Trending Side Hustles of 2025: What’s Booming Right Now

• Mobile car wash services are experiencing explosive growth, with a 276% increase in online search interest, making them the fastest-growing side hustle in America.

“This growth reflects a shift toward convenience-driven services, where customers prefer professionals to come to them rather than visiting a traditional car wash,” explains Edward Huang, a career expert at SideHustles. “For entrepreneurs, mobile car washing presents a low-barrier, high-demand opportunity with flexible hours and minimal overhead costs.”

• Freelancing and digital income streams are booming: Freelancing (+80%), selling digital products (+75%), and online tutoring (+54%) are among the fastest-growing side hustles based on online search interest.

Huang believes that “Freelancing, selling digital products, and online tutoring are seeing growth as more people look for flexible, location-independent income streams. The rise of online platforms has made it easier than ever to monetize skills. This trend underscores the growing appeal of income diversification and the ability to earn money on one’s own terms.”

• Americans’ interest in AI-powered side hustles increased by 28% over the past year.

“From AI-generated content and automated trading to chatbot development and AI-assisted design, people are leveraging artificial intelligence to create scalable income streams,” shared Huang. “This surge indicates an increasing confidence in AI’s ability to improve productivity and generate passive or semi-passive earnings.”

• Pet sitting is the fastest-growing side hustle in 10 states, accounting for roughly 22% of all trending searches.
• Home organization businesses have gained traction, ranking among the top side hustles in 8 states (~16%), such as Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Utah.
• Interest in YouTube monetization has grown significantly, ranking as the top side hustle in 6 states (~12%), including Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
• The e-commerce boom continues, with Etsy selling ranking as the most popular side hustle in 5 states (~10%), including Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Washington, and Wisconsin.
• High-paying gig economy side hustles, such as Uber and DoorDash, are among the most searched in 3 states (~6%), including Massachusetts, Nevada, and Texas.

• Delivery driving continues to dominate urban side hustles (28%): 7 major cities, including Detroit, El Paso, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville, and Oklahoma City, rank delivery driving as their top side hustle.
• Home organization business sees widespread growth (16%): Cities like Charlotte, Denver, Houston, and San Diego show a significant rise in these businesses.
• In the top 3 most populated US cities, digital entrepreneurship dominates side hustle trends—YouTube monetization is surging in New York and Chicago, while crypto trading leads in Los Angeles.

We analyzed Google search volume data from January 2022 to January 2025 to identify the fastest-growing side hustles in the United States; the growth percentages displayed reflect only the most recent year’s change (from 2023 to 2024). We examined search trends for 170 side hustle–related keywords across all 50 states and the 25 most populated cities. Only keywords showing a consistent upward trend over the 3-year period were considered. We also ranked the top trending side hustles in each state and city using a difference-from-the-mean calculation.

At SideHustles.com, we’re here to help you navigate the gig economy. Our advice is practical and based on real experiences from people who’ve been in your shoes. You can trust our guides to get you started on the right foot. We also provide fair ratings for gig apps, using unbiased, industry-specific rubrics.

Noncommercial sharing of these findings is allowed if you include a link to this article.