How to start a high-paying side hustle: ‘It has to be something that you’re actually passionate about’

Side hustles continue to be a popular way for people to make some extra cash. Nearly two-fifths, 39 per cent of Americans have one, according to a May 2023 Bankrate survey of 2505 US adults.

If you’re considering picking one up yourself, there are so many ways to start.

You can make specialty deliveries, you can sell used clothing online, you can code.

“You can do almost anything and be a wild success at it,” says Kathy Kristof, CEO and founder of Sidehusl.com, for which she and others have tried and reviewed “more than 500″ side hustles.

But, she says, if you really want to see some profits, “it has to be something that you’re actually passionate about”.

When you’re passionate, ‘you actually develop that unique skill’

Kristof has seen all sorts of side hustle successes.

“I chatted with a guy relatively recently who’s a mechanic and who makes well over $100,000 a year answering mechanical questions on JustAnswer,” says Kristof, adding that he checks in on his users every day “because he actually cares whether your car is fixed.”

Kristof believes part of that success comes from his passion. “I think that when you’re really passionate about something, you actually develop that unique skill,” she says. Because you want to be doing it, you put in the time, you become great at it, and when you get hired, people can see your expertise.

When it comes to identifying that passion, “I usually tell people to think about what they do for fun,” she says. “Do you sing? Play the guitar? Sew, read, garden? Look at the things you choose to do with your free time and see if there’s a way to parlay that interest into a paying side hustle.”

Both Sidehusl.com and Make It offer side hustle quizzes as well that can help you identify what might be a good fit for your interests and skills.

‘It doesn’t have to be like a burning passion’

If you’re worried about finding something you’re passionate about, start with what you simply enjoy.

Daniella Flores, who runs side hustle site I Like to Dabble and goes by they/them pronouns, first began freelancing as a web developer. “That wasn’t something I was ever super passionate about,” they say. “It was just something I’ve always been good at. I enjoyed working with it.”

And that was ultimately the key for them: Web development wasn’t their greatest passion, but it was still something they enjoyed doing.

With a side hustle, you don’t want to dread doing it. It’s an extra activity you’re taking on on top of everything else. You just want it to be something you like so that when you are logging in those hours on weekends or lunch breaks or whenever you have a free minute, it’s still a pleasant experience.

“That enjoyment factor is good,” says Flores. “It doesn’t have to be like a burning passion.”