23 Best Side Hustles for Women in 2024

Becoming a freelancer is a great way for women to take charge of their earnings and break through the glass ceiling once and for all. The best thing about this option is that it gives you absolute control over your work. You can set and negotiate your pay based on your skill level and capabilities.

We spoke to Jennifer Della’Zanna, a freelancer with around 20 years of experience, who told us a bit about what helped her find success. She says the key is “always being open to learning and improving.”

However, she warns that it’s not always fun. “To make any significant money in writing, you really do have to write about things you don’t necessarily really want to write about,” she said. Many people have an idealistic picture of what freelancing entails, but not every assignment will be interesting to you, especially in the beginning when you’re still getting established.

Virtual assistant work is another gig you can do using freelance job sites like Upwork. You can even start your own virtual assistant business.

One of the biggest appeals to becoming a virtual assistant is that you’ll be able to do all your work online from home. This is a big plus if you’re a stay-at-home mom or one of the many women out there who hates the idea of commuting to an office.

A virtual assistant can have a wide range of duties, sometimes including roles like data entry or research services. In these cases, you can command even higher rates.

Image editing is near the top of the list of side hustles where women earn more than men. But it’s yet another field that’s rich in freelance opportunities, meaning lots of freedom to set your own rates and schedule.

To succeed as an image editor, you’ll need strong technical skills, a good eye for detail, and experience using photo editing software. As long as you have the right skills and equipment, it’s a job you can do from home or just about anywhere.

It’s possible to run a business from your own house—and if you have kids to watch, doing so might be a necessity. One good option is an event planning side hustle.

This can be a stressful field, but if you’re organized and work well under pressure, it’s also one with very high earning potential. You can coordinate events as diverse as birthday parties, fundraisers, weddings, and bar and bat mitzvahs—and put away hundreds or thousands of dollars per event.

Creative women can thrive as interior designers. There are plenty of directions you can take an interior design business, from residential interior design to designing the layouts of offices, stores, and other businesses.

To get started in this space, take some pictures of your own home to show to clients. It can also help to get in touch with your friends and see if any of them are ready for a change in their living space—every home you revamp is a new portfolio piece.

This one is for the animal lovers out there. You can earn a surprising amount of money by becoming a pet sitter and taking care of people’s furry friends when they’re out of town.

As an independent pet sitter, you can find gigs through a pet sitting app or get your own pet care business up and running using local advertising strategies. You also have a choice between pet sitting in someone else’s home or offering pet boarding services in your own home.

If you’re especially active and want to fit your exercise routine into your work, consider also doubling as a dog walker.

Much like the case with photo editing, video editing is one of the best creative side hustles for women where they tend to earn more than men, and it offers all the benefits that come with freelance work. If you already have your own video channel on YouTube or social media, then you may already have some of the required skills.

At minimum, you’ll need to be comfortable using video editing software and have a knack for visual storytelling. You’ll also need solid audio editing skills and a good understanding of different video file formats.

Having a portfolio of videos you’ve edited will help you find work. Once you’re ready to take on your first assignment, you can advertise your services on freelance marketplaces.

If you’re a skilled makeup artist, consider starting a makeup artist side hustle. More than a few women will be interested in having you do their makeup before big events, such as weddings, proms, or even job interviews.

This has a natural synergy with many photography side hustles; many portrait photographers offer makeup and even hair services for an added fee.

If you’re crafty or you have an eye for a particular type of product, such as furniture, you can make a lot of money scouting thrift stores for hidden gems, refurbishing them, and selling them for a profit.

One direction you can take your reselling business is tapping into niches and markets centered around women’s products. Good examples include women’s shoes, clothing, or designer products. These items can have high profit margins.

This is one of the best business ideas for women who love children. Running a home-based daycare can be surprisingly lucrative and has very low operating costs. Just make sure to get the proper licensure and insurance beforehand (check your local laws to find out what you need).

Women tend to earn more than men as social media strategists. But if that’s not enough to convince you that social media management is a great side hustle for women, research shows that women are far more active on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest. 2

For businesses hoping to reach female audiences, employing a female social media strategist is an obvious choice. If you already spend lots of time on social media and have a large following, then you may as well profit from those skills you already have.

Tutoring is the number one side hustle we found where women earn more than men. It’s an incredibly versatile gig since there are so many different subjects you could teach.

If you’re a native English speaker, you’re already qualified to teach English to ESL learners. Alternatively, you can also teach music, art, math, or any subject you have expertise in.

As a tutor, you can teach one-on-one lessons in person or online, and you have the choice to use a tutoring app or run your own business. You’ll also have full control over your schedule, and you can set your own rates.

Believe it or not, if you’re a fan of shopping, you can actually get paid to do it. If you become a mystery shopper, you’ll evaluate retailers and other businesses that serve customers and provide feedback on how they’re doing. There are dozens of websites that you can use to find mystery shopping jobs.

If you’re looking for a low-commitment side hustle with a quick startup time, consider using a job app to pick up on-demand shifts. These are a great option if you’re a woman working a full-time job and you want to earn a bit of extra income in the evenings or on the weekends.

A lot of the options you’ll find are in the service industry—think bartending, waitressing, or retail. However, you can also find a variety of other in-person gigs.

Bouncing from gig to gig like this can be both stressful and exciting, so this side hustle is best for high-energy and adaptable women. These gig apps also usually charge fees or take a cut of your profits, so while they can be a great supplement to your regular income, they’re usually not the best choice for full-time work.

These days, it’s easier than ever to start a blog and earn money from it. The catch is that to earn a significant amount of money, you’ll need to be quite popular. It will take time to build up an audience, especially in a competitive space like blogging.

Countless women have turned to blogging to make money. This is a particularly appealing option for stay-at-home moms. It’s an easy, flexible, and low-commitment way to make extra money from the comfort of your home.

Similar to writing a blog, starting your own podcast can be a good way to make money. Your podcast can be tailored to female listeners, but it doesn’t have to be, although picking a target audience of some type will help you make more money.

Here are a few ways that Spotify allows you to monetize a podcast:

• Running automated ads
• Sponsoring products
• Running affiliate ads
• Asking for donations
• Selling subscriptions
• Selling merchandise

The main drawback to podcasting comes in the form of your startup costs. You’ll need recording and audio editing equipment (and the skills to use them) to create a professional-sounding podcast that can actually earn you money.

Vlogging on platforms like YouTube can earn you money through ads and affiliate marketing if you can attract a lot of viewers. Bear in mind that this is still a primarily male-dominated sector, but it’s possible to break in. 5

There’s a much heavier emphasis on appearance in vlogging than podcasting or blogging. If you have an interest in beauty, fashion, makeup, or fitness, or you want to profit off of your good looks, then starting a YouTube channel may be worth considering.

Creating certain types of content can be risky

There’s an uncomfortable truth when it comes to video content: These days, one of the areas with the highest earning potential is online sex work on platforms like OnlyFans.

This type of work is still controversial. Some people consider it harmless or even empowering, while others find it exploitative. If you’re considering getting into this space, be careful and do your homework. Don’t take the plunge unless you’re 100% sure you’re comfortable with it.

Starting an artistic side hustle can be a fulfilling way to make extra money, and it’ll allow you to strengthen your skills in your medium of choice.

Different types of art require different materials. You may also need studio space. But if you’ve got the time and the skills to create art, then selling your work could be the ideal side hustle.

Here are a few examples of types of artwork you can sell:

• Paintings
• Drawings
• Photography
• Sculptures
• Digital art
• Pottery

To solidify your reputation and increase the number of potential buyers who see your work, it’s a good idea to create your own website or social media account to display your art. As mentioned, you can do this in tandem with a blogging side hustle.

You can also use these online platforms to sell your work, or you can go the more traditional route of selling your pieces at local galleries, art fairs, or markets.

Making your own products to sell is a great side hustle you can do from home, and it’s a popular option among women. Etsy, a major online platform for selling handcrafted products, claims that a whopping 79% of their sellers are women. 6

Below are examples of popular products in this female-dominated marketplace:

• Candles and diffusers
• Soaps and lotions
• Jewelry and accessories
• Personalized gift items (e.g., phone cases, mugs, or T-shirts)
• Clothing and shoes
• Party supplies
• Rugs and mats
• Toys and games
• Knitted or crocheted clothing or blankets
• Craft supplies
• Homeware

Of course, the key to getting sales with handcrafted products is standing out from the crowd, so feel free to deviate from this list and let your imagination run wild. Just be sure to pick something that’s useful or that would make a good gift since these are features that attract buyers.

In addition to Etsy, you can sell your homemade crafts through other shopping platforms (like Amazon Handmade) or your own website, or you can set up a booth at a craft fair, flea market, or local farmers’ market.

If you’ve got a knack for cooking or baking, then why not use that to make money? This way, you’ll be able to make a few extra bucks while also bringing joy to others.

Many women use social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to sell homemade food products because of how easy it is to get visibility and reach potential customers. When you’re just starting out, you’ll be way more likely to have success selling to people who you already know (or who are at least in your network).

The best part of using social media is that it’s easier for your friends to share info about your products with people they know, which is an effective way to rapidly expand your customer base.

If you’re a busy woman, it can be tough to find the time and energy to take on some of the more lucrative side hustles on this list.

Thankfully, if you have at least 5 minutes to spare between tasks, then you have time to make quick cash by taking paid online surveys. There are countless survey websites to choose from, and the more you sign up for, the more opportunities you’ll have to earn.

To get started, check out these popular survey sites:

• Survey Junkie
• Swagbucks
• LifePoints
• OneOpinion
• Branded Surveys

This is a common side hustle for people who already have full-time jobs since it doesn’t involve much of a time commitment. Try taking a survey over your morning coffee or on your lunch break.

Be aware that this isn’t exactly a reliable “get rich quick” plan. With Swagbucks, for instance, you can realistically expect to make a few extra dollars per day or around $25 per week. That isn’t much, but it also isn’t nothing.

Some sites pay you via PayPal, whereas others give you vouchers or gift cards.

Believe it or not, there are websites and mobile apps that will actually pay you to play games on your computer or phone. This is arguably the easiest way to earn money as a woman, and it’s probably the most fun.

If gaming sounds like a good side hustle for you, check out these companies:

• Swagbucks (this site features games as well as surveys)
• Mistplay
• InboxDollars
• Skillz

Depending on the platform, you may need to clock in a fair bit of game time to actually make money. Nevertheless, it’s a convenient and fun way to earn extra cash, whether you’re a hardcore gamer chick or a working woman looking to blow off a little steam.

The digital world is an ever-evolving place, and companies need users like you to help them test new features on their websites and apps.

Some of them will pay decent money for your time and feedback. Basically, you’ll try out websites or software and answer questionnaires or upload videos of your experiences.

All of these companies will pay you to test websites, apps, and software:

• UserTesting
• Userfeel
• Userlytics
• Ferpection
• UserPeek
• Beta Family
• Enroll
• uTest
• Trymata

Don’t be afraid to experiment

As you’ve seen, there are a lot of choices when it comes to side hustles for women. If you’re having trouble picking, there’s no law that says you have to choose just one. Especially when it comes to low-commitment options like freelancing and gig work, you can try out a few and stick with your favorites.

Whatever you choose, as long as you do your research so you know the common pitfalls to avoid and be prepared to work hard, you’re sure to find success.