The economic realities of Gen Z are spreading rapidly.
The group, born between 1997 and 2012, are increasingly worried about their financial situation and are documenting their lives to engage with others.
Whether it’s delivering food late at night, selling homemade crafts online, or creating social media content in hopes of landing a brand deal, nearly one in three Americans has turned to a side hustle to make ends meet as the cost of essential goods rises.
After the start of the pandemic, there was a boom in side hustles and small business creation as inflation soared and remote work gave employees back time spent commuting.
Years later, prices are rising again, and a new survey from Omnisend finds that 28% of Americans have started a side hustle. Almost half of them (49%) started an app in the past year, and about 54% said they started an app “to make extra money for bills and necessities.”
Another study by ZipRecruiter found that the percentage of Americans with a side hustle is even higher, with 35% having another source of income. Nicole Bashaw, an economist at ZipRecruiter, said that in the wake of historically low job growth in 2025, people are relying on second jobs not only to cover basic necessities, but also to build a financial cushion. This is because they fear layoffs in a weak job market outside of a few resilient sectors.
“The market is where it was last year, and I think a lot of people were saying, ‘If I lose my job now, it’s going to be really hard to find another job,'” Bashaw said. “The reason we add things is just to prepare for a ‘what if’ environment.”
Who has a side job?
Side jobs are popular across generations and income groups.
Gen Z is most likely to become an entrepreneur because they have an entrepreneurial spirit, but they are not alone. A Bankrate survey last year found that 34% of Gen Z, 31% of Millennials, 23% of Gen X, and 22% of Baby Boomers are looking for it.
And they’re not just for people passing by.
In fact, high-income earners are the most likely to have a side hustle. ZipRecruiter’s research found that about 45% of workers making more than $150,000 work in adjunct jobs, compared to about 31% of workers making less than $25,000 and about 31% of workers making between $25,000 and $50,000.
“It’s an old adage: The more money you have, the easier it is to make money,” says Cory Cantenga, LinkedIn’s head of economics for the Americas. “For example, you’re an AI engineer right now and you work at a company where there are a lot of AI consulting jobs available. You’re just sitting around waiting for work.”
What are the most popular side jobs?
E-commerce has emerged as the most popular way to make extra money, with people selling handmade goods, used goods, and various digital products on sites like eBay, Etsy, and Facebook Marketplace.
According to a report from Omnisend, about 46% of people with a side hustle sell or resell products online, 31% do freelance work, and 21% create social media content or run a blog.
“People are going out less, especially when they have less money. They’re wearing fewer clothes, they’re wearing fewer shoes. It’s easy to resell these things,” said Greg Zakowitz, an e-commerce advisor at Omnisend, adding that the popularity of the resale market may have Americans wondering “how can I get money with minimal effort?”
E-commerce seems to be the answer. Approximately 39% of Omnisend survey respondents in e-commerce side businesses said they earn more than $1,000 per month. This compares to about 28% of freelancers, 26% of food delivery workers, and 19% of content creators.
What is the most profitable side hustle?
BestBrokers’ analysis using Upwork income data ranked popular side hustles based on profitability and career potential.
The study found that life coaches earn the highest hourly wages, averaging $150, but that “demand is largely driven by a person’s brand and reputation.” Branded content creators are next on the list, earning an average hourly wage of $40, but their income is unstable in the early stages. While income is determined by traffic and conversions, affiliate marketers earn an average of $37.50 per hour.
The analysis found that e-commerce freelancers, photographers, T-shirt designers, influencer marketing freelancers, copywriters, and tutors earn an average hourly wage of more than $30. It found that photo editors, proofreaders, Canva designers, blog writers, and digital artists earn an average hourly wage of more than $20.
Zakovic said people looking to start a side hustle should remember three things: Time is money, understanding your finances is important, and being realistic doesn’t hurt.
“What people don’t realize is that you have to look at the next step,” he says. “The next step may be a cliff. You must be prepared to load a parachute.”
Contact Rachel Barber at rbarber@usatoday.com, follow her at X @rachelbarber_ and subscribe to her newsletter Making More of Your Money here.
