Americans are relying on side hustles to pay bills. Which pay best?

Nearly one in three Americans are turning to side hustles to make ends meet as essential costs rise. Side hustles and small business creation grew after the pandemic as inflation increased and remote work reduced commuting time. New research finds 28% of Americans have taken on a side hustle, with 49% starting within the past year. About 54% started to earn extra money for bills or essentials. Another survey estimates 35% have an alternate income stream, driven by weak job growth and fear of layoffs. Side hustles are common across generations, with Gen Z the most likely and high earners also more likely to have one.

"Nearly one in three Americans are turning to side hustles to make ends meet as essential costs rise. Side hustles and small business creation boomed following the start of the pandemic, as inflation surged and remote work gave employees back time that would have otherwise been spent commuting. Years later, prices are climbing again, and new research from Omnisend finds 28% of Americans have taken on a side hustle."

"Nearly half of them - 49% - started one in the past year, and about 54% said they took one up "to earn extra money for bills or essentials." A separate ZipRecruiter survey estimates the share of Americans with a side hustle is even higher, finding that 35% have an alternate income stream. Following a year of historically weak job growth in 2025, ZipRecruiter Economist Nicole Bachaud said people are relying on side hustles not only to cover essentials, but also to build a financial cushion."

""The market sitting the way it did for the last year, I think a lot of people were saying, 'If I were to lose my job right now, it would be really hard to find something else,'" Bachaud said. "Adding something on the side is just really to prepare themselves for the 'what if' environment.""

"Side hustles are popular across generations and income brackets. Gen Z's entrepreneurial mindset makes them the most likely to have one, but they're not alone. Last year, a Bankrate survey found 34% of Gen Z, 31% of millennials, 23% of Gen X and 22% of baby boomers have sought one out. And they aren't just for people scraping by. In fact, high earners are most likely to have a side hustle."

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