These 3 Side Gigs Are Making People Rich — How To Start One Today
With many Americans unable to rely on a single job to achieve their financial needs and goals, the gig economy is prospering. More workers than ever before are opting for side hustle work, which has transformed the nature of labor in the United States.
As Survey Monkey reported, 8.9 million Americans (5.4% of the employed population) were working multiple jobs in 2025, the highest number since the Great Recession in the late 2000s, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to its own research, 72% of workers either already had a side job (37%) or were thinking about getting one (35%).
Micro side hustles — flexible, low-commitment income jobs that can be started for free — are in vogue for 2026, but as TollFreeFowarding.com's Jason O'Brien told Forbes, "The rise of high-earning side hustles is redefining how people think about work and income. With the right skills, dedication and flexibility, individuals can not only earn extra money but actually generate a second full-time income on the side."
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Here are the three top side gigs that can make you rich in 2026, according to O'Brien.
Specialized Copywriter
Potential top salary: $130,000/year
Freelance writing and editing have been well-paid side hustles for years, but the real money comes if you have specialized skills that are in demand.
"There are two main ways copywriters pick a specialization," wrote professional web copywriter Lisa Banks. "By choosing an industry to specialize in or by specifying a medium."
Many writers are jacks of all trades, but pitching to specific markets with distinct needs can be highly profitable. To get rich, you'll need to build a targeted portfolio and advance your qualifications by taking courses that have niche appeal (e.g., B2B, health and wellness, SaaS, finance, SEO).
AI Prompt Engineer
Potential top salary: $104,000/year
AI-created digital content is everywhere, but some gigs are much more lucrative than others. Prompt engineering is one of them, by training generative AI models towards certain specializations.
You don't need to have a college degree to become a prompt engineer, but prompting is about language, so your writing skills need to be top notch. As does your experience with AI models. So, after you familiarize yourself with industries or domains that interest you, look into certification through a learning platform like Coursera, DeepLearning.AI or Anthropic.
Freelance Web and App Developer
Potential top salary: $104,000/year
Defining your strengths and developing your weaknesses are the first steps to starting a successful side gig or career. Communication, business and project management skills are essential to any wannabe freelancer.
Whether you choose to become a front-end (visual and interactive component developers), a back-end (framework code-writers) or a full-stack (front- and back-end creators) freelance web or app developer, you'll need to be proficient in a variety of front-end functioning programs (e.g., JavaScript, HTML, CSS) and/or back-end languages (e.g., Java, C+, PHP).
Side hustles are attractive to those who wish to work flexible hours and choose their own projects. However, if you want one that'll make you big money, you'll need to lean into your talents and creatively cater them to a customer's or industry's specific needs.
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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