Seasonal Hiring Peaks in October: Top 4 Gigs To Apply To ASAP
Are you looking for a temporary job or a new side hustle? If so, you could be in luck. Fall is prime seasonal hiring time. According to Monster's Seasonal Hiring Index 2026, October had the highest seasonal job posting activity in both 2024 and 2025. This means you need to start applying right now to get in on the hiring action.
As retailers prepare for the annual holiday shopping rush (experts forecast a surge in consumer spending this holiday season, according to Retail Dive), they’re staffing up on seasonal hires. Below are the top five seasonal gigs to apply to ASAP.
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Cashier
Average hourly pay: $15.05
The cashier isn’t just the person who scans your items and asks you whether you want a receipt. They’re also the last face shoppers see when they leave a store with their fresh buys in tow. The ideal candidate here is someone who has a warm and enthusiastic personality with customers.
As a cashier, some rudimentary math skills are needed, but it’s not something to stress over as cashier registers are a lot smarter than they used to be and most people pay with a card or phone. According to Indeed, one of the most important aspects of your job (other than keeping financial transactions clean, easy and transparent) is understanding how to interact with customers.
Stocker
Average hourly pay: $16.21
Also called a “stock clerk” and a “shelf stocker,” a stocker packs and unpack stock for a retailer. This usually means not only working behind-the-scenes with existing inventory or deliveries, but also placing items on store shelves and assembling in-store displays.
There’s usually not much customer interaction here; however, when you’re out and about on the floor, a stocker will likely have a customer or two ask where to find something or whether a certain item is on sale. According to Workstream, the ideal candidate should have a great memory, excellent organizational skills and should be able to lift heavy boxes.
Sales Intern
Average hourly pay: $20.07
A sales intern is brought on by sales teams to provide extra support and perform essential tasks that sales associates may not have the time to do. In this role, you’ll do a number of tasks ranging from taking notes in sales meetings to conducting research. The ideal candidate is someone with passion; someone who wants their company to succeed. They want to turn this seasonal gig into a career.
Sales internships can pay pretty well (up to $27.90 an hour. But for some, the pay isn’t the best part of this job; it’s the long-term opportunities it potentially creates. A dedicated and ambitious sales intern could end up extending their role and possibly move up to a better-paying, permanent position in time.
Package Handler
Average hourly pay: $21.99
The highest paying seasonal side gig that requires no formal experience or college education, is also the only one not necessarily retail related. A package handler is someone who works in a shipping/receiving company or in a retailer’s warehouse or inventory room. In this role, the main tasks are organizational. Your time is spent compiling, scanning, sealing and loading packages for delivery. Meticulousness is key, as is patience. As this job requires heavy lifting, you also need to be physically fit.
To be a successful package handler, you don’t really need to be an outgoing people-person. In fact, this is a job that might be best for introverted types, because it requires spending most hours behind-the-scenes, quietly organizing and prepping packages for safe passage during the holiday rush.
Editor's note: Each side gig's average hourly pay was sourced from Indeed.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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