How To Make $500 Fast: 15 Gigs and the Hours They Take

You can make $500 fast by stacking side gigs to bring in more cash. If a gig earns $25 an hour, 20 hours of work can add up to $500.

Higher-paying gigs can offer more and get you there faster — for example, freelancing at $50 an hour can get you $500 in 10 hours. Here's a closer look at the different gigs you can try, how much they pay and how to get started.

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How Many Hours Does It Take To Make $500?

Consider your hourly rate for a gig. To earn $500, divide $500 by the hourly rate. Here are a few examples using different rates:

• $25 an hour: 20 hours

• $50 an hour: 10 hours

• $100 an hour: 5 hours

Most of the gigs below are paid weekly, so there's an opportunity to earn cash in a short time. The exact rate is going to depend on the gig, your location and how much experience you may have. It may be a good idea to check the rates in your area to see if what you're charging is on par. Choose a gig that fits your skill and schedule. If you need to earn more, consider stacking gigs if one doesn't help you reach your goal in time.

How To Make $500 a Week: 15 Gigs To Try Today

1. Start training AI chatbots

2. Offer services as a virtual assistant

3. Housekeeping

4. Walk dogs or pet sit

5. House-sit or babysit for families

6. Work in a restaurant 

7. Sell digital products

8. Writing, proofreading and editing

9. Freelance

10. Rent a room, parking space or tools

11. Make money from your phone

12. Online researcher 

13. Tutor — online or in person

14. Deliver groceries or food

15. Drive for Uber or Lyft

16. Other options for how to get $500 fast

1. Start Training AI Chatbots

• Earning potential: $25 to $100 an hour

• Level of difficulty: Medium

• How to get started: Look for job openings like AI Tutor or AI Trainer at leading AI companies like OpenAI, xAI or Mindrift. 

Training AI chatbots may be one way to earn $500 a week. Chatbots like ChatGPT and Grok need constant human input, and leading AI companies pay everyday people to help refine and improve their responses.

You don't need to be a computer scientist or have a PhD to qualify for this role. You just need attention to detail and sharp critical thinking skills. 

Specialized knowledge in a certain field, like accounting, economics, medicine, psychology or a language can help.

At one point, xAI was even hiring an AI Tutor to train Grok on memes, trolling and social media trends.

2. Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is someone who provides digital services remotely, such as helping busy executives plan their calendar or helping a small business with customer service.

• Earning potential: Many pay $500 a week

• Level of difficulty: Easy

• How to get started: Apply to job listings or post one on sites like Belay, Indeed, Upwork or Fiverr. You could also try making your own website.

This side hustle offers a lot of versatility:

1. Hourly commitment? Part-time or full-time

2. Location? Work from anywhere in the world

3. Responsibilities? Almost anything

You can essentially make extra cash doing almost anything from almost anywhere. What's not to like?

MoneyLion tip: You can usually charge higher rates by choosing a specialized niche.

3. Housekeeping

Housekeeping is a hustle you can do independently or through an agency.

• Earning potential: Depends on your independent rate and number of customers

• Level of difficulty: Medium

• How to get started: Apply to a local agency, create a profile on Care.com or try to land your own customers

Say you choose to do this job independently. Just establish a rate per home, and then clean as many as you need to reach $500 a week. For example, charge $100 to clean a home and then clean one home per workday. That can net you $500 a week.

Once you've got repeat customers, you can even try to scale your business. For example, charge $100 per home and hire another side hustler to do it for $80, while you focus on landing new customers.

That said, you can also find work by applying to a local housekeeping agency or using sites like Care.com.

4. Walk Dogs or Pet Sit

Pet sitting can be surprisingly lucrative. Almost all pet owners want the best for their furry friends, but don't always have the time to care for them. So, they hire side hustlers.

• Earning potential: $500 a week

• Level of difficulty: Medium

• How to get started: Create a profile on Rover.com or Wag. Or try to land your own local customers.

It's fairly easy to earn $20 for a walk and up to $50 to board dogs overnight in your home or apartment. Here’s how the math breaks down to reach $500 a week:

• Dog walking: Five walks a day at $20 for five days = $500

• Dog boarding: Two dogs a night at $50 per dog per night for five nights = $500

Watching dogs or pets is especially easy if you live in a crowded area where you can visit multiple times a day.

5. House-Sit or Babysit for Families

Not a big fan of animals? That's OK. You can also earn similar cash by watching people's kids or houses. 

• Earning potential: $15 to $25 an hour

• Level of difficulty: Easy

• How to get started: Put up flyers, post in Facebook groups, or ask friends and family to spread the word

Most babysitting jobs come through word-of-mouth, so consider asking around your community to find gigs. If you've got good experience, it can be fairly easy to earn $15 to $25 an hour. That means you'd have to clock around 20 to 30 hours a week to bring in $500.

6. Work in a Restaurant

If you're great with people and don't mind a little hustle and bustle, then working in a restaurant can be a great answer to the question: How do I make $500 fast?

Tips are where it's at, especially if the base pay doesn't earn enough to cover your costs.

• Earning potential: Varies based on city, restaurant and season

• Level of difficulty: Hard

• How to get started: Apply to local restaurants or explore staffing companies like Qwick.

If you work at a popular restaurant, then you can earn much more via tips than you could with most regular side hustles.

There are some downsides, though, including long shifts standing on your feet, potentially rude customers and the dinner rush. Restaurant work is best in small doses. Try to secure work during primetime hours — Friday, Saturday, Sunday — over a full schedule.

7. Sell Digital Products

Selling digital products is another flexible, potentially lucrative side hustle. To get started, first think about what you want to sell:

• E-books or guides

• Online courses, workshops, or webinars

• Websites or landing pages

• Social media content

• Stock photography or digital art

Once you know what you want to sell, get started creating that product, and then list it for sale on sites like Etsy or Gumroad. The best part about this side hustle is that it can be done remotely. It's also scalable, and you can work on your own schedule. 

• Earning potential: Depends on your prices or rates

• Level of difficulty: Medium

• How to get started: Create your own website to sell products or use a service like Sellfy.

8. Writing, Proofreading and Editing

Writing, proofreading and editing are three great ways to make $500 a week from home. If you’re new to this field, then it might be smart to find a specific niche, like “writing about AI” or "newsletters for local businesses." This can help you stand out a bit in the market, making it easier to find and land roles.

• Earning potential: Depends on your rates

• Level of difficulty: Medium 

• How to get started: Apply to jobs on sites like Fiverr, Upwork or LinkedIn

9. Freelance

Not a great writer? That's OK! You can take the same thought process from the last tip and apply it to almost any skill. For example, the freelance marketplace Fiverr currently offers services for all these skills:

• Programming and Tech

• Graphics & Design

• Digital Marketing

• Writing and Translation

• Video and Animation

• AI Services

• Music and Audio

• Business

• Consulting

Each of these is an umbrella term that covers dozens of more specific skills. Just pick a skill you have, create a profile or website and start selling your skills to companies.

• Earning potential: Depends on your rates

• Level of difficulty: Medium

• How to get started: Apply to jobs on sites like Fiverr, Upwork or LinkedIn. 

10. Rent a Room, Parking Space or Tools

If you've got extra space or extra stuff, then you can make money by renting them out. Check out these sites to help turn your stuff into cash flow:

• Airbnb: Rent your room or home

• Turo: Rent your car

• Spacer: Rent your spare parking space

• Fat Llama: Rent your stuff

Rates vary by location, but it's common to generate between $50 and $150 per day renting out your car or spare room. Our favorite part about this hustle is that it's fairly passive. Just create a listing, coordinate with customers and then sit back and earn cash.

• Earning potential: $500 or more

• Level of difficulty: Easy

• How to get started: Create a listing using the sites above

11. Make Money From Your Phone

While you might use it primarily for watching videos or scrolling social media, there are tons of ways you can make money from your phone. Here are some examples:

• Earn cash with MoneyLion Games**

• Take advantage of cash back and rewards apps

• Test websites and apps for money

• Teach from your phone as an online tutor

• Help grow your wealth goals by investing

Here are some details about how much you could earn using your phone:

• Earning potential: $500 a week

• Level of difficulty: Easy

• How to get started: Read our full guide above

12. Online Researcher 

Some companies will pay you for your feedback as they try to develop new products or theories. It's called market research, and it's another way that you can earn some extra cash weekly.

In most cases, you'll have to attend a short or medium-length call and provide honest feedback to a set of questions. Then, you’ll be paid for your time.

• Earning potential: $500 a week

• Level of difficulty: Easy

• How to get started: Sign up on research sites like Respondent

13. Tutor Online or In Person

If you've got specialized knowledge, then you can make some solid cash by tutoring online. 

If you don’t have specialized knowledge, not to worry. You can still make extra cash by teaching things like your native language, basic elementary subjects, or topics related to your career.

• Earning potential: $500 a week

• Level of difficulty: Easy

• How to get started: Sign up on sites like Wyzant, Studypool or Varsity

14. Deliver Groceries or Food

It's never been easier to make extra cash using sites like DoorDash, Instacart, or Uber Eats.

According to Indeed, a dasher could earn $21.99 an hour on average. But rates can surge as high as $40 an hour based on the time and location. If your average rate falls in the middle, say $30 an hour, then you only need to work 17 hours a week to earn $500. 

• Earning potential: $10 to $40 an hour

• Level of difficulty: Medium

• How to get started: Create a profile on DoorDash, Instacart, Uber Eats or another delivery service

15. Drive for Uber or Lyft

Driving for Uber or Lyft is similar to delivering groceries or food in terms of pay and benefits.

According to data from Indeed, Lyft drivers make around $20.61 an hour while Uber drivers make an average of $33 an hour. If you want to earn $500 a week, then you'll need to clock in roughly 15 to 25 hours of driving a week.

But a big benefit with these roles is that you can clock in whenever you'd like, making it easy to work around your existing schedule.

• Earning potential: $20 to $33 an hour

• Level of difficulty: Medium

• How to get started: Create a profile on Uber or Lyft

Can You Make $500 in One Day?

Earning $500 in one day is challenging, but it can be done. Most hourly gigs take a few days to add up to the amount needed. For example, if your rate is $25 an hour, you'd need to work 20 hours to get to $500.

How can you make $500 in one day? Say you sell an item worth around $500. Selling a high-value item can help you reach the goal with only one transaction, saving the time it might have taken to do hourly gig work.

Of course, it's not easy to always sell one high-value item, so you may have to combine gigs: one quick sale along with a couple of hours of gig work, making up the rest over the next few days. Check how much you'll actually be paid with each gig or platform before you begin, since the timing can vary.

It's good to be realistic with yourself and what you can handle. Set a goal each day and create a plan for covering any gaps over the next few days.

Other Options on How To Get $500 Fast

Want to explore even more money-making strategies? Check out our detailed guides for how you can earn up to $10,000 fast:

• How To Make $1,000 Fast

• How To Make $2,000 Fast

• How To Make $5,000 Fast

• How To Make $10,000 Fast

These methods can be scaled up or combined to reach larger financial goals. Whether you're saving for a bigger purchase or trying to build up your emergency fund, explore some tactics that can bring in extra cash.

How To Make $500 Fast: Pick a Strategy and Start Earning Today

This list has plenty of realistic strategies for how to make $500 fast. The next step? Pick the strategy that works best for you and get started as soon as possible. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll be bringing in cash.

And one last tip? If a side hustle isn't bringing in enough cash for you, just drop it and try another.

FAQ

Is it possible to make $500 fast?

Yes. Many side hustles or gig economy roles pay weekly, making it possible to earn $500 fast. If your rate is $25 an hour for a gig, it can take 20 hours to earn $500.

How can I make $500 a week online?

A few of the gigs listed above can be done online: AI chatbot training, virtual assistant work, selling products online, writing and editing, freelance gigs and tutoring online. You're able to work according to your own schedule. To figure out how many hours you'd work, divide $500 by your hourly rate.

What are some easy side hustles from home?

Some easy side hustles from home include writing, virtual tutoring, website design or selling digital products on websites like Etsy.

What are some jobs that pay every week?

Many delivery or restaurant jobs offer weekly pay and cash tips. You may also want to start picking up gigs as a freelancer or virtual assistant, as many of these jobs pay weekly and have competitive rates.

Key Terms

• Side hustle: A side hustle is work you do outside your main job to earn extra money, often on a flexible schedule.

• Freelance work: Freelance work is work you do for clients on a project or contract basis, typically as an independent contractor.

• Independent contractor: An independent contractor is a worker who controls how the work gets done and usually pays their own taxes.

• Self-employment tax: Self-employment tax covers Social Security and Medicare taxes for people who work for themselves. The rate is 15.3% of net earnings from self-employment.

• Annual percentage rate (APR): APR shows the yearly cost of borrowing money, including interest and certain lender fees.

Sources

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS): Topic no. 762, Independent contractor vs. employee.

• IRS: Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes).

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): What is the difference between a loan interest rate and the APR?

• Indeed: DoorDash delivery driver.

• Indeed: Driver salaries in the United States.

• Indeed: Uber Drivers salaries.

Parts of this article were created with AI assistance. MoneyLion editors reviewed, fact-checked and edited the final version and are responsible for its accuracy.