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The best side hustle for introverts is one that requires minimal interaction with other people, is low stress, and ideally can be performed remotely or from home. Any job that offers some independence, few distractions, and enough space is potentially a good fit for an introverted person, though.
Any side hustle you take on also has to be worth your time and effort. A side hustle or second job that fits your personality, but doesn’t pay well, is not worthwhile. Anything that’s stressful or exhausting should not be considered either.
The gig economy has opened up a lot of opportunities for people to make money without getting a traditional full-time or part-time job. As an introvert looking to make some extra cash, I’ve tried several side hustles. I made a list of the best side hustles for introverts and shy people who want to make extra money based on my own experience and research.
Some, like rideshare driving and customer service, I should never have attempted as they require way too much social interaction. I’ve had some success with others, however, like delivering food and using my existing skills to pick up gigs through various freelance websites.
Some have the potential to produce day job replacing income, while others are best for making a little pizza money in your spare time. All of them have decent profit potential, are flexible, and are suitable for quiet people.
The Best Side Hustles for Introverts
Here are some ideas on how an introvert can make extra money:
1. Freelance Writing
Freelance writing offers introverts who write well an opportunity to make money and possibly make a career of it. There are all sorts of writing gigs available online, including:
- Blog writing
- Writing sales pages
- Ghostwriting ebooks
- Crafting press releases
- Creating marketing emails
- And more!
In addition to being a lucrative side hustle, writing could provide you with a day job replacing income. Building a portfolio of written work and a stable of clients can lead to a full-time, flexible career as a freelance writer.
2. Graphic Design
Graphic designers are in constant demand. It’s not the sort of work most business owners have the staff, skill, or desire to take care of it on their own, so they hire out. If you have top-notch design skills, you could make money designing:
- Company or Blog Logos
- Ebook covers
- Infographics
- Marketing materials
- Photoshop templates
You can sell your designs online via your own website or through platforms like Creative Market or Etsy.
3. Web Design
Every business needs a website these days. If you can build a website, you can help others plan and launch their site.
It is a very competitive field, but as a side hustle web design offers flexibility and a creative outlet. There’s also the possibility of earning a full-time income at it.
Dealing with customer service issues and hustling for new clients can be stressful for an introvert. You can avoid that by creating and selling ready-made designs like WordPress themes for bloggers or Shopify templates for e-commerce store owners. You can sell through your own website or a platform like ThemeForest.
4. Proofreading
It takes strong attention to detail and deep knowledge of the written word, but if you have the skills and enjoy reading, proofreading might be the perfect side hustle for an introvert.
Proofreaders fix various mistakes that pop up in writing. Things like grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. The work can be done from anywhere with no supervision as long as you get it in on time. If you have a real passion for books, proofreading is one of the best ways to make money reading.
5. Blogging
Starting a blog is a near-perfect side hustle for introverts. You can reach thousands of people with very little social interaction, other than responding to comments and communicating with readers via email or social media.
Successful blogging requires a broad skill set. You might have to learn WordPress, SEO, social media management, photo editing, and affiliate marketing before you have a good handle on blogging and a decent flow of traffic.
Building an audience large enough to generate decent money also requires a huge time investment that might not pay off for months or even years.
That said, it is entirely possible to make a job replacing income blogging. Bloggers can earn money with display ads, affiliate links, sponsored posts, or by selling their own digital products like courses or ebooks.
6. Online Courses
You might not think teaching would be high on the list of side hustles for introverts, but it’s actually one of my favorite side hustles.
Standing up in front of a room full of students or offering one-on-one coaching isn’t necessary. You can record video lessons and share your expertise via platforms like Udemy or Skillshare.
Appearing on camera isn’t required either. You can use screen recording software for demonstrating anything you do on your computer or you could talk over a PowerPoint presentation. Courses can also be mostly or entirely text-based.
Don’t think you have to be one of the top experts in your field to teach online. As long as you’re a few steps ahead of a beginner and can explain the subject matter clearly, you can make part-time or full-time income selling courses aimed at beginners. Once your course is published, it becomes a mostly passive income stream.
7. Faceless YouTube Channels
As someone with an introverted personality, the thought of appearing on camera probably doesn’t appeal to you. Fortunately, there are ways to make money on YouTube without being on camera.
For example, you could make product unboxing videos where you literally unpack a box containing something your audience would be interested in like tech gadgets. You could also do software tutorials where you record your screen or how-to videos on something like crafting where you show just your hands.
YouTube channels can be monetized through ads, direct sponsorships, affiliate programs, and selling your own products.
8. Video Editing
Videos generate millions of views on the web, on social media platforms, and on video-sharing sites like YouTube and TikTok. Businesses and content creators all want in on that kind of exposure.
Creating a video with a smartphone, a GoPro, or a cheap DSLR is easy. Telling a compelling story and fixing problems is hard.
As a video editor, you’ll solve technical issues and craft footage into a story people will enjoy watching. You can find work through platforms like Upwork and Behance.
9. Social Media Management
You don’t have to be social to run a social media account. If you’re familiar with the most popular social media platforms, you could start a social media management service in your off-hours.
As a social media manager, you can make extra income in your spare time setting up and managing social media accounts for businesses, e-commerce store owners, influencers, and aspiring influencers.
You’ll help build brands, grow engaged followings, and drive leads. The work entails posting interesting content, uploading photos and videos, and responding to people who make contact via social media.
10. Book Publishing
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing allows anyone with a completed manuscript to become a published author.
Whether you want to write novels or non-fiction titles, the key to steady income from self-publishing is having multiple books on Amazon’s virtual shelves. A series or a collection of books each tackling a different area of your subject matter expertise will earn you loyal readers. Your fans will snap up your work as soon as it’s released.
You can also create low content or no content books like journals, adult coloring books, or planners. You can make them with free software like Canva or tools like InDesign or PowerPoint if you have a subscription for those apps.
11. Selling Crafts on Etsy
If you’re into crafts, you can turn that hobby into a pretty good side hustle income. Etsy has millions of active users looking for handmade goods and unique gifts.
Browse the Etsy marketplace. Note anything you could make and sell. You can also sell printables or digital downloads if no crafty physical products jump out at you.
Etsy is free to get started. Setting up your own shop is simple and straightforward, even if you don’t have advanced tech skills. Etsy charges $0.20 to list an item and there’s a transaction fee that varies based on how you accept payments.
12. Real Estate
If you’re looking for a side hustle that offers a true wealth-building opportunity, investing in real estate or rental properties could be it. If you don’t want to deal with tenants directly, there are plenty of property management companies you can hire to take that on for you.
Real estate investment isn’t exactly a low-cost side hustle. It takes money to make money. You might not need as much as you think, though.
Real estate investment trusts are publicly traded companies. You can buy shares instead of investing directly in properties yourself.
REITs receive income from a portfolio of properties. They distribute at least 90% of their taxable income to investors as dividends. That makes a diversified real estate portfolio accessible to individual investors.
13. Transcription
A transcriptionist listens to audio files and then converts them to written text. Jobs might require transcribing recorded legal proceedings, medical reports, interviews, conference calls, podcasts, dictated notes, and book drafts.
To make extra money as a transcriptionist, you’ll produce quality transcripts without mistakes or grammar errors. The more efficiently you can transcribe, the higher your earnings.
Listening to audio and typing out what was said does present some difficulties. The quality of the audio files, the number of speakers, background noise, people talking over each other, and unfamiliar accents can make transcribing a slow and challenging process.
Specialized software like Express Scribe for playing back audio along with mastery of grammar and punctuation will serve you well.
14. Virtual Assistant
As a virtual assistant, you’ll function as your client’s online personal assistant. The work you do will be completed online or remotely
Whether being a virtual assistant is a good side gig for an introvert or not really depends on the client and their expectations. It’s not possible to eliminate personal interactions entirely, as you’ll probably have contact with your client regularly. The extent of the person-to-person interaction is highly variable.
If a potential client wants someone to manage their email inbox, post on social media, and publish a blog post on occasion, then it’s doable. If they need you to take incoming calls, then that probably won’t work for someone who is introverted.
15. Dog Walking
If you’re more of a dog person than a people person, making extra cash as a dog walker or pet sitter could be your dream side hustle. It’s a side gig that pays reasonably well and has little to no startup costs.
You can earn extra income by becoming a dog walker with Rover.com. Dog owners use Rover to request a walk for their dogs. The application process is pretty thorough since taking care of someone else’s dog is a big responsibility.
Once you’re approved, you’ll get paid to spend time with dogs. Unlike online side hustles, you get to leave the house, get some fresh air, and exercise a little.
There won’t be much human interaction either. Most people who hire you will be out or busy. Most communication is done through the platform.
16. Restaurant Food Delivery
Delivering food is a good side hustle for an introvert. If you have reliable transportation, food delivery services offer flexible hours and decent pay. There is the extra cost of gas and vehicle maintenance, but making $15 to $20 an hour for easy work should offset that.
The bulk of the work is driving. Unlike rideshare driving, contact with others is minimal. Restaurant staff and customers know why you’re there so there’s really not a lot that needs to be said.
There is a customer service element to it, but most people just want their food as quickly as possible. If you can get it there on time, you’ll get solid reviews. You can try driving for DoorDash, UberEats, or Grubhub.
17. Audiobook Narrator
Just because talking to others isn’t your strong suit, that doesn’t mean you can’t make money with your voice. Audiobooks have exploded in popularity among book buyers. They’re also another revenue stream for authors.
If you can speak clearly, read expressively, and create clean audio files, you can generate extra money as a narrator.
There are multiple online platforms where narrators and voice actors can find work. Amazon operates ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange), where you can find hundreds of titles open for auditions and possibly make money narrating audiobooks.
18. Sell Stock Photos
With the popularity of blogging and self-publishing ebooks constantly rising, the need for stock photography has risen with it. If you’re interested in photography, you can make money selling stock photos online.
Stock photos are used to illustrate a point in blog posts, flyers, newsletters, book covers, advertisements, and other places. To get an idea of what sells, check out the most popular images on stock photo sites like Shutterstock or iStockPhoto. Generic business images always do well as do isolated objects or photos that express an emotion or concept.
To make money, you can sell your pictures to stock photo sites, but read the fine print as payouts vary widely. If you want to operate independently, you could also sell monthly subscriptions granting access to your library. There’s a lot more work involved with that business model, however.
19. Furniture Flipping
People are quick to get rid of furniture that’s in decent shape. They’d rather buy new stuff instead of putting in the effort to fix a wobbly leg or sand out scuffs. If you can sand, paint, apply stain and use a screwdriver, you can make money restoring unwanted furniture and selling it online.
You can find super cheap furniture at garage sales, thrift shops, and online through Facebook or Craigslist. You might even find something fixable on the side of the road. As long as it’s in OK condition and real wood, not particle board, you have something you can probably sell for more than you paid for it.
A fresh coat of paint or new hardware might be all it takes to turn a $10 thrift store find into a $100 sale. There are plenty of apps for selling furniture, so you can reach buyers nearby or beyond your local area if you’re willing to ship.
20. Sell Clothing on Poshmark
If you have an interest in fashion, you can actually make money on Poshmark selling clothes. Poshmark has millions of users hungry for trendy clothes and accessories at below retail prices.
In addition to selling the gently used clothing you don’t wear anymore, you can source inventory from local thrift stores or consignment shops. If you can take good photos, write accurate descriptions, and provide good customer support, you can make some decent money on the side. Poshmark has no listing fees, but they do take a 20% commission on items over $15.
21. Renting Out Your Stuff
If you own stuff you don’t use all the time, you can make a little side income renting out your things. For example, you can rent out your vehicle through Truro, clothes through StyleLend, and musical instruments through Fretish.
It might not be the most lucrative side hustle, but it takes little effort. Most of the interaction is quick and takes place during item hand-offs and returns. Booking and billing are handled through the various rental sites.
22. Writing Book Reviews
If you’re a passionate reader, there are several websites that pay for book reviews. The downside is the pay is not great. You could make $15 to $100 per review, but some sites only pay in free books.
Another way to get paid for sharing your opinions and insights on your favorite books is to start a book review blog. Book bloggers can make extra cash for their book recommendations via the Amazon affiliate program. Display advertising and sponsored posts are other monetization options.
23. Taking Surveys
Completing surveys is one of those online side hustles you see mentioned on every list like this one. The truth is, it doesn’t pay well, some are a waste of your time, and there are much better side hustle ideas.
That said, if you’re waiting in line, watching TV, or sitting on a bus, you can make a bit of money at the same time. Think pocket money, not replace your full-time job money.
With most online surveys, there are qualifying questions to ensure you fit the desired demographic. If you’re a match for a survey, you might be asked questions about your opinions, habits, or experiences.
Here are some online survey sites to look into:
The Final Word on Side Hustles for Introverts
Being an introvert works for successful people like Warren Buffet and Mark Zuckerberg. It will work for you too.
There aren’t many full-time or side jobs that are suitable for all personality types. Being introverted doesn’t mean you have fewer opportunities to make extra money or start a successful side business.
You can leverage your existing in-demand skills for freelancing during your off-hours. You can get paid for sharing what you know through a blog, book, or online course to create an income stream. You can use gig economy platforms or apps to make money on the side in your free time.
Whatever you choose to do to make extra cash in your spare time, just make sure it suits you well enough to keep at it.
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Featured Image Credit: Unsplash
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