Is adding extra income streams to your monthly balance on your to-do list for 2024? Then you're probably looking for accessible, well-paying side hustle ideas.
We've got you covered. Here are five side hustles you can do remotely, using skills that can be self-taught or easily learned through (free) online courses. Let's dive right in.
Bookkeeping
First off, there's bookkeeping—not the first kind of job that people think of when they hear 'side hustle,' but a well-paying and in-demand one.
Plus—unlike accounting—you don't need any extra qualifications to start your bookkeeping business. While some bookkeepers have an associate's degree or higher, it's not a requirement to get started. Many have only a high school diploma, plus some experience from a trade school or online courses.
If you're good with numbers and have a knack for organization and coordination, bookkeeping may be a great side hustle for you.
SEO Consulting
Another in-demand job is consulting in the search engine optimization (SEO) space. SEO describes a set of practices to help website owners optimize their content and rank high in search engines like Google. The goal? To hit that coveted number-one spot and draw in lots of organic traffic. (With 'organic' meaning that people just come across the site in their search results and decide to click on it.)
As an SEO consultant, you need to be familiar with different elements that have a positive impact on search engine rankings—and you need to be able to identify them and make recommendations to website owners.
This includes vetting their content in terms of quality, identifying search keywords that people use and which could lead them to the target website, and getting to grips with technical issues, such as website speed and Google's core metrics.
All of this can easily sound intimidating, but with a bit of research and some practice, it quickly becomes routine. Like all other side hustles on this list, you can acquire the needed skills online and through self-study.
When it comes to SEO, you can opt for an online course, but even following a few SEO blogs and going through introductory video series on YouTube will give you a solid basis to work with.
Website Design
Next up, there's website design.
Having an online presence is indispensable for businesses in 2024. Statistics show that a quarter of people won't visit a business if it doesn't have a website. And 90% check out a business' online presence before stopping by in person.
The bottom line? More and more small- to mid-size businesses are looking for people to set up their websites.
If you're on the hunt for a side hustle, this is a major opportunity. In 2024, website design no longer requires writing interminable code in CSS or HTML. Instead, free content management systems like WordPress offer intuitive plugins and drag-and-drop builders like Elementor and Divi.
Plus, there are tons of free resources on YouTube and dedicated blogs to help you learn the basics of website design. After that, it's a question of practice and polishing up your skills with a few trial sites—and then, your first clients.
Freelance Writing and Editing
If you have a way with words and an eye for detail and storytelling, freelance writing and editing is another great side hustle idea for you.
While many people think that AI is completely taking over in this niche, that's not entirely true. For one thing, many high-quality outlets have strict rules against AI-generated content. For another, a lot of this AI content needs extensive post-editing to make it suitable for publication.
Plus, the majority of successful freelance writers have incorporated AI into their workflows rather than competing against it. They use it to structure pieces, help with research, find title ideas, and reformulate paragraphs they struggle with.
Another plus point: freelance writing and editing are some of the side hustle ideas with the lowest entry thresholds. If you're a solid writer and have some portfolio pieces to showcase, you can get started right away.
Video Editing
Finally, rounding out our list of the best side hustle ideas for 2024 is video editing. In online marketing, video content—especially short-form video—is on the upswing. Going further, more and more social media creators on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram have decided to outsource video editing to scale up their content creation and attract more followers.
As a result, there's an increasing demand for video editors online. One caveat: Out of all the side hustles on this list, this is the one that takes a lot of skill and the most experience before you can get started.
However, if you're familiar with software like DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, or Final Cut and have a passion for editing and a knack for pacing, cuts, and animations, video editing is a great side hustle option for you.
Conclusion
When you're picking a side hustle to make an extra income in 2024, you need to assess your own skills and interests. Are you a pro at juggling numbers? A passionate writer? Or has making video edits of your favorite shows long been a hobby of yours? Reflect where your strengths lie, study up, and you're all set to start making money.
