Everyone has hobbies.
Video games? Hobby. Walking your dog? Hobby. Knitting? Hobby. Underwater basketweaving? That’s a hobby too.
All of us have something we enjoy doing in our spare time, so wouldn’t it be great to make some extra money while we’re at it?
I think so. In fact, I know so because I’ve used several of my hobbies to make money.
There are a ton of fun opportunities to make good money, but so many choices make it hard to choose! That’s why I’ve ranked the best hobbies that make money, so you can have fun and make extra cash fast.
What’s the Most Profitable Hobby?
When it comes to choosing a profitable hobby, you have tons of options. However, there’s one that ranks above all others in its potential to earn money:
#1 Best Money-Making Hobby: Blogging
Most people have tried blogging at one point, but nobody really takes it seriously. The way they figure it, they’re just the small fish, not worthy of making money as the big pros do.
That’s a big mistake. The truth is that anyone can make good money blogging, provided they’re willing to put in the time and effort it takes to be successful.
How much money can bloggers make? Consider Adam Enfroy, who made over $80k a month within his first two years of blogging.
But surely that’s just an exception, right? It sounds insane, but the truth is that blogging makes way more money than most people realize.
To get started, check out my full guide to starting a money-making blog to get started.
Business & Side Hustle Hobbies
Everyone daydreams about their business idea, wondering if they can make money with their own enterprise. With the right approach, you absolutely can — so don’t doubt yourself!
Sure, a side hustle can start as a hobby, but it can also turn into a full-time business.
1. Ecommerce
If you can handle marketing, customer service, product development — as well as everything else required for serious business — look into your own online store. You don’t have to be Jeff Bezos, just someone with a good idea and solid execution.
When I was in high school, I had a friend that made tens of thousands of dollars selling embroidered women’s accessories. When she showed me her Etsy dashboard, I was blown away! She was making money hand over first, all while juggling her education.
If she can do it, you can too. Ecommerce isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the most fulfilling ways to make extra income in your spare time.
If this really interests you, check out my full ecommerce guide.
2. Dropshipping
If you’d like to tip your toes in ecommerce without too much commitment, you should look into dropshipping. If you don’t know what dropshipping is, it basically works like this:
- Someone purchases an item from your online store, but here’s the twist: you don’t actually have the item in stock — a supplier does
- You pass that order to the supplier, and they ship the item to the customer
- Your profit is the difference between what the customer paid you and what you paid the supplier
Here’s an infographic for my visual learners:
Source: Oberlo
Seems easy, right? It is, but you should remember that it’s not totally foolproof; most dropshipping businesses fail. There’s a right way and wrong way to do it, which I explain in my full dropshipping guide.
3. Amazon FBA
Amazon FBA is a program that allows sellers to have their products stored and delivered by Amazon. This incredible innovation in commerce allows sellers to nix storage costs entirely by having Amazon bear that burden.
Source: DFH Logistics
Even if you sell products on other channels, Amazon FBA can be another tool in your ecommerce toolkit.
4. eBay
I’m sure you’ve heard of eBay; it’s a global marketplace where people can sell just about anything. You can sell old things you don’t need or speculate on desirable items, such as sneakers.
If you’re running an ecommerce business, it’s also a great additional channel for your product. People have made tons of money from eBay, and so can you!
5. Consultancy
If you have exceptional skills in a particular industry, consultancy could be a great source of income for you. Consultants generally set their own schedule, meaning you can easily do this in your free time. You might enjoy it so much that it becomes your primary source of income!
First, create a fully-fleshed LinkedIn profile featuring all of your qualifications and accolades to get started. After that, it’s highly recommended that you build your own website to showcase your craft.
Once you’ve got the fundamentals completed, it’s time to look for clients. Register on freelance sites, and use LinkedIn and email to reach out cold to brands. You may get mostly rejected starting off, but it only takes one good client to earn money.
6. Taking Online Surveys
Who knew you could get paid to share your opinion? Survey sites and apps want to hear your input on a huge variety of topics and compensate you for your time. Just sign up for their program and answer questions in your spare time.
I can’t promise you’re going to make an incredible amount of money with this, but who can argue with easy cash?
7. Running a YouTube Channel
I’m sure you’ve heard of big YouTube stars raking in cash while having fun creating their own content. Most people assume that’s way out of reach, but the truth is anyone has a chance of finding success on the platform.
Just find a niche you’re passionate about and make videos about it. It doesn’t matter how big the niche is; as long as it has some sort of audience, people will gravitate toward it! You can choose a big niche like gaming, or a small one like succulent farming.
As you start to build an audience, YouTube will give you the opportunity to monetize your videos directly with AdSense. You can also supplement that income with sponsorships and affiliate marketing.
8. Podcasting
Running a podcast is a lot like YouTube, except it’s in audio format and you’re not tied down to one platform. It’s kind of like a throwback to the old days of radio shows, where families and friends huddled around the radio set to hear a good story.
Your podcast can be about anything you want. True crime, interviews, ecommerce, you name it! In terms of monetization, you have lots of options too. Podcast hosts will often partner with guests to promote certain products, like books.
You can take upfront sponsorship fees, or have an ongoing affiliate relationship. Making money with your passion, who can argue with that?
9. Delivery Driving
If you have a car and live in a town or city, you can make a surprising amount of money toting around foodstuffs. The companies that come to mind will be Doordash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats; these are restaurant delivery apps focused on providing fresh meals on-demand.
Additionally, you can also look into grocery delivery apps. These platforms will pay you to go grocery shopping for others and deliver food straight to their door. Finally, you can deliver packages for Amazon with Flex. If you have a car, you can move anything for easy cash!
Language & Writing Hobbies
If you’re good with words, you’re already halfway to making money. Here are a few ideas to leverage your linguistic ability lucratively:
1. Freelance Writing
Even in an era of AI-writing tools, there’s no alternative to a good and knowledgeable writer. If you have a way with words, you can find companies willing to fork over major cash for your skills.
The easiest way to start is to create an account on all the major freelancing platforms. Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer are all great places to start.
If you’re really serious about it, you can set up a dedicated website for your craft. A top freelance writer can make upwards of $1000 per article.
2. Language Translation
Ever since there were more than two languages on Earth, translators have had a valuable role in society. In an era of global commerce, that’s true more today than ever.
There are three main ways to become a translator:
- Freelance: Join a freelancing platform and charge for translation services
- Hire with a company: Join an existing translation company and work for a set rate
- Start your own business: Create a website and vend your translations services with no middleman
This is also a great job for traveling since you can do it wherever your languages are spoken.
3. Teaching Foreign Language
On the coattails of language translation is the art of teaching the language itself. If you love teaching, people, schools, and even whole companies would love your help.
Getting started is very similar to language translation. You can freelance, work for somebody else, or start your own business. While you can do it in a foreign country, there are plenty of online options available, such as VIPKid.
4. Voiceover and Narration
Has anyone ever told you that you have a voice like a news anchor? If so, don’t squander it! That’s a serious opportunity to make money.
Here are a few ways you can leverage your epic vocal abilities:
- Voice acting for video games and other animated media
- Audiobook narration
- Podcasting
- Coaching
Whichever you choose, it’s highly recommended you create a website where potential clients can view/hear your portfolio easily.
5. Book Authorship
Do you love not only writing but weaving beautiful stories? Then I highly recommend you look into writing books.
Before the Internet, authorship had a heavy barrier of entry in the form of publishers. If you wanted to become an author, you had to convince a publishing house to invest in work — it wasn’t easy!
These days, anyone can be an author using publishing services like Amazon Kindle. If you can write books that earn steady authorship, that can turn into a major source of passive income.
I can’t promise you’ll become the next JK Rowling, but anything’s possible!
6. Transcription
Are you handy with a keyboard? Then you might consider using your typing skills to make money.
The most common transcription jobs usually concern putting conversations into text. I can’t promise it’s the most exciting work out there, but it can pay surprisingly well. You can get started on the usual freelancing platforms, such as Fiverr or Upwork.
Just make sure you have a decent keyboard. I write a ton, so I invested in a Razer mechanical keyboard costing over $100. In my opinion, it’s worth every penny.
7. Proofreading
Great writers often have great editors to thank for their success. If you’ve found that you’re good at proofreading your own writing, you can do it for others too.
While you can set up shop on freelance websites, the easiest way to begin is by joining dedicated services like Scribbr.
Dedicated services like these are hungry for more freelance writing specialists to help take students’ writing to the next level. You’ll also have incredible flexibility in setting your schedule, making a great hobby rather than a new job.
At-Home Hobbies That Make Money
Maybe you just want to make some extra money in your neighborhood. That’s totally fine; you don’t need to be the next Elon Musk!
Here are some fun domestic hobbies that make money:
1. Pet Care
Everyone who owns a pet needs help at some point, and it can be a surprisingly lucrative hobby. I should know; pet care was my main job during college. You can lend yourself for pet sitting, dog walking, cat visiting, and more. It’s a fun hobby that pays pretty darn well! Some people even make careers out of it.
Getting started is all about landing your first client. Once you’ve got them secured, you’ll snowball from there. First, I recommend you create a high-quality website explaining why pet owners should trust you with their furry babies (make sure to include lots of pictures!).
Here’s a capture of my website from my pet sitting days:
Once you’ve got that set up, it’s time to get the word out. If local laws allow, canvas your area with door hangers with your picture, services, phone number, and website. From there, it’s a numbers game. The more you advertise, the more you’ll get back!
2. Cooking
Are you handy in a kitchen? There are loads of ways to leverage your tasty talents, such as:
- Starting a cooking YouTube channel
- Becoming an at-home chef for someone nearby
- Sharing recipes on your own blog
- Becoming a food critic
Most of us spend money to eat, so wouldn’t it be cool to earn money instead? You don’t have to be the next Gordon Ramsey, but you can try!
3. Gardening
Love to create life in the garden? That’s a way to make money too! Here are a few ideas to turn your greenery into green:
- Sell your plants for extra money
- Assist and consult others in their gardening efforts
- Create a gardening blog and/or YouTube channel
There are a ton of people around you that need help with their garden, and you can be there to help.
4. Lawn Care
If you know your way around a lawnmower and a weedwhacker, you can make decent cash helping out around the neighborhood. Everyone with a lawn needs help keeping things under control, so why not lend them a hand?
You don’t need a giant lawnmowing machine and a four-person crew, all you need is a mower and a few other tools. If you’re not afraid to break a sweat in the summer heat, hand out your card around the neighborhood and get to work.
5. Interior Design and Organization
You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t want their home to be clean, comfortable, and stylish. Unfortunately for most, taking the time to get your house in order eludes most people, finding perpetual existence on the “to-do” list.
That is until someone with homemaking skills comes in. If you like to turn cluttered messes (AKA “fixer-uppers”) into beautiful assortments, you might have a future in interior design. While you can go the traditional route by working inside homes directly, you can also moonlight as a remote advisor via video call.
6. Sewing
These days, good sewing is something of a lost art. That’s a shame because it’s not like clothes have stopped tearing! That said, it’s a good opportunity for anyone with sewing skills to fill the gap.
If you’re deft with a needle, you can expect word of your skills to spread fast. Panicked bridesmades and high schoolers preparing for prom will gladly trade their hard-earned cash for your skillful hand.
Fitness Hobbies That Make Money
All of us need exercise to stay healthy. When everyone needs something, there’s money to be made. If you’re a fitness freak, here are a few ways to use your passion to make extra money:
1. Become a Personal Trainer
Tons of people want to get in shape, but they don’t really know how — that’s where you come in. If you’re knowledgeable about fitness, people will pay you major cash for your guidance.
To get started, it’s highly recommended you become certified. This will show potential clients that you’re up to the professional standard so they know to take you seriously.
2. Teach Fitness Classes
If you have the time to spare, consider teaching down at your local gym. Fitness centers are always looking for qualified experts to lead their students in different types of exercise.
Pilates, Zoomba, cardio, and more need leaders to step up and teach their classes. Just make sure you’ve got serious endurance! Everyone will be counting on your to lead by example
3. Become a Nutritionist/Dietician
If you’re well-versed in food and nutrition, you can advise others on how to best optimize their intake for personal health. Nutritionists generally require licensing and certification, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.
To be effective in this field, you’ll need excellent communication skills. You can work one-on-one for a few clients or hire with an institution.
Gaming Hobbies That Make Money
If you spend a lot of time playing video games, you’ve probably wondered if there are ways to earn money with your skills. The answer to that question is an emphatic “yes;” tons of people make money gaming, and you can too.
1. Streaming
If you have both skills and an entertaining personality, try your hand at streaming for a live audience. Many gamers have used platforms such as Twitch and YouTube to turn their obsessive hobby into major income.
While it’s okay to aspire to be the next big streamer, it’s more realistic to approach it in a casual sense. I recommend you start both a Twitch and a YouTube at the same time and build an audience from there.
To really capture an audience’s attention, you’ll need to stream your face, voice, and game. Begin streaming games to Twitch on a regular schedule, and upload your highlights to YouTube. If you’re an entertaining streamer, you’ll begin building an audience in no time.
2. eSports
If you’re exceptionally talented at gaming, consider getting into esports. If you’re a college student, your school might have a club or organized team available to try out with.
If you perform well there, you can move on to larger, more organized competitions with larger prize pools. Esports has come a long way, from a small gathering of passionate, sweaty gamers fighting over a few extra bucks to big stars competing for million-dollar prize pools.
3. Discuss Games Online
If you’re passionate about games–though not to the extent to compete in a multiplayer scene–you can start a blog and/or a YouTube channel talking about them. Here you can review games, create guides, and discuss trends in gaming.
You can dedicate your blog to gaming as a whole or focus on particular genres or series. It’s up to you!
Artistic/Creative Hobbies
If you’re an artistic and creative person, there are a ton of ways you can leverage your talent. Make the world a more beautiful place with these money-making hobbies:
1. Photography
Photography is probably one of the most popular hobbies in the world. It’s fun to capture beautiful scenes of our reality and showcase our takes on the world.
More than that, people need good photos. You may think it’s easy to get a nice camera and start snapping away, but it’s not that simple. Good photographers are masters at their craft, producing stunning scenes for enamored audiences.
If you think that sounds like you, then don’t waste any time. You can take stock photos for uploading online or headshots of people for direct compensation.
2. Graphic Design
Graphic design is everywhere. It’s here, on posters, cover art, labels, commercials, and more. It’s always in demand and will never be fully replaced by automation.
If you think you’ve got what it takes, download the Adobe Creative Suite, watch some tutorials, and see what you can do. From there, set up shop on Fiverr and start selling your skills. If you’re really good at it, you can create an online course for graphic design and teach others what you’ve learned.
3. Creating Custom Art
If you’re handy with a brush or pencil, you can make extra money creating custom artwork for clients. You can specialize in particular styles, such as stencil, acrylic, and oil. You can work as a hobby freelancer or take up contracts with dedicated companies.
I love buying custom art pieces, so maybe I’ll purchase from you one day!
Also, be sure to feature your art on your own YouTube channel and take donations from fans. People love watching time-lapses of art being created, as well as tutorials for doing their own.
4. Dancing
If you’ve got moves on the dance floor, you can earn extra money by teaching your skills to others. Either join a dance class as an instructor or start your own, and you’re on your way to making money with a fun hobby.
You can also create a profile on social media dedicated to teaching others to dance or showing off your skills.
5. Comedy
Did you grow up as the class clown or the funny person in your friend group? Then consider spreading your joy to the entire world with a comedy channel. TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are all great places to upload and share your skits with.
Once you’ve amassed enough followers, you can make money with sponsorships.
6. Videography
Have you ever watched an amazing movie and been inspired to create one yourself? If you have, you quickly realized how much talent and skill it takes to capture scenes like a pro. Planning, capturing, and editing movies worth watching is an incredibly in-depth process.
If you know how to do all that, I highly recommend leveraging those skills for extra money. Everyone from big companies to Twitch streamers needs help with videography and will pay good money for the assistance.
7. Voice Acting
If you’re a creative type with a good voice, you might find voice acting speaks to you (pun intended). Video game creators will always need talented voice actors to weave stories with, meaning a good voice actor will never have to worry about job security. Radio producers, advertisers, and moviemakers will keep you busy too.
While there are dedicated Voiceover websites, the best voice actors have dedicated websites from which they vend their services.
8. Modeling
Are you a natural in the limelight? Do you have a knack for showing off clothes, jewelry, or even yourself? If so, modeling may be the gig for you.
I think most everyone has daydreamed about becoming a glamorous model, getting paid to look good, and flying around the world doing it. However, I’ve actually spoken to models, and there’s a lot more to it.
You’ve really got to know how to behave in front of a camera; those epic poses you see in magazines take lots of skill.
If that sounds like you, collect a portfolio and start sharing it with photographers, agencies, and more. You never know what will happen!
9. Handcrafted Products
The world of handcrafted products only grows more popular in a world of cheap plastic manufacturing. Turns out that people do really care about items made with love, not just a cheap price tag!
If you’ve got skills in the workshop, think about leveraging your talents to make money online. When I was younger, I made Mason-jar cups with metal straws that I sold on Etsy; they were really cool!
You can create things like:
- Jewelry
- Clothes
- Pottery
- Fashion accessories
- Pet accessories
The more unique, the better.
10. Vintage Restoration
People love the classics (myself included)! If you’ve got the skills to create handmade items, you can probably learn to fix oldies too.
It’s as simple as locating vintage items and working to restore them. Some will be touch-ups, and others may require total makeovers. However, once you’re done, many of your restorations can fetch epic prices.
Start looking at garage sales, old towns, and on the internet. Once you’ve got some restorations to sell, set up shop on Etsy and share your talent with the world.
Financial Hobbies
Whether you wanna be the next Gordon Gecko or just score a few extra bucks, here are some profitable hobbies in the world of finance:
1. Investing in Crypto
Let’s be real: crypto isn’t a big secret anymore. Everyone and their dad have been talking about “those crazy cryptocurrencies,” regurgitating the latest trends and how their friend’s friend became a millionaire with it.
Think you’re late to the party? While it’s a little too late to scoop up Bitcoins for pennies on the dollar, crypto still has near-infinite growth potential from here. So when you’ve got extra money laying around, consider doing dollar-cost averaging (DCA) into crypto.
If you don’t know what DCAing is, it’s basically just consistently investing a portion of your income. Over time, that spar change you invested can turn into a respectable nest egg.
If you don’t know where to start, I highly recommend checking out Coinbase. It has great resources for beginners and fair transaction fees (especially on the Pro version).
2. Investing in Stocks
Ever since its invention hundreds of years ago, the stock market has been the most reliable way of effectively putting your money to work. I’m pleased to tell you that hasn’t changed, and investing in the stock market is still a profitable hobby to have.
To get started, sign up for a stock exchange. While Robinhood is popular with newbies, full-stack pro platforms like Etrade will give you much more power over your portfolio.
While platforms like these are professional-oriented, they have plenty of resources for beginners.
Tech Hobbies That Make Money
If you’re a tech-wiz, consider leveraging your skills during your spare time. Somewhere, someone has a tech problem they’ll pay you good money to help with.
1. General Troubleshooting
In my first year of college, I had an older woman pay me $20 to figure out how to fix a basic function on their Mac. When I was in eighth grade, I fixed my friend’s computer for free while a store wanted to charge $100.
The point is that some people are clueless about technology, and you don’t need to be a Wozniak to help them out. Starting out is as simple as offering tech help on your neighborhood bulletin.
2. Freelance Programming
Programming professionals often take up freelance projects in their extra time. While they make decent cash at their 9-5, it’s hard to say no to extra money doing something that you enjoy.
While there are millions of coders out there, only a select few are true professionals. If that sounds like you, set up shop on freelance sites and vend your skills to anyone in need. Several functions on my website are custom-coded by a freelance pro I hired.
3. Creating Websites
If you know your way around any of the popular website builders (WordPress, Wix, Shopify, Weebly, etc.), you can sell your skills and make money online. Every day, countless people are either looking to get started with their own website or revamp their existing one.
Most people lack the technical skills to do so effectively, leading them to reach out to pros for help. If you’ve got the technical know-how, people will pay serious cash to have you build their websites. You can operate your freelance business off of Fiverr, Upwork, or your own website.
In addition to sweet extra money, you’ll get the satisfaction of knowing you help people achieve their dreams.
Conclusion
Who said work and play are two different things? People make money with hobbies all the time, and some have even forged careers out of them. So if you’ve got skills and some time on your hands, why not try it yourself?
The possibilities are endless for profitable hobbies. Performing at local events, creating an online business, playing games, grocery shopping, and more are all opportunities to make money.
Everyone can make the world a more exciting place and make a little cash along the way. So what will be yours? I’ll see you out there.
