39 profitable hobbies that make money

Are you looking for a way to bring in extra income during these financially tough times? Why not make use of your spare time and pick up a profitable hobby? You don’t have to be a creative genius or marketing ace to bring in a sizeable income doing hobbies that make money. Whether you are tired of your 9 to 5 job or want to make extra cash, there are profitable hobbies you can start and get paid to do what you love.

In this article, you will discover 39 highly profitable hobbies that make money. Additionary, you will learn why certain hobbies can be so lucrative and ways to make your hobbies profitable and start getting paid.

If you are ready to learn about these profitable hobbies that make money, let’s get started.

You might also like: 13 steps to turn a hobby into a successful business

Table of Contents show

1. Photography

If you like taking pictures, photography will be one of the hobbies that make money for you. There are many ways you can earn money doing photography as a hobby. You can work as a contractor and take pictures for weddings, parties, and events.

If you don’t like working as a contractor, you can still take beautiful pictures and sell them to websites like Shutterstock, iStock, etc.

If you are interested in pursuing photography as one of your hobbies that make money, the following is a complete list of the best websites to sell photos online.

The median salary for a photographer is $50,459 per year in the United States, according to Glassdoor. You can see that there is money to be made in this photography industry. If you like being behind the camera, photography could make you a lot of money.

2. Start a blog

One of the greatest bobbies that make money is blogging. A lot of people think that blogging is a dead-end hobby. However, it is not the case for people who do it well. There are a ton of people who are making money blogging.

What makes blogging one of the most profitable hobbies that make money is your ability to diversify income streams from your blog. For example, you can make money blogging by running ads on your blog or selling your own products such as books, ebooks, and online courses. Additionary, you can sign up for affiliate programs and get paid to promote different companies products and services.

The options are endless for successful bloggers. If one person was able to do it, so can you. You must understand that it takes a long time to successfully build a profitable blog.

3. Hobbies that make money: Proofreading

Proofreading is one of the best hobbies that make money for those who like reading a lot. Yes, you can make money proofreading what others have written. Companies will hire you to proofread documents of all types and sizes such as books, business proposals, resumes, blog posts, etc.

Many businesses publish a huge amount of information online and their successes depend on the quality and grammatical correctness of their contents. That is why they hire proofreaders. If you like reading you can get started online. Websites like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, Scribbr, and Guru, can get you started.

Online profitable hobbies that make money pay differently based on your experience, number of hours worked, and pay rate. If you do proofreading as a side hustle, you should expect to make a decent income. According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for a freelance proofreader is $53,73 or $26/hour. If you are getting started, however, you might start low and increase your rates as you gain more experience and clients.

Find freelance proofreading jobs: 22 best websites to find freelance proofreading jobs in 2023

4. Gardening

Do you like being outside playing with dirt, planting seeds, and watching them grow? If so, gardening could make you money. Yes, gardening is one of the most profitable hobbies that make money. So, how can you make money as a gardener?

You can sell excess of your produces to local restaurants, fresh food markets, or supermarkets. Additionally, you can create your own online garden store and sell seeds and seedlings to prospective clients. You can also sell your fresh products to local customers on your website. The possibilities of making money from your garden are endless.

If you are already gardening as a hobby, all you have to do is to turn your hobby into a profitable side hustle and start getting paid. How much you make as a gardener will depend on the size of your garden and the number of customers you have.

5. Hobbies that make money: Pet walking

If you are an animal lover, pet walking will be a perfect hobby that makes money for you. What makes pet walking one of the best hobbies that make money is that there is no experience or higher education needed. All you need is a love for animals to start getting paid to walk pets.

So, if you are looking for hobbies that make money, consider pet walking. Pet walking is so effective that you can also do it in your spare time. For example, if you have a full-time job, you can walk pets after getting off. This will allow you to do some workouts, relax, and get paid at the same time.

To start pet walking as a profitable hobby that makes money, ask your family members and neighbors if you can walk their dogs and get paid. You can also search for pet walking jobs in your city or town online.

The following is a list of the best apps to find pet walking jobs online.

Rover
Fetch!
Holidog
Pawshake
Wag!
PetBacker
Come Sit, Stay, Dog Walking and Pet sitting
Swifto
Care
Petsitter

How much can you get paid to walk dogs? According to ZipRecruiter, you can make $32,143/year or $15/hour walking dogs. That is a lot of money. If you have a full-time job already, it may be difficult to make all of that money. However, every little bit helps.

6. Teaching

Do you like teaching and find pleasure in sharing your knowledge with others? If so, teaching could be a perfect side hustle and hobby that makes money for you. You don’t need a special degree to become a teacher. All you need is expertise in a particular subject.

Whether you want to teach an online class or conduct class sessions offline, teaching can be lucrative.

If you are a teacher already and want to have a teaching side hustle, create a class and sell it. You already have experience and the material to teach. The only thing you can do is figure out how to create that class and start earning money.

Some of the skills you need to create a class include the following:

Expertise in the subject
Basics of computer software such as MS Office
Communication skills
Time management
Ability to work independently

Once the class has been created, you can market it on social media such platforms as Facebook Groups, Instagram, and Pinterest. If you have a blog, you can also sell your class there to attract more clients and bring in more sales.

7. Hobbies that make money: Freelancing

Freelancing is one of the best hobbies that make money. As a freelancer, you will work with a lot of businesses on a diverse number of projects. For example, you can work as a copywriter, editor, narrator, or proofreader.

Any job you can do from home remotely will be perfect for freelancing. For example, if you like computers and have a background in programming, you can work as a freelance software engineer, web developer, or graphic designer. There is an endless supply of projects you can do as a freelancer.

You can also become a marketing agent for different businesses. For example, if you like traveling and have a lot of social media influence, you can advertise business content on your platforms. This will earn you a lot of money while doing less work.

ZipRecruiter reported that the average salary for a freelancer is $68,924/year. That is a lot of money. More money than most people make in an entire year. On top of this, you will be making this money while doing what you love. It does not get better than that.

8. Performance

Do you like to entertain people and do creative and amusing creations? If so, doing performances will be the best hobby to make money and supplement your income. People will listen to what you do and watch anything you can offer as long as you are able to put it together. For example, you can create a gymnastic show, a singing performance, etc. This will allow you to turn your passion for performance into a profitable side hustle.

9. Trade stocks and related securities

One of the most profitable hobbies that make money is trading stocks and related securities.

The term trading is used in investing world. Trading refers to buying stocks, currencies, and other tradable securities and selling them later for a profit. Individuals who perform this activity are known as traders. In the past, it was difficult for the average person to trade stocks. The process was complex and resources were not available. Things have changed for the better due to the rise of the internet.

Today, you can trade stocks and currencies from the comfort of your couch. You just need to create a brokerage account, educate yourself on how markets work, practice, fund your account, and start trading.

If you want to learn how to create a brokerage account and how to start investing in the stock market, use the following resources.

10. Get paid to play video games

Is playing video games your favorite hobby? If so, you can make money while playing video games. One of many ways to make money playing video games is to create your own content, live-stream your games, contribute to competitions, work as a video game tester, etc.

The following are apps and websites where you can get paid to play video games.

11. Consider ridesharing driving

Some people think that driving is not fun, and therefore, should be avoided. If you like to stay behind the wheel, you can easily get paid to drive your car. For example, you can register with ridesharing companies such as Uber, Lyft, and many more. After registering, you will then start making money right away.

According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a rideshare driver is $44,263/year. This is a lot of money especially if you are doing it as a hobby.

12. Comedy/being funny

Are you funny or consider yourself to be funny? Start making money by bringing laughter to the faces of your clients. Yes, you can make money as a comedian. You will probably start in your area in bars, and restaurants, and build yourself up.

Doing comedy is one of the best hobbies that make money since you do not have to do a lot of homework or start with a lot of capital. If it is natural for you to make people laugh, start charging them for that laughter.

13. Painting

Are you creative with your hands and like painting? You can make a lot of paints and sell them in your local store or online. Millions of people are looking for unique pieces of art to spend money on.

So, if you like painting, consider selling your paints to interested customers. As long as you have good quality paints and market them properly, you will have customers. You never know what works until you try.

Some of the websites to sell your art and paints are Etsy, Amazon, Shopify, and Fine Art America. You can also look into TurningArt, Society6, and Saatchi Art.

14. Hobbies that make money: Tattooing

Just like painting, you can make a lot of money tattooing people. If you are good with your hands and like to create art on people’s bodies, then this will be a great hobby that will make you money. According to ZipRecruiter, the national average salary for a tattoo artist is $136,565/year. You can see that there is good money to be made in this industry. Even if you are doing it part-time. You can still make enough money making tattoos as a hobby.

There are many people out there who want their tattoos done. As a tattoo artist, you can either open your own shop or get employed by tattoo companies. The money will start pouring in.

15. Programming

Programming is one of the best hobbies that make money you can think of. As a programmer, you can become a freelancer programmer, work as a software engineer, web developer, data analyst, become an IT expert, etc. The possibilities are endless when it comes to programming.

According to Payscale, the average base salary for a programmer is $68,261/year. To become a successful programmer, you must know quite a few programming languages such as C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, etc. All these languages will help you provide exceptional contributions in your area of interest and bring in more money as a result.

16. Private instructor

If you have a specific area of expertise, consider becoming a private instructor. With this job, you will have a variety of students or clients and cover specific areas of their programs. This hobby will allow you to set your own terms, prices, and schedules.

17. Get paid to walk

When it comes to hobbies that make money, most people ignore the basics. But, there are surprising ways to get paid doing things you never thought you could make money doing.

One of the surprising ways to make money is to get paid to walk.

Did you know that there are a ton of people who need walking companions? Yes, you can make money walking with people. If you like walking as a hobby, why not get paid to do it?

Besides, there are companies that pay people to walk. Due to a large number of diabetes cases and other weight-related illnesses, some companies pay their employees to walk. Check whether your company has such a program and register right away. There are also apps that pay you to walk.

The following is a list of apps that will pay you to walk.

18. Become a handyman

Do you like fixing electrical cables, plumbing systems, woodworking, remodeling, and carpentry? If so, you can get a license and start your own side business where you fix things for people in your area and get paid. This is probably one of the best hobbies that make money for those who like fixing things and DYIng everything.

According to Payscale, a handyman makes $24.69 per hour on average. So, depending on your experience, industry, and availability, you could make good money from doing handy work as a hobby.

19. Become a babysitter/nanny

Do you like taking care of little ones? Babysitting is an active activity but also fun for those who like spending time with babies.

There are many companies that will pay you to babysit. These companies have different rates depending on the location and experiences. According to Indeed, the average salary for a babysitter in the United States is $20.78/hour. This is great money given the fact that you will be doing it as a hobby.

What makes babysitting one of the best profitable hobbies to make money is that you can create your own schedule based on your availability.

If you don’t like working in a company, consider being a private babysitter. As a private babysitter, you will work with a few clients at a time. For example, a person can call you to go to their place to babysit their children. This works well for people who know each other such as family members or those who are honest with proven experiences and certifications with no criminal records.

The following are apps and websites to find babysitting jobs in your area.

20. Hobbies that make money: Website surfing

If you like spending a lot of time surfing the web, you can make money as a web surfer. There are companies that will pay you to navigate their websites and give them reports on the designs and performances of their websites. Some companies also want to know how their competitors are doing. This means that you can get paid to analyze companies’ competitors and provide reports.

For those who like to do research, web surfing is a great skill to have and a money-making hobby. With this hobby, you will spend a lot of time in front of a computer and probably sitting down or standing.

21. Music/dancing

Are you a great singer or dancer? If so, you can turn your love for music and dancing into a hobby that makes money. Since you will not be a professional singer, the best area for you to have successful performances are nightclubs, events, etc. You can sign up with restaurants, clubs, and events to get started either as a contractor or as an employee.

Another way to get paid to sing as a hobby is by opening a YouTube channel and starting from there. As you get exposed to a larger audience, you will gain subscribers and have a large influence. This will allow you to monetize your channel by running Google Ads, affiliate programs, promotions, partnerships, etc.

22. Become a tour guide

Being a tour guide is one of the best hobbies that make money. You see, traveling is a dream for a lot of people. The problem is that most people do not know where to visit or what to do when they get there. They spend their entire lives working for jobs they hate and get a few weeks out of an entire year for a vacation. For their vacations, they pick locations they know nothing about simply because someone said it is good.

This is where you will come in. Working as a tour guide agent will allow you to make money while giving advice to many confused travelers. If you like traveling or talking to random people, you can make good money with this hobby. As a tour guide, you will walk people from one place to another and tell them all about those places. You can either specialize in one city or state.

23. Traveling agent

Just like being a tour guide, you must love traveling or meeting new people in order to become a travel agent. With this position, you will be able to respond to customers’ inquiries, help them book their tickets, make reservations, and much more. What makes traveling agents one of the best hobbies that make money is the diversity of people you get to meet and the difference you make in their lives.

As an agent, you will work under a company where you will be paid as an employee. You can also start your own website and provide services to your own clients. As noted by Indeed, travel agents make $22.29/hour but can earn as high as $35.65 /hour. Experienced agents make much more and their salaries vary by state and companies they work for.

24. Hobbies that make money: Sewing

Sewing is one of the greatest hobbies that make money. People who practice this hobby work with clients of all kinds. Most people stick to their family members or clients from their local areas. So, if you like sewing consider scaling your business up.

A great way to do this business on a large scale is to have a simple website or office where clients can call and make appointments. This way you will be able to take projects based on your availability. Sewing is also a great hobby for retired people who no longer have to report to some random bosses.

25. Djing

Music is one of the greatest hobbies that make money and bring people together. With this hobby, you will work in nightclubs and special events. If you don’t mind being an employee, you can also get hired by a company as a Dj.

Most people choose to be private DJs and take contracts for special events such as weddings, meetings, parties, etc. Regardless of how you choose to work as a DJ, you might find that doing this kind of work is one of the best profitable hobbies and an adventure at the same time.

26. Hobbies that make money: Yoga

Yoga can make you money if you approach it the right way. As a yoga instructor, you can help people who want to walk away from their stressful work, relationships, issues around them, etc. What makes young one of the best hobbies that make money is that you will be making a difference in someone’s life while improving your own health and getting paid at the same time.

Yoga relaxes muscles, reduces stress, increases performance, etc. If you like yoga, you can find clients who are in need of these benefits. One way to succeed at teaching yoga as a side hustle is to start your own yoga class or partner with your local gyms.

27. Hobbies that make money: Designing

Designing is one of the best hobbies that make money. Do you have a strong imagination and like to design new things? If so, you should look into designing as a hobby and get paid at the same time. Designing is one of those areas that never run out of clients. Whether it is web designing, graphic design, crafting, etc., you can always find a way to make money doing what you love.

As noted by Careerexploer, designers make between $31K-$98K per year with $50k being the median salary. If you are starting out without proven experience, you will more likely get paid a base salary and increase gradually. However, if you are very creative and have a strong imagination, this could be your next gold mine.

29. Antique collection

Really old stuff costs a lot of money. This is because the supply of such stuff is very limited and sometimes none. So, people pay a fortune to own what is left. If you like to collect antique stuff, find a way you can make money doing it. For example, you can open a small shop to sell your antique collections.

An online shop could be a good idea since you don’t have to be there physically. You can also sell your collection to other antique stores instead of having your own store.

30. Restore cars

Restoring cars is one of the best hobbies that make money. You need to have a passion for it though. On top of that, you need a great imagination and an understanding of how cars work.

There are many customers who like to restore their cars instead of buying new ones. Also, there are those who like to buy really old cars and pay a big back to recreate their original styles. You can see that the market for restoring cars is huge and the money to be made from this hobby could be a lot.

If you like this hobby, start a car restoring business on the side and start with a few clients.

31. Playing/coaching sports

Are you good with sports? If so, you can earn money playing or coaching sports. For example, if you are good at soccer, you can join a soccer club where you play and win prizes. You can also become a coach if you don’t want to play. This hobby can make you good money assuming that you are in the right location.

32. Public speaking

If you enjoy public speaking, you can turn this hobby into a great source of income. There are many companies that are looking for public speakers, presenters, and sometimes motivators.

According to Salary.com, the median salary for a public speaker is $94k per year. With your talents and motivation, you can earn good money as a public speaker. What puts public speaking on top of the list of hobbies that make money is that it comes from your natural talents. This requires less homework and research.

33. Hobbies that make money: Shopping

Did you know that there are companies that will pay you to shop? If you like shopping and trying new products, consider looking into this option. You can either get paid to shop or get paid to help customers find what they want.

Due to high competition in the retail industry, companies have started hiring employees who shop on the behalf of their clients, walk around inside the store for inspections, etc. This could be a great option for you if you like shopping.

34. Tutoring

Are you an expert in a particular subject? You can start making money by tutoring students. For example, people who are good with mathematics can become Math tutors. With this hobby, you can create your own class or register to work with tutoring companies. Either way, you will make money.

According to Salary, you can expect to make around $20/hour as a tutor. This will be a great side income and will require you less work as long as you have expertise in your area.

The following are the best websites to find online tutoring jobs.

35. Caregiver

Do you have a big heart and care much about people especially elderly? If so, you can become a caregiver. Caregiving side hustles and bobbies are great for those who love taking care of people. This hobby pays well considering the tasks you will be performing.

According to Payscale, caregivers make around $13/hour on average. This is good money given the fact that you will be doing it as a hobby.

36. Write a book/ebooks

Writing eBooks is one of the best hobbies that make money. If you like writing, consider putting eBooks together and start making quick money from your readers and followers. There are many places you can sell your eBooks. For example, you can sell them on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc., or on your own website.

37. Create courses

Just like creating eBooks, you can create online courses. Instead of writing an entire book, you can create a course. With an online course, you will attract a wide range of clients from around the world. You can either have a live course or a prerecorded course. You will spend a lot of time creating the course. However, the hard job will be over after creating the course.

38. Get paid to do makeups as a hobby

If you like doing makeup, consider monetizing your efforts, skills, and time. There are a lot of people who want to know how the right way to do makeups. You can teach people by creating YouTube videos, do it on other social media, or on your own website.

39. Modeling

Modeling is fun for people who like attention. Companies are always looking for people who can model for their products, especially in the clothing industry. Look in your area and see if modeling companies are hiring.

This side hustle can earn you money, help you get rid of stress from your job, and have fun at the same time. It does not get better than this.