If you want to pocket some extra cash, a part-time job is a good way to make that happen. But, not all part-time jobs are the same. A lot of them only pay minimum wage or need you to work times that would be impossible to fit in with the rest of your life.
The good news is that there are good part-time jobs out there. I’m talking about side jobs that do pay well and are even flexible.
Pinky swear, the best part-time jobs aren’t unicorns. They do exist.
But first, why get a part-time job?
Cutting your spending is a good way to increase the amount of money you can put towards debt or retirement savings, but reducing your expenses can only go so far. Finding a part-time job to increase your income will naturally give you more financial options.
I mean, an extra $1,500 a month will go a lot farther than just finding an extra $400 in your budget. If you increase your income and cut expenses, then you can really expedite your financial goals.
But, the hard thing is finding the best part-time job for your already busy schedule. As a working parent, flexibility has always been a huge factor in the jobs I’ve taken. Working online is inherently flexible, but you can find some of the best part-time jobs offline too.
Flexibility isn’t the only important thing – the best part-time jobs are ones that pay well for the work done. Your time and sanity are incredibly valuable, so if you’re going to make some sacrifices, you should be paid well for them.
Here are 15 of the best part-time jobs for 2020
1. Work as a digital marketer
Digital marketers are the ones who create and run the ads you see online, specifically on social media. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are a great place to get the message out about a new product, service, or event.
Big companies use huge teams of people for marketing work, and that makes it hard for small businesses to compete. Sure, small business owners can learn how to run Facebook ads, but many lack the time to learn how to run an effective ad strategy.
Because those small business owners realize what Facebook ads can do for their business, many are willing to pay for digital marketing services. And they pay well – $1,000 to $1,500/month per client.
Running Facebook ads definitely falls under the high-paying category, but it’s also incredibly flexible. Most side hustlers are able to manage a client in just 3-5 hours a week outside of their normal job.
Sound interesting?
The Facebook Side Hustle Course teaches you everything you need to know about:
- Setting up and running an effective ad campaign
- Finding clients who need your services
- Getting those clients to say “yes” to hiring you
The course also comes with 24/7 access, weekly live-trainings, and a free month of coaching.
2. Deliver with Doordash and Postmates
On-demand delivery apps like DoorDash and Postmates make it easy for people to have food and grocery items delivered right to their door.
The increase in online delivery apps has created a huge demand for drivers lately, which is why this part time job is at the top of our list. You can expect to make $15-$20/hour on the side as a delivery driver.
There’s no set pay, and each company has a proprietary formula for calculating your earnings. These include factors like distance, difficulty, time of day, and location. Drivers for all companies get to keep 100% of their tips, which is a great perk.
If you’re interested in learning more about all of the delivery driving options, I’ve done reviews on some of the most popular opportunities for drivers. To make the most money, I recommend signing up for all of these apps and choosing the deliveries that you make based on how much each task pays.
- Doordash: Doordash delivers food for local and chain restaurants in most cities across the U.S., and you can learn more at Doordash Driver Review (And How to Make More Than Average)
- Postmates: This company is known for delivering anything, from Playstations to burgers and fries. Learn more at Postmates Driver Review
- Instacart: This is one of the most widely available grocery delivery services, and you’ll have the option to work as an in-store shopper or as a full-service shopper who shops and delivers. Learn more at Instacart Shopping Side Hustle: How Much Do Instacart Shoppers Make?
- Shipt: Shipt recently ditched its membership-based model and is now open for grocery delivery to anyone. Learn more at Shipt Shopper Review: What It’s Like Working for Shipt
These apps all feature similar driver requirements – you have to be 18 years old, drive a newer model car (which typically means less than 20 years), agree to do a background check, and have a clean driving record.
3. Blogging
Blogging can be a great way to make extra money on the side over time, and the income potential is practically unlimited. This website, for example, started as a part time job for me on the side of my teaching job. Now, this site rakes in hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in revenue.
The idea of blogging is actually pretty simple: You create articles on a website around a specific topic, build an audience, and eventually sell products to that audience.
There are many ways to monetize a website, from ads to sponsorships to promoting products for a commission (this is called affiliate marketing).
The great thing about blogging is that it’s flexible. You can work when and how you want to, and you can grow it as little or as much as you’d like.
Some bloggers make a few thousand dollars per month, while some make millions of dollars per year from their laptops.
If you’re interested in starting a blog of your own, go ahead and check out the free blogging course below. You’ll learn how to choose your blogging topic, how to create a simple website quickly, how to get your first 1,000 true fans, and how to monetize your blog to make money in your spare time.
4. Work part-time as a private tutor
Private tutors are needed for all sorts of subjects, and from elementary to high school aged kids. You’ll need to have a strong knowledge of the subjects you tutor on, and it averages around $30-$40/hour.
You can make considerably more, $85/hour or more, if you’re a certified teacher or can do college test prep.
5. House cleaner
If you look online at the average per hour pay for house cleaners, you’re going to find a wide range, from an average of $11.46/hour to $25-$50/hour. What that range reflects is the difference in working for a cleaning company or working for yourself.
As someone who once worked this side gig, I made a minimum of $45/hour working for myself. I ended up getting some really great clients who also paid me to housesit and run errands, and I even got Christmas gifts and bonuses.
I’ll admit that the work wasn’t pleasant, but I was able to set my own hours and make a good side income.
6. Interpreter/Translator
In the U.S. this is a high-paying part-time job if you’re fluent in more than English, paying an average of $24/hour. Hospitals are generally high need areas where you would be responsible for translating between patients and medical staff. But there are a number of places to find jobs, including:
- Call centers
- Schools
- Online translation services
- Companies who need software or other types of technology translated
7. Fitness instructor
I’ve heard from more and more of my friends that they are working as part-time fitness instructors for yoga and barre classes or even working as personal trainers. Many of them are working this part-time job because it’s a way to take classes for free while also earning a decent hourly pay.
This article outlines why working as a fitness instructor is a great side gig, for reasons like free classes, an average pay of $18/hour, and building a better fitness routine for yourself.
8. Server
Working as a server in a restaurant is a no joke part-time job that can be physically demanding at times. At the same time, it can be an incredibly fun job, and when you factor in tips, servers make an average of $17/hour. Servers in high-end restaurants often make more than that, especially if you’re willing to work on the weekends or during the holidays.
Fun fact: Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day are the two busiest days of the year for restaurants.
9. Landscaper
Landscapers are responsible for mowing, trimming, planting, weeding, mulching, hauling dirt, etc. It’s a great part-time job for people who enjoy being outdoors and don’t mind a little dirt under their nails.
Landscaping jobs can range anywhere from $10-$20/hour. You can find one-time jobs on websites like Craigslist, and this can be a good way to build a steady client base.
10. Dog walker/pet sitter
Taking care of other people’s pets as a part-time job might possibly be the most fulfilling job on this list. Who doesn’t want to get paid to pet a good doggo all day?
Pet sitters can earn around $20-$40 a day and up to $75 for overnight visits, and dog walkers can earn around $15/hour.
11. Personal Chef
Care.com estimates that a family of four pays around $200-$300 for a personal chef to prepare five meals a week. That pay doesn’t include the cost of food, and pay jumps if you’re in a big city.
In addition to cooking dinners, you can also cater to private events, make freezer meals, and more.
12. Customer service rep
Working as a customer service representative involves spending your time on the phone or online answering questions, responding to complaints, and directing customers to specific help. More and more customer service reps are now working part-time from home, and pay averages nearly $14/hour.
While the pay isn’t the highest on this list, the fact that you can do it from the comfort of your home makes it one of the best part-time jobs.
13. Work as a house sitter
House sitters make an average of $25-$45/day. It’s not a high-paying part-time job when you consider what that means per hour, but consider how easy it would be to do on the side of your regular job or another part-time job. It’s also pretty easy work – watering plants, taking in the mail, maybe feeding animals, etc.
14. Online English tutoring
We’ve already talked about how needed translation/interpretation services are, and working as an online English tutor falls a little under that umbrella. There are several online platforms for English tutoring, but VIPKid has consistently been a top pick for parents and tutors.
Here’s how it works: VIPkid connects its teachers with young Chinese and Korean students with the goal of helping them learn English. The hours are flexible, you work as much as you want, and you can earn up to $22/hour.
To start teaching through VIPKid, there is a short application process. Surprisingly, you don’t need to be a certified teacher to teach through VIPKid – you just need experience working with children, which can include:
- Raising your own children
- Working at a daycare
- Tutoring
- Babysitting
15. Do part-time freelancer work
Freelancing went from my part to full-time job because the pay is good and I’m able to work around my family’s busy schedule… really it means I don’t have to take time off work when one of my kids inevitably gets sick and needs to stay home from school.
While I’m a freelance writer and editor, you can work as a part-time freelancer for nearly any skill you have, including:
- Sound design
- Editing
- Graphic design
- Film editing
- Photography
- Web development
- Accounting
- Proofreading
16. Virtual assistant
Because more and more people are working online (hello freelancers and digital marketers!), virtual assistants are being used to manage tasks that don’t need to be done by the business owner. These are things like managing a calendar, billing, etc.
I know Bobby has an incredible virtual assistant who basically holds the whole M$M team together, and she also does things like scheduling blog posts, managing social media accounts, and contacting clients.
Virtual assistants don’t require formal training, but for high-paying jobs that pay an average of $35-$50/hour, it doesn’t hurt to learn as much as you can, including how to find clients. There are a couple of great courses for that:
The final word on the best part-time jobs of 2020
Being able to make some extra cash when you need it is such a great feeling. You can pay off debt and save more. The hard part is finding a job that fits an already busy schedule. The jobs on this list don’t just fit your schedule; they pay well. And that’s even better.