42 easy ways to make extra money in Australia

Looking to make some extra cash or just make the most of your spare time? There are heaps of jobs that need weekend workers or an extra set of hands now and then, and a lot of fantastic opportunities for you to start your own side hustle in ten minutes.

If you're looking for some extra work, or considering starting a part-time side hustle on top of your main income, it’s important to consider how you're going to fit it in to your life and day job.

Have fun!

Work is important, but so are your family, friends and a healthy work/life balance. The challenges you’ll be facing starting a second job will be there tomorrow, and the day after, so make sure to give yourself time to just enjoy life and the people you care about.

Don’t compete with your first job

If you think you’ve spotted a business opportunity from knowledge you’ve gained in your first position, make sure you consider whether you'll be competing with your employer. Many employment contracts have non-compete clauses or prohibit you using insider information outside of the company. If you're not sure, check your contract or ask your HR Manager.

Give yourself credit

Trying to add to your full time work load - whether that’s starting a second business, a gig in the share economy, or more hours at another job - is going to be tough. Don’t beat yourself up if you find it hard or struggle at times! Give yourself a pat on the back for challenging yourself.

Don’t let your main job slip

Your full-time position is your most important and is likely going to be the one that's generating the majority of your income. Don’t unintentionally deprioritise your job by focusing on your new and shiny second position.

42 ways to earn extra money

Rent out your car

Got a car that sits around by the kerb or in your driveway most of the time? Uber Carshare lets you rent it out to people in your community when you’re not using it. All bookings include damage and loss cover and 24/7 roadside assistance, and drivers are screened with ID and credit history checks.

It only takes a few minutes to list your car, and you can manage it quickly and easily through the app or website.

Andy has made $40,000 sharing his unused van on Uber Carshare. Renting your car out is a great way to offset the cost of car ownership and cut your car's costs.

Learn more about renting out your car

Participate in focus groups

Market research companies run focus groups on behalf of their clients and will pay you to share your thoughts on a new product or give your opinions on certain topics. You can get paid from $50 to hundreds of dollars per session depending on the length of the interview or survey, and some focus groups are conducted online or over the phone from the comfort of your own couch. Register with a service like Askable or Paid Focus Groups to get opportunities delivered right to your inbox.

Sell your extra stuff

Gumtree estimates that 89% of Aussie have unwanted items in their home that could make their household over $5,000. Services like Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and Ebay make it easier than ever to sell your unwanted items. A few hours clearing out your wardrobe or garage, photographing your unwanted items and writing a quick description could be a Saturday afternoon very well spent.

Tips for selling pre-loved belongings:

• Write a clear and accurate description - give a brief history of the item and why you're selling it, describe its condition and highlight any damage or signs of wear
• Take plenty of good photos - having clear photos that show your item from multiple angles will increase your chances of making a sale as you'll give buyers the best chance of imagining the item in their own home
• Set a fair price - take a look at how other similar items are priced and try to be competitive
• Be responsive - if you get a message from an interested buyer, respond as soon as you can for your best chances of closing the sale

Deliver burgers to hungry people

You can use a bike, motorbike, car or scooter to deliver for Ubereats, Deliveroo or Menulog. These jobs are really flexible: you decide when and how much you work. Food delivery is an easy way to earn extra money because there is a high demand for it in evenings - times that are typically free if you work 9-5.

Be an on-demand courier

If you'd rather deliver goods than food register on Zoom2u as an on demand courier. You can use a bike, motorbike, car, ute, van or truck to deliver parcels across Australia. Once you've register, you'll receive notifications of jobs that might suit you. Accept the ones that suit you, drop off the parcels, and get paid for your time.

Be a secret shopper

If you enjoy shopping, this may be the best weekend job you’ll ever have! Mystery shoppers or secret shoppers go to different stores and report back to the company on the service they received. You need to have a good memory and great writing skills: you'll be asked to remember everything about the experience (including the name of the person who served you, how you were greeted, and how long it took to be served) and write up a report, usually within 24 hours.

Sign up with a mystery shopping agency like Retail Mystery Shopping Australia or The Realise Group to get on the list of potential shoppers. You may be contacted for a short phone interview before you get approved and offered jobs. It probably won't be regular work, but it’s an easy way to earn a bit of extra cash now and again.

Get paid to look at websites

Companies often need everyday people to test out a new feature or website and provide their feedback on how easy it is to use. You can do as much or as little as you like, at times and places that suit you. Sign up to UserTesting to get alerts when new jobs are available. Most jobs take about 20 minutes, and you'll be paid $10USD for every 20 minute test. It's not a huge sum, but it's a better use of your time than mindlessly scrolling Instagram for 20 minutes!

Distribute flyers

Plenty of companies and events need people to hand out flyers in busy areas like train stations, or do a letterbox drop in a particular area. It can involve a lot of walking or standing outside for several hours in all weather. The hours vary depending on what you're promoting, so you can pick and choose the jobs that suit you. If you're doing face-to-face flyering, you'll need to know a little about what you're promoting to be able to answer questions from the public, and be friendly and enthusiastic about the product or event. You'll be paid either by the hour or by the number of flyers distributed. It might not be the most interesting work, but it's a pretty easy way to get a few hours work without needing to give up your entire weekend.

You can register with a flyering company like Salmat or look for flyer distributor jobs advertised on sites like Seek, Gumtree and Airtasker.

Share your home

If you've got a spare bedroom or granny flat, you can list it on a site like Airbnb, Stayz or Homestay as accommodation for travellers. The extra cash could be really helpful in offsetting your rent or mortgage repayments. If you're renting, check your lease or ask your real estate agent first as you might need permission from your landlord.

Getting started is quick and simple: just write a description of your place and upload some attractice photos of the space guests will be staying in. You can set your own rates and the dates your place is available for bookings. There's a bit of time involved in fielding questions from potential guests, meeting guests to check them in and out, and cleaning the room after each booking. If you enjoy meeting new people and don't mind a bit of admin and laundry, sharing your space is a great way to make use of a spare room that would otherwise be wasted.

Rent out your extra space

Got a parking space or garage you don't use? Even if you just have an extra cupboard, spare room, or some space in a shed or attic, you can rent it out through Spacer and let a neighbour who's short on space pay you to park their car or store their stuff at your place.

If you live out of the city and have a big backyard or land with nice views, you can rent it out for travellers to use as a camp site through Youcamp. You can set what amenities you provide (like toilets or bathrooms), or ask guests to be self-contained. Many caravans have bathroom facilities on board, so all you need to do is provide a nice, safe place for holiday-makers to set up camp.

Work at a market stall

Farmers' and craft markets are typically held on weekends and stallholders often need people to help with setting up their stalls, selling their wares and packing everying all up at the end of the day. You can expect to have an early start and a long day, and you'll need to be friendly and have good customer service skills. To get started, search for stall holder jobs in sites like Gumtree and Airtasker.

Become a barista

Australians love their coffee and if you can master the art of making a perfect flat white, you’ll always be able to find work as a barista. Weekends are the busiest times for a lot of cafes, and many need an extra pair hands on Saturdays and Sundays. If you've got barista skills or you're keen to learn, pop in to some of your local cafes and see if they need any help.

Some cafes might be happy to train you on the job, but most will be looking for people who already know their way around a commercial coffee machine. If you don't already have barista experience you can do a one-day course for $100-$150 to get you started. If it ends up landing you a weekend job, it will be money well spent! Look for courses near you at Coffee School, or search for barista classes on Class Bento.

Walk some pooches

Being a dog walker is a great way to earn some extra cash while also getting a bit of exercise. Plus you get to hang out with some cute puppers! Put out an ad on Gumtree or sign up with MadPaws to list your services. Professional dog walkers charge from around $20 per dog per hour.

Crafting on Etsy

If you enjoy crafts, starting an Etsy store is great way to turn your hobby into a side job. Just take some photos of your crafts, write descriptions, and set up a store on Etsy. Etsy manage all the payments so it's simple and secure, and the funds from your sales will be deposited into your bank account. You don't pay any monthly fees to open a shop on the standard plan, but you'll pay a listing fee of about 30c per item. When you make a sale, Etsy take a 5% transaction fee and a 3-4% payment processing fee.

You can do as much or as little work as you like, but the more stock you have available the more you'll be able to sell and the more repeat customers you'll have. To be successful, it's worth putting some extra time into taking high quality photos that really show off your creations, and writing detailed descriptions that highlight the love and effort you put in to your work. Etsy shoppers are looking for unique, hand made items, so tell your story and build a personal connection with buyers.

Rent out a caravan or campervan

If you have a caravan or RV, you'll know how much they cost to buy and run, and how much time they spend sitting around your place doing nothing. When you aren't hitting the open road yourself, list your caravan on Camplify to rent it out to other holiday-makers. You'll be making a bit of money towards your next holiday and helping a neighbour experience the joys of caravaning for less.

Become an Airtasker

You can earn money doing just about anything on Airtasker. From copy writing to graphic design, cleaning, DIY help, gardening, cooking, photography or running errands, you can pick up tasks helping your neighbours get things done and earn some extra cash for your time and effort. Once you've set up a profile, browse for tasks you can complete and make an offer. Payments are all handled by Airtasker, so once you complete a task you'll be paid right in to your bank account.

Be a brand ambassador

Ever been walking down the street and seen a very smiley person offering you free can of a new soft drink or a snack bar? These people are called “brand ambassadors” and you can find these jobs advertised on sites like Seek, Gumtree and Airtasker.

This can be tiring work because you'll be required to be outgoing and friendly, interact with as many passers by as you can, and work on your feet for several hours. Brands are looking for bubbly people with lots of energy and the ability to build rapport with strangers quickly. If you enjoy meeting new people, this could be a fun few hours of work.

Join a wedding band

If you can sing or play an instrument, look for positions in existing wedding bands. As weddings are genrally on the weekend, this is an easy gig to balance with another job or study. The advantage of joining an existing band is that the hard work of getting established and promoting the band has already been done. Look on Gumtree for bands needing someone with your skills, or ask around among your muso friends. You'll probably need to do an audition and it's a good idea to prepare by learning popular wedding and dance songs.

Translator

If you speak a second language, consider working as a translator. You can often work from home, so it's really flexible. You might be translating flyers or website content, or translating over the phone for a business or public service. You can also work towards becoming a specialist translator, which means you have specialist subject knowledge, for example in medical or legal fields. Specialist translators tend to be higher paid, so it's a great way to combine your language and specialist skills and maximise your income.

You can look for one-off translation jobs in sites like Airtasker, sign up with a translation service like Gengo or Unabel to be alerted when new jobs come up, or register with a company like Oncall or the Australian Government's Translating and Interpreting Service if you're able to accept phone translation jobs at a moment's notice.

Nanny or babysitter

If you’re good with kids, advertise your services as a babysitter or nanny. This could be one-off, casual work or regular work with the same family. Depending on the age of the kids in the family, you could be picking them up from school and driving them to after school activities, or just sitting with them in the afternoons or nights while they're parents are out.

You can advertise your services yourself, but signing up with a service like Sittr is a quick and easy way to get started. You'll need a Working with Children Check valid in your state, a First Aid Certificate and photo ID for identity verification. Once your profile is set up, parents can find you and send you job requests through the app. Accept the jobs that suit you, and you'll be paid right into your bank account as soon as the job is completed.

Fundraising

Charities often need people to source new donations for them, by either calling people or standing on the street and talking to passers-by. This is generally casual work, and depending on the organisation the hours may be flexible. You'll need to be passionate, friendly and able to build a connection with prospective donors quickly. The job is one of the harder ones on this list as you’ll need to be prepared for some rejection, but if you're raising money for a cause you believe in it could also be one of the most rewarding. Look for fundraiser jobs on sites like Seek and Ethical Jobs.

Day labourer

They say it’s a good sign of a city when there are cranes everywhere, and boy do we have a lot of those in major Australian cities! Day labouring is hard work but it comes with an attractive hourly rate and for most roles you'll be employed casually, so you can negotiate the shifts that work for you. Have a look at online job sites like Seek for laborer jobs. Many of them don't require any experience, but if you have specialist skills you can earn a bit more.

Computer skills trainer

If you can send emails and know how to permanently delete files from your hard drive, there is a lot of easy work available assisting with basic computer skills for retirees and the not-so-technically-savvy. Many older people want to become more confident with technology so they can stay in touch with family and friends and access online services. Get in touch with a service like ReadyTechGo in Melbourne to see if they have any opportunities, advertise your services on Gumtree, or create a basic computer skills course on a site like Udemy or Skillshare.

Service station attendant

It's not the most glamorous job, but many petrol stations are open 24/7, which means there is no shortage of weekend and evening work available. You'll need good customer service skills and be happy working independently, especially you take an overnight shift. The bonus is that most of these roles are casual so you'll have some flexibility around when and how often you work. Take a look on Seek for service station attendant roles.

Stadium worker

If you have a sports team you really like, you might be able to get paid to work at their games! You won’t be able to sit and watch, but you’ll get to soak in the atmosphere (and get paid while doing it). Once you get on the books for a particular venue, you'll likely be offered fairly regular work at sporting matches, concerts and other events. These are often weekend or night time roles, so can be fit in around a day job and they tend to come with a generous hourly rate. Jobs are generally advertised by the venue themselves, so check the website of a major stadium or arena near you to see what opportunities are available.

Be a model

If you’ve got it, flaunt it - and luckily we all have it! Many art schools need models for life drawing classes. It’s worth noting that a lot of these are nude models, so make sure you confirm the expectations and you're comfortable with the job before you accept!

You don't need to have the physique of an athlete – art students are looking to hone their skills in drawing bodies of all shapes and sizes and they aren't there to judge your appearance. You'll need to pose in front of a group of artists, and you might be asked to position yourself in a few different ways throughout the class. You won't be touched and only the students and teacher will be in the room. Classes can last for a few hours, so be prepared to pose for up to half a day and for up to 20 or 30 minutes in the same position.

Life modelling jobs are sometimes advertised on job sites, but it's a good idea to apply directly with art colleges to make sure the jobs are reputable. You may need to audition before you'll be given the job, but you don't need to have any specific experience or skills to get started.

Work at the movies

If you love movies, this is the job for you. Many cinemas will offer super discounted tickets to their staff as a perk. With the weekends and evening being primetime for moviegoers, you’ll likely be able to find enough work on the weekend for your needs. Having customer service experience will help you land one of these coveted postions, which you can find advertised on each cinema's website.

Wedding photographer

Weddings are a multi-billion-dollar business for a reason. If you can build up a good reputation as a photographer, your word-of-mouth referrals will be enough to keep you busy! You'll need to have very strong photography and editing skills, plus access to the right cameras and lenses to take photos in all conditions.

If you already have the experience and the gear, get a portfolio of your work together and advertise your services on wedding directory sites like Easy Weddings or Wedshed. You might need to offer discounts and do jobs for family and friends while you build up your portfolio, but once you're established you can put your rates up. If you're more of an intermediate photographer, contact established wedding photographers and see if they need an assistant. You won't get a huge cut of the cheque, but it's a great way to build experience and learn from a pro before you head out on your own.

Tutoring

Students of all ages often need tutoring: from primary school students all the way through to university students. You'll need to have a solid understanding of your subject matter, and many parents and students will want to know that you got good results in the subject yourself so be prepared to prove your worth. You'll also need to be organised and reliable, and it helps if you have access to extra resources that the student might not have seen already.

You can sign up with a tutoring agency who will take care of all the promotion and admin and assign you suitable jobs near you. Search for 'tutoring agency [your city]' to see if any are accepting new tutors. Alternatively you can advertise your services yourself, on a site like Gumtree or in local school newsletters or uni noticeboards.

Grow your own succulents

Succulents are on trend at the moment. Who doesn't love a cute spiky plant growing in a glass mason jar? Succulents are really easy to grow, and you can sell them on Facebook Marketplace or Etsy, or by setting up a stall at your local farmers' market.

To get started, you'll need to buy a few succulent plants from your local nursery. Once they're established you can propegate them really easily from cuttings to create a never-ending succulent source - here are some simple instructions for growing succulents from cuttings. When you have a good supply ready to sell, you can plant them individually in small jars or pots (the more rustic the better!) or try a more elaborate arrangement in a terrarium.



Teach a class

Got a special skill or specialise subject? Contact your local council about teaching a class at your local community center or library. You can charge for admission and teach anything from painting to yoga, computer skills, a language or cooking.

If you have a bit more time on hand, put the effort in to preparing an online course that you can deliver on Udemy or Skillshare. It's a larger upfront time investment, but once the course is up and running there's nothing more for you to do: people can enrol and take it at their own pace and you'll be paid every time someone registers for your course. You can run a course on everything from creative writing to search engine optimisation.

Run a face painting stall

Practice a few classic face painting designs – like butterflies, lions and Spiderman – before booking a stall at a local market or event. If you don’t have a market nearby, check with your local council if you can set up on the weekend at a park. You'll need to be comfortable chatting with kids and adults and willing to sit outside for a whole day. You can charge a few dollars per child, which over the course of a whole day can add up to a tidy sum!

Run a cleaning business

You don’t need much more than some decent cleaning products, a bucket, mop and a vacuum to get going as a mobile cleaning business. Offering your services for general household cleaning is a very achievable way to start your business without a huge cost. Airtasker is a great way to pick up quick cleaning jobs, and if you do a good job you might even end up with a regular client. Once you've got a few jobs and good reviews under your belt, you shouldn't have any trouble getting work.

Farm work

It's physically hard work and you'll be out in the sun all day, but with some experience you can make decent money picking fruit or as a general farm hand. This is a great weekend job that doesn’t require customer service skills. Farm work is very seasonal, so you'll need to be organised and start looking for jobs well ahead of the summer season. Look on sites like Harvest Trail or Fruit Picking Jobs for available positions.

Sell your home-cooked meals and treats

These days there is a market for busy families who want quality home-cooked food but don't have the time to cook themselves every day. Advertise your services online or offer your food on FoodSt for other locals to order. If you can't service on-demand orders, approach some local cafes to ask if they would be interested in selling your home-baked cakes or biscuits. Getting regular orders from cafes makes it easier to plan your baking workload and gives you a more reliable income stream.

To run a home-based food business, you may need to get a Food Safety Supervisor Certificate, and you'll need to let your local council know and ensure your kitchen meets the requirements under the Food Standards Code.



Become a bartender

Unsurprisingly, Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest periods for bars. Not only will you be able to earn some extra cash, but if you enjoy going out on your weekends, this is a way to reduce the money you’re spending on drinks and dinners while still getting to be a part of the nightlife! Bartender jobs are advertised on sites like Seek, and many don't require prior experience. You'll need to have good customer service skills and have a Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate.

Take visitors on a tour of your city

Know your city inside out and want to share its hidden gems with visitors? Look on Seek for tour guide jobs, or if you have a niche interest set up your own business. Most tour guides either charge a flat rate up front, or ask their guests to pay what they think it's worth at the end of the tour.

If you have a particular interest you can offer specialist tours, like street art tours, chocolate tours, architecture tours or nature tours. There's a fair bit of admin involved in setting up your own business, but once you're up and running you can run tours just at times that suit you.

Be a language conversation assistant

For anyone learning a second language, practising spoken skills is one of the hardest and most important parts of becoming confident. If you're a native speaker or very fluent, one of the most valuable tools you have is your understanding of colloquial terms and subtle pronunciation errors. Help a language student improve their spoken skills by spending an hour or two conversing with them and providing feedback on their accent and sentence construction.

Many schools, universities and language schools are looking for fluent speakers to help their students. Particularly if it's a language school for adults, this work can be during the evening or on weekends so it doesn't have to interfere with your 9-5 job. Look for laguage assistant jobs advertised on sites like Seek, contact a language school directly, or advertise your services privately on Gumtree.

Be a professional house-sitter

This is one of the easiest side hustles out there: stay at someone's house, watering their plants and taking care of pets while they go away on holidays. Depending on the arrangement, you may get paid per day or you may do the job in exchange for free accommodation. If you build a good reputation, you could get enough jobs to make house sitting your permanent accommodation arrangement and say goodbye to rent payments for good!

To get started, create a profile on a site like MadPaws, Mind A Home or TrustedHousesitters.

Put your social media skills to good use

They say it takes 10,000 hours to be really good at something. How long have you spent training your social media skills? Many small companies don’t have the resources to hire someone full time to manage their social media, so if you understand the different platforms and how to maximise reach and engagement consider setting yourself up as a freelance social media consultant. Once you're established you'll be able to pick and choose the jobs that suit you and work your own hours.

You'll need to have some good experience on your portfolio, so offer your services for free or at a discount to friends who have a small business or other small businesses you know. If you don't have much professional social media experience, consider doing some training to boost your credentials. Social media training companies like The Digital Picnic offer in-person and online training for a few hundred dollars. It's a big upfront investment, but the freelance social media space is very competitive and until you have plenty of experience to speak to, some training could give you the edge. Once you've got a few clients and testimonials under your belt you can start advertising your services and getting some fully paid gigs.

Be a personal sport coach

If you've played any sport at a decent level, you could be a private sport coach for students or adults wanting to improve their skills. Depending on your sport, you might need a certification (like an AUSTSWIM Teacher Licence for swimming) and if you're working with children you'll need a Working With Children Check valid in your state. Having other relevant qualifications, like personal training or sports science, would give you an edge but your previous success in the sport should speak for itself.

You could set up your own business and advertise your services or register with a service like Coachable, Playbook or FindMyCoach.

Give your typing muscles a workout as a transcriptionist

Plenty of journalists and marketers need people to type out recordings of interviews, focus groups, or market research sessions. This is generally really flexible work: you can do it from anywhere and as long as you can meet your deadline, at a time that suits you.

You don't need any experience to get started, but you'll need to be able to show you're up for the job. If you register as a transcription service like Rev, you'll need to take a quiz to show your language and grammar skills and do a short sample task before you can start getting jobs. If you know another language you can earn more by offering translation services as well.

Save money to make money

And finally, the very best way to enjoy more dollars in your pocket might be the most simple of all. Spend less. Of course, this isn’t always easy. See what money-saving expert Joel Gibson has to say, with his top 20 must-know, easy-to-do, no-BS money saving tips, including how to save money on your mobile phone plan.

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