More than half of U.S. millennials today have a side hustle – a.k.a. side gigs (outside their full-time jobs) that bringing in extra money. The same study also found that 30% of people ages 38-53 and 24% of people ages 54-72 are side-hustling, too.
From selling used clothes on Poshmark to restoring old furniture to waiting tables on nights + weekends, side hustlers are bringing in an average of $686 a month (equal to $8,200 year in extra income).
The most popular side hustles among millennials (who say they devote ~12 hours per week to their side gigs) are selling items online, making clothing + accessories, offering cleaning services and doing sales/marketing tasks. Among baby boomers (who devote ~15 hours/week), the most popular side jobs are online sales + cleaning, too, but also volunteer work + consulting.
We know the grind never stops for Soda Citizens, so we asked y’all: What side hustles are you doing outside of the 9-5? And with 125+ responses, here are some that really stood out to us.
20 of your coolest side hustles in Columbia:
By day: Training and Development Manager at Nephron Pharmaceuticals
By night: invitation design, wedding calligraphy, custom art pieces, etc. for B3 paper co.
Photo by @b3paperco
By day: Engineering Technician
By night: makes sustainable hand-poured candles for Seminole Candle Company
By day: Upper School Spanish Teacher at Hammond School
By night: Contract work for National Geographic
By day: Founder and Director of Development and Marketing for Camp Cole
By night: Cheerleading Coach at Hammond School
By day: Lawyer
By night: makes custom dog collars for Sup-Dog Co.
Photo by Sup-Dog Co.
By day: Office Manager of a Real Estate office
By night: singer in Columbia’s women’s acapella group Heart of Columbia
By day: full-time barber at Carolina Barber Shop
By night: sell a knife sharpener at shows and festivals and sell a muscle rub to pharmacies, individual + general stores
By day: owner of Ivy House
By night: plan + put on the annual Vintage Market Days (Nov. 2-4) at the S.C. State Fairgrounds
Photo by Vintage Market Days - Columbia Metro
By day: full-time mom and wife
By night: Marketing Coordinator for Columbia SC Moms Blog, part-time blogger, Barré instructor for MUV Fitness + more
By day: Senior Business Testing Analyst for an insurance company
By night: Travel Agent for Vacay in Paradise 365
By day: Teacher
By night: bartender at Fireflies games – as well as mural painter + dog sitter
By day: Legal Assistant and Office Manager of LaLima Law Firm, LLC.
By night: makes natural bath and body products for Salty Crab Soap
By day: Director of Operations for a local foundation
By night: cookie decorator at All Things Kim
Photo by All Things Kim
By day: Human Services Coordinator at SC Department of Health
By night: pet sitting for Sam’s Sit and Stay LLC
By day: Optavia Health Coach
By night: healthy pantry/refrigerator makeovers + healthy grocery shopping (714-290-6096)
By day: Owner of Soda City Stand Up
By night: bartender + Promotions Manager for New Brookland Tavern
By day: Nurse
By night: Realtor
By day: Certified Work Incentives Coordinator at Able SC
By night: Uber/Lyft driver
By day: Graphic Artist
By night: sells pop art at Soda City market as sodacityart.com
Photo by @soda_city_art
By day: Professor at Webster University
By night: Independent wine consultant with Wine Shop at Home
And my absolute favorite response from all of this was: “what a great question! Looks like 1. We have a TON of creative and hardworking people in this town (no surprise) and 2. We all need a pay raise at our day jobs. 😉”
What’s your side gig? Drop it in a comment below.
–Sam
