Side Hustles That Actually Work: How to Increase Your Income

The cost of living is up, economic uncertainty is the daily headline, and (almost) everyone could use a little extra income. Those are the drivers initiating the side hustle conversation. Whether you want to pay off debt, save for a down payment, or shorten your FI timeline, the right side gig can pad your pockets and set you up for bigger opportunities in the future.

Not all side hustles are created equal. Some come with hidden costs, shallow learning curves, or ebb and flow with the latest pop culture trends. The considerations for high income earners are substantial. Here are some considerations.

What Makes a Side Hustle Viable?

Before discussing potential avenues, it’s important to define what makes a side hustle worth doing. Here are a few key questions to consider:

Is it profitable? The objective of any side hustle is ultimately some degree of profitability. After any fees, expenses, and taxes, will the endeavor provide NET income?

Is it flexible? Consider your current workload. This greatly influences your available time. Is the side hustle entirely on your time?

Are there barriers to entry? Does it require special equipment, certifications, or significant upfront costs?

Is it sustainable? What is the upkeep of the side hustle? Is this a short-term fad, or can you count on it for consistent income over time?

With these criteria in mind, let’s explore the best options.

Top Trending Side Gigs in 2025

This is where I rain on your side hustle parade. As a CRNA, your greatest side gig is giving anesthesia.

Locum Work

The 2025 anesthesia market is calling. There is locum work across the nation. It may not be in your favorite city or practice setting, but it’s out there. The transition to moonlighting has few barriers.

Pros: You already possess the prerequisite skills and licensure. It’s a matter of making a couple phone calls and signing a contract. Work duration is set.

Consider $180-$325 per hour with an 8-hour guarantee. That equates to $1,440 to $2,600 for a standard 8-hour shift. I don’t know many side gigs guaranteeing this kind of income.

Cover a weekend somewhere. It’s not too difficult to find call pay of $1,000-$2,000+ per 24-hour call from home. Mix in a bit of callback pay for a $5,000+ weekend.

Point here…I don’t know many side hustles with a 1 hour start up time that generate $1,500+ per day. Not the exciting “solve all problems solution” you wanted to hear, but when your day job is in such high demand, leverage it as your side hustle.

Cons: Facilities need locums for a reason – Said reason may be a deal-breaker for you.

Extra Shifts

I won’t drone on about the value of giving anesthesia. Working extra shifts at your main facility is also a viable option. The biggest consideration is the availability of extra shifts. Reasonable at a trauma center. Tough to find at smaller places.

Pros: A W-2 overtime rate of $110-$160 is still far better than what most side hustles will produce, especially early on. There is no setup time because you already work there. None of the 1099 hassles. Likely no travel days or hotels. The convenience is high and therefore worth earning less. For a few shifts per year, convenience might be worth $140 per hour vs $250 per hour as a locum.

Cons: You don’t earn what a locum makes for the same service.

Content Creation & Influencer Marketing

The Financial Cocktail falls into this category. The idea for all endeavors social media is to build an audience via your platform of choice i.e. YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and/or podcasts. Once you hit a critical mass, revenue is generated from ads, sponsor deals, and affiliate marketing.

It sounds easy, but in practice, there are many stars that must allign. Quality content, flawless consistency, and algorithmic perfection are needed to do well in this space. Three areas I lack.

There are a limited number of CRNA content creators out there (perhaps related to the overall number of CRNAs). I enjoy listening to their content because it’s relatable. However, you don’t need to produce CRNA content, you can focus on any of these great hobbies:

• Extreme Ironing

• Urbex

• Tree Shaping

• Competitive Dog Grooming

• Soap Carving

• Hobby Horse

Or some I have personally tried, but saved the public from reading about…

• Sourdough Making

• Juggling

• Unicycle Riding

• Hand Reloading

• Beer Brewing

• Kombucha Brewing

• Lock Picking

• Leatherworking

Pros: Startup costs can be next to $0. Content on most platforms is created with a computer, phone, microphone, and editing software. Options for content format are endless. Almost analysis paralysis long.

The potential upside is unlimited because one does not directly trade time for money. And CRNAs specifically work in a desirable field. This alone attracts viewers.

Cons: The long runway before monetization is brutal. The typical content creator has an upload schedule — multiple times per day for short form videos and weekly for long-form content such as TFC blog posts. The time commitment is high, but there is flexibility. Due to the low barrier to entry, the content creation space is crowded.

Potential earnings span the spectrum. A dedicated creator could monetize within a couple months. Most monetize after a few years. Without becoming a viral sensation, critical mass isn’t achieved for 5+ years (if ever). That’s a long time to work with minimal pay.

Teaching, Mentoring, and Tutoring

This can be done online or in-person. Candidates range from CRNA peer to ICU nurses to high school students. Here are some ideas that maximize a CRNA’s knowledge base:

• Associate Professor

• Board Prep

• Nerve Block Course

• Ultrasound Course

• Graduate School Courses

• Nursing School Courses

• STEM Field Courses

• RN to CRNA Prep

• Interview Prep

Perhaps you have other talents, interests, or hobbies. Consider mentoring in these areas:

• Financial Coaching (Shameless self-promotion)

• Wellness Coaching

• Fitness Coaching

• Music

• Language

• Literally Any Hobby

If you are looking for an easy way to find clients online, here are some platforms:

• VIPKid

• Chegg Tutors

• iTalki

These let you connect with students around the world. Expect a range of teaching topics with significant interest in English language and STEM subjects.

Pros: I find sharing personal finance content meaningful. It’s satisfying to speak CRNAs a year later and learn they saved over 50% of their income or paid off their student debt. There is potential for significant income by hosting classes.

I heard of a Nurse Practitioner boards prep class (run by an NP) that is hosted online and services 500 students. I don’t recall the price, but it wasn’t $99. With 3 cohorts per year, this course turns some serious dollars.

Kahn Academy did a great job here. Education on all subjects for age 2 to 100+. Educating with drawings and a voiceover. Effective and applicable to the masses.

Overall, look for meaning meaningful work that builds, reasonably flexible hours, and minimal startup cost.

Cons: Depending on your desired avenue, there may be additional certifications required. Courses require significant setup time. You may also find yourself recruiting clients. I do this passively through TheFinancialCocktail.com online forms and word of mouth.

Decide how much time to commit to tutoring. This may be a “trade time for money” situation that is overshadowed by simply giving anesthesia. But, it may fill your bucket.

Expected income again spans the spectrum.

The Financial Cocktail Experience Digression

I’m careful with charging for services. I don’t charge anyone for personal finance advice or financial coaching. It’s my way of giving back.

Yes, I charge for my online course as a means to pay for my website and the related costs of blog-writing. There is a lot of content in there and it allows you to go through it on your own time. Thank you to all of you who have supported The Financial Cocktail! It’s much appreciated.  

I give the course away to every SRNA I work with. I give major discounts to anyone who asks. Pretty inefficient way to operate a business, but it’s about giving back and promoting financial literacy to improve the profession.

Pretending it’s a revenue generator keeps Mrs. TFC from saying how I spend too much time on the blog.

The Financial Cocktail has been around since October 2022. My hourly rate is far less than that of giving anesthesia.

52 Blog Entries Annually * 6 Hours Per Entry = 312 Hours

312 Hours * $250 Per Hour (General Locum Rate) = $78,000

My annual opportunity cost for The Financial Cocktail is greater than $78,000. This doesn’t include expenses of the blog. This doesn’t include time for coaching, creating the online course, or designing the website. And it assumes I can finish writing, editing, and uploading a long-form blog in 6 hours.

Index Fund Investing

You need to do something with those anesthesia dollars, why not invest? This is the most passive side hustle on this list. Maybe more of a passion than a side hustle, but this is my list, and because it makes money on the side, I included it. This could apply to buying stocks or whatever else you see fit. It’s a matter of taking your earnings and buying assets.

I recommend low-cost, passively managed index funds. ETFs such as VTI are great.

Pros: I complete this investment in less than 2 minutes every Monday morning. No market watching necessary.

VTI has a 1.5% dividend paying $15,000 per $1M invested. Fees are low. Effort is low. The capital appreciation will do you well. Even better in a tax-advantaged account.

Cons: You need capital. Equities carry a significant risk of market drawdown at any time. Every drawdown has recovered and gone on to make new all-time highs. Returns are slow and steady. Don’t expect to double your money every couple of years.

Expected return is 8-10% return with reinvested dividends.

Real Estate

The big dog side hustle. It’s important to understand your market before purchasing as the purchase will significantly influence your cash-on-cash return. This requires mentorship, time, knowledge, capital, and a bit of luck.

This avenue can be passive or active – both qualify as a side hustle.

Pros: There are many types of real estate:

• Residential

• Commercial

• Multifamily

• Short-Term

• Farmland

There are many strategies including:

• Short-Term Rentals

• Long-Term Rentals

• House Hacking

• Buy and Hold

• House Flipping

• BRRRR

• Syndicates

Leverage is your friend and allows for a great cash-on-cash return as the property appreciates. If interest rates are reasonable, $250,000 can buy a lot of real estate.

There are many ways to create value such as value in real estate. Generate a return from tenant rents, asset appreciation, and renovation. The business expenses of rental properties are fantastic. If you actively manage a property, it’s one of the few means aside from tax-advantaged accounts to reduce earned income. Look for this to become a second job.

Without turning this into a post on real estate investing, just know there are many ways to be successful in real estate.

Cons: You need some capital to get started. Without being well researched, a purchase can become a nightmare. There are many expenses along the way.

Vacancy is an issue as a property must be rented to generate cashflow. Upkeep and capital expenditures are a regular concern. A thorough inspection will minimize downside risk here.

Expected returns vary, but 15-20% annually would be a nice targeted return.

Application Creation

AI programs are offering an easy solution to turn your idea into an app. Over the past few weeks, I have noted more than a couple apps from CRNAs. Everything from job boards to drug dosage calculators to information storage.

Pros: Options here are endless. Use your creativity to fill a niche and solve a problem. Creating an app requires time and a bit of money, but is fully scalable after release.

Cons: This requires knowledge of the tech space. The less you know, the more it costs to have someone else develop your app. The market is fairly competitive.

Earnings will vary across the spectrum.

E-Commerce & Dropshipping

Selling products online is still big business, whether you’re creating your own goods or running a dropshipping store. Platforms like Etsy, Shopify, and Amazon allow anyone to launch a storefront. While some entrepreneurs strike gold, success often requires strong marketing and persistence.

Pros: Income potential is scalable. You can leverage efforts as your online business runs 24/7. Upon creating systems and achieving critical mass, there is some passive income here. If you already have an online presence, your timeline to success may be shortened.

Cons: The dropshipping game isn’t what is used to be. The market is a bit crowded unless you have something novel to offer. Creating you online store isn’t too labor intensive with the offerings from companies like Squarespace. If you are creating a product, consider those costs as well.

Earnings vary from a couple hundred dollars per month to tens of thousands per month.

Tips for Side Hustles

Leverage your skillset — Look for opportunities that match what you already know or enjoy learning.

Understand your goal – If it’s financially driven, consider locum work.

Protect your time – Everything takes longer than you want it to.

Be wary of scams – There are companies out there offering to help. Vet them well.

Research your taxes – Unfortunately as a high-income earner, you side hustle will be taxed significantly. Figure this into your calculations.

Set clear, actionable goals – I set a goal to write a blog post each week for a year. Then I set a goal to write a course. Monetary goals are a good way to discern a side hustle from a hobby.

There has never been a better time to build a side hustle that truly works. Whether it’s passing gas in the hospital or filming yourself responding to the latest trend, the options are nearly endless.

The best side hustle is one that meets your criteria, fits your lifestyle, improves your finances, and brings you some joy along the way.

If you’re not sure where to begin, choose one opportunity and take a small step. I’ll be releasing a podcast this fall. If there isn’t a demand translating to a following, I’ll let it go.

Happy hustling and thanks for reading!