For many workers, the days of going into the office from 9 to 5 and devoting evenings and weekends to leisure are gone. Increasingly, individuals are turning to alternative sources of income — so-called “side hustles” — to bridge financial gaps, build savings and pay down debt. More than 4 in 10 consumers have some kind of supplemental income stream.
These side hustles span a wide range of activities. They include everything from participating in paid research studies and using cashback apps to selling used items, working for gig platforms, freelancing and renting out property, among other activities. Regardless of the source, what was once a fringe approach to earning extra cash has become a common feature of modern financial life. Side hustles account for an average of 43% of a hustler’s total income.
The intensified pursuit of additional income comes as most U.S. consumers live month to month financially. As of April, 68% survive paycheck to paycheck, spending their earnings on monthly bills, essentials and other items as soon as the money comes in the door. Amid this financial instability, nearly one-quarter of U.S. consumers report that they have started or increased their side work in response to current economic conditions, where fears about rising consumer prices due to the Trump administration’s global tariffs regime dominate.
These are just some of the findings detailed in “Do the (Side) Hustle: Four in 10 U.S. Consumers Seize the Opportunity to Earn More Income,” the latest installment of “New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report,” a PYMNTS Intelligence exclusive series. This edition explores how an increasing number of consumers are engaging in side hustles amid concerns about the future of the economy. It draws on insights from a survey of 2,247 U.S. consumers conducted from April 2, 2025 to April 21, 2025.
More Than 2 in 5 Consumers Earn Money Through Side Hustles
Side jobs have become a mainstream financial strategy. Some 41% of consumers reported in April that they had earned money outside of — or without — traditional employment.
Among these side hustlers, 67% are also working part or full-time for someone else. Meanwhile, 24% have no other employment, and 8.8% are entrepreneurial, reporting themselves to be self-employed.
The consumers most likely to be engaging in side work on top of more traditional employment live paycheck to paycheck but do so comfortably (i.e., without difficulty paying their bills). Among side hustlers who live in such a way, 73% do their side work in the off-hours.
Overall, however, consumers who live paycheck to paycheck with difficulty are the most likely to earn money from side hustles. Half of these individuals have at least one side endeavor.
Generation Z consumers are also disproportionately likely to earn income from this type of work. In fact, the majority do so, at 55%.1
Among side hustlers, these supplemental income streams account for 43% of their total income on average. That share rises to 57% for Gen Z consumers and a staggering 76% among those who earn under $50,000 annually.
Those who engage in side work on top of more traditional employment earn $2,241 monthly from side work on average. Self-employed consumers earn $2,408. Individuals with no employment outside of side hustles earn $733 per month.
Many Side Hustlers Take on These Jobs to Make Ends Meet
The vast majority (82%) of consumers who take on side hustles seek this income with a set financial objective in mind.
Often, it is out of necessity. The goal side hustlers most often cite as their top motivation is covering basic living expenses. In fact, 22% list this as the most important reason to seek income through side jobs and activities. That figure rises to 34% among consumers who live paycheck to paycheck with difficulties paying bills. Overall, 38% of consumers list this as at least one goal among others for taking on side work.
Moreover, 4 in 10 side hustlers seek at least in part to build their savings or emergency funds. Some 18% cite this as their top reason for engaging in side ventures.
A smaller but still significant share (31%) engages in this activity at least in part to fund specific purchases or experiences.
Consumers not living paycheck to paycheck are disproportionately likely to have a side hustle for the sake of personal fulfillment. Among these side hustlers, 12% say their main reason is that they want to develop a new skill. Additionally, 7.2% say it is to explore turning a hobby into a business.
Often, consumers keep their side hustle funds separate from their other earnings. Seven in 10 side hustlers deposit this income into an account other than their regular bank account. Nearly one-quarter spend it on specific needs, and nearly one-fifth store it separately in a dedicated account. Other destinations for these funds include investments (14%) and debt payments (12%).
Gen Z consumers are the most likely to invest this income, at 24%. This could indicate that, given their age, these consumers are more focused on using these funds for their long-term future.
Consumers living paycheck to paycheck with difficulty are the most likely to use this side income to pay down debt. Among these, 19% of side hustlers allocate these earnings to make such payments.
Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. Consumers Has Started or Taken on More Side Work Due to Current Economic Conditions
Among the 41% of U.S. consumers who engage in side hustles, more than half have begun doing so or increased their workload in response to current economic conditions. Specifically, 1 in 4 say they started for this reason. Another 34% were already engaged in income-producing side activities but have increased their efforts due to the general economic conditions.
Among struggling paycheck-to-paycheck consumers with side hustles, the share taking on more work due to current conditions is nearly three-quarters. That is, 38% began doing side work for this reason, and 36% increased their existing side job workload.
For traditionally employed consumers, economic pressures are leading them to allocate more of their free time to additional ways to earn money. Side hustlers with traditional jobs are the most likely to increase their side job workload due to economic conditions.
Amid these economic concerns, many consumers expect to do more side work in the next six months compared to the previous six months. Specifically, 45% of side hustlers expect to boost the amount of time they spend pursuing this additional income. Only 14% expect to spend less time.
Struggling consumers are especially likely to be gearing up to take on more work. Sixty-one percent of side hustlers living paycheck to paycheck with difficulty expect to do more. By contrast, only 1 in 3 side hustlers not living paycheck to paycheck expect to take on more of this work.
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Methodology
“Do the (Side) Hustle: Four in 10 U.S. Consumers Seize the Opportunity to Earn More Income,” the latest installment of the “New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report” series, is based on a survey of 2,247 U.S. consumers conducted from April 2 to April 21. It examines how consumers are engaging in side hustles amid current economic conditions dominated by worries over tariffs and inflation. Our sample was balanced to match the U.S. adult population in a set of key demographic variables: 51% of respondents identified as female, 33% were college-educated and 28% declared incomes of between $50,000 and $100,000 per year.
1. PYMNTS Intelligence uses the following birth dates and approximate age ranges in 2025 for generational cohorts: baby boomers: born in 1964 or earlier and now age 61 or older; Generation X: born between 1965 and 1980 and now 45–60; millennials: born between 1981 and 1996 and now 28–44; bridge millennials: born between 1978 and 1988 and now 37–47; zillennials: born between 1991 and 1999 and now 25–34; and Generation Z: born in 1997 or later and now 28 or younger.↩
