Looking for ways to earn a little extra cash and boost your bank balance? There are several legit ways to get some extra money flowing in, and many of them are completely online. Keep reading for the lowdown on over 30 side hustles in Canada, how they work and how you can start earning.
Earning potential: $0.50 to $5 per survey.
How it works: You can get paid to complete online surveys. Market research companies are willing to pay for customer feedback, and all you have to do is answer questions. The pay you receive varies depending on the length and complexity of each survey.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Very easy—the apps are simple to use and you can complete surveys wherever you have internet access.
Financial commitment required: None.
Earning potential: $5 or more per day.
How it works: Game developers offer financial rewards to encourage people to play their games. You’ll typically earn by downloading a game and by reaching in-game milestones.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Very easy—there are many games for all kinds of players.
Financial commitment required: Zero, but some games may have in-app purchases.
Earning potential: $150 to $700.
How it works: Many Canadian banks regularly offer cash welcome bonuses to encourage new customers to open accounts. You’ll typically need to open an account and perform a specific transaction to qualify for a reward, but you could get several hundred dollars in return.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Very easy. Minimal time and effort required on your end, though some waiting is involved.
Financial commitment required: None.
BMO Performance Chequing Account
Earning potential: $3 to $5 per 5-minute test or $30 to $100+ for more complicated tests.
How it works: When you work remotely as a user tester, you can get paid to interact with companies’ apps, websites and products. You’ll then be required to provide feedback about your user experience and how it could be improved. To get started, create an account on a user testing platform.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Very easy. You don’t need to know anything about website design.
Financial commitment required: Minimal, but some platforms may require you to buy a microphone.
Earning potential: Base rates commonly start at $1,000 per website, but prices vary depending on the complexity of the site being designed.
How it works: Put your design skills to work and take on jobs as a freelance web designer. Create a profile on sites like Upwork and Fiverr and either apply for jobs or wait for clients to contact you.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Medium level of difficulty. A formal qualification isn’t essential but may help you attract clients. You’ll also need technical and design skills to succeed.
Financial commitment required: Medium. You’ll need a high-quality computer and design software.
Earning potential: Anywhere from a few dollars to thousands.
How it works: If you’ve got an eye for fashion, you could make extra money flipping vintage clothing. Find the best vintage gear at local thrift shops, clean it up and then sell it on to the right buyer through an online marketplace.
Is it remote/online: No—you’ll need to visit stores in person to source items.
How easy is it: Relatively easy, but you’ll need to be able to identify desirable vintage items.
Financial commitment required: Minimal.
Earning potential: Anywhere from $0 to thousands of dollars per month.
How it works: A print-on-demand store is an e-commerce business that doesn’t actually stock any inventory. Instead, when a customer orders one of your custom-designed products, such as a t-shirt, hat or coffee mug, it’s then created and shipped to them by a third-party provider.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Relatively easy, since you don’t need to manage inventory.
Financial commitment required: Minimal.
Earning potential: You can earn approximately $20 or more for a 30-minute dog walk, while pet sitting rates start at around $40 a night.
How it works: If you love animals, you can provide overnight care for dogs, cats and other animals as a pet sitter. You can welcome pets into your home or look after them in the owner’s home, taking care of basic house-sitting tasks at the same time. Alternatively, you could get paid to walk dogs in your spare time.
Is it remote/online: No.
How easy is it: Relatively easy, but you’ll need to know animal behaviour and body language.
Financial commitment required: Minimal.
Earning potential: Rates commonly start at approximately $30 per hour.
How it works: If you’re skilled at playing a particular instrument, like the guitar or piano, you can offer your services as a private music tutor. It’s flexible work, and a side hustle that can fit well with your schedule.
Is it remote/online: You can offer your teaching services in-person or online.
How easy is it: Medium level of difficulty.
Financial commitment required: Minimal, assuming you (or your students) already have your own instruments you can use.
Earning potential: It depends on the amount of work you take on, but you could earn hundreds of dollars per week.
How it works: There are plenty of people out there who hate doing laundry, and they’re willing to pay someone else to wash their clothes for them. You can either set up your own laundry business or sign up to an at-home laundry service app, then get paid to pick up laundry, wash and dry it, fold it and return it to the customer.
Is it remote/online: No—you’ll need to pick up and return laundry bags.
How easy is it: Easy if you already have the equipment.
Financial commitment required: Minimal.
Earning potential: As a general guide, expect to charge anywhere from $20 to $75 per hour.
How it works: If you work in IT or you just know your way around computers, you can provide tech support services as a side hustle. You can offer virtual tech support or visit customers in person, and you can do tasks like removing malware, setting up home wi-fi networks, and computer repairs and upgrades.
Is it remote/online: Yes—but some customers might require an in-person visit.
How easy is it: You’ll need specialist IT knowledge to succeed.
Financial commitment required: Minimal. You’ll likely already have most of the equipment you need for this side hustle, but you may need to meet additional costs like remote access software.
Earning potential: Rates commonly start at $20 per hour.
How it works: If you’re good with your hands, you can offer your services as a local home repair specialist. You’ll get paid to do odd jobs like assembling furniture, mounting shelves, repairing drywall, clearing gutters and basic plumbing.
Is it remote/online: No.
How easy is it: Medium level of difficulty.
Financial commitment required: Medium. You may need to spend approximately $1,000 – $1,500 to get the basic tools required to work.
Earning potential: Approximately $15-$30 per hour.
How it works: You can offer a mobile car detailing service to clean and detail customers’ vehicles at their homes and workplaces.
Is it remote/online: No
How easy is it: Relatively easy.
Financial commitment required: High. You’ll need to invest in cleaning equipment and supplies. You might already have some items (like a pressure washer and a vacuum cleaner) around your home, but if starting from scratch you may need to spend upwards of $1,000.
Earning potential: Varies widely, but don’t expect it to be a huge money spinner.
How it works: The appeal of handmade jewellery is its unique, bespoke nature. By creating and selling your own jewellery masterpieces, you can turn a home hobby into profits.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: You’ll need artistic flair and to be good with your hands.
Financial commitment required: Fairly minimal—you can get started with less than $500.
Earning potential: Projects start at $47 on Taskrabbit.
How it works: If you’re one of those rare people who actually enjoy assembling flatpack furniture, you can put your skills to use with this side hustle. Grab a cordless drill, a wrench, a screwdriver and a few other basics, then get to work.
Is it remote/online: No.
How easy is it: Relatively easy, but you’ll need to be good with your hands.
Financial commitment required: Low. Most items can be assembled with a cordless drill and a few other basic tools.
Earning potential: Entry-level freelance writer rates start at $20 per hour. Experienced writers and editors charge significantly more.
How it works: If you’ve got a way with words, offer your services as a freelance writer or editor. From writing and editing blog posts to proofreading business publications, there’s a wide range of jobs on offer.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Medium to high level of difficulty, especially with the increased use of AI.
Financial commitment required: Minimal.
Earning potential: Varies depending on the niche and the success of your course. You could potentially earn a few hundred dollars a month, or more if your course is popular.
How it works: Use your specialist knowledge about a specific topic area to create and sell online courses. From quick 101 courses to months-long learning modules, you can educate others on a specialist subject area and get paid for doing so.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Medium level of difficulty.
Financial commitment required: Low.
Earning potential: Rates often range from $25 to $100 per hour.
How it works: Keen amateur photographers can put their creative skills to work and moonlight as freelance photographers. If you’ve got the right skills, you could be hired to capture weddings, birthdays and private parties as well as family photos, engagement shoots and maternity photos.
Is it remote/online: No.
How easy is it: Medium to high level of difficulty, depending on the event.
Financial commitment required: High. You’ll need to spend at least a few thousand dollars on a camera, lenses, lighting gear and other accessories to get started.
Earning potential: Varies—check out average listing prices in your area.
How it works: You could rent out your home or spare room to vacationers through a platform like Airbnb. Alternatively, platforms like Tagvenue, Peerspace and Giggster allow you to rent out your property for private events, meetings and film/photo shoots.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Relatively easy.
Financial commitment required: Low.
Earning potential: According to Indeed, the average base salary for personal trainers in Canada is $33.92 per hour.
How it works: Offer your services as a personal trainer to motivate and inspire others to get fit and lose weight. You could run fitness bootcamps in local parks or find a gym that allows independent trainers to use its facilities.
Is it remote/online: No.
How easy is it: Relatively easy, but you’ll need to be fit and have the right motivational skills.
Financial commitment required: Low, if you don’t complete a certification program.
Earning potential: You can make approximately $20 per hour.
How it works: Get paid to deliver take-out food orders to customers with apps like Uber Eats. You can deliver by car, scooter, motorbike or bicycle.
Is it remote/online: No.
How easy is it: Easy.
Financial commitment required: As well as having your own car, you’ll need to cover fuel, maintenance and insurance costs for your vehicle.
Earning potential: US$20+ per hour.
How it works: There are multiple legit platforms that will pay you to help train their AI models. You’ll need to complete tasks like tagging images, annotating text, recording audio and interacting with AI chatbots.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Many AI training jobs are very easy, but some require specialist knowledge or skills.
Financial commitment required: Low.
Earning potential: Approximately $20 per hour.
How it works: Offer your junk collection services to help people in your area get rid of unwanted furniture, appliances and construction materials. You’ll get paid to collect the junk from people’s homes and dispose of it properly.
Is it remote/online: No.
How easy is it: Very easy mentally but physically challenging.
Financial commitment required: You’ll need your own truck, tools like shovels and dollies, and safety gear.
Earning potential: $20 to $100+ per hour.
How it works: If you have specialist knowledge or skills you can share with other people, you could work as an online tutor. You could teach math, biology, languages or a wide range of other topics.
Is it remote/online: It can be, or you can offer your services in real life.
How easy is it: Medium level of difficulty.
Financial commitment required: Minimal.
Earning potential: Amazon Flex says most drivers can earn $22-$27 per hour.
How it works: Amazon Flex allows you to use your vehicle to deliver Amazon packages. With the Amazon Flex app, you can choose delivery blocks that fit your schedule, deliver packages to Amazon customers and get paid.
Is it remote/online: No.
How easy is it: Easy—you just need a driver’s licence, phone, mid-sized or larger car and a background check. You can reserve a delivery time slot on the Amazon Flex app based on what works with your schedule.
Financial commitment required: Minimal upfront, if you already have a car. However, you will need to cover fuel, maintenance and insurance for your vehicle.
Earning potential: According to Indeed, the base salary for a social media manager in Canada is $22.53 per hour.
How it works: Social media is a crucial tool to help businesses expand and reach new customers, but many small business owners don’t have the time or the knowledge to use social media channels effectively. By offering your services as a part-time social media manager, you can help them gain more exposure and boost their brand.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Medium level of difficulty—successful social media management is a lot more difficult than many people realize.
Financial commitment required: Minimal.
Earning potential: Varies depending on the size of your audience. You’ll need a substantial following to generate any significant income.
How it works: If there’s a specific topic or niche area you’re particularly knowledgeable and passionate about, you can hit “record” on your very own podcast. From junk food to fantasy sports, true crime to cryptocurrency, you can create a podcast about almost anything.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: It’s easy to get started, but finding an audience is the hard part.
Financial commitment required: It depends. You can get started with as little as $100-$200, but it’s possible to spend as much as $5,000 on high-quality equipment.
Earning potential: Online sources suggest aiming for a profit margin of 25% on each basket.
How it works: You can offer creative gift basket design services online. Put together a range of baskets for special occasions or based on specific themes, and sell them through your own online shop.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Relatively easy to set up, but attracting buyers can be a challenge.
Financial commitment required: High. Expect to spend $2,000+ to get started.
Earning potential: The Average hourly rate starts at approximately $20.
How it works: If you don’t mind doing the dirty work, you can get paid to clean houses in your local area. There are plenty of people who are time-poor or just allergic to cleaning and happy to pay someone else to do it.
Is it remote/online: No.
How easy is it: There’s a steady demand for house cleaners and the work is flexible, but hard physical work is involved.
Financial commitment required: Low, but you may need to spend as much as $500 on equipment and supplies to get started.
Earning potential: Varies depending on the type and number of plants you sell.
How it works: Use your home garden to grow plants that you can then sell online. Find buyers among other gardening enthusiasts on sites like Facebook Marketplace.
Is it remote/online: Yes, but you may need to deal with some customers in person.
How easy is it: If you’ve got a green thumb, it’s relatively easy, but you’ll need to be willing to roll up your sleeves and work hard.
Financial commitment required: If your garden is a labour of love, you might already have many of the resources you need. If you’re starting from scratch, you might need to spend $1,000 or more to get your garden up and running.
Earning potential: It depends on the agreement you work out with the host, but 10-25% of booking revenue is a common earning range.
How it works: When people rent out their property on Airbnb but don’t have time to take care of all the jobs associated with managing a rental, they can invite a co-host to take care of admin tasks for them. As a co-host, you can do things like manage listings, respond to inquiries and communicate with guests, and in return, you get a share of the booking fee.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Relatively easy.
Financial commitment required: Minimal.
Earning potential: Average base salary of $21.25 per hour.
How it works: Working remotely as a virtual assistant provides a potentially lucrative side hustle in Canada. Once you list your services on a freelancing website, you can get paid to do things like office administration tasks, answering emails, scheduling appointments, making travel bookings and more.
Is it remote/online: Yes.
How easy is it: Medium level of difficulty. No formal education required, but standing out takes effort.
Financial commitment required: Minimal, but you will need a smartphone and computer.
Do detailed market research to not only find out how much demand there is for your product or service, but also how much competition there is. Is there a specific niche you can target, a particular problem you can solve, or a unique selling point that will help you stand out from the crowd?
You can start some side hustles with $0 upfront, but others require you to invest in training or equipment. If you need to spend money to start making money, check whether the returns you can expect to receive will be worth it.
Set a goal for your side hustle, whether that means earning a certain amount extra each week or saving for a major purchase in the future. Crunch the numbers to work out how much side hustling you’ll need to do to reach that goal.
Regularly compare your hours worked to the amount of profit you make—is the effective hourly rate you’re earning worth it for the time and effort you need to put in?
Profits can fluctuate and your earning potential can change. Reassess your side hustle returns regularly to decide whether the time and effort you’re investing is still justified.
Earning extra income could potentially push you into a higher tax bracket. Make sure to keep the tax implications in mind when working out if a side hustle is worth it.
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