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What is the gig economy?
A gig economy is an economy or market in which independent contractors or freelancers, predominately occupy temporary or part-time job positions as opposed to a full-time, permanent office job.
The gig economy is based on flexible, contract, or freelance work, and frequently involves establishing online connections with clients or customers.
For gig economy workers, there is no job security or other remuneration enjoyed by permanent workers; they have good flexibility and are very independent, however, any companies choose not to pay for benefits like health insurance and other benefits in order to save money.
The demand for gig economy jobs in most gig economy jobs websites are rising as a result of their flexibility for both the employee and the employer or company, which helps to increase adaptability and lower labor costs.
To augment or replace the income from full-time jobs, independent contractors work in the gig economy. Gig workers are flexible and can work for as many companies as they want, as opposed to performing a regular job in an office.
Does the Gig Economy Make Sense?
It is worthwhile to those who operate in the gig economy. According to some studies, 79% of people who work in the gig economy are happier than when they had traditional jobs. In fact the aftermath of covid 19 shows that about 70% of people now works remotely against the prior 32%.
Examples of Jobs in the Gig Economy
Almost every industry you can imagine has gig economy jobs. Some of the most typical gig economy employment categories are listed below:
Delivering and driving: in these gig economy job, employees use a car or bicycle to deliver people, food, and various other items.
Manual labor: If you are physically fit, enjoy cleaning, or are generally handy, you may be able to find work performing these tasks for pay.
Specialized work: Are you a plumber, millwright, carpenter, or any skilled worker? You can work in the gig economy for clients who require certain abilities.
Renting out your house, car, boat, etc. on demand can help you make extra cash.
If you are talented in marketing, writing, bookkeeping, or other business-related activities, you can find freelance work to supplement your income.
Benefits of gig economy jobs
The gig economy has several benefits, including:
- Compared to working for a firm, you are more independent.
- You can choose your own rates and be compensated for the hours you put in.
- The freedom to choose your own hours and schedule of work.
- You can work on a range of projects for a number of different clients.
Drawbacks of gig economy jobs
The drawbacks of gig economy job include the following:
- Taxes are your responsibility to pay because they won’t be taken out of your paycheck.
- Insurance benefits and other remunerations are not provided to you.
- You get to make extra income only when you work. (for most gig economy jobs)
15 Top Gig Economy Jobs To Make Extra Income
1. Graphics Design
Freelance graphic design allows you to set your own hours, making it a particularly flexible gig economy job to make extra income in 2023. You can design logos, clothing, websites, and more by selecting from a wide range of expertise and chances.
How to Start: You can search on specialized websites like 99Designs or DesignCrowd or use freelance platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, Guru etc. to locate freelance graphic design jobs.
On those websites, there are several options for people with all levels of experience, from novice to expert. You need basic to intermediate design abilities, knowledge of important software and tools, and a portfolio to present to prospective clients if you want to become a graphic designer.
How much can I make in graphic designing? Depending on your degree of experience, you can earn different amounts as a graphic designer. The majority of independent graphic designers makes about $20 – $50 per hour according to ziprecruiter.
2. Bookkeeper
For those that are skilled at it, bookkeeping is a very adaptable side gig economy job to make money online. There will always be a demand for bookkeepers because every business will require one at some point.
How to start: you can find Small, medium, and big clients independently (via LinkedIn, and Facebook groups) or through freelance websites like Upwork or Fiverr. You will be saddled with the task of maintaining the financial transactions of a business or brand, keeping them current, and checking the correctness of financial records as a bookkeeper
How much can I make as a bookkeeper: you can make as much as $18.85 per hour according to pay scale.
3. Affiliate Promotion
Many businesses require the service of affiliate marketers to help promote their business through their expertise and that’s where you come in. This makes this gig economy job a good way to earn extra money in 2023.
If you have a blog or a respectable following on social media, affiliate marketing is a fantastic method to generate passive money.
Affiliate marketing is when you get paid for promoting a business’s goods or services, frequently through a click-through link. You receive a cut of the sale if the buyer clicks the link and buys something.
How to start: you can find affiliate marketing jobs at places like Clickbank, shareasale, Partnerstack, Jvzoo etc. All you have to do is post the link once on your blog or social media, then sit back and watch the money roll in. Although it may take some time, if you have a sizable audience, this might be a fantastic way to make some passive extra income. .
How much can I make in affiliate marketing? There’s is no metric to measure how much your can make in affiliate marketing, what you will make is a function of the niche, product and your promotional tactics. Meanwhile, authority hackers claims that Beginners can make $0 to $1000/pm, intermediate $1000 to $10,000 per month, while the pro makes from $10,000 upward monthly.
4. Proofreading
One of the most flexible and simple gig economy job is proofreading if you speak English fluently and have excellent grammar and language abilities.
A proofreader ensures that written information, including articles, blog posts, website content, and more, is free of grammar mistakes, including spelling, formatting, and syntax. In other words, they make the original text better and ensure that it reads like it was written by a native English speaker.
How to start proofreading: you can find proofreading gigs on freelance marketplaces like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr.
How much do proofreaders makes? Depending on expertise, freelance proofreaders might earn as much as $25 to $50 per hour.
5. Car Renting
If you own a car that you don’t use frequently, you might want to think about renting it out to earn some additional money. You may earn some extra money from your car while it’s not in use by renting it out on Turo, a peer-to-peer online automobile rental service.
How to start: Go to Turbo.com or any other relevant website, register, decide the daily rate and the rules for whoever will hire your automobile when you list it. Within three days of each journey, 70% of the trip’s cost is paid to you when the automobile is returned. You must make sure your vehicle complies with the rules before listing it on Turo or equivalent apps.
How much can I make on Turo: The car you list, how frequently it’s rented, and where you reside will all affect how much money you make. But the majority of hosts earn an extra $500 to $1000 each month.
6. Web Development
One of the most sought-after gig economy job is for web developers. This sector has enormous potential, and if you excel at what you do, there will be no shortage of employment opportunities.
You construct and keep websites as a web developer. You should be familiar with the fundamentals of web development, including virtual design, search engine optimization, and coding in languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
A bachelor or associate’s degree may be required for some web development professions, but most employers do not. To acquire all the abilities you’ll need, you can enroll in online classes.
How to start: You need to have a portfolio to show prospective clients if you want to work as a web developer. You can use services like LinkedIn or Indeed to search for remote job opportunities, or you can use freelance marketplaces to find freelance web development work.
How much do web developers make? The average yearly salary for independent web developers in Canada is $64,000. The amount you can make once you’re established is nearly beyond bounds.
7. Online Tutor
This is yet another gig economy jobs to earn extra income in 2023. You can work as an online tutor if you are an expert in Math, English, Science, or any other subject. Online tutoring is gaining popularity because it allows you to reach a much larger audience these days, thanks to covid 19.
The most common subject for tutoring is English, but you can work with kids on just about any subject.
How to start: There are various tutoring websites, including Canada Online Tutoring, Superprof, and Chegg. Some call for certification or prior teaching experience, while others don’t.
You can either hold your own tutoring sessions or search for online tutoring jobs on gig economy platforms, like Upwork and Indeed.
How much do online tutors make? The subject, level of experience, coupled with a number of other factors, online tutors typically earn between $11 and $20 per hour
8. Freelance Writing
If you enjoy writing and you’re excellent at it, freelancing can be a fantastic side job that can progress to a full-time passive income business empire.
You provide written content for a variety of clients as a freelance writer, or you have one main client who consistently hires you.
Either you write as a generalist in a variety of markets or as a specialist in a single field. Expert writers typically have more opportunities for employment and make more money.
How to Start freelance writing: You may either contact the people you wish to work for directly, or search for job on writers job boards like, problogger, iwriter, solid gigs etc., or search for gig economy writing jobs on market places like Upwork and Fiverr.
How Much do freelance writers make? Freelance writers can determine their own fees based on experience and make an average of $22 per hour.
9. Transcriptionist
As a transcriptionists, You listen to audio files and type the words exactly as they are spoken into papers as a transcriptionist. You must type quickly and pay close attention to detail.
Hence, if you are a great typist and listener, you might want to explore working as a transcriptionists. A computer, an internet connection, and attention to detail are all you need.
Since most transcription work is done online and you may work from home, this is a flexible extra income gig job.
How to start: you can locate transcription jobs on platforms like Scribie, gotranscript, transcribeme, Rev etc. or you look up to Upwork or Fiverr.
How much do transcriptionists make: Beginners can expect to make between $3 and $11 per hour, while seasoned transcribers can expect to make over $20 per hour. In the end, it comes down to how much you get paid every audio minute and how long it takes you to transcribe it.
10. DoorDash Agent
DoorDash is a wonderful gig economy website to explore if you have a car and some spare time.
You accept food delivery orders made nearby as a DoorDash delivery driver, drive to the restaurant to pick up the order, and then deliver it to the customer.
You must be at least 18 years old, have a smartphone, own a car, and have your license and at least one year of driving experience in order to register
How to Start: visit doordash.com, sign up and fill your profile and location. You will be notified when an order is received, and the delivery information will show up in your app. To decide whether to accept the order, you have 45 seconds.
How much can I make on doordash? You can work for as many hours as you deemed fit. Each delivery pays between $2 and $10 plus tips.
11. Digital Marketing
As more companies need to sell their products and services, digital marketing is becoming one of the most lucrative side hustle gig economy jobs.
You sell or promote your clients business as a digital marketer by using various online channels including email, social media, and search engine marketing.
You can engage in a variety of marketing activities, such as creating ads, writing website copy, or producing content that will promote the brand.
How to Start digital marketing: Being a digital marketer isn’t all that difficult. All you have to do is acquire the necessary education and expertise, and fortunately, there are many online resources and courses available to help you do so.
To find this gig economy job, you can visit Upwork and Freelancer or build your own website and contact clients directly
How much do digital marketers make? According to reliable soft.net, The average salary of digital marketers is between $40,000 and $97,000 per year.
12. Photography Job
Being a freelance photographer is a good way to supplement your income in gig economy if you enjoy shooting pictures and have an eye for detail. You can work according to your own schedule and take the photos you desire.
How to start photography job: Offering sessions to family, friends, and nearby businesses is a good place to start. After a few sessions, put together a portfolio, and then start contacting potential clients
How much do photographers make?: Although you choose your own rate for each customer, freelance photographers often earn $20 per hour.
13. Airbnb host
Airbnb host is also a good gig economy job to earn some extra cash, that’s if you own a housing property that you don’t live in, have a spare room, or are planning a long vacation. You receive payment for renting out your space to travelers looking for lodging nearby.
How to start: Create an Airbnb account, then you’ll have to provide information like the location, the number of rooms, pictures, and other information. As well as setting the pricing and check-in information, After approval, you can proceed!
14. Virtual Assistance.
Virtual assistants frequently work for themselves and provide clients with remote administrative support. A virtual assistant might make calls, plan meetings and appointments, handle email and social media accounts, and file paperwork on a typical day.
As more people and businesses want to outsource work to independent contractors that they may not necessarily want to do, there has been an increase in the demand for virtual assistants in recent years
How to start: To work as a virtual assistant, you don’t need any official degree or training. If you’ve ever scheduled appointments, answered the phone, or planned a trip, you have the necessary abilities.
Virtual Assistant gig can be found on job marketplaces like Indeed as well as freelance websites like Upwork.
How much do VAs make? On average, virtual assistants make $20 per hour.
15. Online surv
Oe of the most common side jobs is online surveys. Even though it not really lucrative, virtually anyone can do it because it is so accessible.
How to Start: You can complete several surveys on a variety of topics whenever you have free time on websites like Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, and Daily Rewards Canada. You don’t need any special abilities or knowledge to take surveys.
How much you can make on surveys: You can make between 50 cents and $10 every survey, depending on the website, and they last between 10 and 30 minutes each.
You won’t actually be making enough from answering surveys because it’s not a particularly lucrative side hustle. However, it’s worthwhile to try out if you have some additional time.
Concluding Thought
The above listed jobs are not the only legitimate gig economy jobs to earn extra income online, there are several others which you can you can research, however, the above listed jobs are some of the best paying gig jobs you can ever find out there.
You can try as many jobs as possible in other to make more money. You can as well make these gig economy jobs a source of extra income in addition to your current paying job. Of course, they can also serve as a full time job. Affiliate marketers, full-time bloggers, freelance writing etc. Are examples of full time gig economy jobs with which people makes six figures on monthly basis.
Gig Economy Jobs FAQ
Who is a gig economy worker?
A gig economy worker is an independent contractor or a freelancer, who works independently, part-time or full-time for various businesses.
Where can I found gig economy jobs?
There are several platforms where you can find gig economy jobs, however, for the most part, websites like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, Truelancer, Guru etc. Are freelance platforms where you can find all kind of gig economy jobs? However, to find a specific gig website, you might want to do a little research. For instance, Problogger.com is a specific job board for freelance writers, just as 99design is a gig website for graphic designers etc.
How do you get paid in gig Economy?
You can get your payment in varieties of ways, be it PayPal, gift cards, Payoneer, direct bank transfer etc. Meanwhile, it most times depends on the gig economy job platform you are using, while some may accept PayPal or direct bank deposit, others may not.
Is it possible to support yourself as a gig economy worker?
Indeed, a lot of gig workers support themselves. Many gig workers earn more than the minimum wage, and some even make six figures a year, making the gig economy a great alternative to the 9 to 5 lifestyle.
What are the things needed to start gig economy jobs?
The things you will be needing are a laptop, or phone with good internet connection, and the required skills needed specifically for each job. If you lack a skill needed for a particular job, the internet is wide for you to research and find the necessary skills needed.