15 Most Lucrative Side Gigs for People Over 40

No matter what age you are, extra money never hurts. Picking up a side gig can help bridge the gap or build up extra for retirement.

There are thousands of side gigs to find, no matter where you live. For some of them, you never even have to leave your home.

I’m in that 40-plus club and always looking to make some extra cash. These are some of the more lucrative side gigs I’ve either researched in-depth or done myself.

1. Mystery Shopping

Believe it or not, this is still very much a thing. Retailers want to know all about their stores and their employees. The best way to get objective insight is to send someone in to see firsthand and report back.

The pay for mystery shoppers will vary depending on the type of store — mom and pop shop vs big box store — but can be as much as $50 to $100 per hour.

2. Doing Online Surveys

This is one of those side gigs that’s easy enough to do from your own computer, but you’ll need to pay your dues first. The lucrative surveys are for those who have already done the meager-paying ones and worked their way up.

If you put in the time you can bring home around $1500 per month, which is no small sum for sitting at your computer answering questions.

3. Blogging

Blogging is a great way to make some extra money, even more so if you have your own website and content, rather than write for someone else. You can earn money through affiliate links and ads, but also through proving yourself to be an authority in a specific niche.

A word to the wise about blogging. It takes time to build up the content on your site and gain a significant following. It will not happen overnight. Some people are very good at it and spend just a few hours a month curating content, making enough to eventually quit their day jobs.

4. Ghostwriting

If running a website is too much for you, you can absolutely still make money writing, especially if you have a knack for it. Ghostwriting is where you provide content without a byline. Basically, nobody will know you wrote it except for your client.

If you establish your reputation in the content industry and build up a strong portfolio, forget just working for extra cash, you can make a whole living writing. And the best part is you’re not limited. Write articles, blogs, product pages, or even eBooks.

5. Selling Digital Products

Selling digital products is a great way to create a passive income stream. You can create as many as you like and offer them for sale on your website, Etsy, or Zazzle, for example.

You’re not limited to the type of products you can offer. In fact, setting up multiple shops is a great way to diversify income. You can create trending products such as calendars or games, or digital art for people to download and use.

6. Ride-Share Driving

If you have free time and a reliable car, you can pick up some extra cash as a rideshare driver. You can choose between transporting passengers or picking up and delivering food.

Uber, Lyft, Doordash, and Instacart are just a few options. If you do it regularly and live in a high-traffic area, you could make some serious extra cash!

7. Pet Sitter

Pet sitters provide a valuable service for people who want to avoid boarding their pets in a facility while they are away on business or vacation. However, it’s important that you have experience with the types of animals you’re open to sitting for, whether it’s in your home or theirs.

You can set up a profile on popular pet-sitting sites like Rover, or you can create your own website and advertise in your region. The best part is you get to set your own rates.

8. Music Teacher

The arts are always in demand. If you have a music education and a knack for teaching, you can combine these factors and take on your own musical clients.

With the variety of video conferencing software available, you can teach students around the world to sing, play instruments, or understand music theory.

9. Party Planner

It takes a lot of time and effort to pull an event together and many people just don’t have the time or resources to do so. If you are the go-to in your family or simply have an affinity for taking small details and creating a bigger project out of them, this could be a lucrative side gig.

Party planners work on birthdays, showers, and even weddings. The sky is the limit to what you can offer and you can set your own rates.

10. Party Rentals

This goes hand-in-hand with party planning but gives you an additional way to make money. You can decide the scope of what you want to offer. Perhaps you just want to focus on a single element like bouncy houses. Or, you want to go all-in and offer tables, chairs, tablecloths, napkins, and dishes.

This will require you to plan ahead and have storage space for the items you wish to rent out. Plus, you’ll need to ensure the items stay in good shape.

11. Graphic Designer

If you can wield a mouse or digital pen and have drawing talent, you can certainly use your skills to make some extra money. This is one of those fields where you can create items to offer for sale in a list-it-and-forget-it kind of deal, or you can accept requests for custom work.

Graphic designers are always in high demand for all kinds of work including branding, book covers, and digital elements.

12. Bookkeeper

Every business needs a bookkeeper and not everyone has the talent for keeping track of numbers. Many also can’t afford to add a full-time bookkeeper to the staff, so they contract out the service.

This is where you can make some extra income. If you know your way around Quickbooks, Xero, or Sage, for example, you can maintain the books for several clients each month.

13. Consultant

If you’re an expert in a field with years of experience behind you, there are opportunities abound to make money by consulting with companies. As a consultant, you’d conduct analyses and provide actionable advice.

Some companies may hire consultants to help implement policies, while others need advice on increasing profitability.

14. Notary Signing Agent

Notaries provide a valuable service in witnessing signatures on documents. However, a notary signing agent is a bit more specialized in that it’s someone who has been trained in the real estate sector.

Notary signing agents must be active notaries and pass a background check. They also undergo specialized training.

15. Freelance Photographer

Freelance photographers stand to make some good money if they find the right niche. For example, weddings and special events are always in demand. However, you can also take pictures of landscapes and inanimate objects and then place those up for download on a stock photography site.