7 ways to make money online, offline and at home

Here’s how to make money with a side gig and how long it will take to see extra income.

There are plenty of ways to make money on your own from home, online and offline, in 2025. Here are 25 ways, including important information to motivate you. While most people want to make money as quickly as possible, don’t ignore “slow” jobs, as they can pay more in the long run.

1. Do freelance work online

Make money online through websites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com. These sites offer opportunities for a variety of freelance work, such as writing, programming, design, marketing, data entry, and becoming a virtual assistant.

Fluent in another language? Check out translation sites like Gengo or Blend Express, or grow a business through your own site. No matter what kind of freelancing you do, keep an eye on the going rate for the type of work you do so you know how much to charge.

A recent report found that computer security jobs had the fastest growth in listings on its site in the second quarter of 2024, up 27.1%.

Jobs that require writing skills are also in high demand. Although generative artificial intelligence (AI) is being used more to create content, it can’t completely replace human writers. Companies are looking for writers who know how to edit AI content and have at least a basic understanding of search engine optimization — learning or honing SEO skills can be a lucrative side hustle. Some freelancers are charging $100 per hour or more for their freelance writing services.

Total time: It can take a while to get your first job.
Setup: 24-48 hours.
How easy it is to get started: Easy, if you have expertise.
Age range: Typically 16 to 18+.
How quickly you get paid: Varies by site.

Need to know

• Upwork takes up to 48 hours to approve your profile. Keep in mind that it may also take time for you to get your first freelance gig.
• Payouts vary by site. The timeframe for receiving earnings on Upwork depends on the type of payment. Hourly contracts have a weekly billing cycle and you can withdraw funds after 10 days. Fixed-price contracts have a five-day waiting period after achieving a milestone. Project catalog contracts allow for withdrawal of payments after five days. Bonus payments also become available after five days. In each case, the client has to review your work. On Fiverr, you get paid upon completion of a work order, but you can’t withdraw funds for up to 14 days. (The wait time is shorter for top-rated sellers.)

Requirements

• Users must be at least 18 years old to sell work for Upwork and Fiverr. Fiverr allows users aged 13 and older to use the account with permission from a parent or guardian. And Freelancer.com requires users to be at least 16 years old.

2. Test websites and apps

Another way to make money from home is on sites like UserTesting.com. You get paid for how well certain websites and apps work – or how well they don’t. You’ll need to complete a short test to get approved by UserTesting, then you’ll get paid depending on the type of test.

Total time: Approval can take a few days.

Setup: Less than an hour.

How easy it is to get started: Easy, if you have the tech equipment and you complete a sample test.

Age limit: 18+.

How quickly you’ll get paid: Usually after 14 days.

Need to know

• You’ll need to complete a sample test as part of the UserTesting application process.
• You’ll start receiving testing opportunities once your application is approved.
• Timeframes for approval may vary. Pay amounts vary depending on the length of the test. You get paid 14 days after completing a website or app test via PayPal.

Requirements

• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• You need a device that meets UserTesting’s requirements, an internet connection and a microphone.
• Practice tests and most user tests require English, German or French; some testing opportunities may be in additional languages.

3. Learn to use AI tools

The use of generative artificial intelligence is on the rise. Research from PwC estimates that the North American economy will see a $3.7 trillion impact by 2030 thanks to the AI ​​market.

So there’s no better time to learn how to make money using AI tools. Some AI-related side hustles include:

Integrating AI tools as a freelancer to help you create digital products or edit AI content for clients.

Improving your advertising, marketing efforts, and managing your existing small business.

Teaching others how to use AI tools.

Total time: Depends on demand.

Setup: About 24-48 hours if using a site like Upwork or Freelancer.com.

How easy it is to get started: If you’re already familiar with AI tools, it’ll be easy to get started.

Age limit: 16+ for Freelancer.com and 18 for Upwork.
How quickly you’ll get paid: This varies by the number of clients or products you sell and the platform you choose.

Need to know

• Give yourself time to get used to the AI ​​tool.
• You’ll need to meet the requirements of your chosen freelance gig site.
• Payment will depend on your client and the site’s terms and conditions.

Requirements

• You’ll need a computer, internet connection, and microphone.

4. Take surveys for money

You can make money from home by taking online surveys, but don’t expect to earn a lot. Survey sites don’t typically pay very much, and many sites are more useful for earning gift cards than cash. Some of the more popular survey sites include Swagbucks and Survey Junkie. Read our analysis of survey sites to find out which site is best for you.

Total time: It takes a while.

Setup: Just a few minutes.

How easy it is to get started: Very. Just register and get started.

Age range: 13 to 18+, depending on the site.

How quickly you get paid: Varies by site.

Need to know

• Survey sites can be an option for beginners to make money online because you can register on the site and start taking surveys in just a few minutes.
• The time it takes to get paid depends on the survey site and how much time you spend taking surveys.
• Some sites let you cash out only after you reach a minimum earning threshold.
• Other survey sites issue points, which can be redeemed for cash (via PayPal) or gift cards.

Requirements

• Most survey sites have a minimum age requirement, ranging between 13 and 18 years old (depending on the site), making these sites a good option for teens to earn money online.
• Individual surveys may have specific requirements. Don’t be surprised if you are disqualified from a survey without any explanation.

5. Make money from your blog with affiliate links

If you’re a blogger and you get good traffic, you can make money by joining an affiliate network. The affiliate (that’s you) gets paid when someone clicks through from the website to the partner site and buys something there. Some bloggers make a lot of money this way, especially those who do affiliate marketing full-time. You can use social media or platforms like Pinterest to drive traffic to your blog. Read more about affiliate marketing and other ways to make money with blogging.

Total time: Building an audience can take a lot of time.

Setup: With a blog template, creating a site is easy.

How easy it is to get started: While getting started can be easy, creating regular content can be another matter.

Age range: Varies.

How soon you’ll get paid: One or two months on average.

Need to know

• First, you need a blog, social media account or other online presence that draws a good number of visitors each month.
• Then, you need to apply to and be approved by an affiliate marketing network like CJ, ShareASale, FlexOffers, Rakuten Advertising or Amazon Associates.
• Payment schedules and thresholds vary by affiliate network, but expect to wait at least a month or two for your first paycheck.
• Amazon Associates pays earnings 60 days after the end of the calendar month in which they were earned. ShareASale distributes earnings monthly.

Requirements

•  A blog, social media account or other online presence that attracts a steady stream of visitors.

6. Sell your stuff on Etsy

Are you passionate about woodworking, jewelry making, embroidery or pottery? Sell your crafts on Etsy, the go-to site for artisans selling home goods, art and knick-knacks. According to Etsy, the company has more than 96 million active buyers and generated more than $13 billion in sales in 2023. Learn more about how to make money on Etsy.

Total time: It can take quite a while for customers to find you.

Setup: Can be quite complicated.

How easy it is to get started: Leans towards “hard” on the difficulty meter.

Age range: 13+.

How quickly you get paid: Daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly, depending on your preference.

Need to know

• Opening an Etsy shop is a simple task. It can be done in a few hours.
• The preparation before opening a shop is more time-consuming. You’ll need items to sell, photos and descriptions to post, a name for your shop, and a business plan to succeed. Once that’s done, you’ll still need to find customers. Depending on what you’re selling, this can take weeks, which is why you should expect the total time for this job to be slow.
• When you sell an item, payment is deposited first into your Etsy Payments account, then into your bank account based on your desired deposit schedule.

Requirements

• If you’re over 13 but under 18, you can sell on Etsy, but you’ll be considered a minor and will need to adhere to additional policies.
• You must have all the necessary intellectual property rights for the items you sell in your shop.

7. Self-publish an eBook

Writing a good book is hard, but the internet makes it easy to market. If you’re an author who can turn out pages, you can use Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing to sell your books on the Kindle store. Publishing a book is free, and you can earn 70% of each sale as royalties. Write your book, enter a clear description and details to be displayed, and upload your manuscript. Set a price and see if it sells.

Total Time: How fast can you type? We don’t need to tell you that writing a book can be a difficult task.

Setup: Quick and easy on KDP once the book is ready.

How easy it is to get started: Just start writing.

Age limit: 18+, but parents and guardians can use their accounts to sell minors’ books.

How fast you’ll get paid: Monthly. You must meet the $100 threshold to receive a wire or check payment.

Need to know

• Just because self-publishing is easy doesn’t mean your book will sell. With millions of ebook titles on the Kindle store, competition is fierce.
• Choose from two royalty options: 70% or 35%. If you choose the 70% option, you must price your book between $2.99 ​​and $9.99. If you choose 35%, you have more pricing flexibility.

Requirements

• You’ll need to create a Kindle Direct Publishing account to get started.
• Proper formatting is important. Amazon says most Microsoft Word documents are easily converted to ebooks, but other formats are supported.