Second jobs are a popular way to bring in some extra cash, even more so when times are tough financially.
They can help pay for big expensive events, like weddings, holidays abroad, or Christmas.
It’s little wonder, then, that a study a few years ago found that over 10% of working-age Brits have a second job.
The most lucrative second job was revealed to be tutoring, but it was far from the only one that could bring in a very healthy amount of money.
Interested in learning more? You should be. Whilst some of these side-hustles require formal education or training, several of them don’t.
So, if you are in need of a second job, you could go out and pick up some extra work, and some extra cash, within days, whether you’ve got the qualifications or not.
So, if you could do with some extra cash right now (couldn’t we all), join us as we list the top ten most profitable second jobs in the UK.
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Tutoring: Average Earnings Per Annum £36,821 (£17.70 Per Hour)
Do you have qualifications or a skill that you could pass on to others for a price?
You might, for example, tutor a musical instrument, or you could teach a language or school subject.
If you think you might have something to teach, you could be in luck- private tutoring ranked as the biggest money spinner of all the second jobs in the country.
Depending on your qualifications and experience (if any) you could earn up to £20 an hour or even more tutoring.
Apart from the financial reward, one of tutoring’s biggest attractions is its flexibility.
You can fit in your sessions around your other commitments, and tutor as much, or as little, as you want to.
Virtual Assistant: Average Earnings Per Annum £32,640 (£15.60 Per Hour)
You might be wondering what on earth a virtual assistant is.
To put it simply, a virtual assistant is someone who provides a business with assistance- be it technical or administrative- whilst working remotely.
These posts are often relatively flexible, as many of the businesses you’ll be working with don’t mind you completing your tasks in the evenings or at weekends.
The flexibility of working remotely is nice and can be decent side hustle for new mothers or mums with young kids.
You can earn up to around £16 per hour if you take up a second job as a virtual assistant.
Even five extra hours a week at that rate nets you a healthy £80 a week, or £320 a month before tax.
Proofreading: Average Earnings Per Annum £29,756 (£14.30 Per Hour)
Do you have a good eye for detail?
If you do, and fancy yourself as someone with all-round quality English literacy and grammar skills, proofreading might be the perfect opportunity for you to earn some extra money on the side.
Some form of higher qualification in English would be preferable but is not essential.
You could develop a handful of working relationships with certain companies, and do their proofreading when as and when required, or you could go freelance.
Using sites like Fiverr, you could take on jobs large and small from a range of customers.
You’ll likely be paid by the job for proofreading, but if you’re skilled at it, you could earn as much as £15 per hour.
Pet Sitting: Average Earnings Per Annum £28,466 (£13.68 Per Hour)
This is many people’s dream job, and it could very well be yours too!
Pet sitting, as the name suggests, involves going to an owner’s home and looking after them whilst the owners are away.
Sometimes, you might only be visiting during the day to look after the pets whilst the owners are at work, whilst other times you may be invited to stay in the owner’s home for the duration of say, a two-week holiday.
It might seem like a dream job for an animal lover, but beware. Not all pets are as friendly and easy to look after as yours might be, so it’s worth scoping out a job before you accept it.
If you do take pet sitting work, five hours of work a week at the average rate will net you £274 a month, pre-tax.
Baby Sitting: Average Earnings £19,000 Per Annum (£9.23 Per Hour)
Understandably, you’ll need to pass a criminal record check before you’ll be able to start babysitting.
You’ll need to have had some experience of looking after children, too.
That said, it’s a great way to set up your own steady secondary stream of money, because parents tend to prefer to stick with a babysitter that they and their children get along with.
Naturally, you’ll be working evenings and weekends in particular as a babysitter, but you’ll be well compensated for your time.
Just five hours a week of babysitting- say one weekly Saturday evening session- will land you an extra £185 per month.
Receptionist (Evening Shifts): Average Earnings Per Annum £18,759 (£9 Per Hour)
If you’ve got some administrative experience, it’s usually pretty easy to pick up some part-time work on the weekends, during the evenings, or early in the morning.
Places like hotels, spas, and clinics often need flexible staff to cover these less sociable working hours.
It’s pretty easy work, though, and a nice way to pocket a few extra pounds each week.
Film/TV Extra: Average Earnings Per Annum £18,000 (£8.65 Per Hour)
Ok, so this isn’t an option for everyone- you have to live in an area where filming is taking place. But if the film crews do rock up to town, why not try picking up some work as an extra?
Sure, it involves a lot of standing around doing nothing, but it’s certainly a really enjoyable, unique experience.
It’ll be difficult to pick up steady work as an extra unless you live near a studio, but if you can manage just five hours a week you can expect to pick up an average of £173 per month.
Cleaning: Average Earnings Per Annum £17,545 (£8.44 Per Hour)
Part-time cleaning work is one of the most popular side hustles in businesses.
It’s easy to get into, with options including freelancing, applying to individual businesses, and going through an agency.
The work itself is generally fairly straightforward, but can be demanding at times.
Waiting Tables: Average Earnings Per Annum £17,531 (£8.43 Per Hour)
Probably the most popular part-time job in the United Kingdom, there is no shortage of pubs, cafes, and restaurants looking for flexible part-time staff who can work evenings and weekends.
Your chances of picking up part-time work as a waiter or waitress are generally pretty good wherever you are in the country, though your chances are best in cities and tourist areas during the summer season.
Create Content on YouTube or Instagram
Now this second job is something you can put some passion into. It also can vary a lot when it comes to making money.Â
Making money on YouTube requires you to think about a subject you want to focus on and creating high quality videos. It also requires patience as growing a YouTube channel doesn’t happen over night and you need consistent content going out each week.Â
That being said if you nail is some YouTuber are making millions a year!Â
This is also the same with being an influencer and making money on Instagram. You could utilise multiple hobbies like photography and put them into a social media channel.Â
This could help you grow not only your photography side hustle but people could start following your channel where you can sell your services and other peoples pictures.Â
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Disclaimer: Content on this page is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before making a financially related decision.
