23 Profitable Hobbies That Make Money in 2024 (Earn $1,000/mo) (2024)

Working a day job is something most of us do, and whether you love it or not, there is no other option. What if I had told you that there are many fun hobbies that make money.

Yes, you can make a good side hustle of your hobbies. Whether it is stamp collection, selling, gardening, sports, gaming, crafting, you name it, and there is some way you can make money from it.

It could be just some extra cash or something which can replace your primary income or a side business.

Wouldn’t it be great to do something you love so much and still get some income out of it?

I am going to list some hobbies that can make money, and some of them are my hobbies.

Top picks for hobbies to make money

Survey Junkie – Share your opinion, play games, watch videos and make money from your couch.

Blogging – Best profitable hobby that can turn into a full-time business.

Printables – Create fun printables without any experience and earn a great income.

Skillshare – Top resource to learn unique skills and make money.

Flipping – Sell junk items and start a booming business.

23 Profitable hobbies that can make money

#1. Photography

Ok, this is my favorite, that’s why it’s coming up first. Of all the hobbies, photography can be very fetching with digital era coming into the picture.

Did you ever notice lovely images in blogs? They are stock photos. With so many blogs launching every day, there is a continuous need for pictures.

Stock photography sites like Shutterstock, iStockphoto, Pexels and websites like Snapwiremake it easier for you to sell your stock photos. Though it is hard to get into stock photography, you can still make some money from it.

You can make anything between $5 – $300 per image when selling on some websites. And, this is just one type of photography.

Big brands are always browsing these websites for images. If you want to pursue this further, you can do direct client selling when you become a pro.

Here is the list of microstock photo websites from Everything Microstock. If you are just starting and want some ideas or tips, try Digital Photography School. It is an absolute favorite photography resource.

Tools to start

Digital camera (I have Nikon D80), tripod and lens. I don’t think you need more than this when you are just starting.

#2. Blogging

Blogging is my recent favorite and my latest income earner. Starting a blog was my dream for a very long time. I love this medium of interacting with like-minded people, help others from what I have learned.

Though it takes some time to establish yourself and monetize, there are many ways you can start seeing some money with your blog like ads, sponsorships, affiliates.

I make a full-time income from blogging from home and you can too.

I have a detailed post on how to start a blog where I show you the step-by-step process of starting a money-making blog and share tips to get traffic from the day one. Start your blogging journey today!!

If you want to start monetizing your blog with a sound strategy, Michelle also has the awesome Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course; I was clueless about affiliate marketing before taking this course. But, now I see a world of difference in my conversions. This course is the reason I am already making money with my new blog.

Tools to start

To begin with, you would need reliable hosting, theme and an email service provider.

If you want to start your blog with a low cost and make money, then I highly recommend Bluehost. You can start your own blog for as low as $2.95/month (remember this price is only through my link and for a short period of time!). Plus you get a FREE domain when you sign up for 12 month basic plan.

Related:

How to Start a Blog to Make Money – A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a BlogHow I Made $2,347.17 in 4th Month of Blogging
How I Earned $5,126.59 in 6th Month of Blogging
How to Earn $50,000 A Month Blogging

#3. Organizing

Are you someone who is always tidying up and organizing things at home? Do you get tons of compliments on how you keep your work space or home beautifully arranged? Do you have this excellent talent of brilliantly organizing spaces?

Then you can get paid to do this for others.

You can work as a Professional Organizer to creatively tidy up work spaces or residences. You can even get certified for this hobby. All you have to do is learn some tips and tricks for doing the work, but it does pay well. Jeffrey Phillip makes a living out of organizing people’s homes and work spaces.

Depending on where you live and your experience you can quote your price, it can start from $50 per hour minimum.

If you want some direction to start, have a read at The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. If going pro is something you want, then these courses might be of help.

Tools to start

You would a need a basic set up of a home office and get the word out about the business, and you can take it from there.

#4. Driving

Do you love driving? The best part is that there is a way you can make money while driving.

You can drive with Uber, and it is completely FREE to sign up. It is very flexible and can give you an extra option to make money on your own schedule. It can be a great option for you if you have a couple of hours free in your day.

Another extra money making opportunity is delivering with UberEats; this can be a good side hustle for students who are looking for extra income.

Tools to start

You would need a valid U.S. driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance along with an eligible car that meets Uber’s vehicle requirements to drive with Uber. If you’re delivering with Uber Eats without a vehicle, you would need a government-issued ID anda two wheeler in good condition.

#5. Cooking

Cooking is the most popular of the hobbies and may be the most suitable form to make money. If you are that person who can whip up tasty dishes effortlessly, then you are going to be making nice cash on the side.

Do you know Lindsay from Pinch of Yum started her blog because she loved to cook as a hobby? Now she makes more than $50,000 a month pursuing her hobby.

Apart from cooking, baking is something which is creating waves in the food world. You might need a license to take this up as a business.

Personally, I know many who work from home and have this excellent baking business. I paid $150 for my daughters birthday cake which I had ordered from a friend who bakes at home. That’s for 2 hours of baking!!

Tools to start

A basic cooking/baking set up.

#6. Crafts

Ok, making money from crafts is something which has been around for a long time. People sell a lot of stuff like kids clothes, antiques, cards anything that is crafty.

There are so many marketplaces where you can sell your things like Etsy, Ebay and Amazon. Especially, Etsy is something which is very profitable for handmade or crafty things.

Most of the crafty hobby stories which turned into businesses started from home. Susan Petersen of Freshly Picked started making moccasins for her son picking up raw materials from yard sales. She sold her first moccasins on Etsy and now she has multi-million dollar business. She sold her first pair of mocassin for $20.

Whether it is sewing, making blankets, making shoes for your kids, card making, you can give a shot at making it big.

Inspired yet??

Tools to start

Craft supplies suitable to your hobby.

#7. Shopping

Everybody loves shopping, even men!!! Are you surprised to know that this is on the list too?? You can surely make money from your favorite hobby. There are a couple of ways you can see some cash coming in from this.

If you love shopping in general, then doing mystery shopping is ideal for you. Companies are ready to pay mystery shoppers to find out about their products and services. Market Force, Trendsource and Best Mark are some of the legitimate mystery shopping companies.

If you have an eye for a deal and like buying things for less and selling them for a higher price, then you can look at this as a good side hustle. People are making huge money selling on Ebay and Amazon.

Take your game to the next level by signing up the FREE 7 day course from The Selling Family, it is a super helpful course with tips on how to sell on Amazon. Jessica makes $100,000 a year with Amazon FBA.

Let’s start that deal hunting!!

Tools to start

Inventory, if you are buying and selling.

#8. Teaching

Tutoring is another hobby from which you can make some money if you are on the right path. Do you how many online tutoring websites are there now? There is massive demand for teaching, whether it is languages or subjects or any particular skill.

If teaching part time is your thing, then you can look for tutoring gigs in Tutorvista.com, Tutor.com, BookNook.

Many entrepreneurs started teaching something they love as a hobby, and now they are earning a 6-figure income. Phil Ebiner is one such entrepreneur who earns a reliable income from his online courses. The platforms you can use to start promoting and selling your tutoring skills is Udemy, Skillshare.

Udemy is known for very niche courses, and it has been very profitable for many people.

Tools to start

For online courses, some software like Teachable, Screenflow.

#9. Gaming

I never knew this. Earning money by simply playing games, Wow that sounds fantastic!

You just have to upload your game play to streaming service providers like Twitch. Your followers get to watch, comment and you make money from the ads. Gaming is quite a rage these days with more and more games releasing and more gaming apps.

Though earning money from this does not happen right away, this is a very fun way of making some cash from your hobby.

Tools to start

A gaming set up like a computer, high-speed internet (if you don’t already have one), register for the streaming services like Twitch.

#10. Socializing

Everyone loves to network and socialize. If you are people’s person, and love networking and know the tips and tricks of social media, then why not earn some bucks for it?

There are a couple of ways you can make money for being popular socially.

If you are on social media and have a good following, then you can get paid from sponsors or brands to post on your social media channels. One such company which pays you for your posts is SocialSpark. You can earn depending on your interests and the number of your followers.

If you want to make a bigger impact then consider starting your freelancing gig as a social media consultant, this is totally in high demand now. You can try looking for some freelancing projects in places like Upwork, Freelancer.

Tools to start

Register with SocialSpark, Massivesway, Upwork and Freelancer.

#11. Sell printables

Are you a creative person? If yes, then designing printables is right up your alley. Even if you are not a creative nerd, you can easily create printables to sell on Etsy. All you need is websites like PicMonkey or Canva and some amazing ideas to start your printable store. You can sell anything from budgeting sheets, wedding printables, holiday printables, etc. Just study the market and find out which niches are in demand and get going.

Julie started selling printables as a side gig and her Etsy store has over 1,000 sales now.

Tools to start

Dive into this easy course that teaches you everything about selling printables on Etsy.

#12. Bake dog treats

Who doesn’t love baking? It’s all the more fun if you can bakesweet treats for your loyal pets. Baking dog treats is a super fun hobby you can start today. The cost involved in starting this hobby is minimal which involves the raw materials and getting a license. You can sell your dog treats at weekend markets, Facebook Marketplace, on your website, etc.

If you are thinking about how much you can earn with this gig, then doing it part-time can make you around $500 to $1,000 per month and earn 5 figures if you are going full-time.

Tools to start

Kristin’s course has all the details about getting started as a dog treat baker.

#13. Make YouTube videos

If you wanted to make money from home, then the most creative and passive way would be throughYouTube.Almost 5 billion videos are watched on YouTube every day! That’s where your chance of making money lies. There are many ways you earn with YouTube: you can become a YouTube partner, do affiliate marketing, review products, work with sponsors, sell merchandise/products, etc.

Tools to start

Brainstorm a niche you are passionate about and sign up with YouTube to get started.

#14. Shop online

Many of us like shopping online. What if you can get paid to shop online? Cool, right?! Getting paid to do your usual shopping is a total win-win for me. There are many apps and sites like Rakuten, Pogo, and Albert that give you extra cash for your daily purchases.

You can also sign up for apps like Shopkick that give you free gift cards to go into stores and scan products.

Tools to start

Download apps like Rakuten, Albert, and Pogo to start getting paid to shop.

#15. Share your opinion

Giving your feedback about products and services and getting rewarded for it is probably the easiest way to make extra money. Whether it is about new products or apps, sharing your opinion with market research companies is a great way to help in improving the company’s products and earn money.

You can do product testing gigs with websites like Survey Junkie, and Swagbucks or sign up for paid research studies with User Interviews. For most of these jobs, you get paid in gift cards or PayPal cash.

Tools to start

My top recommended sites are Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, User Interviews, and Toluna.

#16. Work with numbers

Are you a numbers person? Bookkeeping can be a great calling for people who love working with numbers and have the right analytical skills. A bookkeeper handles reports, and transactions, and prepares financial statements. Though some of the companies ask for qualifications and experience, this hustle can be started without any expertise.

Tools to start

Here is a free Bookkeeper Launch class to find out if you are ready to become a bookkeeper.

#17. Be fit

Love working out? Why not make it your money-earning hobby? If you are keen on keeping yourself fit and love sharing your knowledge with others, being a fitness trainer can be great for you. You can choose anything from Yoga to Plyometrics to teach and get paid for it.

If you are just after extra cash, then sign up for HealthyWage and get paid when you reach your weight loss goals. You can earn up to $10,000!

Tools to start

You have to get certified as a fitness trainerand start coaching.

#18. Writing

I am not a writer myself. But, I take help of tools like Grammarly to make my writing better. And, believe me, writing has become my passion now. I have many friends who like to write, and this can become a good side hustle for them. If you love writing, then consider looking for writing gigs in places like Babble, Great Content, Hire Writers.

But if you want to see if your hobby has a potential of making more money, then try starting your own freelance writing business. Holly earns six-figure income as a freelance writer and she shares her top tips in this course.

So, what are you waiting for, go ahead and give it a shot?

Tools to start

Invest in good courses if you want to advance in the freelance writing business.

#19. Flipping

Did you know that you can flip junk items for money? I often visit weekend markets or garage sales. If you do the same, then flipping is something you can consider to make money.

Flipping is an art of buying things for less and selling them for profit and this is a super profitable hobby. How much money can you make from it? Well, it depends on how much time you invest in it but on average you can earn around $1,000 to $2,000 a month. You can even earn more than a full-time income from this side job like Melissa and Rob. They have turned this hobby into a thriving business and now teach others to get started.

Learn more about how to flip items for profit in this interview.

Tools to start

Sign up for Rob and Melissa’s course to join the flipping revolution.

#20. Reading

Do you like reading? I do a lot. If your reading is your thing, then there are many ways to earn money doing what you love. You can become an audiobook narrator or voice actor. As a voice actor, you will be lending your voice to TV commercials, events, cartoons, etc. Though voice acting requires some experience in acting, there are companies like The Voice Realm and Voices123 that hire beginners.

If you have a keen eye for detail, then you are a perfect candidate for proofreading. Proofreading, in simple terms, is finding errors in written documents. Want to know more about this hustle? Here is a free webinar to find out if you are ready to become a proofreader from home.

Tools to start

Sign up for this webinar to know more about the proofreading business.

#21. Gardening

Do you have a green thumb? If yes, then you can start your gardening blog by sharing your plant advice and tips. You can also propagate your plants or sell your products in the market to earn money. Another great way to earn money with your gardening expertise is by becoming a plant/garden consultant. A plant consultant helps his/her clients to curate and plan their gardens or give advice on how to grow their plants.

Tools to start

Explore local markets to sell your product or market your services on social media platforms like Facebook.

#22. Social media

Being on social media has become a daily routine for everyone. In fact, there are over 3.78 billion social media users worldwide. If you love being on social media and want to make money, then learn how to become a Pinterest VA.

Pinterest is a creative platform where businesses and digital creator promote their businesses. As a Pinterest VA, you will be managing their Pinterest account.

Tools to start

Find out everything about being a Pinterest VA here.

#23. Surfing the web

Do you spend a lot of time browsing the web? It could be just finding something or just casual surfing. Searching the web is one of the hobbies through which you can make money. You can become a search engine evaluator with companies like Appen or Lionbridge. The work involves rating the search results according to criteria for user intention. This job does not require any prior experience.

If you are thinking of more easy and flexible gigs, then sign up for Swagbucks and InboxDollars where you earn money for searching the web.

You can even download apps like Nielsen Digital Voice Research Panel, which tracks your data and in turn, you earn a passive income of around $50/year.

Tools to start

Sign up for Swagbucks and InboxDollars to search and earn.

These are some of the hobbies that can make money. If you want to see some good money coming from your hobbies, then invest in yourself and get educated about the business side of the hobby. That will go a very long way in making your hobby a successful business.

FAQ about hobbies that make money

Can you really make money from hobbies?

You can surely make money from your hobbies. How much you earn depends on the hobby and the time you invest in it. There are some hobbies where you need to upgrade your skills to be successful.

How do you know if your hobby can make money?

Before you jump into making money with your hobby, do your research and validate your idea. There is a lot of information on the web about unique money-making gigs. If someone is making money from a related hobby, then you can too.

Be realistic about your money goals. If you are just starting, expect that you will not be seeing a lot of income from your hobby.

Always factor in the promoting and marketing part of your hobby. No matter how unique or in-demand your gig is, you will need to promote your hobby to reach your target clients.

How much money can you earn from hobbies?

It depends on the hobby you have and the time you invest in doing it. Some hobbies are just extra income earners while others earn over six figures.

Final thoughts

Earning a good income with your hobbies is possible if you find the ways to monetize them. I hope the above list gives you some ideas about how to earn money doing some fun things.

What hobbies do you have? Have you ever thought of making money from them?