51 Hobbies That Make Money in 2020: Get Paid to Do What You Love

Hobbies usually are in our lives to give us something to enjoy outside of work and day-to-day life.

But people are figuring out ways to turn their passions into profit by turning their hobbies into side gigs – or even businesses.

This list of hobbies that pay may surprise you because you probably have at least two or three hobbies on it already.

And you probably had no idea that they could make you some easy money.

Now is your chance to enjoy what you do and consider turning your hobby into a money maker.

Profitable Hobbies That Could Become Your New Job

Below are some of the very best hobbies that can become your new gig or business.

The list of hobbies that exist are endless, but I have a feeling that this list may inspire you to think about what you love to do and decide how you can make it bring in some money.

1. Taking Surveys

Survey sites are ones many people use for a little extra cash when they need it.

But if you’re smart about where you spend your time and what surveys you take, then you could turn this hobby into a more lucrative side gig.

I’ve spent a lot of time narrowing down my favorite survey sites that give me the biggest payouts for my time spent taking surveys, and some of my top options are:

• Swagbucks
• InboxDollars
• Vindale Research
• Survey Junkie
• Pinecone Research
• MyPoints
• Ipsos i-Say

I personally love InboxDollars and Swagbucks the most because in addition to offering surveys, they offer plenty of other tasks that can keep you earning more than you would from surveys alone.

2. Traveling

If traveling is your thing (who doesn’t love it?), then starting a money-making travel blog could be right up your alley.

But there are other ways to make money traveling, too.

You could become a travel influencer on Instagram and get sponsorships from travel companies.

Or, you could refer people to travel companies using affiliate links.

Some people choose to become private travel agents to help others book their vacations.

3. Gaming

As a fan of video games, you could:

• Start a gaming channel on YouTube
• Get paid to play games
• Stream live games on tv
• Start a gaming blog
• Become a beta tester

You could also find pro gaming tournaments to enter for a chance to win the big bucks!

4. Planning Events

Event planners are always needed for things like weddings and receptions, celebrations of life, anniversary parties, graduation parties, and more.

If you currently plan events for family or friends on the weekend, consider expanding your availability and turning into more of a full-time business.

5. Landscaping

Not everyone loves to work in the yard.

But for some people, it’s relaxing and enjoyable.

Sound like you?

Then consider making money by tidying up your neighbors’ yards and making them look beautiful with new shrubbery, flowers, garden beds, etc.

6. Blogging

Do you already have a blog that you’ve been using as a hobby?

You could monetize it and turn it into a business.

From affiliate marketing to sponsored blog posts, there are many ways you can make money with a blog that was once for journaling.

You just need to home in on a content strategy and develop a niche that people want to see.

Here are some places to find paid blogging opportunities.

7. Writing

Blogging is one way to make money writing.

But there are plenty of other ways if you’re good at writing and enjoy it.

You could write books, advertisements, resumes, poems, or do any other type of writing that interests you.

Use Upwork to find writing work when you have spare time.

8. Photography

Your love of photography may have already got you thinking about how you could make money doing what you love.

The truth is, it can be easy to earn a living just by taking amazing photographs.

Not only can you get paid to photograph events for people, but you can also set up photo shoots, become a freelance photographer for print or digital publications, or sell stock photos.

9. Making Videos

Do you have a YouTube channel?

Keep working on putting up fresh video content that gets views, and you may just find yourself becoming a YouTube star!

10. Editing Videos

You can also edit videos if making them isn’t quite your thing.

11. Investing Money

Investing money is typically used as a long-term strategy to build up your financial reserves.

But it can also make you a lot of money on a shorter-term scale.

Investing in real estate, especially, can be a smart move if you’re looking to flip money quickly.

Roofstock is one app you can use to purchase and sell real estate right through your phone.

If you know how to recognize when to sell to make the most profit, this could turn into an awesome venture for you.

12. Thrift Store Shopping

Shop and flip!

Thrift store shopping is a rush for some, but most people who enjoy it don’t turn around and sell their items.

But you could – and it would make the process profitable!

If you’re savvy with picking out valuable items that are priced low and knowing what kind of person would want to buy it, then you could potentially have a thrifty flipping business.

13. Reading

Reading and reviewing books can be fun and lucrative for book enthusiasts.

You can either start a book blog or sign up for one of these book review sites that pay.

14. Teaching

For some, teaching is both fun and rewarding, even without getting paid.

But it’s better if you do get paid, right?

Here are some articles that can guide you toward different ways to teach for money:

• Jobs for retired teachers
• Get paid to give homework help
• Make money teaching English online
• How to find online tutoring jobs

15. Using Social Media

Social media management is a much-needed skill nowadays, so if you love being on social media and know how to use it well, then it could be the right hobby for you to grow.

Try reaching out to companies or entrepreneurs that you love to see if they need your help taking over their social media so that they can spend more time on their businesses.

16. Fixing Stuff

Are you handy around the house?

People who don’t mind fixing leaky faucets or painting bedrooms can make a lot of money as a handyperson.

You should have no problem finding people in your neighborhood or friends and family who will pay you for your help.

17. Baking

Baking is a skill that many would love to have but don’t always possess.

If you’re a skilled baker and decorator, perhaps you can sell your talents at bake sales or by catering local events.

18. Cooking

Maybe cooking is more your style?

Turn your love for cooking and creating in the kitchen into a money-making job by:

• Making your own cookbook
• Starting a food blog
• Selling an eBook on meal prepping
• Dropshipping kitchen items from your website
• Becoming a personal chef
• Catering special events and parties

19. Gardening

Instead of just planting your own garden, you could plant gardens for others.

Or, if you want to stick to your garden and have a large enough area to expand it, you could make money with what you grow.

Sell your fresh fruits and veggies at a farmer’s market or see if any grocery stores in the area want to contract with you.

You can also sell garden plots to others who don’t have any space for a garden in their yard!

20. Interior Decorating

Do you find yourself decorating your home so nicely that others ask for tips and advice from you?

Turn your hobby into a business by working with locals to stage their homes before they place them for sale.

Or, work on a smaller scale as a personal organizer or offer small redesigns for a room or two.

21. Web Design

Creating graphics and themes for websites takes special talent, and if you have that talent, you shouldn’t let it go to waste.

You can sell your designs on Etsy or your own website.

Or, work directly with people who need some design help.

Many web designers can charge thousands of dollars to create a website design and branding for an individual or business.

22. Couponing

I bet you didn’t know that your coupon collection could make you money.

Not only does extreme couponing save you a lot of money, but it can also build your cashflow if you’re willing to teach others about it.

Almost everyone wants to learn ways to save money, and some might just have an interest in learning how to coupon effectively to have more affordable shopping trips.

23. Using Apps

Are you always downloading new apps to use?

Why not make money by downloading apps that will pay you for various tasks?

Here are 55+ apps that pay you to do stuff from your phone.

You can also test apps for cash with these websites.

24. Sewing

Sew clothing, make sewing tutorials or patterns, or create your own fabrics to sell.

If you love to sew, you can probably come up with a creative way to turn your hobby into an income opportunity.

25. Knitting

Similarly, knitting can become a lucrative hobby, especially if you’re fast at pumping out projects.

You can focus on creating a specific type of item, like baby blankets or winter hats, or use your talent more generally to target different interests.

Etsy is a great place to sell your knitting items.

26. Crafting

Speaking of Etsy, the website lets you sell almost any type of crafted products you want to, so it’s a perfect place to showcase anything crafty you make.

Sellers on Etsy make everything from hand-sewn pillows to engraved wood plaques.

Browse around the site to get inspiration for your crafty hands!

27. Playing Music

Whether you like to jam out on your guitar or serenade your family with piano tunes during family get-togethers, you can make money with your love for music.

Maybe you can start a band or tutor local kids in your instrument.

You can even create an online course to sell on Udemy.

28. Drawing or Painting

Get to work on your drawings or paintings and start selling them!

You can enter craft fairs around town, set up a website to sell them on, or find people in your neighborhood who might want some customs created.

29. Doing Hair

As a hair artist, you have a lot of possibilities.

You can do hair for people’s special events, like prom or weddings.

You can become a contractor at a hair salon.

Hair artists also work on movie and TV sets, theater shows, or for dance performances.

30. Doing Makeup

If you’re more into doing makeup, you can get paid in many of the same ways as you would being a hair stylist!

31. Doing Nails

Doing nails is also a handy skill to have when it comes to making money.

Instead of people paying big bucks to go to the salon every couple of weeks, charge a bit less and do an awesome job.

You might just find that they’d rather come to you.

32. Making Jewelry

Do you make jewelry for yourself and your friends?

Here are places where you can sell handmade jewelry online and offline and bring in some extra cash.

33. Making Jokes

Write jokes for greeting cards.

Or, write jokes for online and print publications that seek reader submissions.

You might even get lucky and be able to start your own column.

You could also seek out up-and-coming comedians and offer to write some material for them for a fee.

34. Eating Healthy

Eating healthy isn’t really a hobby as much as a lifestyle, but it’s still a great thing to turn into income.

If you love eating healthy, you can start a healthy eating cookbook, make meal plans to sell online, or start coaching others on your healthy ways.

35. Trying New Technology

As a review writer, you can write about new techie gadgets that you try.

Anyone who’s into technology and understands how it all works could be good for this gig.

Many technology blogs look for experienced writers who can review items for pay, but you can also look for clients on Upwork and other freelance job boards.

36. Podcasting

Got a podcast you do for fun each week?

Lots of influencers are making money with their podcasts through sponsorships, ads, and all that good stuff.

This article from Podcast Insights explains some ways you can turn your podcast into a money maker.

37. Dancing

People with legit moves can easily make money through dancing!

Whether it’s a dance blog or a YouTube channel devoted to teaching others how to dance, there’s a lot of opportunity to turn this passion into profit.

38. Playing Sports

If you love playing sports, then maybe you could become a coach for local sports teams?

Or, write a book about your favorite sports or start a sports blog.

39. Collecting Stuff

Collecting anything worth money can eventually pay off…if you ever decide to sell your collectibles, of course.

eBay is a great place to find buyers for your collectibles because of its auction model that can drive up the selling price of your stuff.

40. Doing Magic

Magic is an excellent hobby to have if you want to make money!

Think about all the birthday parties you can get paid to show off your tricks.

You might also be able to book school assemblies, local events, etc.

41. Gambling

Gambling isn’t something I’d suggest for everyone, but for those who have a knack for a game or two, it could truly become a lucrative hobby.

In addition to the act of gambling itself, you can write books about it, start a blog, or become a professional poker player.

42. Babysitting

If you love kids enough to become a babysitter, then you could make it more of a full-time thing.

Nannies get paid much more, generally, than babysitters, for example.

But you could also start an in-home daycare, host playdates, or even start a neighborhood babysitting service where you match parents with local babysitters for a fee.

43. Hanging Out with Pets

There’s also pet sitting and pet walking, both of which you can do through Rover, if you prefer hanging out with dogs and cats instead of kids.

44. Woodworking

People love handcrafted furniture and décor items made from real wood, especially if they’re looking for something custom for their home.

This can become an extremely profitable hobby because you can typically charge much more for your one-of-a-kind pieces than bulk manufacturers can.

45. Working Out

Do you exercise daily?

Start filming your workouts on video for YouTube to build up a library on your channel.

Exercise videos are some of the most-watched on the platform, so yours might just become popular, too.

46. Yoga

Yoga, in particular, is hot right now.

Look on YouTube for yoga videos and you’ll find plenty!

People who are into yoga also love reading blogs about it, so that’s another avenue you could go.

47. Designing T-Shirts

Making your own t-shirts can be a fun thing to do at home with a special printer.

But plenty of people are designing their own t-shirts, and having another company print and ship them, leaving them without the hassle of holding inventory and shipping packages.

You can do this, too, by setting up a Shopify store and choosing one of the connected printing suppliers.

48. Connecting with Brands

If you’re someone who avidly follows your favorite brands on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, then you might be at the starting point of becoming a brand ambassador.

Brand ambassadors typically have large followings on at least one social channel themselves.

If that’s you, then consider messaging your favorite brands to see if they need any brand ambassadors for upcoming campaigns.

49. Driving

Instead of driving around aimlessly, use your car for ridesharing with Uber!

Or, you could use car wrap advertising to get extra cash each month.

50. Shopping

Mystery shopping is a fun way to combine your love for shopping with your love for making money.

All you need to do is call or visit stores when you get an assignment, act like a regular customer, share your opinions, and get paid.

51. Restoring Furniture

Can you make old furniture look new again?

This is an awesome skill to have and one that people will gladly pay for when they’re looking for unique pieces for their homes.

Conclusion: Hobbies That Make Money in 2020

Wow – that’s a lot of hobbies!

See how easy it is to make money doing the things you love to do most?

Now, use this list as inspiration.

Think about what you enjoy doing and how it might benefit you in terms of cash.

Get the ball rolling with a blog, a YouTube channel, or any other avenue you think could bring you in some money.

What other ideas do you have for money-making hobbies?

Leave them in the comments below!