, and costs almost nothing to test. Tutoring, pet sitting, freelance work and odd jobs are strong starting points because demand already exists and you can start small. Delivery and rideshare work suit people who want flexible hours and already have a vehicle. This guide covers 12 ideas in plain terms, including startup costs, where to find the first customers, and the tax basics you should know before you start.

At a glance: 12 side hustle ideas

1. Freelance writing and editing

Best for: people who write clearly and can meet a deadline.

Businesses always need words: blog posts, product descriptions, newsletters, website pages and edited documents. You do not need a journalism degree to start, but you do need samples. Write three short pieces in the niche you want to work in, even if nobody paid you for them, and use them as your portfolio.

Startup cost is basically nothing beyond a computer and internet. Work comes through freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, or through direct outreach to small local businesses. Rates vary a lot with experience and niche, so start with smaller jobs, build reviews, and raise your rates as demand grows.

2. Online tutoring

Best for: people who know a school subject, a language, or a professional skill well enough to teach it.

Tutoring is one of the highest-paid flexible options. Finder reports tutors can charge around $50 an hour depending on the subject and level, and you can take on as few or as many students as your week allows. Maths, English, science and music are steady sellers, and so is help with professional exams.

You can list yourself on tutoring platforms such as Superprof and Learnmate, or advertise directly on Gumtree and local school community groups. Sessions run over video call, so there is no travel and no real startup cost. A short trial lesson is a good way to win a first student.

3. Pet sitting and dog walking

Best for: animal lovers with a suitable home or flexible daytime hours.

Pet owners need someone reliable when they travel or work long days, and that demand peaks around school holidays. Finder reports pet sitters typically charge around $50 to $60 per day per pet, with food and equipment usually supplied by the owner. Looking after more than one pet at a time can lift the daily total, but only take on what you can genuinely handle.

Pet-sitting platforms like Mad Paws and Pawshake match you with owners and handle bookings and reviews. Startup cost is close to zero. The honest catch: work can be seasonal, and you need a pet-friendly home, patience, and a backup plan if an animal gets sick.

4. Food delivery

Best for: people with a bike, scooter or car who want evening and weekend hours.

Delivery apps such as Uber Eats and DoorDash let you log on when you choose and get paid per delivery, which makes this one of the easiest side hustles to start. Finder cites an average of around $30 an hour for delivery drivers, but that figure is before tax, fuel and vehicle costs, so your real take-home will be lower.

Startup cost is low if you already have transport. Keep a simple log of kilometres, fuel and phone costs from day one, because those records matter at tax time. Peak meal times pay best, and rainy weekends are usually busier than quiet weekday afternoons.

5. Rideshare driving

Best for: car owners who enjoy driving and want flexible hours.

Rideshare platforms like Uber and DiDi are the obvious starting point. Finder cites an average of around $28 an hour for rideshare drivers, again before tax, fuel, servicing and depreciation, so treat headline hourly figures with care and track your real costs for a month before judging it.

There is one tax rule that surprises new drivers: rideshare drivers must register for GST from the first dollar earned, unlike most other side hustles where GST registration only kicks in at $75,000 of annual turnover. More on that in the tax section below. Startup costs are low if your car already meets the platform’s age and condition requirements.

6. Odd jobs and handyman tasks

Best for: practical people who can assemble, fix or install things.

There is steady demand for the jobs people put off: assembling furniture, mounting TVs, fixing fly screens, patching walls, changing light fittings. Platforms like Airtasker are built for exactly this kind of work, and word of mouth does a lot of the rest once you have a few good reviews.

Startup cost is low if you already own basic tools. Price by the job, not by the hour, once you know how long tasks take, and be honest about what you cannot do. Turning up on time and cleaning up afterwards is what gets you repeat bookings in this line of work.

7. Virtual assistant work

Best for: organised people who are good with email, calendars and admin systems.

Small business owners often need help with inbox management, scheduling, data entry, basic bookkeeping and social media posting, but cannot justify a full-time hire. That is the virtual assistant gap. The work is remote, the hours are flexible, and the startup cost is nothing more than a computer and a reliable connection.

List your services on freelance platforms, and name the tasks you do best rather than offering “general admin” to everyone. Clients hire specialists faster than generalists. A short weekly retainer with one or two regular clients beats chasing one-off gigs every week.

8. Selling handmade goods

Best for: makers, crafters and artists who already enjoy creating.

Handmade jewellery, candles, ceramics, prints, sewn goods and personalised gifts all sell well online and at local markets. Etsy is the best-known marketplace for handmade items, and eBay and local craft markets are useful second channels. Start with a small range and see what actually sells before buying bulk materials.

Startup cost is low to moderate depending on your craft, and pricing needs to cover materials, platform fees, postage and your time. Many makers underprice at first. Work out your real cost per item, add a margin, and only discount deliberately, not by default.

9. Selling pre-owned items

Best for: anyone with a house full of things they no longer use.

This is the simplest side hustle of all, and Finder data puts selling pre-owned items among the most popular side hustles going, with around a third of side hustlers doing it. Start with your own wardrobe, electronics, furniture and baby gear, then decide whether you enjoy sourcing and reselling or whether you just wanted a clear-out.

eBay suits items worth posting, while Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree suit bulky local pickups. Take clear photos in daylight, describe faults honestly, and price by checking what the same item recently sold for rather than what you paid for it new. Startup cost is zero until you start buying stock to resell.

10. Renting out a spare room or space

Best for: homeowners or renters with permission, spare space and a good location.

A spare room can earn through short-stay platforms like Airbnb, and a spare garage, driveway or storage space can earn through storage platforms like Spacer. City locations near stations, hospitals and universities tend to do best, and a clean, well-photographed listing matters more than fancy furniture.

Startup cost is low, but check the rules first: strata bylaws, lease conditions, council rules and insurance all matter here, and some buildings restrict short stays. Factor in cleaning time and platform fees before working out what you actually keep.

11. Content creation and online courses

Best for: people with real expertise and the patience to build an audience slowly.

Videos, blogs, podcasts and online courses can turn into genuine income through ads, sponsorships, affiliate links and course sales, but this is the slowest idea on this list. Most creators earn little for months. The ones who succeed pick one topic, publish consistently, and solve a specific problem for a specific audience.

Startup cost is low: a phone camera and free editing tools are enough to begin. Treat it as a long game, not a quick payout, and keep your day job while it grows. If you need money this month, pick one of the service ideas above instead.

12. Lawn mowing and garden care

Best for: people who like outdoor work and want regular local customers.

Lawn mowing, weeding, pruning and garden clean-ups are unglamorous and reliably in demand, especially from older homeowners, landlords and busy families. The beauty of this hustle is repeat work: a fortnightly mowing round is steady income you can plan around.

Startup cost is low to moderate if you need a mower, whipper snipper and blower. Advertise on Gumtree and local community Facebook groups, and ask happy customers for a quick review or referral. Show up when you say you will and the round largely looks after itself.

How to choose the right one for you

Ask three questions before committing. First, how many hours a week can you honestly spare without burning out? Second, what skill do you already have that someone would pay for today? Third, how fast do you need the money? Service ideas like tutoring, pet sitting, delivery and odd jobs can pay within weeks. Product and content ideas take months to build.

Start with one idea, not three. Give it a month of real effort, track what you earn against what you spend, and only then decide whether to keep it, change it or drop it. Spreading yourself across five half-started hustles is the most common reason people quit.

The tax basics, in plain terms

This is general information, not tax advice, but these are the points that catch new side hustlers out. All side hustle income counts as assessable income and must be declared on your tax return. If your side activity looks like a business, with regular work done with the intention of making a profit, you will generally need an Australian Business Number, which is free to apply for through the Australian Business Register. Without an ABN, a business client may have to withhold tax from your payment at a high rate.

Most side hustlers only need to register for GST once annual turnover passes $75,000, but rideshare drivers are the exception and must register from the first dollar. Keep records of income and expenses for five years, and set aside a portion of every payment for tax rather than spending it all and facing a bill later. If your situation gets complicated, a short chat with a registered tax agent is money well spent.

Mistakes to avoid

• Starting five hustles at once instead of testing one properly.
• Trusting headline hourly rates that ignore tax, fees, fuel and wear on your vehicle.
• Forgetting the tax basics: ABN, GST rules and record keeping.
• Underpricing to win work, then resenting the work and quitting.
• Paying for expensive courses or “mentors” before you have earned your first dollar.
• Skipping insurance and safety checks for work in other people’s homes or with their pets.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an ABN for a side hustle?

If your side activity is run like a business, with regular work done to make a profit, you will generally need one. It is free to apply for through the Australian Business Register, and having one stops business clients from withholding tax from your payments.

How much can I realistically earn?

It depends on the hustle, your hours and your location. Skilled services like tutoring tend to pay more per hour than delivery or rideshare work, but they need more setup. Treat any figure you read online as a rough guide, track your own numbers for a month, and judge from there.

Can I run a side hustle while working full time?

Yes, most people do. Check your employment contract first, since some employers restrict outside work or work for competitors, and keep your side hustle hours away from your main job’s time.

Which side hustle pays fastest?

Service work usually pays first: delivery, rideshare, odd jobs, pet sitting and tutoring can all bring in money within the first few weeks. Selling products and building content income take longer.

The best side hustle is not the one that pays the most on paper. It is the one you will still be doing in six months. Pick the idea that fits your skills, your week and your tolerance for slow starts, test it for a month, and build from what actually works.