35 Profitable Side Jobs for Single Moms in 2022

Are you a single mom looking for some side jobs?

The thing is, single moms have a lot of responsibilities, and that extra cash at the end of the month is crucial.

Children need new clothing, and new equipment for their hobbies, and some might need additional money for their extracurricular activities.

With this as a reality, single moms sometimes need a helping hand to free up more time and build a better financial foundation for themselves and their families.

The good news is, that single mothers are experts at multitasking and therefore multiple side hustles are perfect for them.

You earn extra money from your side job while enjoying the company of your children.

It’s a great way for a single mother to increase her emergency fund, save up for vacations, and have enough money to free up some of her own time.

Here you have a list of the best side hustles.

Easy side jobs for single moms

Let’s get straight into the easiest side hustles for single moms.

1 Writing on Medium

An easy way for single parents to supplement their full-time job is to write a few articles on Medium in their spare time.

It’s a great side hustle where you can work on your own hours. It’s not a side hustle that will make you rich, but it can help you earn money in multiple ways.

First, when you gain 100 followers on the platform you can sign up for the partner program (you can get there in less than a week), and then you can put your articles behind a paywall.

And the more reads you get the more you get paid.

Another way to make money is to refer new people to the platform. And for every referral, you’ll earn half of their monthly subscription until they unsubscribe. In other words, it’s kind of passive.

Finally, you are also allowed to put in affiliate links or promote your own digital products to the audience on Medium. This is a nice little bonus, that can help you earn some additional money from your writing.

My highest earnings on the platform in a single month are around $2,000, but you should expect to make between $50 to $100 or a little more if you are extremely active there.

2 Sell printables

We cannot talk about side jobs for single moms without mentioning one of the best ways to make a decent income.

Designing templates or checklists that can be printed can be extremely profitable if you take your time.

There exist many great places, but I recommend using Canva since this program can make the most incompetent designer look professional.

Some ideas could be to design:

• Gift cards
• Book covers
• Budget templates
• Wedding cards
• Guest books

When you’ve found an idea and designed a template it’s time to sell.

At this stage, you can choose between various platforms, but some of the most popular and easiest to get started are Etsy, Gumroad, and Payhip.

They are all free to use, but come with their own cons and pros (find more about these here).

3 Start a Youtube channel

Starting a YouTube channel is one of the side gigs that require hard work, and maybe a great amount of free time.

This might be more suitable for stay-at-home moms or mothers with part-time jobs who are able to work on their own schedule.

On YouTube, you can earn money from ads when you have at least 1,000 subscribers, and 4,000 hours of watch time.

And even if you get there, the income is modest, and not something you can live off unless you grow the channel into the sky.

However, you can increase your income from your YouTube videos by promoting affiliate links or your own digital products.

In addition, it’s a great platform to build an audience that you can earn money from in the future.

4 Virtual Assistant

Business owners or busy people often look for a virtual assistant to answer emails, take phone calls, schedule their meetings, etc.

This is a great option if you are organized, structured, and like talking with people.

Wither sign up for a freelance platform, look for such gigs, or write cold emails to people on Linkedin or businesses explaining your service.

You only need one client to earn some pretty good additional income from this side job.

5 Create online courses

Depending on how hardcore you are, this can take a lot of time to create. On the other hand, it can also earn you a lot of money passively.

In reality, you can create online courses about almost anything; affiliate marketing, email marketing, SEO, make-up, dogs, yoga, social media, self-improvement, etc.

And although you might not earn a single dime in the first many months, this could potentially turn into your most profitable side hustle.

To get started try looking into Skillshare, Udemy, and Teachable.

6 Pet sitting

Why not earn money while hanging out with your family or doing something you love? This is definitely doable with this side job as a pet sitter.

Families have vacations or important places to be once in a while, and they cannot bring their pets.

The great thing is that people like you exist – people who are willing to take care of their pets while their families are having a good time.

It’s the perfect side hustle since you don’t have to be together with the pet 24/7, and therefore you could potentially be doing other side hustles while executing this one simultaneously.

For example, if you are also house-sitting, taking care of a child, or doing grocery shopping for someone, these are all different ways to earn additional money while pet-sitting (more on these side hustles later).

7 Online surveys

This is one of the least profitable, and most time-consuming side jobs for single moms, but it has to be on the list.

First of all, you can answer surveys while watching a movie with your kid or a friend. Or you could do it while cooking dinner.

The flexibility of this side hustle is the only great thing because you cannot make much money from it, and the time it takes before you can withdraw $10 is excruciating.

But money is money, and if you can make an additional $50 or $100 a month by using an hour once in a while to answer surveys, that’s great.

8 Grocery shopping

I bet you are busy, but you are not the only busy mom or family out there.

Therefore, offering other families in your neighborhood to do their grocery shopping at the local grocery store once a week while you’re shopping for yourself would be ideal.

Try to see if you can convince someone to pay you on a monthly basis to do their grocery shopping.

It’s just one of many great ideas for how you can use your time in the most profitable way.

9 House sitting

Just like people need help with their pets, some are worried that their houses will get robbed, while they are not home.

And if you have nothing against staying at other people’s houses, watering their plants, and maybe cleaning a little, then this could help you earn a little extra income.

Take your kids with you, or if they are at their dad’s house, that’s even better.

10 Child Care

Couples also need that away-from-the-kids time, and it can be hard if they have no one to watch out for their children while they are out.

That’s why childcare services are in high demand.

The reality is that women often come across as better caretakers in general, and they are more trusted than men, which is why this side job works very well for single moms.

Maybe some are even willing to let their kids stay at your house, and if that’s the case you could be doing other things meanwhile.

For instance, working on some of the extra income ideas you are about to read.

Freelancing side jobs for single moms

If you have nothing against working for someone, then these freelancing side jobs could potentially be an excellent way to make some good money on the side.

11 Graphic designer

This is a job, where you plan and create visuals to communicate messages most effectively.

It requires you to at least have some creative skills, and you should know how to use lines, shapes, spacing, and more to be successful in this job.

You see graphic design everywhere; from billboards to book covers to the cover of your cereals.

Said in a different way, there’s a high demand for freelancers who know their way around graphic design.

12 Freelance writer

Small businesses, bloggers, and other people don’t have much time at their disposal yet they still want to produce a lot of written content for their websites, blogs, books, etc.

This is a great opportunity for you to help with blog posts, articles, and website content.

The best part is that you can pursue this lucrative side hustle from the comfort of your own home.

Pro Tip: If you have your own blog or if your choose to write on Medium, you can use these articles and blog posts as a kind of portfolio to create credibility.

13 Voice Over

Have people ever told you that you have that crisp radio voice, or you sound like the woman from the make-up commercials?

If yes, why not record some audio of your voice, and offer voice-over services to businesses?

And if you think “how would that ever help me grow my bank account?” I can tell you that some people are making astronomical amounts of money.

For instance, Alice Everdeen works 3 to 5 hours a day, and she earns $15,000 a month from doing voice-over jobs.

14 Presentation designer

Students, businesses, teachers, coaches, and others have presentations to make on a regular basis.

Sometimes those presentations are more important than ever, and in those particular moments, anyone wants to crush it.

However, not everybody knows how to make aesthetically pleasing presentations that maintain the attention of the audience.

Now it is your turn to shine and show off the PowerPoint or Keynote skills you were taught in school.

Knowing your way around PowerPoint or Keynote can take you a long way, and help you make some easy money.

15 Data Entry

Some people just have an eye for detail, and they can spot even the smallest errors. If that’s you, then data entry might be something you should consider.

Typical tasks of a data entry would be:

• Collecting various data and entering it into a company’s system.
• Fulfilling general administrative tasks.
• Scanning, printing, and storing documents electronically and physically.
• Reviewing data to locate any mistakes or errors.
• Maintaining accurate customer and account records.
• Securing information by doing regular backups of the database.

These kinds of jobs are in high demand on freelance platforms, which is why I can ensure you that there’s also a job for you.

Side jobs for single moms (qualifications required)

Before taking on any of these side jobs, it would be a great idea to gain some experience either in a job or by practicing at home.

Not saying that you need professional experience to manage a social media account, however, it’s recommended.

16 SEO expert

Do you own your own business or have you ever tried growing a website’s traffic, then you know search engine optimization (SEO) is fundamental.

Optimizing content, user experience, and websites for search engines is an art in itself.

There are so many elements to SEO, and the best practices constantly change due to Google’s algorithmic changes.

But do you have experience and knowledge within this field, then start offering your knowledge on the side on different freelance platforms.

Personally, I’ve seen people charging anywhere from $45 to $150 an hour. If you do good and get a couple of clients this could quickly turn into a full-time business.

17 Social media manager

Generally speaking, women just know their way around social media, and they create the most appealing posts most of the time.

If you are one of those women who are active on social media and know how to drive attention toward social media accounts, then this one is for you.

Look into different businesses and figure out if they have social media accounts.

If not, reach out to them and ask if you should create and manage one for them.

Charge a monthly fee, and you’ve now created a side job that potentially could earn you a decent amount of money each month.

18 Website building

Another high-income skill is website building. Many people out there have never created a website, but they need one so desperately.

If you are a quick learner, or if you’ve ever created a website on your own, then you will quickly be well-equipped for this freelancing job.

No, you might not be able to charge your first potential clients a high hourly rate, but as time passes you can increase that rate to fit your skill level.

Pro tip: Often it’s better to charge for the value you deliver rather than having a high hourly rate.

Why? Because if someone is more inexperienced than you, and therefore uses more time on the job he/she will earn more than you. Thus charge for value and not time.

Passive income side jobs for single moms

Sometimes we just want a side hustle that requires minimal effort, and these are some of those.

19 Investing in dividend stocks

Too few people are investing in the stock market, and many think it’s only for rich people. That’s not true. You and I can invest with only a few clicks on a computer or phone.

And historically the stock market has provided an average return of 8%, meaning if you invested $1,000 in 2012 they would have grown into more than $2,100 in 2022.

That is a +$100 return. Isn’t that crazy?

And what’s even better is that you can also invest in stocks that pay you to own them. That’s right.

Some stocks pay you a dividend as a “thank you for investing in our company”.

And these dividends a paid yearly, semi-annually, quarterly, or even monthly depending on which stock you own.

Investing on a regular basis, could with consistency and patience add a nice extra income each month.

20 Rent out extra space

Do you have a spare room that you rarely use, then why not rent it out as a storage room?

People are moving constantly, and others don’t have enough space to store all their belongings.

These people are willing to pay great amounts of money for getting some storage space at your house.

Hang up flyers in your local neighborhood with your “storage offer” or promoting your service on social media would be the best way to get the snowball rolling.

Side job business ideas for single moms

Would you like some side hustles that look more like a little business? Then here you go.

21 Start a running club

How about starting a running club? For example, people pay $15 a month to join two runs every week, and then you provide them with some fruit at the end of each run.

Not only does this help you increase your income, but you also improve your mental and physical health, while meeting new people.

And if there’s something new relationships provide, it’s opportunities.

See this as a quick-to-set-up business idea that fosters great opportunities in the long run, and a little extra money in the short run.

Promote your idea on social media platforms, and by hanging up flyers.

Another way could be to write emails to local businesses and ask if they would like their team to be in great shape (which equals fewer sick days).

I guess many companies would even pay for their team’s membership.

22 Sell crafts and designs

Another high-paying side hustle would be to sell your designs or crafts.

With no more than an internet connection, you could create various designs with the use of platforms like Canva or Adobe Illustrator.

These designs can be uploaded to online platforms like Etsy, Redbubble, Gumroad, Payhip, and so on.

And some of these platforms (Redbubble) are print-on-demand businesses that will create products with your design as soon as they get ordered.

This means you don’t have to create your own online store, buy products, and send them yourself – you only need to upload your designs.

Although it’s hard to break through with all the fierce competition, this could potentially substitute your full-time income, and make more time for your family life.

23 Start an IT class for the elderly

Many older people want to learn how to use all the technology, however, they simply cannot wrap their heads around all the small features.

Recently an old woman asked for my help since she didn’t understand why her screen was all white when she hit the “safari” icon on her iPad.

I just closed safari and re-opened it, and voila, everything was working again.

And if you know basic things like “what is an app”, “how to make folders”, “how to save and send photos”, and so on, you could help a lot of people out by hosting weekly IT classes.

And when they got the basics they could do classes online, and just like that, it became another home job.

24 Van Conversion

Being at places where money is moving is how you earn more of it yourself.

I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that a home in a van has become extremely trendy because it’s cheap, minimalistic, cozy, and flexible, and you can go wherever you want in your own home.

The idea is split into two.

1) You can be the creative part of the van conversion who figures out how to design and structure the van most efficiently.

Yes, people will pay high amounts for this job because, after all, it’s their home, and they want it to be as close to perfect as possible.

2) The other option is to build and craft the things in the van.

More single moms than you might think do actually have some handy hands and a creative eye, and therefore they can execute this perfectly.

Extra easy side hustles for single moms

If you did not find what you were looking for, then here are some additional easy side hustle ideas that you could pursue as a single mom.

25 Dog walking

Dog walking is a fun way to make money. You can make a few hundred dollars a month if you do it for a couple of hours per week.

The best part about dog walking is that it requires no special skills or training.

You don’t need to know how to drive or fix cars, or any other trade skill, so it’s easy to get started with this side hustle.

All you need is some basic knowledge about dogs and their behavior, which takes less than an hour of research online.

People love dogs and many people are willing to pay for the service of dog walking because they have too many dogs at home and can’t take care of them all by themselves.

26 Online teaching

Online tutoring is a great side hustle because it’s flexible, you can work from anywhere, and you can do it whenever you want.

There are many online tutoring platforms that allow teachers to offer lessons in subjects like math, science, English, and more.

The platform takes care of the payments and all the logistics behind it so teachers don’t have to worry about anything.

27 Flip stuff

Flipping stuff is a great way to make money, but you should be careful about what you buy.

You don’t want to buy something that will take a long time to sell, because then you will be stuck with it for too long and won’t have the time or energy to flip anything else.

But if you know a little about the products this could quickly become a profitable and fun side job for you as a single mom.

And there are many places to flip things such as eBay, Amazon, Facebook marketplace, and more.

28 Sell Stock photos

You can monetize your photography skills by selling your work to stock photo websites.

Stock photography is one of the most popular ways to make money online, and it’s a great way to monetize your photography skills if you’re looking for a side hustle that provides passive income.

The best part about being a photographer is that you don’t need any expensive equipment or training in order to get started, so it’s an excellent side hustle for beginners.

29 Customer Service

The customer service industry has long been a lucrative one for those who are looking to make some extra money.

The pay is good, the hours are flexible and it offers a chance to interact with people on a daily basis.

However, finding customer service jobs can be difficult.

With the rise of AI and automation, many customer service jobs have been replaced by bots and automated phone systems that can answer questions or assist customers with their needs.

30 Flea Markets

A flea market is one of the most popular ways to make money on weekends. It’s also a great way to get rid of unwanted items and make some extra cash.

The first step to making money at a flea market is choosing the right location, date, and time.

Next, find the items you don’t need, but know will probably sell, so you don’t have to transport many things back and forth in the trunk of your car.

Now you are ready to sell.

31 Rent out your driveway

As a person who lives in the city, I know how painful it can be to find a parking spot, especially in prime time.

So if you have an empty driveway, or at least some space for an extra car, then rent that extra space out as a parking spot.

Get people to sign up for subscription packages. For example, some might only need it on Fridays and Mondays, while another person needs the parking spot on Wednesdays.

Make them pay a monthly subscription corresponding to the days and times they want to park there.

32 Start a Podcast

Podcasts are a great way to make money and have a side hustle that is flexible.

They can be done from home, you don’t need any experience, and it takes minimal time.

While equipment such as a microphone would be great to have it’s more than enough to use your phone for recording in the beginning.

This side job takes some time since you must build an audience and then, later on, get some sponsorships that can help you pay the bills.

33 Help people sell their stuff

The idea of selling other people’s stuff is not a new one. There are many ways to do this, but most involve having an eBay account and posting items that you find on Craigslist.

This is a side hustle that will generate some extra income for you, but it won’t be enough to live on. 

A great way to increase the income from this side job is to ask people for the stuff they don’t use anymore, sell it, and then come back with 50% of the profit.

I’m talking from personal experience, and it’s definitely worth a try.

34 Try out different subscription ideas

There’s a reason why huge corporations like Netflix use a subscription model – it’s a very successful model.

You should try figuring out different things you could provide in a subscription package. This could include:

• Weekly motivational talks
• Weekly educational videos
• Licenses for a specific software or program
• Newsletter subscription
• Weekly schedules
• Exclusive content on your blog people cannot see without subscribing
• Meals plans

For instance, newsletters can be monetized for free through Substack. Go find the platform that works for your, or build your own website.

35 Freelance Merchandising

You’ve heard of mystery shoppers, but how about freelance merchandisers?

It’s people who are going into stores on behalf of specific brands and checking out how their goods are displayed in the store.

They are also keeping an eye on how much time each customer uses looking at their products, and what alternatives are next to their products.

Especially after the covid-pandemic companies don’t have the same number of employees to go and check these things, which creates plenty of room for you to pursue this.

Product display can be the total difference between selling or not.

According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly salary is $22.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it important to have a side job as a single mom?

As a single mom, it is important to have a side job.

Having an extra source of income not only helps you provide for your family but also gives you the opportunity to spend time with them.

In addition, many people find that having a side job can be good for their mental health.

It gives them something else to focus on and allows them to get out of the house or office for a while which can be beneficial as well.

In other words, a side job is one of the best things you can do for yourself as a single mom.

Side jobs vs. second jobs

Second jobs are generally more difficult to find and the pay is not as high as a side hustle.

The advantages of second jobs can be that they are more stable and can provide a steady income.

Side hustles are generally easier to find and the pay is higher than a second job.

The disadvantages of side hustles are that they can be less stable and may not provide enough income in order to live off of it.

Can blogging make you money as a single mom?

While the answer is yes, it will take a lot of work, and even more time.

Blogging is fun, and it will definitely improve your writing skills, but this side hustle will not be a great fit for a lot of moms who only want some quick cash.

To propel the earnings from a blog, try implementing affiliate links, and ads, and reach out to influencers to get some sponsorships.

Is it legal to have a side hustle while having a full-time job?

Yes, it is. However, it can violate your current employer’s rules, which could lead to losing your job. It’s rarely the case, but it would be a great idea to do a background check or even ask your employer.

Often employers do not care if you have a couple of home jobs as well. As long as you perform well at your job, you should be good.

Where can I find more of your best side hustle ideas?

If this article wasn’t enough then check out my side hustles or passive income ideas on my blog.

Should I try multi-level marketing as a side job when I’m a single mom?

Multi-level marketing is a business model that relies on independent agents to sell products or services. The agents are often required to buy the products they intend to sell and then resell them in order to earn money.

The problem with this model is that it puts the agent at risk of losing money, which can make it difficult for them to make any income at all. It’s also hard for an agent to get ahead because they have little control over their success.

Thus, my recommendation would be to stay away from any multi-level marketing company, especially when you are a single mom with a lot of responsibilities.

The best side jobs for single moms

If your savings account is getting closer to zero at the end of each month, then it might be the time for a side job.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of commitment, but find something that can help ensure your family’s financial foundation.

Start with some of the easiest side hustles on the list, and as you get more into side hustling you can begin pursuing some more hardcore side jobs.