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Are you someone on the shy side and don’t enjoy engaging with people a lot?
If human interaction is not your strongest quality, you might think there aren’t many options for you to make money on the side.
But you are wrong.
There are many side hustles for introverts.
In fact, many of the most lucrative side hustles out here are geared towards people who aren’t interested in interacting much with others.
In this post, I highlight the best side hustles for shy people.
Here you will find the perfect way to make money on the side to improve your finances.
Table of Contents
37 Best Side Hustles For Introverts
#1. Proofreading
For those with an eagle eye for grammar and plenty of stamina when it comes to going through papers, proofreading is a great side hustle idea for introverts.
Proofreading is a bit different from editing in that you’re only looking for grammatical mistakes, like misspelled words and incorrect punctuation.
Luckily since there are so many websites, eBooks, and other media being produced, the demand for quality proofreaders has never been higher.
While you can go out on your own, I recommend people interested in this gig take an online course first.
This will walk you through what you can expect on the job and what skills you will need.
It will also teach you the skills and help you in how to find clients.
Here is a link to Proofread Anywhere, one of the best online courses out there.
Many people who complete this course make close to $50,000 a year working for themselves remotely.
#2. Editing
A step up from proofreading is editing.
Editing requires you not only to catch grammatical errors but to make sure that the content flows, adheres to the writing style offered by the organization that will be publishing the content, and has a consistent tone.
As such, editing can be a bit more work-intensive than other side hustles.
However, it also offers greater opportunity for career growth.
If you want to become an editor, you can turn to platforms like Gramlee or CopyPress to get started.
When just starting out, you can expect to make between $15-$20 an hour.
As you gain experience, you can start to charge more.
#3. Virtual Bookkeeper
Do you enjoy working with numbers?
If so, one of the best side gigs out there is a virtual bookkeeper.
Just what does a bookkeeper do?
Think of them like an accountant, only they just keep the financial books.
As a bookkeeper, you record business income and expenses and follow the business budget to make sure the finances are in order.
In some cases, you might create financial statements, but even these aren’t too technical.
And you don’t need a degree or certification for this job.
You can learn it yourself or take an online course.
I recommend the online course route because not only will you learn the basic skills, but also how to set up your business and find clients.
Plus you will have access to a community of other virtual bookkeepers to talk shop.
The best online course is the Bookkeepers Launch course.
It’s a great course and many of the graduates earn over $50,000 a year.
#4. Data Entry
There are very few jobs with less human interaction than data entry.
You sit in front of a computer all day typing in data in spreadsheets.
To some, it sounds like torture.
To introverts, it’s a dream come true.
There are a number of places you can go to find remote data entry work.
Some companies that only hire for this work include Clickworker, Cass Information Systems, and Telus International.
Another option is to check out FlexJobs.
This is a nationwide job board that posts legit remote work jobs from large companies.
The benefit of this option is you might find some higher paying jobs here than you would with the other options.
#5. Freelance Writer
If you enjoy writing more than editing, then look into becoming a freelance writer.
Freelance writing is a side job in which you craft a wide variety of content to help business owners connect with their audience and enhance their marketing strategy.
The need for writers is high since all websites, from corporate to small business, need writers.
Even independent entrepreneurs hire writers to help produce content more quickly.
You can start with content mills like Textbroker or iWriter to begin, then move onto established job boards to begin building your own client base.
Or if you are brand new to this idea, consider an online course like Freelance To 5K.
It will walk you through everything you need to know and how to find clients.
When starting out, your rate per word will be around $0.03 to $0.05 a word.
Don’t let this discourage you, as this comes to $30-$50 for a 1,000 article.
As you build your portfolio, you increase your rates, with many writers charging $0.20 a word, which is $200 for a 1,000 article.
And if you are in a technical field with expertise, you can charge over $1.00 a word.
#6. Blogger
Are you passionate about a specific topic?
Could you write pages upon pages of content for that topic?
If so, blogging could be for you.
Blogging does require a lot of upfront work and investment.
But over time, you have the potential to develop passive income and bring in money on a consistent basis.
The easiest way to make money is to work with an ad network to place ads on each blog post.
As long as people are visiting your site, you are making money!
Take your time with this recommendation as there are numerous skills you will need to cultivate to get the most out of your efforts.
I highly recommend you check out the blogging section of this site to learn more about this idea.
#7. Affiliate Marketing
Another idea when it comes to building your own websites is affiliate marketing.
This is where you create blog posts recommending products and services and place affiliate links in the article.
When a visitor clicks on a link and completes a purchase, you earn a commission.
The amount of your commission varies but if you have enough website visitors, you can make good money with this idea.
The trick is to find a niche that has a lot of people searching for information and products but not many high quality websites are established.
If you can find a niche like this, you can rank for search terms and quickly starting making money.
#8. Virtual Assistant
If creating your own website sounds like too much work for you, consider a virtual assistant job.
As a VA, you help small business owners do some of the non-essential things that keep their business running.
When talking about a website, this could be scheduling posts to go live, responding to reader comments and email, and other odd tasks.
For non-websites, it could include just about anything.
You can get started by posting your profile on Upwork to find work.
Many first time VAs earn around $10-$12 and hour.
As you show your skills, you can increase your rates to $20 an hour or more.
#9. Social Media Management
Do you enjoy social media?
If so, a great side job is a social media manager.
In this role, you handle posting to various social media accounts for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
As long as you have a solid understanding of the major social media platforms, you can get started.
Post your services on places like Upwork and Fiverr or reach out directly to businesses to gain clients.
The best part is you can do this job from the comfort of your own home, or anywhere you have an internet connection.
Starting out you can expect to make $20 an hour.
If you take this gig full-time, you can make $50,000 a year or more.
#10. Facebook Advertising
If you enjoy spending time on Facebook, you can create Facebook ads for local businesses to help them grow their business.
With Facebook’s algorithm limiting the organic reach of posts, many small businesses struggle to gain traction on the site.
And while they could learn how to create Facebook ads, the truth is their time is better spent in other places.
This is where you come in.
You can create ads to target locals to make them aware of area businesses.
You decide on how many clients you want to work with and can easily earn $500 a month or more.
#11. Dropshipping
Drop shipping is one of the most popular business models for those looking to work from home.
Rather than launching your own digital storefront and having to deal with everything from marketing to shipping, dropshippers find a manufacturer that fulfill all orders.
This gives you the ability to only focus on marketing while your chosen manufacturer sends out all of the orders your store receives.
And what better way to get started than with the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon.
With Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA), you have Amazon do all the work for you.
It’s arguably one of the best side hustles out there.
When I was doing it, I was making $500 a month easily.
Below is a free guide to help you learn more about this idea.
Unless you’re a stickler for selling your own products, dropshipping may be the right business model for your needs.
#12. Book Reviewer
Do you love reading books? Do you want to get paid for it?
Book reviewing may be in your future!
There are plenty of platforms that will pay you for your opinion on books, although you may be limited in terms of your selection.
Sites like Kirkus Media and U.S. Review of Books have opportunities for well-written, voracious readers.
Due to the rise in book summary sites, you may even be able to land a gig summarizing non-fiction books if that interests you as well.
#13. Paid Surveys
If you are looking for a fast way to earn a little extra cash, look no further than paid surveys.
By answering online surveys and participating in focus groups, you earn cash or points that you can redeem for free gift cards.
The catch is you won’t get rich doing this.
At most you will earn between $100 and $150 a month.
There are a lot of survey sites out there and most are good.
But there are some scams out there.
My favorite sites are:
By sticking with trustworthy survey sites, you can rest assured you will be rewarded for your time.
#14. Website Testing
The issue with activities like taking surveys is that it often offers low compensation in return for your time.
Instead, you could look into opportunities like website testing.
Website testing with websites like UserTesting gives you the ability to record yourself offering feedback on various websites and their functionality.
In return for your feedback, you can earn around $10 for every 20 minute test.
That’s some great compensation for just using a website!
#15. Graphic Designer
If you have experience with graphic design, this is one skill that you can leverage to make extra money.
There are various ways you could go about this idea.
You could freelance for clients on Upwork or Fiverr, engaging in graphic design contests, or even opening up your own print-on-demand shop.
All you need is your computer, photo editing software, and an internet connection, and you are set.
#16. Transcription
Transcription is one of the most accessible online side hustles, giving you the ability to transcribe audio files into legible, accurate scripts.
Most platforms pay per audio hour of work successfully transcribed and you may need to invest in tools like a foot pedal and a great pair of headphones.
However, you can easily find work at TranscribeMe and REV.
The extra income you earn with this idea ranges from $30,000 up to $50,000 a year.
#17. Translator
Another great side hustle for introverts is a translator.
As a translator, you never have to speak, just listen.
If you know another language, translating is always a great way to use your skills to make some extra cash on the side.
Although you may not be so interested in interpreting, transcribing and translating audio or translating whole pages of text can be a couple of ways to use your knowledge of other languages.
The rarer the language, the more in demand you’ll be.
#18. Sell Crafts Online
If you’re a fan of making your own products, taking the next step and offering these goods to the world can help you make the extra cash that you’re looking for.
The best way to get started is with a platform like Etsy, where you can set up your own Etsy store and have Etsy do the hard work of getting your products sold.
Once you feel more comfortable with the process, you can move off of their site and create one of your own.
Or if you enjoy the idea of Etsy, you can always stick with.
And there is nothing stopping you from creating an online storefront on other sites in addition to Etsy.
Also, be sure to attend local craft shows and hand out business cards.
Doing so will allow you to get in front of more customers, which increases the opportunity of making money.
#19. Sell Stock Photos
Websites need images for a better user experience, so there is always a demand for stock photos.
If you enjoy taking photographs, this could be a great idea for you.
There are a handful of sites that buy stock photos and while the pay per photo isn’t great, if you can get a handful of your accepted on a regular basis, the money adds up.
The best sites to look into include:
- iStock photo
- Shutterstock
- AdobeStock
- Stocksy
- Getty Images
- Photocase
As you can see, many options are available and with the royalty you receive, you can make good money with this gig.
#20. Online Course Creation
Do you have great advice to offer and credentials to back you up?
If so, creating your own online courses can help you develop a stream of passive income that will keep coming in as long as others are taking your courses.
Whether it’s regarding personal finance or other areas of life, consider creating your own courses and posting them on a platform like Teachable to start bringing in cash.
The process to create a course is simple and you can either make it text based or video based, or use a combination of both.
If you do this in addition to creating your own website, you could easily make this your full-time job and earn a very good income.Â
#21. eBook Writing
In a similar vein as online courses, writing your own book allows you to share your advice and make money doing it.
Although traditional publishing is still an option, it’s never been easier to write a book and get it out into the world with the help of services like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing.
Once it’s live, the only thing you have to do to start making money is to actively promote it and market it via various channels.
#22. Freelance Programmer
Coding can pay a lot of money, especially if you know more in-demand programming languages.
Whether you’re a website developer or have experience with more technical gigs, doing freelance programming will allow you to work on a wide variety of projects on your own time.
You can start by putting together a portfolio of your work and looking for clients on websites like Freelancer.com.
And if you don’t have any experience coding, there are free websites and apps that help you learn the basics.
Going this route ensures you like the work before paying for any education.
#23. Flipping Websites
Coding can be put to use for other projects, like building and flipping your own websites.
Another option is to buy websites from others and sell them for a profit.
Just find some websites where the owner is no longer interested in them and invest a little money and time building content and traffic.
Once you do this, you can turn around and sell the site for a profit.
This type of activity often brings in a great deal of money as you can flip functional websites for two to three times what they’re currently bringing in.
For example, if a site is earning $10,000 a year in revenue, you could sell it for $30,000 or more.
If you’re looking to make money on the side, you should also consider flipping domain names, where you purchase domain names and sell them when a company inevitably wants to buy them.
Both of these activities won’t offer immediate income, but they do hold great potential.
#24. Develop Apps Or Software
Another great way to put your coding experience to use is to create your own apps or software solutions.
Apps are often quite easy to put together with or without coding and can help you make money if you make sales in a specific company’s app store.
Software solutions are a bit more work-intensive.
But if you have the right concept and execution, you can make a great deal of money in the process.
And if you have the skills, you could find others looking to build apps and have them hire you to build it for them.
#25. Gig Economy Work
The gig economy gives people so much freedom to work on their own schedule and make extra money when it suits them.
However, today’s gig economy is so much bigger than some may know.
So, what opportunities await you if you want flexible work?
You can:
- Make food delivery with UberEats, Doordash and others
- Take people to their destinations with Lyft or Uber
- Deliver groceries with Instacart
- Deliver alcohol with Drizly
- Work for Amazon using Amazon Flex
- Help with small tasks using TaskRabbit
This is just a small sampling of what the gig economy has to offer.
More businesses are being created every day.
If you diversify your options, you can make money whenever the mood strikes!
#26. Podcasting
Starting your own podcast can be difficult, but you can make money by getting sponsors and selling advertising space on your show.
Many times the amount you earn will be based on the number of listeners or downloads you have, so the more popular your podcast is, the better.
You best bet is to pick a topic for a show that you enjoy talking about so you can bring excitement and enthusiasm into the work you do.
#27. Voice Acting
If you’re not into podcasts, you could also consider voice acting for commercials, animated shows and movies, or book readings.
There are many opportunities here, and you can make anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars as a voice actor.
That being said, this will require an upfront investment to obtain all the proper recording materials.
#28. Create YouTube Videos
Making videos on your YouTube channel is another great way to earn an income.
If you get enough views, you can monetize your videos with ads and make thousands of dollars a month.
The trick is picking a topic for your videos that you are interested in and putting in the work to make your videos good.
If you try to wing it, you will be wasting your time as your videos will never take off.
This isn’t to say you need to invest a lot money to make professional looking videos, but you do need to put in some effort.
I recommend spending some time on YouTube looking at viral videos and looking for common themes to get an idea of what works.
#29. Dog Walker
Dog walking gives introverts the ability to work with animals instead of people.
Whether you’re looking to take a dog for a walk or watch one at your own home, you can use platforms like Rover and Wag! to find a host of pet care opportunities in your area.
You can make around $20 an hour walking dogs.
#30. House Sitter
House sitting is often overlooked as a side hustle.
However, being a house sitter is quite easy and compensates you fairly.
You may have to travel out a bit as opportunities can be scarce at times.
If this appeals to you, sites like Housesitter.com and MindMyHouse will connect you with people nearby who need their house monitored while they’re out of town or on vacation.
Sometimes, you may also have special tasks like feeding their pets or watering their plants.
#31. Pet Sitter
Another option when it comes to side hustles for introverts is pet sitting.
With this side gig, you take care of someone’s pets while they are on vacation.
This could include feeding them, walking dogs, changing litter boxes, etc.
It’s easy work for someone who loves animals and you can expect to earn between $10-$20 an hour.
#32. Play Video Games
Did you know you can make money playing video games?
Video game streaming has become increasingly popular over recent years.
This is where you stream yourself playing video games for others to watch.
There are many websites that allow users to stream live gameplay from other gamers online.
Some even offer subscriptions so users don’t have to worry about downloading anything before each session.
The best part is you get paid per minute streamed rather than by how well you perform during actual gaming sessions.
Another option is to sell video game items.
Here you collect highly sought after items in video games and sell these items to other game players.
The amount of money you can make varies greatly with this one.
You can earn a few dollars to thousands depending on how popular you become.
#33. Parking Lot Cleanup
Ever see workers cleaning up parking lots after big events?
There is good money in cleaning up parking lots and in most cases, you won’t be dealing with people as you pick up trash.
The good news is you don’t need to live in a big city to do this work.
Even small towns have concerts and festivals that need cleaning up after the event ends.
To find these jobs, simply go through local classified ads looking for workers and reach out.
You could also directly reach out the to the organizers of upcoming events and see if they need people to clean up afterwards.
On average, these gigs pay anywhere from $15-$25 an hour depending on location.
#34. Make Money With Credit Cards
Here is an idea that most people don’t think of for a way to make money.
There are actually 2 ways you can earn an income with credit cards.
The first is with sign up bonuses.
Many credit cards offer a bonus if you spend a certain amount of money during a specific period of time.
For example, you need to spend $1,000 in the first 2 months of card ownership.
If you do this, you get the sign on bonus, which can be lucrative.
The other option is by earning rewards and cash back for using your credit card.
There are a few tricks in both cases to make this idea work.
First, you need to pay your balance in fill every month.
If you aren’t paying off your balance, you are losing money as the interest rate will wipe out any points or cash back you earn.
Second, you need to pick the right card for you.
What I mean by this is, you need to know what your goal is.
Do you want to travel for free or cheaply?
Then pick a rewards credit card that offers points.
But pick one that partners with the airlines you fly with and the hotels you stay at most often.
If you want cash, then find the best cash back credit card for you.
Finally, use your credit cards strategically.
Some offer extra points when you buy groceries and other offer bonus points when you book hotel stays.
Make sure you use the card that offers the most rewards for what you are buying.
Below is a great guide to help you find the perfect credit card for your needs.
#35. Clean Houses
If you like to organize and clean, there is no better idea than cleaning houses.
There is very little social interaction once you first talk with the client about what they expect.
Even if they are home, you can usually put your ear buds in and listen to music while you clean.
If you do a good job, your clients will refer you to their friends and family members, helping to grow your business.
Of course, there is the option to keep your side job small and only do it in your spare time if you want.
You can expect to earn $25 or more per hour.
#36. Rent Unused Items
Another lucrative side hustle is renting out unused items you have.
While a popular option is to rent out a spare room in your house, some people are not interested in having a stranger in their home.
Luckily, there are many other items you can rent out.
- Car, truck, or van
- Bicycle
- Parking space
- Garage
- Power tools
This is just a small sample of the things you can rent out and make some extra cash on the side.
#37. Recycle
Making money recycling has been around for a while.
The most money is in recycling scrap metal.
With this you recycle large appliances like refrigerators and earn $100 or more.
To find these items, you can drive around town looking for items at the curb with free signs on them.
Another option is to scan through the free section on Craigslist to find curb alerts.
The challenge here is many people do this, so you need to act fast.
You can also recycle aluminum cans, even soda tabs.
The money isn’t as great as scrap metal, but there is a lot less competition.
Wrapping Up
There are 37 of the best side hustles for introverts.
If you are someone who is not a people person, have no fear.
There are plenty of side gigs for you to make good money.
All you have to do is figure out which of these ideas interests you the most and go from there.