Rising living costs are placing increasing pressure on U.S. household finances. While the price of everyday goods and essential bills have continued to climb, wage growth has failed to keep pace. Recent figures show that the cost of basic necessities has risen by 2.7% between November 2024 and November 2025, far faster than the average earnings (0.8% during the same period), leaving many people with less disposable income and a growing reliance on other methods to earn extra cash. [1] [2]
With that in mind, new research conducted on behalf of Integra Credit surveyed 1,121 adults living in the U.S. to explore Americans’ experiences with side hustles. The survey looked at key areas, including the types of side hustles people take on, the companies those side hustles are with, average monthly earnings, the number of hours spent on side hustles weekly, motivations for starting a side hustle, financial dependence on side hustle income, and plans for turning side hustles into full-time work.
Key findings:
- Over nine in ten participants (93.9%) either currently have or have had at least one side hustle in the past five years.
- Looking for a way to fill time is the most common reason for starting a side hustle (38.8%).
- Uber Eats delivery driving is the most popular type of side hustle (75.4%), followed by Uber driving (75.3%) and Lyft driving (67.6%).
- Teaching, tutoring or coaching side hustles earn the most each month, averaging $1,600.
- Over two-fifths (44%) are fully dependent on the income from their side hustles.
- Most use side hustle earnings for everyday expenses (85.6%), savings and investments (80%), and debt repayment (79.8%).
- Over 85% say they would consider turning their side hustle into a full-time business.
How common are side hustles in America?
According to the dictionary, the definition of a side hustle is “a job or occupation that brings in extra money beyond one’s regular job and main source of income”, [3] but is it also often an opportunity for people to explore personal growth, allowing them to explore their passions. [4]
Overall, the survey found that 93.9% of respondents either currently have or have had at least one side hustle in the past five years, with only 6.1% saying they had not. Alongside this, the majority of those with side hustles said they had been working on their current ventures for between three and five years (82.4%). According to the Consumer Price Index, the price of just food at home rose by 13.5% in August 2022 and 2.4% in December 2025, [5] potentially contributing to the motivation to start a side hustle in the last few years.
For those who said they didn’t have a side hustle, 70.6% admitted they have considered starting one. The main motivation for this consideration was to gain extra income (42.6%), better financial security (27.9%), and more freedom and flexibility (8.8%).
Most side hustlers are balancing four or five gigs at once
Among those who said they currently have, or have had, a side hustle in the past five years, the most common number of gigs held at the same time was five (39.1%), followed closely by four (37.5%), highlighting just how ambitious side hustlers in America are.
The top reasons Americans take on side hustles
When asked about their primary motivation for starting a side hustle, the most common reason, cited by 38.8% of respondents, was to fill their time. The second most common motivation was the ambition to eventually leave full-time employment (36.2%).
Despite household bills and everyday essentials rising by 2.7% between November 2024 and November 2025, [1] just 8.6% said they were motivated by the need to earn extra income for everyday essentials.
| Reasons for starting a side hustle | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Primary reason for starting their side hustle | Percentage of respondents |
| 1 | A way to fill my time | 38.8% |
| 2 | To eventually leave my full time job | 36.2% |
| 3 | To earn extra income for everyday expenses | 8.6% |
| 4 | To earn extra income to save more money | 5.7% |
| 5 | To earn extra income to have more disposable income | 4.8% |
| 6 | To pursue a passion/hobby | 1.8% |
| 7 | To gain new skills or experience | 1.7% |
| 8 | To build towards starting a business | 1.1% |
| 9 | To substitute income after losing employment | 0.9% |
| 10 | Specifically because of the COVID-19 pandemic | 0.3% |
| 11 | Other | 0.1% |
On the other end of the scale, less common reasons cited for starting a side hustle included substituting income after losing employment (0.9%), or directly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic (0.4%). Although a 2020 survey from LendingTree found that 45% of Americans had considered starting a side hustle during the pandemic, [6] our research suggests that in reality far fewer followed through with this.
Top side hustles taking off in the U.S.
Side hustles come in all shapes and sizes, from driving for Uber or Lyft to delivering for DoorDash, reselling goods online, or creating handmade crafts. The survey revealed which types of side hustles are most common among Americans, highlighting the variety of ways people are earning extra income alongside their main jobs.
Uber Eats driving leads the side-hustle boom
Among respondents who have had at least one side hustle in the last five years, the most common was driving for Uber Eats (75.4%), followed very closely by Uber driving more broadly (75.3%), and then Lyft driving (67.6%). As of 2026, Uber has a global network of more than 8.8 million drivers and recorded almost 3.3 billion trips worldwide in Q2 2025, underlining the strong demand for drivers. [7]
| The top 10 most popular types of side hustles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Type of side hustle | Percentage of respondents |
| 1 | Uber Eats driving | 75.4% |
| 2 | Uber driving | 75.3% |
| 3 | Lyft driving | 67.6% |
| 4 | Grubhub delivery driving | 54.3% |
| 5 | DoorDash delivery driving | 41.5% |
| 6 | Other | 5.7% |
| 7 | Reselling goods on eBay | 3.3% |
| 8 | Selling goods on Facebook Marketplace | 3.0% |
| 9 | Freelance technical work (e.g., programming, web development, IT support) | 2.8% |
| 10 | Professional services (e.g., accounting, marketing, business consulting) | 2.7% |
*Respondents could select multiple answers.
By contrast, the least popular side hustles among respondents included renting out cars on Turo (0.9%), house-sitting (1.0%), and childcare or babysitting (1.1%).
| The top 10 least popular types of side hustles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Type of side hustle | Percentage of respondents |
| 1 | Trades or manual services (e.g., handyman, gardening, cleaning, repairs) | 1.6% |
| 2 | Selling digital products (e.g., templates, printables, stock photos) | 1.5% |
| 3 | Event-based work (e.g., catering, bartending, performing, DJing) | 1.5% |
| 4 | Reselling goods on Depop | 1.4% |
| 5 | Blogging or podcasting | 1.4% |
| 6 | Pet care | 1.4% |
| 7 | Content creation on Pinterest | 1.2% |
| 8 | Childcare/babysitting | 1.1% |
| 9 | House sitting | 1.0% |
| 10 | Renting out cars on Turo | 0.9% |
*Respondents could select multiple answers.
The most popular companies for side hustlers
As part of the research, our survey analyzed which companies side hustlers most commonly work for, revealing that major platforms like Uber, Lyft, Grubhub, and DoorDash dominate the landscape.
Among these, Uber Eats driving was particularly popular with Gen Z (88.7%) and women (82.7% versus 56.4% of men). In contrast, Lyft driving was less common among older participants, with just 3.8% of Boomers choosing it, who instead showed a stronger preference for reselling goods on eBay (21.2%).
| The most popular side hustle companies | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Side hustle company | Percentage of respondents |
| 1 | Uber Eats driving | 75.4% |
| 2 | Uber driving | 75.3% |
| 3 | Lyft driving | 67.6% |
| 4 | Grubhub delivery driving | 54.3% |
| 5 | DoorDash delivery driving | 41.5% |
| 6 | Reselling goods on eBay | 3.3% |
| 7 | Selling goods on Facebook Marketplace | 3.0% |
| 8 | Selling goods on Amazon | 2.6% |
| 9 | Content creation on Instagram | 2.5% |
| 10 | Renting out property on Airbnb | 2.4% |
| 11 | Content creation on YouTube | 2.2% |
| =12 | Instacart delivery driving | 2.0% |
| =12 | Content creation on Facebook | 2.0% |
| 14 | Making and selling crafts or handmade goods on Shopify | 1.9% |
| =15 | Making and selling crafts or handmade goods on Etsy | 1.8% |
| =15 | Content creation on TikTok | 1.8% |
| 17 | Reselling goods on Depop | 1.4% |
| 18 | Content creation on Pinterest | 1.2% |
*Respondents could select multiple answers.
On the other hand, side hustles involving Pinterest, Depop and TikTok were less common overall, despite the fact that there are said to be one million TikTok creators on the app. [8]
Top earning side hustles
Our survey also asked participants with side hustles about their average monthly income from this. The results show that those involved in tutoring, teaching, or coaching earn the most, averaging $1,600 per month, which amounts to over $19,000 annually.
Next are professional services, such as accounting, marketing, or business consulting, which average $1,478 per month, followed by Lyft driving at $1,201 per month, equating to $17,742 and $14,418 annually, respectively.
For context, in the third quarter of 2025, the median weekly earnings for full-time salary workers was $1,214. [9] This means that the average monthly earnings from tutoring, around $400 per week, make up almost a third (32.9%) of the median full-time earnings across the U.S.
| Highest average monthly earnings | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Side Hustle | Average monthly earnings | Average yearly earnings |
| 1 | Tutoring, teaching, or coaching (academic, fitness, music, language) | $1,600.00 | $19,200.00 |
| 2 | Professional services (e.g., accounting, marketing, business consulting) | $1,478.57 | $17,742.84 |
| 3 | Lyft driving | $1,201.51 | $14,418.12 |
| 4 | Uber driving | $1,196.44 | $14,357.28 |
| 5 | Uber Eats driving | $1,192.79 | $14,313.48 |
| 6 | Grubhub delivery driving | $1,192.13 | $14,305.56 |
| 7 | Making and selling crafts or handmade goods on other platforms | $1,172.83 | $14,073.96 |
| 8 | DoorDash delivery driving | $1,166.99 | $14,003.88 |
| 9 | Childcare/babysitting | $1,022.92 | $12,275.04 |
| 10 | Freelance photography | $968.42 | $11,621.04 |
| 11 | Selling digital products (e.g., templates, printables, stock photos) | $926.56 | $11,118.72 |
| 12 | Content creation on Pinterest | $919.23 | $11,030.76 |
| 13 | Freelance video editing | $870.45 | $10,445.40 |
| 14 | Pet care | $818.33 | $9,819.96 |
| 15 | Event-based work (e.g., catering, bartending, performing, DJing) | $768.75 | $9,225.00 |
| 16 | Freelance technical work (e.g., programming, web development, IT support) | $733.62 | $8,803.44 |
| 17 | Content creation on TikTok | $732.89 | $8,794.68 |
| 18 | House sitting | $722.73 | $8,672.76 |
| 19 | Selling goods on Amazon | $716.67 | $8,600.04 |
| 20 | Content creation on Facebook | $641.67 | $7,700.04 |
| 21 | Content creation on YouTube | $619.57 | $7,434.84 |
| 22 | Freelance writing | $616.30 | $7,395.60 |
| 23 | Content creation on Instagram | $589.42 | $7,073.04 |
| 24 | Blogging or podcasting | $538.33 | $6,459.96 |
| 25 | Selling goods on Facebook Marketplace | $496.09 | $5,953.08 |
| 26 | Freelance graphic design | $487.50 | $5,850.00 |
| 27 | Instacart delivery driving | $448.81 | $5,385.72 |
| 28 | Making and selling crafts or handmade goods on Shopify | $448.75 | $5,385.00 |
| 29 | Making and selling crafts or handmade goods on Etsy | $447.37 | $5,368.44 |
| 30 | Renting out property on Airbnb | $421.00 | $5,052.00 |
| 31 | Reselling goods on Depop | $401.67 | $4,820.04 |
| 32 | Trades or manual services (e.g., handyman, gardening, cleaning, repairs) | $316.18 | $3,794.16 |
| 33 | Reselling goods on eBay | $299.29 | $3,591.48 |
By contrast, reselling goods on eBay ($299), trades or manual services ($316), and reselling goods on Depop ($401) were not only less popular overall, but also generated the lowest average monthly incomes.
Most side hustlers put in more than 30 hours of work weekly
When asked about the average number of hours spent on their side hustles each week, 39.7% of respondents said 31-35 hours, while 36% reported 26-30 hours. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage in the U.S. is $37.02 as of December 2025, [10] this means that 34 hours of work a week would equate to $1,258.68 on average, which is $821.66 more than the highest earning side hustle in tutoring and teaching.
With the average weekly hours in the U.S. at 34.2 in January 2026, [11] the survey findings suggest that side hustles can often demand as much time as a full-time job, and in some cases even more. Given that most respondents reported having four or five side hustles simultaneously, this high weekly commitment is perhaps unsurprising.
The financial impact of side hustles
The survey asked participants with side hustles about the financial impact of their work. For 44% of respondents, they were fully dependent on the income from their side hustles, while 49.7% were partially dependent, and just 6.4% were not dependent at all.
Everyday living expenses are the top use of side hustle income
When asked how they most commonly use their side hustle earnings, respondents ranked everyday living expenses highest (85.6%), followed by savings and investments (80%) and paying off debt (79.8%). With the average American holding $104,755 in debt in 2025, it is perhaps unsurprising that many are turning to additional income sources to help manage their finances. [12]
By contrast, travel funds (2.8%) and retirement savings (3.6%) were far less common uses for side hustle earnings. However, with the median retirement income at $56,680 annually [13] and average yearly expenditures for Americans over 65 totalling $61,432 in 2024, [14] there is a shortfall of around $5,000. This highlights the need for greater focus on saving for retirement.
How stressful are side hustles?
Just over half of respondents (50.7%) said they find their side hustle somewhat stressful when balancing it with full-time employment. A further 40.2% reported it as very stressful, while less than one in ten (9.1%) said it is not stressful at all.
When compared with their main jobs, 81% said their side hustle carries about the same level of stress, 8.2% said it is less stressful, and 4.6% said it is much less stressful than their full-time role.
Regarding wellbeing, over half of respondents (50.9%) said their side hustle has a somewhat positive impact. However, 37% reported a negative impact, indicating that some experience stress from not only managing side hustles alongside their main employment, but other aspects of life. This was higher among women (40.4%) than men (27.4%).
Similarly, respondents juggling four or five side hustles were more likely to report stress and negative effects on wellbeing, at 48.6% and 47.1% respectively.
The future of side hustles
When asked about their future plans, a large majority of respondents indicated that their side hustles could evolve into something more significant. 85.3% said they might consider turning their side hustle into a full-time business, although only 6.5% have definite plans to do so. Similarly, 82.8% said they might make their side hustle their main source of income in the future, with just 5% aiming to achieve this within the next year.
As 36.2% highlighted their motivation for starting a side hustle was to eventually leave their full-time job, it’s clear that many view these ventures not just as a way to earn extra income, but as a potential pathway to greater independence. In fact, 81.6% said they might consider quitting their current job if their side hustle became sustainable enough to support them full-time, highlighting the growing potential of these ventures as more than just supplemental income.
Methodology
The research was conducted on behalf of Integra Credit in January 2026, and asked 1,121 adults in the U.S. from a range of backgrounds questions relating to side hustles.
The survey explored areas including the type of side hustle, average earnings, weekly hours worked, and future plans for their ventures. For some questions, respondents were able to select multiple answers, so the results do not all add up to 100%.
Demographics:
Age:
- 18-28 – 20%
- 29-44 – 72.4%
- 45-60 – 6%
- 61-79 – 1.5%
- 80+ – 0.1%
Gender:
- Female – 73.3%
- Male – 26.4%
- Prefer not to say – 0.2%
- Non-binary – 0.1%
Sources
[1] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ‘Consumer Price Index Summary’, 2026
[2] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ‘Real Earnings Summary’, 2026
[3] Dictionary.com, ‘Side Hustle’
[4] AllBusiness.com, ‘Definition of Side Hustle‘
[5] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ‘12-month percentage change, Consumer Price Index, selected categories‘, 2025
[6] LendingTree, ‘Half of Millennials Have a Side Hustle Amid Coronavirus Pandemic’, 2020
[7] DemandSage, ‘How Many Uber Drivers Are There (2026 Statistics)’, 2025
[8] Charle, ‘Top 23 TikTok Statistics & Facts you need to know in 2025!’, 2025
[9] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ‘USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS — 2025’, 2026
[10] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ‘Table B-3. Average hourly and weekly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted’, 2026
[11] Trading Economics, ‘United States Average Weekly Hours’, 2025
[12] Experian, ‘Average American Debt by Age, US State, Credit Score and Type in 2025’, 2025
[13] The Currency, ‘Uncovering Americans’ average retirement income’, 2026
[14] Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, ‘Age 65 or Over: Expenditures’, 2024
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