Side Hustle statistics
66 statistics · 21 primary sources · data as of November 2026
Every figure below links to the institution that published it. Each was opened and checked by a human editor.
Section 01
34% of Americans had a side hustle in late 2020; 24% (61.1 million) planned to start one in 2021; 67% of current side hustlers started within the past 3 years
Zapier side hustle report (Harris Poll) · 2020 · Harris Poll online survey, n=2,001 U.S. adults (696 with side hustle), fielded 2020-12-21 to 12-23 · source
29% of U.S. adults said that in the past 6 months their family needed a second job or source of income, such as gig work or a side hustle
SSRS Economic Attitudes Survey Wave 4 topline (ECON9) · 2025 · SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus (probability-based ABS+RDD panel), n=1,033, fielded 2025-10-16 to 10-19, MoE ±3.5pp · source
25% of U.S. adults said they or someone in their household took on another job or another source of income, such as gig work or a side hustle, in the past 6 months
SSRS Economic Attitudes Survey Wave 4 topline · 2025 · SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus (probability-based), n=1,030, fielded 2025-08-01 to 08-04, MoE ±3.5pp · source
28% of skilled U.S. knowledge workers — roughly 20 million people — freelanced or worked independently in 2024
The Future Workforce Index 2025 · 2024 · n=3,000 skilled U.S. knowledge workers, fielded 2024-12 to 2025-02, MoE ±1.8pp; ~20M extrapolated via BLS occupation data · source
About 33 million people (17.3% of workers) engaged in some form of self-employment in 2019, operating 31.5 million nonemployer businesses
CES Working Paper 25-60: Business Owners and the Self-Employed · 2019 · Linked IRS 1040 Schedule C / Schedule SE tax records · source
57% of current side hustlers have two or more side hustles (44% have two, 9% three, 4% four or more)
The Penny Hoarder 2026 side hustle survey · 2026 · Pollfish mobile survey, n=1,000 U.S. adults screened to currently earn side income, fielded 2026-02, post-stratified · source
19% of UK professionals already have a second job or side hustle, and 30% are considering starting one
Robert Walters side hustle poll · 2025 · Robert Walters poll of UK professionals (sample size not stated in release) · source
59.5% of surveyed U.S. adults said they currently have a side hustle — an opt-in online sample that likely overestimates the population rate
Self Financial U.S. side hustle statistics survey · 2026 · Online survey, n=1,001 U.S. adults, fielded 2026-06 · source
Section 02
Side hustlers earn an average of $885 per month in 2025
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · YouGov, n=2,616 (699 side hustlers) · source
Median side-hustle income is just $200 per month, with 58% of side hustlers earning over $100/month, 25% over $500/month and 14% over $1,000/month
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · YouGov, n=2,616 (699 side hustlers) · source
In 2024 the average side hustler made $891 a month, up from $810 in 2023
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2024 · 2024 · Bankrate 2024 survey as reported by USA Today Network (Beacon Journal) · source
Side hustlers earn an average of $1,242 per month in 2026, up from $1,215 in 2025 and $473 in 2022
LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2026 · 2026 · QuestionPro, n=2,049, fielded 2026-03 · source
In the 2025 LendingTree survey the median monthly side-hustle earnings were $400 while the average was $1,215; 71% earned less than $500 per month and 18% earned at least $1,000
LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · LendingTree/QuestionPro, n=1,999, fielded 2025-02 · source
Men report earning more than double what women report from side hustles: an average of $1,580 versus $749 per month (2025 survey)
LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · LendingTree/QuestionPro, n=1,999 · source
In 2024, men with side hustles earned an average of $1,034 a month versus $735 for women
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2024 · 2024 · Bankrate 2024 survey as reported by USA Today Network · source
Skilled U.S. freelance knowledge workers collectively generated $1.5 trillion in earnings in 2024; full-time skilled freelancers earned a median of $85,000 (vs $80,000 for employees), moonlighters an extra $40,000
The Future Workforce Index 2025 · 2024 · n=3,000 skilled knowledge workers; totals extrapolated with BLS data · source
Median monthly side-gig earnings were $1,275 (~$15,000/year) among surveyed side hustlers in 2026 — about a 25% boost on the $62,000 U.S. median household income
The Penny Hoarder 2026 side hustle survey · 2026 · Pollfish, n=1,000 screened current side hustlers, 2026-02 · source
Side hustles bring in an estimated average of $553 per month in the 2026 Self Financial survey, up from $443 in 2025; 39.2% earn less than $250/month and 26.6% earn more than $1,000/month
Self Financial side hustle statistics survey · 2026 · Online survey, n=1,001, fielded 2026-06; 2025 wave n=1,439 (avg $442.76) · source
Average monthly side-hustle earnings rise with age in the 2026 Self Financial survey: $601 (18-29), $525 (30-45), $646 (46-61), $776 (62-80)
Self Financial side hustle statistics survey · 2026 · Online survey, n=1,001 · source
Individual proprietorships in the five nonemployer industries most likely to have gig activity generated approximately $152.6 billion in receipts in 2023
Census Nonemployer Statistics gig economy analysis · 2023 · Nonemployer Statistics built from IRS business income tax records, 2023 reference year · source
Section 03
41% of side hustlers use at least some of their extra income for discretionary spending (up from 37% in 2024 and 27% in 2023), while 35% use some for regular living expenses
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · YouGov, n=2,616 (699 side hustlers) · source
29% of side hustlers think they will always need a side hustle to make ends meet, and 16% want their side hustle to become their main source of income
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · YouGov, n=2,616 (699 side hustlers) · source
61% of side hustlers say their life would be unaffordable without their side-hustle income, unchanged from 61% in 2025; 80% say it improves their quality of life
LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2026 · 2026 · QuestionPro, n=2,049 · source
32% of side hustlers took extra work to keep up with cost-of-living expenses, 32% for discretionary spending or saving, and 25% to cover essential bills; top drivers were the economy (36%) and inflation (31%)
LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2026 · 2026 · QuestionPro, n=2,049 · source
69% of side hustlers would prefer to have one main source of income; 55% of all Americans say they are likely to start a side hustle within the next year
LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2026 · 2026 · QuestionPro, n=2,049 · source
53% of side hustlers would struggle to cover essential expenses without the extra income, and 62% treat side gigs as job-loss insurance
The Penny Hoarder 2026 side hustle survey · 2026 · Pollfish, n=1,000 screened side hustlers, 2026-02 · source
73% of side hustlers say flexibility is the most important factor when choosing a side hustle (39% high earning potential, 39% personal fulfillment)
The Penny Hoarder 2026 side hustle survey · 2026 · Pollfish, n=1,000 screened side hustlers, 2026-02 · source
62.6% of side hustlers rely on the extra money to cover basic costs and 11.1% couldn't pay their regular bills without it
Self Financial side hustle statistics survey · 2026 · Online survey, n=1,001 · source
46% of Americans with a side hustle were motivated to start it by the prospect of creating passive income — the most common reason given
Zapier side hustle report (Harris Poll) · 2020 · Harris Poll, n=2,001 (696 side hustlers), fielded 2020-12 · source
34% of side hustlers say the most important reason for starting was to cover basic living expenses, and 60% cite inflation/rising costs as a major influence
Patriot Software Side Hustle Nation survey · 2025 · Survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who currently have or had a side hustle · source
'Needing the extra income' is the most common reason UK professionals pursue side hustles, cited by 75%
Robert Walters side hustle poll · 2025 · Robert Walters poll of UK professionals · source
Section 04
The most common side-hustle industries in 2025 are online sales (15%) and professional/business services (14%), followed by food delivery and crafts (both 9%); 43% said none of 12 listed industries fit
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · YouGov, n=2,616 (699 side hustlers) · source
Gig economy and on-demand work is the most common side-hustle category in 2026 at 29%, followed by freelance/professional services (26%) and creative/content/media activities (23%)
LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2026 · 2026 · QuestionPro, n=2,049 · source
The most popular side hustles in 2025 were delivering food or groceries (15%), online freelancing (15%) and part-time or seasonal work (14%)
LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · LendingTree/QuestionPro, n=1,999, fielded 2025-02-04 to 02-05 · source
Couriers and messengers was the largest gig-likely nonemployer industry in 2023 with 1,430,708 individual proprietorships, ahead of taxi/limousine (1,355,360) and janitorial (1,072,010)
Census Nonemployer Statistics gig economy analysis · 2023 · Nonemployer Statistics from IRS tax records, 2023 reference year · source
Sole proprietorships make up approximately 86.4% of nonemployer businesses (and 67.8% of all U.S. establishments)
Census Nonemployer Statistics gig economy analysis · 2023 · Nonemployer Statistics from IRS tax records · source
Etsy's marketplaces connected 8.1 million active sellers (5.6 million on the core Etsy marketplace) to 95.5 million active buyers as of December 31, 2024
Etsy 2024 Form 10-K · 2024 · Company operating metrics, FY2024 (SEC filing) · source
eBay enabled $75 billion of GMV in 2024 (49% outside the U.S.) with 134 million active buyers and 2.3 billion live listings; small businesses contributed ~70% of GMV in the U.S./U.K./Germany
eBay 2024 Form 10-K; eBay 2024 Impact Report · 2024 · Company FY2024 disclosures · source
Blogging, affiliate marketing and social media is the most popular side-hustle type in the 2026 Self Financial survey at 23.3%, followed by freelancing (16.4%)
Self Financial side hustle statistics survey · 2026 · Online survey, n=1,001 · source
Gig work such as rideshare and delivery driving was the most common side-hustle category in Self Financial's March 2025 survey at 16.6%, followed by online shops/e-commerce at 13.5%
Self Financial side hustle statistics survey 2025 · 2025 · Online survey, n=1,439 · source
Transportation/delivery (25%) and creative services (25%) tie as the most popular side-hustle categories in 2026, followed by e-commerce at 21%
The Penny Hoarder 2026 side hustle survey · 2026 · Pollfish, n=1,000 screened side hustlers, 2026-02 · source
Section 05
32% of side hustlers dedicate 5-10 hours per week to their hustle and 24% spend 11-15 hours (2026); 37% have kept their hustle for one to two years
LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2026 · 2026 · QuestionPro, n=2,049 · source
45% of side hustlers spent at least 10 hours a week on their hustle in 2025, including 9% who spent more than 20 hours; 19% spent less than 5 hours
LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · LendingTree/QuestionPro, n=1,999, fielded 2025-02-04 to 02-05 · source
The average person with a side gig works an additional 13 hours per week — 676 hours per year, about 17 extra 40-hour work weeks
The Penny Hoarder 2026 side hustle survey · 2026 · Pollfish, n=1,000 screened side hustlers, 2026-02 · source
47.1% of side hustlers spend 5-10 hours per week on their side business, 33.1% spend 11-20 hours, and 6.0% spend less than 5 hours (2026 survey)
Self Financial side hustle statistics survey · 2026 · Online survey, n=1,001 · source
In Self Financial's 2025 wave, the most common time commitment was 5-10 hours per week at 36.2%, and 71.5% work on their side hustle alone
Self Financial side hustle statistics survey 2025 · 2025 · Online survey, n=1,439 · source
50% of full-time-employed side hustlers spend more than 10 hours a week on their side gig, pushing total work weeks past 50 hours; nearly 70% of all side hustlers put in 5-20 hours per week
Patriot Software Side Hustle Nation survey · 2025 · Survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who currently have or had a side hustle · source
Side-hustle income accounts for less than 10% of total income for 28% of side hustlers and 10-24% for another 28% (2026)
LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2026 · 2026 · QuestionPro, n=2,049 · source
37.6% of side hustlers say their side hustle makes up 21-40% of their total monthly income (30.9% say 0-20%)
Self Financial side hustle statistics survey · 2026 · Online survey, n=1,001 · source
Among UK professionals with a second job, 43% work at it virtually every day, and 25% dedicate 10-20 hours per week to it — total work weeks of up to 67.5 hours
Robert Walters side hustle poll · 2025 · Robert Walters poll of UK professionals · source
65% of side hustlers report experiencing burnout at least sometimes; only one in 10 never experience burnout
The Penny Hoarder 2026 side hustle survey · 2026 · Pollfish, n=1,000 screened side hustlers, 2026-02 · source
Section 06
34% of Gen Zers (ages 18-28) and 31% of millennials (29-44) have a side hustle, versus 23% of Gen Xers and 22% of baby boomers (2025)
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · YouGov, n=2,616 · source
48% of Gen Zers (18-27) had a side hustle in 2024, versus 44% of millennials, 33% of Gen Xers and 23% of baby boomers
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2024 · 2024 · Bankrate 2024 survey as reported by USA Today Network · source
45% of millennials (30-45) had a side hustle in 2026, down from 50% in 2025 and 55% in 2022; Gen Z fell to 43% from 57% in 2025 and 62% in 2022
LendingTree Side Hustle Surveys 2025-2026 · 2026 · QuestionPro, n=2,049 (2026 wave) · source
Parents with children under 18 are more likely to have a side hustle (34%) than non-parents (28%) and parents of adult children (23%)
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · YouGov, n=2,616 · source
Post-graduate degree holders are most likely to have a side hustle at 32%, versus 30% of four-year degree holders and 23% of those with a high school diploma or less
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · YouGov, n=2,616 · source
Majorities of millennial (61%), Gen X (63%) and baby boomer (59%) side hustlers earn over $100 per month, versus 45% of Gen Zers (2025)
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · YouGov, n=2,616 (699 side hustlers) · source
42% of Black side hustlers use their side-hustle income for regular expenses and 39% say they need it to make ends meet
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2025 · 2025 · YouGov, n=2,616 (699 side hustlers) · source
38% of men versus 33% of women had a side hustle in 2024
Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2024 · 2024 · Bankrate 2024 survey as reported by USA Today Network · source
51% of remote workers have generated additional income while working their primary job — 58% of men versus 42% of women
LendingTree Work-From-Home survey · 2025 · QuestionPro, n=2,000 U.S. consumers (450+ remote workers), fielded 2025-05-01 to 05-06 · source
In Self Financial's 2025 wave, baby boomer side hustlers (61-79) averaged $441 per month versus $112 for millennials (29-44)
Self Financial side hustle statistics survey 2025 · 2025 · Online survey, n=1,439 · source
37% of skilled freelancers hold post-graduate degrees versus 20% of full-time employees; 78% of skilled freelancers are satisfied with their pay versus 64% of employees
The Future Workforce Index 2025 · 2024 · n=3,000 skilled knowledge workers, fielded 2024-12 to 2025-02 · source
statfern. "Side Hustle Statistics 2026." Published 2026-11-13. https://statfern.com/side-hustle-statistics/
The primary sources behind this report. We link to the page where each figure appears.
| 01 | Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2025 | YouGov online panel, n=2,616 U.S. adults (699 with side hustle), fielded 2025-06-02 to 06-04 | View source → |
| 02 | LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2026 | QuestionPro online survey, n=2,049, fielded 2026-03-03 to 03-06 | View source → |
| 03 | LendingTree Side Hustle Survey 2025 | QuestionPro online survey, n=1,999, fielded 2025-02-04 to 02-05 | View source → |
| 04 | Zapier side hustle report 2022 | Zapier-commissioned survey | View source → |
| 05 | Zapier side hustle report (Harris Poll) | Harris Poll online survey, n=2,001 U.S. adults (696 with side hustle), fielded 2020-12-21 to 12-23 | View source → |
| 06 | SSRS Economic Attitudes Survey Wave 4 topline (ECON9) | SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus (probability-based ABS+RDD panel), n=1,033, fielded 2025-10-16 to 10-19, MoE ±3.5pp | View source → |
| 07 | SSRS Economic Attitudes Survey Wave 4 topline | SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus (probability-based), n=1,030, fielded 2025-08-01 to 08-04, MoE ±3.5pp | View source → |
| 08 | The Future Workforce Index 2025 | n=3,000 skilled U.S. knowledge workers, fielded 2024-12 to 2025-02, MoE ±1.8pp; ~20M extrapolated via BLS occupation data | View source → |
| 09 | CES Working Paper 25-60: Business Owners and the Self-Employed | Linked IRS 1040 Schedule C / Schedule SE tax records | View source → |
| 10 | The Penny Hoarder 2026 side hustle survey | Pollfish mobile survey, n=1,000 U.S. adults screened to currently earn side income, fielded 2026-02, post-stratified | View source → |
| 11 | Robert Walters side hustle poll | Robert Walters poll of UK professionals (sample size not stated in release) | View source → |
| 12 | Self Financial U.S. side hustle statistics survey | Online survey, n=1,001 U.S. adults, fielded 2026-06 | View source → |
| 13 | Bankrate Side Hustle Survey 2024 | Bankrate 2024 survey as reported by USA Today Network (Beacon Journal) | View source → |
| 14 | Self Financial side hustle statistics survey | Online survey, n=1,001, fielded 2026-06; 2025 wave n=1,439 (avg $442.76) | View source → |
| 15 | Census Nonemployer Statistics gig economy analysis | Nonemployer Statistics built from IRS business income tax records, 2023 reference year | View source → |
| 16 | Patriot Software Side Hustle Nation survey | Survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who currently have or had a side hustle | View source → |
| 17 | Etsy 2024 Form 10-K | Company operating metrics, FY2024 (SEC filing) | View source → |
| 18 | eBay 2024 Form 10-K; eBay 2024 Impact Report | Company FY2024 disclosures | View source → |
| 19 | Self Financial side hustle statistics survey 2025 | Online survey, n=1,439 | View source → |
| 20 | LendingTree Side Hustle Surveys 2025-2026 | QuestionPro, n=2,049 (2026 wave) | View source → |
| 21 | LendingTree Work-From-Home survey | QuestionPro, n=2,000 U.S. consumers (450+ remote workers), fielded 2025-05-01 to 05-06 | View source → |
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