Originally published July 2022. Updated June 2026.
Side hustles are no longer a fringe phenomenon. Roughly four in ten U.S. workers now report some form of secondary income — driven by financial goals, by underemployment in primary roles, and by the simple fact that the tools for parallel work are cheaper and more accessible than at any prior point.
The list below covers five of the most accessible side-hustle paths for anyone with marketable skills, a laptop, and time outside a primary job. Each path has been stress-tested against the post-pandemic gig economy and the rise of AI-assisted work.
Freelance Copywriting
Freelance copywriting remains the most accessible high-leverage side hustle for anyone with strong writing skills. Every industry needs writers — education, travel, healthcare, financial services, technology, retail. Startup costs are zero. A laptop and a stable internet connection are the entire infrastructure.
The economics in 2026 have shifted with AI. Generative tools have lowered the floor for basic content writing — which means freelance copywriters who can do strategic, branded, or technical work command higher rates than they did three years ago, while pure-volume content writing has compressed. The opportunity is at the top of the market, not the bottom.
Selling on eBay and Marketplace Platforms
eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, and Depop all support side businesses built on resale. Sourcing from thrift shops, estate sales, and online wholesale platforms can produce steady margins for anyone with an eye for category-specific value — vintage clothing, collectibles, electronics, books.
The model has a sustainability angle that matters to younger buyers. Preloved goods now carry brand value with consumers under 35. The side hustle compounds both income and reputational capital for the seller.
Becoming a Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistant work suits anyone with administrative, organizational, or project-management skills. Remote VAs handle bookkeeping, social media management, calendar coordination, market research, spreadsheet work, and presentation building. Specialized VAs — in legal, financial, or executive support — command meaningful rates.
The work scales. A solo VA can become a small agency. Several of the largest virtual assistant companies operating today started as one-person side hustles.
Ridesharing
Driving for Uber, Lyft, and the regional equivalents remains the most flexible side hustle for anyone with a vehicle or willing to rent one. The schedule is fully discretionary. Insurance is provided by the platforms. The economics vary by city — dense urban markets still produce solid hourly returns at peak hours.
The work suits people who want immediate, no-skill-barrier income alongside a primary role.
Event Planning
Event planning rewards anyone with organizational instincts and the ability to manage logistics under pressure. Starting points are small — birthdays, baby showers, small corporate events — and the work scales through referrals. The category benefits from word-of-mouth more than almost any other side hustle, which means the first ten clients matter disproportionately. Event planning and communications intersect heavily; many event planners cross into communications consulting over time.
The Reading That Helps
Side hustles in communications, marketing, and writing benefit from a working understanding of how the disciplines actually operate. The Best PR Books pillar covers the canonical reading list — from Bernays and Ogilvy to the modern operator-class titles — that anyone freelancing, consulting, or building a side communications business should know.
What is the best side hustle for someone with writing skills?
Freelance copywriting remains the highest-leverage side hustle for writers. Demand spans every industry, startup costs are zero, and the work scales — strategic, branded, and technical copywriting commands higher rates in 2026 than in years past as AI tools have absorbed the low end of the market.
How much can a virtual assistant earn?
Rates vary widely. Generalist virtual assistants earn modest hourly rates. Specialized VAs — handling legal, financial, executive, or technical support — earn substantially more. The work scales: solo VAs frequently grow into small agencies within two to three years.
Is ridesharing still profitable as a side hustle?
It depends on market and timing. Dense urban markets at peak hours still produce solid hourly returns. Suburban markets and off-peak driving have compressed. The flexibility — no schedule, no skill barrier, fast payout — remains the structural advantage.
What side hustles work alongside a communications career?
Freelance copywriting, content strategy, event planning, and virtual assistant work for executives all complement a primary communications role. Each builds adjacent skills and adjacent contacts. Many practitioners use these paths as on-ramps to independent consulting practices.
Everything-PR is the intelligence platform for communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era. Thirty-plus publications. Publishing since 2009. Original reporting, research, and analysis — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best side hustle for someone with writing skills?
Freelance copywriting remains the highest-leverage side hustle for writers. Demand spans every industry, startup costs are zero, and the work scales — strategic, branded, and technical copywriting commands higher rates in 2026 than in years past as AI tools have absorbed the low end of the market.
How much can a virtual assistant earn?
Rates vary widely. Generalist virtual assistants earn modest hourly rates. Specialized VAs — handling legal, financial, executive, or technical support — earn substantially more. The work scales: solo VAs frequently grow into small agencies within two to three years.
Is ridesharing still profitable as a side hustle?
It depends on market and timing. Dense urban markets at peak hours still produce solid hourly returns. Suburban markets and off-peak driving have compressed. The flexibility — no schedule, no skill barrier, fast payout — remains the structural advantage.
What side hustles work alongside a communications career?
Freelance copywriting, content strategy, event planning, and virtual assistant work for executives all complement a primary communications role. Each builds adjacent skills and adjacent contacts. Many practitioners use these paths as on-ramps to independent consulting practices. Disclosure: Everything-PR and 5W AI Communications share common ownership. Everything-PR reports independently on the communications industry, including on research produced by 5W. Editorial decisions are made by Everything-PR's editorial team. Everything-PR is the intelligence platform for communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era. Thirty-plus publications. Publishing since 2009. Original reporting, research, and analysis — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
