Top 10 Ways To Make Money Online in 2026
With all the digital products and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools available today, earning money online, either with a side gig or a full-time job, is easier than ever. From selling digital products and affiliate marketing to completing paid surveys and launching your own YouTube channel, the opportunities are endless when it comes to digital side hustles. All you need is an internet connection, a bit of creativity and the right strategy to start earning.
Here are 10 of the best ways to make money online in 2026, including high-paying side hustles and scalable income ideas that can help you reach your financial goals faster.
1. Sell Print on Demand
Average monthly income: $3,275
First things first, to sell print on demand, you have to choose a niche and create a unique design, then select a print-on-demand (POD) provider and integrate it with marketplace options like Etsy or Shopify. You can then list your products, set prices and develop a marketing plan to promote your store through social media platforms or other outlets.
How do you make money this way? Well, when a customer purchases one of your items, a print-on-demand company prints your design on the product, packages the order and ships it directly to your customer. So basically, it's estimated that printing on demand can earn an average monthly income of around $3,275, or in some cases, about $1 per active listing per month.
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2. Share Your Opinions
Average monthly income: $50 to $200
Leaving a review on Yelp won't turn into cash or rewards, but plenty of websites exist that will pay for your opinions as a form of digital marketing. The pay might be free gift cards that you can redeem for products, such as Starbucks or Amazon, but it's compensation, nonetheless.
You can write product reviews for software and related services on G2, take a poll on Harris Poll or write reviews for a variety of products from bread to electronics on websites such as ReviewStream. You could also complete surveys on a site like Branded Surveys, but no matter where you sign up, check for any reviews about its credibility and see if the company has complaints with the Better Business Bureau.
3. Freelance Your Skills
Average monthly income: $2,500
If you're good at something, never do it for free. Instead, opt to freelance out your skills for extra money. You could focus on any area from pet sitting to creating online courses. Here are some popular examples:
Freelance writers: With the need for good written content creators for websites, blogs and other outlets higher than ever, excellent writers can find freelance opportunities online through sites such as FlexJobs, Upwork and Fiverr.
Freelance graphic design: Put your skills to work by designing logos or other artwork for small businesses or startups. You can find those gigs on Upwork and Fiverr, or share some of your creations on social media to find clients.
Freelance website design: Every credible business needs a website and could use your expertise to get one up and running. If you also have those writing, photography and graphic design skills, you can build a full-service website creation business.
4. Manage Social Media Accounts
Average monthly income: $5,404
Do you speak Instagram and TikTok? How about X? Plenty of people who run small businesses don't, and they could use help crafting and managing their social media platforms.
Social media managers create content, both verbal and visual, to help companies get the word out about their products and services. They also recommend social media strategies. With online communications, you can work from home with clients based anywhere.
5. Clean Out Your Closet
Average monthly income: $1,000 to $3,000
Next time you clean out your closet, don't just bundle the old clothes and shoes you no longer wear into a box for charity. Look through them with a critical eye -- ask a friend to join you -- and determine whether your items have value on the resale market. A designer bag you no longer use might fetch big money on websites such as Facebook Marketplace, The Real Real or Poshmark.
6. Become a Virtual Assistant
Average hourly wage: $24 to $27
Your impeccable phone manners will lead to good word-of-mouth referrals and help you land a position to schedule appointments. Besides scheduling, virtual assistants often help with all the administrative duties, such as organizing conference calls and other interoffice communications. If you prefer organizing over dog walking, then this just might be the perfect side gig for you.
7. Monetize Your Blog or Vlog
Average monthly income: $500 to $2,000
Readers love blogs they can relate to, whether the topic is parenting, travel, sports or something else. If you already have a blog and it gets decent foot traffic, you could be monetizing it. Sell ads on your own or sign up for a service like AdSense, which will send advertisements your way. While your blog is free for readers now, you can create a subscription service and provide exclusive content for subscribers.
You could also monetize a vlog. The blog's video version is the vlog, and you can also make extra income via YouTube ads or other forms of affiliate marketing. With either a blog or vlog, you can sell merchandise and create sponsored posts to bring in income.
8. Offer Online Tutoring
Average hourly wage: $15
If you have experience teaching English as a second language or if you're a whiz at math, there might be a struggling student who could use your help. Apply with a tutoring service such as Cambly or Tutor.com, or let the counselors at your local high school know about your expertise, experience and availability. Your work with students can be done online.
9. Lead a Class
Average annual salary: $48,000
Outside of just tutoring, you could create course content that students can subscribe to and learn on their own schedule. If you're a yoga teacher, create workouts that clients can access on demand.
If you have done this work before, tap into past clients for direct marketing. You can also use social media or influencer marketing to spread the word of your class. Or, take an online course yourself to determine the best way to produce, price and market your class.
10. Translate Other Languages to English
Median annual wage: $57,090 to $59,440
Our diverse society means many people in our community speak something other than English as their first language. This has increased the need for translators and interpreters, with the field expected to expand by 4% by 2032. People working in the field often have a bachelor's degree, but they also need proficiency in English and the language they seek to translate
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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