17 Easy Ways to Make Extra Money Online

I’m always looking for new ways to make extra money online. If you’d like to earn some extra cash on the side, keep reading for some easy and quick ways to do so.

With these new opportunities, you’re not going to get rich, but you can treat yourself to a weekly coffee from Starbucks, pay off some debt, or save up for a dream vacation! 

Read on for 17 easy ways to make extra money online.

1. Answer Questions Online

questions. If people always come to you for advice on a particular topic, you may be the perfect candidate to get paid to answer questions online!

Platforms like JustAnswer hire experts in a variety of fields to answer questions via their platform. According to their website, experts can earn $2,000-$7,000 per month just by answering questions online. Of course, you’ll need to prove your expertise and credentials, but once you do, you can make money online any time of the day or night!

2. Become a Search Engine Evaluator

If you love doing internet research, this next side gig may be perfect for you! Search engine evaluators evaluate search engine results according to Google and Bing’s strict guidelines to ensure that they are relevant and of high quality. The great thing about these positions is they don’t require any special equipment other than a computer and internet connection.

But don’t be fooled; just because these roles sound like a cakewalk, the test you must pass to be accepted is quite challenging and requires a fair amount of memorization. If you’re interested in learning more, check out Appen and Lionbridge, they both hire search engine evaluators.

3. Complete Short Tasks Online

If you only have small chunks of time available to you, completing short tasks may be a great way to supplement your bottom line. Some typical shorts tasks are internet research, data entry, image categorization, transcription, writing short-form content, and on and on. With these gigs, you’re usually working as an independent contractor, and the pay can sometimes be on the lower end, but there are easy and extremely flexible. For companies that hire micro-workers, check out Fiverr, Amazon Mechanical Turk, Gig Walk, and Clickworker.

4. Participate in Paid Focus Groups

If you enjoy voicing your opinion, participating in focus groups can be an excellent way to earn extra money! To qualify for participation, you’ll need to answer an initial set of questions to see if you’re the brand’s target audience. Once accepted into the study, you’ll answer a series of questions either online, by phone, or in-person. The great thing about focus groups is they pay well, often $50-$150 for an hour of your time! Sound appealing, check out Respondent, User Interviews, and L & E Research.

5. Play Video Games Online

I’m not a gamer, never have been, but if you are, you can make a little extra pocket cash by playing video games online. Apps like Mistplay allow you to earn rewards for playing games, and of course, the longer you play, the more units you’ll earn. According to their website, you can redeem units for Visa, Google Play, and Amazon gift cards, and they’ve paid out more than $11 million to users.

6. Sell T-Shirts Online

Are you always coming up with catchy slogans? Do you have superb design skills? If so, you can make extra money online, designing and selling t-shirts, mugs, and other merchandise. Platforms like Teespring and Spreadshirt allow you to create and sell t-shirts on their platforms for free! According to this article from Money.com, the average seller on Teespring pockets $9,000 a year from the platform; not bad!

7. Use Smartphone Apps

If you’re not using smartphone apps in your day-to-day life, you’re missing out on free money! A few of my faves are Ibotta, Shopkick, and Receipt Hog. With these apps, you can earn rewards by scanning your receipts, scanning barcodes, and shopping online and in-person. Once you’ve accumulated enough points, you can trade them in for cash via PayPal, Amazon gift cards, and more! If you’re interested in earning extra money with smartphone apps, check out this massive list of apps that pay out cash via PalPal.

8. Surf the Web

If you had told me years ago that you can get paid to surf the web, I would have said you’re crazy! But with advances in technology and with online competition at an all-time high, companies will pay you a small amount for using their web search engines. Again, you’re not going to get rich or make a full-time income from doing this, but you can earn extra money to help pay off debt or save up for a new pair of shoes.

Three companies that will pay you to surf the web are Swagbucks, Microsoft Rewards, and Qmee. I’ve only used Swagbucks, and with their opportunity, you log in to their platform and use their search bar for your search queries. Or you can change your default web browser to Swagbucks, thus earning SB (points) for all of your search activity. Once you have enough SB, you can trade it in for gift cards or cash via PayPal.

9. Take a Survey

If you enjoy answering survey questions, you can easily make extra money online. But before you jump into this money-making method, be smart with how you use your time. Browse the available surveys, and choose the ones that offer the best payout for your time invested. If you have a survey that is 100 questions and only pays $0.10, that is not worth your time! Some of my favorite survey sites include Branded Surveys, InboxDollars, Survey Junkie, and Mindswarms.

10. Test Websites and Apps

Are you tech-savvy and enjoy testing stuff out? Then perhaps testing websites and apps is your calling. With these side gigs, app developers and website owners want to know that their digital properties are easy to navigate and achieve their intended goals. To find this information out, they hire people to run through a series of test steps and questions to determine areas they can improve.

Most tests take between 5-25 minutes and pay $10 per test. However, sometimes you can earn more! I recently participated in a website testing gig that took 45 minutes and paid $25. If this side earner sounds appealing, check out Ferpection, UserTesting, and test IO.

11. Transcribe Some Audio Files

If you’re a fast and accurate typist with excellent listening skills, you can make extra money online by transcribing audio files. To do this, you’ll need to have a transcription kit (foot pedal, headset, and software) to stop and rewind the audio files while you’re transcribing. Most companies pay per audio minute or hour, but some companies pay per project. To get started with transcribing, check out Rev, Scribie, or TranscribeMe — they all hire beginners.

12. Tutor Students Online

One way to earn money online is by sharing your expertise with students who need additional help. The areas you can tutor in are endless — math, biology, English as a second language, business, foreign language, homework help, and so on! Most of these positions require you to be an active college student or a graduate with a bachelor’s degree. If helping others achieve their academic goals sounds like fun, check out Course Hero, VIPKID, Kaplan, or Studypool.

13. Watch Videos Online

Another way to earn money online is by watching videos. Before you get too excited here, many of these gigs consist of watching commercials, promotional trailers, and other types of promotional content. If that doesn’t turn you off, check out Viggle and Slidejoy. You’re not going to make a ton of money with this side hustle, but if you’re waiting around and have some extra time, why not get paid for watching some videos?!

14. Write Online Content

If you have a way with words, there are so many ways to make extra money with your writing skills! From writing short-form content like PPC ads and social media updates to website copy, blog articles, forum contributions, and so much more!

The great thing about freelance writing gigs is you don’t need any special equipment, and as long as you meet your deadlines, the gig is flexible. Plus, you don’t need experience or a degree to get started! Of course, the more you write, the better you get, so if you’re a beginner, be sure to practice writing every day. For places to get started, check out Copify, nDash, Postloop, Problogger, and Upwork.

15. Mystery Shopping

Do you like going undercover? If so, telephone mystery shopping may be the perfect way to earn extra money. With this side gig, you’ll make calls to businesses, asking them a series of questions. After the phone call is over, you’ll rate and write up a shopping report. According to Forbes, most mystery shopping gigs pay between $5-$20 per shop. If you’d like to find out more about mystery shopping, check out Intelicheck, Perception Strategies, and ARC.

16. Design Some Graphics

When my daughter was in 6th grade, she took a digital graphics class, where she learned how to use the design software, Photoshop. I don’t even know how to use Photoshop! If you can create digital graphics, you can earn good money online designing logos, social media images, infographics, and more! To see if this is the right side earner for you, check out DesignCrowd, Dribble, and 99designs for freelance opportunities.

17. Become a Mock Juror

Do you love watching TV shows like Law and Order? Then look into earning some extra money as a mock juror. In these roles, you help lawyers prepare for their trial by giving feedback on their arguments. By no means are you going to get rich doing this, but it is an interesting way to make extra money in your free time. Here are a few companies that offer these online gigs, eJury, Nelson Recruiting, and Online Verdict.

Last Words About Making Extra Money Online

If you want to make extra money online, there are lots of ways to do so! Pick a few that match your skills and expertise and fit them in when you have some spare time. If you find you enjoy making money online, you may even be able to turn your side hustle into a full-time gig. If you need some inspiration, check out Danny Margulies’ story and how he turned his copywriting side gig into a six-figure business!

Originally published September 14, 2012. Content updated on January 13, 2021.