16 Profitable Hobbies That Make Money (Start Today)

Earning an income does not have to be all business. Nowadays, almost anything can bring in cash if you get creative and don’t give up. In this post, I’m sharing 16 lucrative hobbies that make money!

What kind of hobbies do you have? While we tend to have hobbies to help us relax, escape from the daily routine, or fulfill our creativity, some hobbies can be turned into profitable businesses. If you’re already doing something you enjoy in your free time, why not start making money while doing it?

“Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life.”

Imagine waking up feeling excited about what the day has in store for you. Thanks to the internet, there are money-making opportunities everywhere! Not all extracurriculars are cash cows, but there’s a good chance you have some money-making hobbies in your tool belt that you weren’t even aware of.

Some people make money by simply completing questionnaires on survey sites, live streaming while playing video games, or performing live music on websites like Twitch. Are you a shoe fanatic? You can collect and sell trendy Nikes on Etsy. Love reading? You can thrift cheap books from Goodwill and sell them online. Love traveling and flowers? Open up a flower delivery service in Paris. It’s side hustles like these that prove how easily people can make money from creating a simple side hustle, you’re limited only by your imagination and your will to act.

Just a few years ago, I started this blog as a hobby when I was in between jobs. I’ve always loved reading, learning new things, and entrepreneurship. I started blogging on my time off and in a short time, the money I made blogging replaced my full-time income. I love blogging so much & it doesn’t even feel like a job!

Monetizing your favorite hobby can transform your life! I hope this post inspires you to take your hobbies more seriously.

Not sure where to start? There are countless hobbies that you can pursue, but not all of them can make you money. So, if you’re looking to pursue a hobby that can generate some extra income, I’ve got you covered. Check out these 16 hobbies that make money in 2024.

Profitable Hobbies That Make Money

It sounds like a fantasy, but with enough ambition, you can turn your favorite hobby into a full-time business. Although there are a million different ways to make money online, the following hobbies are great places to start if you’re looking for some ideas.

Graphic Design

Illustration and graphic design are creative money-making hobbies you can do at home on a freelance contract basis. If you’re willing to learn how to use Photoshop and Illustrator or already know a thing or two about these apps, then you can work as a freelance designer making content for businesses. These apps don’t have a steep learning curve- I’m no genius and I managed to teach myself Photoshop at 16 years old thanks to free tutorials on YouTube. Designing graphics doesn’t have to be expensive either. Canva, an online graphic design website allows you to create beautiful designs completely free of charge.

Here are some ways you can make money from graphic design:

Design apps and websites.
Designing book covers for publishers and authors
Create social media posts.
Create advertisement visuals
Create brand logos for small businesses.
Create social media posts.

If you really want to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit, then you can create unique designs for shirts, mugs, & artwork. Platforms like Printful make it easy to drop ship these items directly to your customer. If you want to completely skip dropshipping, try your hand at making printables.

You can create posters, prints, fonts, and graphic details and upload them to marketplaces like Society 6 or Creative Market for sale. If you have the knowledge, proficiency, and the right tools, you can turn graphic design into a lucrative pastime and earn good money.

Photography

If you own a high-quality camera and know how to use it, here are a few ways to turn photography into one of your hobbies that make money on the side:

Wedding photography: take pictures of couples getting married or photograph important celebrations.
Stock Photography: If you already have a collection of high-quality photos, you submit them to stock photography sites, like Big Stock, Shutterstock, Foap, Scoopshot, Stockimo, and iStock.
Sell prints: You can sell your prints on Etsy or other online platforms, or you can upload your prints to photography sites like ImageKind
Photography journalism: Magazines and publications pay thousands of dollars for photography journalism features.
Product photography: Work with brands and small businesses to take pictures of their products.
Create an online course: or an online workshop where you teach people how to take pictures. Online courses are a great source of passive income.

Aside from selling your photographs online, consider making and customizing photo books and selling them to family and friends.

Did you know that Professional photography accounts are the second-most lucrative on Instagram in terms of how much brands are willing to pay for a sponsored post? And you don’t need hundreds of thousands of followers either.

BLOGGING

I’ve already mentioned that blogging is MY FAVORITE hobby on this list because of how lucrative it Is. Blogging is one of the ultimate “choose your own adventure” businesses. You can share your passions with the world and meet tons of amazing people who share your unique interests.

I turned my little blogging hobby into a six-figure business and met some really cool people along the way. I never was a great writer, and blogging allowed me to improve my writing skills over the years. I still have lots to learn but that hasn’t stopped me from putting myself out there.

Blogging is lucrative regardless of which niche you choose. This blog covers a bunch of different topics, and I still make a living without the fear of burnout from talking about the same thing for years.

There are several ways to make money blogging:

Display ads
Affiliate marketing
Brand sponsorships
Selling products or services

Take for example the display ads on this page that pop up in between paragraphs and in my sidebar. I made over $4,500 last month just from advertising on this blog alone. This income doesn’t include affiliate marketing or sponsorships. You might catch the blogging bug like me and create multiple blogs & websites.

It’s also the cheapest business that you can start today, with hosting costs under $3 a month. If you’d like to learn more about starting a blog or if this hobby is right for you, make sure to check my guide, the complete guide on how to start a profitable blog.

Selling Antiques

Selling or re-selling antiques and second-hand items can be a hobby that makes money if you have a passion for thrifting.

The billion-dollar company, Nasty Gal first opened its doors as a vintage shop on eBay. Gary Vee’s first foray into the business world involved reselling stuff he picked up from garage sales, & flipping them on sites like eBay and Craigslist.

To start selling antiques, spend some time visiting your local flea markets and thrift stores to find antiques and interesting old items and furniture. Once you have an inventory, put your items online. Next, I recommend making listings for your collection on Facebook marketplace, Etsy, &/or Instagram. You might also want to create a website for your antique store.

Music

Passionate about music? You can turn this hobby into a business in a few different ways.

Upload songs on Apple Music, Spotify, or Soundcloud
Start a YouTube channel with tutorials
Book gigs at different places. Playing at weddings, clubs, and restaurants in your community is a way to get your name out there.
Create a music academy online with courses of different levels, sharing playing techniques and exercises. Lots of people are seriously interested in deepening their musical knowledge and skills, or refreshing it if they played an instrument younger.

If you like making sample riffs and beats, consider listing your beats on third-party sites that work similarly to stock photo sites. There are a variety of sites where you can list your beats, like Airbit and BeatStars. Airbit paid out $32 million in 2019 to its artists, while BeatStars sellers made an estimated $40 million—double what they earned in 2018. Samples by Vanity is an online business that sells samples for artists to remix and splice together to create their own music.

Website Development And Design

Most businesses require a website & online presence nowadays. If you’re just starting out with web design, or don’t have too many coding abilities, you’ll want to start designing sites using WordPress or Wix. The website you’re reading right now was created using WordPress and after 6 years, I still don’t know a single line of code. You can always build your website development skills as you get more practice.

Here are a few ideas for monetizing an interest in web development:

work with big or small businesses to help design, build, and maintain their website.
Design templates for WordPress or other website builders and sell them on sites like Etsy, Creative Market, or directly on a website.
If you’re up for a bigger challenge, you can start an agency and hire other employers to work with you on client projects.
Lastly, you can build up your audience with a mini course that acts as a led magnet. It is a great way of focusing on knowledge in a digital product while building your audience base.

Beauty & Makeup

You can become an influencer and get a following, which you can later monetize. Influencers have many monetization options, from affiliate marketing to brand sponsorships. It’s also one of the most sought-after careers now because you have a chance to make money while sharing your life or things you’re passionate about.

There are many websites where you can share your beauty and skincare tips, TikTok and YouTube are the most popular ones. If you have a quirky personality & like speaking to the camera, you might want to try YouTube. if you’re not yet comfortable enough speaking in front of the camera, you can still go viral on TikTok by posting simple DIY tutorials using viral songs.

Writing

Fellow #booktok girlies, listen up! Writing is a consistent income earner, particularly in today’s online environment where content is king. The easiest way to start making money online is by becoming a freelance writer. You can easily make money writing from home, your favorite cafe, or even while you’re on vacation on a sun-filled island. Here are a few ways to make money freelance writing:

SEO writing.
Copywriting.
Content Writing.
Technical writing.
Ghostwriting.

One of the most obvious ways to make money writing is to sell it as a service—freelance writing on sites like Upwork or Fiverr or reaching out directly to blogs for paid gigs.

There are plenty of content writing sites that need writers. Some of the top ones to write for include WriterAccess, Constant Content, and iWriter.

If you write fiction and are a fast writer, you can write books and self-publish on Amazon

Blogging or writing on Medium is a great way to flex your writing muscles and get used to publishing your writing online. The best part about blogging is that your blog will double as a writing portfolio. You can use blogging to further your career and establish yourself as an expert on a topic.

Baking

Do you love to create cakes, cookies, and desserts? Turn your cooking or baking skills into a booming business and earn money doing something you love. Everyone loves food, either eating it, looking at it, or making it. So if you’re a skilled baker with secret recipes for mouthwatering brownies or chocolate cupcakes, take advantage of it!

Selling your baked goods is a great way to make extra money on the side. Maybe even try your hand at cake decorating or begin catering for businesses and individuals. Start by catering small events in your neighborhood, or create a blog to share your favorite family recipes. Food blogs make bank!

A number of bakers and chefs have found success sharing their tips, recipes, and expertise online through coaching or courses.

For inspiration, watch how entrepreneur Mignon Francois created a famous cupcake brand in this YouTube video: How I Turned My Last $5 to $10,000,000

Candle Making

Crafting is another on my list of profitable hobbies that make money because people looooove handmade goods. If you enjoy working with your hands, there are plenty of things to make and sell: candles, bath bombs, jewelry, soap, and more. Crafting is a $40-billion industry waiting for your next idea.

Candle making is super relaxing and the market for unique candles explodes in the fall. Typically when colder weather comes, people worldwide enjoy snuggling up with a blanket and lighting candles in the evenings. Here are a few candlemaking niches to explore:

Book-related candles.
Seasonal candles.
Scented candles.
Ritual candles.
Massage oil candles.
Aromatherapy candles.

For more inspiration, watch these YouTube videos:

Organic Skincare Products

The beauty industry has been growing rapidly in recent years, so if you enjoy making your own soaps and organic facemasks, think about turning your hobby into a profitable organic e-commerce brand.

You can specialize in one product, like a whipped soap or a sugar lip scrub. Or, you might create a whole line and sell different products for the body and face. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

Face mask
Body scrub
Body butter
Handmade soaps with dried herbs
Bath soaks & bombs
Feet mask & scrub
Facial exfoliator

For more inspiration, watch these YouTube videos:

Gardening

Do you love to be outdoors? As with many of the other hobbies that make money on this list, there are multiple ways to make your gardening hobby profitable.

If you’re an avid indoor gardener, you can earn money selling mature indoor plants from your own home. It’s a hobby that can make you happier, healthier, and perhaps even richer. Millennials spent $13 billion on plants in 2020 alone. Take, for example, Leaf & Clay an e-commerce brand that sells succulents, either for a one-time purchase or on a subscription basis.

Alternatively, you can also sell products and accessories to help your customers connect with their own gardening hobbies. Technology seller ēdn introduced an indoor garden to their product line, enabling customers to grow herbs and other plants in a compact space with artificial light.

Pets: Dog Walking & Petsitting

Are you an animal lover? Consider becoming a pet sitter, walker, or groomer to make money doing something close to your heart. Walking other people’s dogs is a great way to make money, and is a perfect hobby for those who have some free time after work, & on the weekends. Not to mention you’ll get to walk more during the day which has tons of health benefits.

There are plenty of sites where you can find dogs to walk, and you can even join dog walking companies online that specialize in connecting dog walkers with dog owners. A few recommended dog-walking companies to get you started are: Rover, Wag!, & Fetch

Along with dog walking, you may want to try pet sitting. It’s a little more intensive than dog walking as you’ll usually need to look after people’s pets for longer than a walk. If you already have pets, it might be a great way to socialize your pets with others and make money by enjoying fun company while you babysit someone’s pet while they’re on holiday. A few popular websites for finding pet-sitting jobs are: Wag!, Fetch, PetBacker, LaPetSitting (Los Angeles only) Trusted House Sitters, & Holidog

Video Gaming

Shocked to find gaming on my list of profitable hobbies? Of all hobbies that make money from home, one of the most entertaining is playing video games. Any long-term gamer knows that there’s some serious money to be made from video game streaming.

Many websites and apps offer real money-earning video games, such as InboxDollars, Swagbucks, Mistplay, KashKick, and Second Life. Other apps and websites offer cash prizes for playing tournaments, such as GamerSaloon and WorldWinner.

Gaming is a fast-growing industry with a lot of passion behind it. If you have an easy time getting people to pay attention to you and have an outgoing personality, then gaming is a great hobby to make money from. The rise of the “Let’s Play” video format on Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube has made many millionaires in the past few years. You can get subscribers who pay a monthly fee, and viewers might donate your money or digital currency during your streams.

Jewelry making

Much like candlemaking, jewelry making can be a relaxing hobby and creative outlet, but also be a highly profitable one if you know how to market your bespoke designs. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and pins are just a few of the many jewelry items that you can make and sell.

You can also sell your jewelry items at flea markets, craft shows & online. There are tons of websites that you can use to sell jewelry, Etsy is easily the best way to share your jewelry with the world.

Review books

If you’re an avid book lover and reader, consider turning your fun hobby into an easy side hustle. Yes, you can read books and get paid to express your opinions about them! One way is to create your own Tiktok or blog and review books there. As you build your audience and credibility, you’ll be able to start charging for book reviews and other book-related services. This way, you’ll get free books from publishers, which is every book lover’s dream! If you want something simpler and more instant, you can join book review companies that hire reviewers and pay them a small fee to read and review books. Most of these companies are easy to join and get started earning extra cash.

Here are a few recommendations for book review websites/publications that pay their reviewers:

Proofreading is also a great side gig, and may even generate a full-time income. Caitlin Pyle, who runs the blog Proofread Anywhere, earned over $43,000 in one year proofreading part-time. As a proofreader, your job will simply be to notice and correct technical mistakes, like typos.

Take The Leap Now

You can absolutely make money doing something you love. So … what’s your hobby?

If you plan to make money with it but don’t know where to start, let me know in the comments, and I will give you some tips to help turn your hobbies into a business.