Boost your income in 2025 with these popular US side hustles

According to Google Trends, interest in side hustles peaks at the start of each year, coinciding with the ‘new year, new me’ mindset as we look to set fresh goals (which often include financial aspirations).

But how exactly are Americans cashing in during their spare time, and what are the best ways to earn an extra income?

A study by web hosting company Hostinger revealed that the most in-demand side hustles in the US are for virtual assistant and delivery driver roles, followed by e-commerce ventures.

Georgia residents show the most interest in virtual assistant jobs - paying an average base salary of $26.76 per hour - while those living in Massachusetts prefer delivery driving to supplement their income. This can include anything from long-distance trucking to making local deliveries.

To identify the most popular side hustles and the states with the highest demand, Hostinger gathered search volume data using a number of keywords that people commonly type into Google. This data was then adjusted per capita to show interest levels per 100,000 people.

Here are the top ten side hustles worth considering in 2025, ordered by popularity:

Virtual assistant

Delivery driver

E-commerce

Creative writing

Online surveys

Dog walking

Tutoring

Pet sitting

Rideshare driver

Rent car/home

Side hustles have become part of the modern work landscape, with over half of Americans (54%) supplementing their primary income, working an average of 11-16 hours per week on their side job, and bringing in an average of $891 a month - an increase of $81 compared to 2023.

But despite the additional revenue stream, four in ten Americans (44%) say they still feel “financially insecure”.

Hostinger’s research revealed the states with the greatest interest in the top ten side hustles are:

Delaware

Rhode Island

New Hampshire

Wyoming

Vermont

Colorado

Alaska

Georgia

New York

Connecticut

Alaska, Wyoming, and Vermont are home to the most budding entrepreneurs, according to the data, with higher per capita searches for e-commerce business-related keywords than any other state, including queries such as ‘how to start a dropshipping business’ and ‘how to make money with Etsy’.

Aurimas Gudavičius, Head of SEO at Hostinger, comments: “Side hustles have really grown in popularity in the US since 2016, with a clear spike in interest during the pandemic.

“The challenging economy, coupled with job insecurity fears, remote work flexibility, and the desire for extra income are all reasons why we won’t see this ‘trend’ slowing down any time soon; in 2025, we can expect even more interest in the top ten side hustles we’ve highlighted.”