Summer hits different when you’ve got time on your hands. School’s out. Kids are home. The pace slows down, and suddenly there’s a window to actually do something with all that free time.

Summer side hustles online are one of the easiest ways to fill that window with extra cash. According to a Bankrate survey, roughly 25% of U.S. adults have a side hustle, and 35% rely on it to cover everyday expenses.

Whether you’re a teacher with two months off, a college student home for the summer or anyone with a slower season ahead, the right side hustle can help you cover your hills or stack your savings before fall.

The good news? You don’t need a car, a commute or a uniform. You just need Wi-Fi and a few spare hours. Below, you’ll find 16 of the best online summer side hustles, including a few you can start today on your phone. 

For more options, check out our guide to the best apps to make money.

Why Summer Is a Great Time for Online Side Hustles

Summer creates a perfect storm for earning online. Schedules loosen up, kids are out of school and many people (especially educators and students) have actual time to fill.

Online side hustles also remove the biggest barrier to seasonal work: the weather, the commute and the physical labor of traditional summer jobs. You can earn from a beach chair, a couch or a coffee shop, wherever Wi-Fi reaches.

A few reasons summer is uniquely well-suited to online hustles:

• Teachers have 8 to 10 weeks off. That’s a long runway to build something, or just bank extra cash.
• College students are home from May to August. Most don’t want a full-time job, but they do want spending money. Here are some of the best apps for college students to make money year round. 
• Parents have shifted schedules. Summer means more flexibility around kid activities, camps and travel. Stay-at-home parents in particular have new pockets of time once camp drop-off and pickup hit a rhythm. Check out these ideas for side income for stay-at-home parents.
• Demand goes up in some categories. Tutoring, virtual assistance and digital products often see a summer bump.

The trick is matching the hustle to the time you have. Got 15 minutes during nap time? Take a survey. Got three open hours in the morning? Tutor a student. Got the whole summer? Build something that pays into the fall.

16 Best Summer Side Hustles Online to Try This Year

Here are 16 of the best online side hustles to consider this summer, ranked roughly by how quickly you can start earning. KashKick comes first because it’s genuinely the lowest-friction way to start putting cash in your pocket today.

1. Earn Cash for Games, Surveys and Deals With KashKick

If you want to start earning today (like, in the next 10 minutes) KashKick is the easiest place to begin. It’s a rewards platform that pays you real cash for playing games, taking surveys, trying new apps and shopping online.

Here’s why it’s a great summer fit: You can earn during any pocket of downtime. Waiting for the kids at swim practice? Take a survey. Lounging by the pool? Play a game on your phone. Dinner in the slow cooker? Try a new app for a bonus. 

What sets KashKick apart is the transparency. Every offer shows exactly what you’ll earn and what you need to do. No confusing points, no expired gift cards. Just real money ($1 Kash = $1 USD) that you can cash out via PayPal or Venmo, grab as a gift card, or donate to charity. Once you hit $10, payouts process in just one to three days.

One member, a self-described “Average Joe,” earned over $500 in less than a year. A stay-at-home mom banked around $75 in fun money before a Disney trip with her kids. Read more KashKick reviews from real members.

New to the platform? Start with this beginner’s guide to KashKick.

Best for: Anyone with summer downtime; students, teachers, parents and anyone in between

How fast you can earn: Same day. Surveys hit your balance instantly. Once you earn $10, cashout and receive your payment within 1-3 days.

👉 Sign up for KashKick and start earning today.

2. Tutor Students Online

Tutoring is one of the highest-paying online side hustles, especially in summer. Many parents look for academic help to prevent the “summer slide,” and others hire tutors to prep their kids for the next school year.

Platforms like Wyzant and Preply let you set your own rates and schedule. Subjects in highest demand include math, reading, SAT/ACT prep and English as a second language.

If you’re a teacher, this is a natural summer fit as you already have the credentials and skills. Hourly rates typically range from $20 to $80 depending on subject and experience.

Best for: Teachers, grad students and anyone with strong subject expertise

How fast you can earn: One to two weeks to get set up and find first students

3. Become a Virtual Assistant

Small businesses, solopreneurs and content creators often need help with administrative tasks like managing inboxes, scheduling, light bookkeeping, social media posting and customer service. Virtual assistants handle all of it, remotely.

You can find VA gigs on Upwork, Fiverr and dedicated VA job boards. Rates typically start around $15 an hour and climb to $50+ as you build experience and specialize.

Summer is a strong time to start because many small business owners go on vacation and need extra hands while they’re away.

Best for: Organized people who like task variety and steady weekly hours

How fast you can earn: Two to four weeks to land first client

4. Sell Stuff You Already Own

Summer cleaning. Garage sales. Decluttering before fall. Whatever the trigger, summer is when people purge, and online resale platforms are the easiest way to turn that pile of stuff into real cash.

Poshmark is great for clothes and accessories. Facebook Marketplace handles furniture and household goods. eBay works for almost anything else. College students heading home can offload textbooks, dorm supplies and old electronics in the same week.

This isn’t recurring income, but it’s a great way to bank a few hundred dollars without learning anything new.

Best for: Anyone with stuff sitting unused: clothes, books, electronics, furniture

How fast you can earn: Same week, depending on how fast items sell

5. Start a Freelance Service on Fiverr or Upwork

If you have a marketable skill (writing, design, video editing, transcription, voiceover, web development) freelance platforms connect you to clients worldwide.

Fiverr takes a 20% cut and lets you list services starting at $5 (with a $2 minimum on orders under $50). Upwork charges up to 15% per contract and works on a proposal model. Both reward consistency and reviews; the more gigs you complete, the more visibility you get.

Summer’s open schedule is ideal for getting set up: building a portfolio, optimizing your profile and landing those crucial first three to five reviews that unlock bigger jobs.

Best for: People with a specific creative or technical skill

How fast you can earn: One to four weeks to land first gig

6. Sell Digital Products on Etsy

Digital products (printables, templates, planners, wedding invitations, lesson plans) are one of the most passive online side hustles around. You create the file once and sell it unlimited times. Teachers, in particular, can repurpose existing classroom materials into sellable resources on Etsy or Teachers Pay Teachers.

Realistic expectations matter here: Most Etsy shops earn under $100 a month, and top earners take one to three years to scale. But the upfront work pays out for years if you find a niche that hits.

Summer is a great time to build because you have the runway to create a starter catalog of 20 to 50 listings, which is enough to actually start getting noticed in search.

Best for: Designers, teachers and anyone willing to invest upfront for long-term passive income

How fast you can earn: Two to six months to build meaningful traffic

7. Get Paid to Test Websites and Apps

Companies pay everyday users to test their websites and apps for usability issues. You record yourself navigating a site, talk through what you’re thinking and submit the test. Sessions typically take 10 to 20 minutes and pay $4 to $20 each, with longer interview-style tests paying $50 to $100.

UserTesting and User Interviews are two of the most reliable platforms. You’ll need a working microphone, webcam and stable internet. That’s it.

Best for: Anyone with a clear speaking voice and an opinion

How fast you can earn: Same week after passing the practice test

8. Do Microtasks Online

Microtasks are tiny, repetitive jobs that humans do better than computers—image tagging, data verification, audio transcription, content moderation. Pay per task is small, but they add up if you batch them.

Amazon Mechanical Turk is the original microtask platform. Clickworker is another solid option. Earnings depend entirely on volume. Most users report $3 to $10 an hour, though experienced workers can hit higher. 

For a deeper look at where to find the best-paying tasks, check out our guide to high-paying microtask websites.

Best for: People who want to earn during downtime without committing to a schedule

How fast you can earn: Same day after account approval

9. Start a Print-on-Demand Store

Print-on-demand lets you sell custom t-shirts, mugs, hats, posters and more without holding inventory. You upload the design, the platform handles printing, packing and shipping.

Printful integrates with Shopify and Etsy. Redbubble is its own marketplace. Margins are thin (usually $3 to $10 per item) but the work is front-loaded. Once a design sells, it can keep selling for years.

Summer is a smart time to launch because back-to-school, fall and holiday shoppers start browsing in August.

Best for: Designers and anyone with a creative niche

How fast you can earn: One to three months for first consistent sales

10. Teach or Coach Online

If you have expertise like fitness, nutrition, music, business, language or mindfulness, you can teach it online. Group classes through Outschool (which focuses on kids) or one-on-one coaching through your own website work especially well.

Summer creates demand. Kids need enrichment, adults have time for new hobbies and busy professionals finally have bandwidth for personal development.

Pricing varies widely. Group classes might pay $30 to $50 an hour, while specialized coaching can run $75 to $200+ an hour.

Best for: Teachers, fitness instructors, musicians and subject-matter experts

How fast you can earn: Two to four weeks to launch first classes

11. Earn Cashback on Summer Shopping

Summer means more spending, from travel and kids’ activities to sunscreen and BBQ supplies. Cashback apps let you earn money back on stuff you were already going to buy.

Apps like Rakuten and Ibotta cover thousands of retailers. For a fuller breakdown, see our roundup of the best cashback apps. If you already have KashKick, start earning cashback on online purchases through KashBack, KashKick’s extension that gives you cashback at participating retailers.

This isn’t a “side hustle” in the traditional sense, but it adds up. Stack it with one of the other ideas on this list and you’ll see real impact.

Best for: Anyone who shops online or in-store regularly

How fast you can earn: Cashback typically posts within 30 to 90 days of purchase

12. Transcribe Audio for Pay

Transcription means turning audio recordings into text. Think: interviews, podcasts, lectures, legal proceedings. If you’re a fast, accurate typer, this is a flexible online hustle that fits around any schedule.

Rev and GoTranscript are two of the most reliable platforms. Pay typically ranges from $0.30 to $1.10 per audio minute, depending on quality and difficulty. Beginners earn around $5 to $15 an hour; experienced transcribers can hit $25+.

Best for: Fast typers with strong attention to detail

How fast you can earn: One to two weeks after passing a transcription test

13. Sell Photos Online

Got a phone with a decent camera and an eye for composition? Stock photo platforms pay you each time someone downloads one of your images. Summer is especially photogenic—beach scenes, picnics, kids playing, gardens, travel—all of which sell well.

Shutterstock and Foap are two beginner-friendly options. Pay per download is small (often $0.25 to $5), but a popular photo can keep earning for years.

Best for: Hobby photographers and travelers

How fast you can earn: Two to six months for meaningful royalties

14. Become an Online Travel Agent

Summer is travel season, which makes it the perfect time to start booking trips for other people. Modern travel agents work entirely online through host agencies that provide booking software, supplier access and training, no storefront required.

Host agencies like Fora and Gifted Travel Network let you start without prior industry experience. You earn commission on hotels, cruises and tours you book for clients—typically 10% to 16% of the booking value.

The catch? Most agencies have a small monthly or annual fee, and it takes time to build a client base. But if friends already ask you for travel recommendations, you can start by helping them book and earn on bookings they were going to make anyway.

Best for: People who love planning trips and have a network of travelers

How fast you can earn: One to three months to onboard, train and book first client

15. Work as a Remote Customer Service Rep

Remote customer service is one of the most reliable online side hustles around—and companies often staff up in summer to handle travel, retail and seasonal product surges.

Platforms like Working Solutions and Arise connect independent contractors with companies that need phone, chat or email support. You’ll typically need a quiet workspace, a hardwired internet connection and a USB headset.

Pay usually ranges from $10 to $20 an hour, and shifts are flexible enough to work around other commitments. It’s structured income. Not passive, but it’s predictable, which most other items on this list aren’t.

Best for: Patient communicators who want steady weekly hours

How fast you can earn: Two to four weeks (background check and training required)

16. Rent Out Your Parking Space or Pool

Got a driveway you don’t use during the day? A pool sitting empty while you’re at work? Summer is when both become surprisingly valuable, and renting them out is one of the most passive online side hustles around.

Neighbor handles parking, driveway and storage rentals. Swimply lets pool owners rent out their pool by the hour, with summer rates often hitting $40 to $80 per hour in warm climates. SpotHero is another option for parking near event venues, airports and city centers.

You won’t get rich from a single listing, but the work is genuinely passive. Set up the listing once, manage bookings through the app and collect payments while you’re doing literally anything else.

Best for: Homeowners and renters with usable outdoor space

How fast you can earn: Same week, depending on demand in your area

How to Choose the Right Summer Side Hustle

With 16 options on the table, here’s how to pick what actually works for your summer:

• Start with your time. Got 15-minute windows here and there? Surveys and games. Got blocks of two to three hours? Tutoring or freelancing. Got the whole summer? Build something passive.
• Match it to your skills. A teacher should tutor. A designer should try Etsy or print-on-demand. Don’t fight your strengths.
• Pick something you’ll actually do. The best hustle is the one you’ll stick with. If you hate writing, don’t try freelance writing. If you love games, lean in.
• Stack two or three. Most successful summer earners combine a low-effort hustle (like KashKick) with a higher-paying one (like tutoring or freelancing).
• Be realistic about timeline. Some hustles pay today. Others take months. Plan accordingly.

How to Avoid Summer Side Hustle Scams

Anywhere there’s money, there are scams. A few rules to keep yourself safe:

• Never pay to start a job. Legit platforms don’t charge you to sign up or work.
• Verify the platform. Check Trustpilot, Reddit and app store reviews before committing time.
• Watch for unrealistic promises. “Earn $5,000 a week from home!” is almost always a scam.
• Protect your data. Never share Social Security numbers, banking info or passwords with platforms you don’t fully trust.
• Skip “training fees.” Real employers and platforms don’t make you pay for training.

Make This Summer Pay Off

Summer side hustles online are one of the most flexible ways to turn free time into real money. Whether you’ve got a few minutes between activities or weeks of open schedule, there’s a hustle that fits.

If you want to start today, with no required skills, setup or risk, KashKick is the easiest place to begin. Sign up free, complete your profile survey for $1 and start earning during pockets of summer downtime. Cash out through PayPal or Venmo once you hit $10.

For something with more earning potential, layer in tutoring, freelancing or a digital product over the summer. Stacked together, even modest hustles can add up to a meaningful summer paycheck.

👉 Sign up for KashKick and start earning this summer.