As of March 2024, the Fed predicts inflation rates to remain elevated at least for some time. For many, it has been hard to keep up with the cost of everything.
Whether you can get extra income to save or to pay bills, making $500 a week benefits most people and can make a significant difference. In addition, you can find accessible ways to help you earn almost $24,000 a year as a side hustle, second job, or primary source of employment. It all depends on what you’re looking for and how you can fit it into your schedule.
11 Jobs That Pay $500 a Week
The jobs listed pay at least $500 a week and don’t require a college degree or specialized skills, making them accessible to almost anyone. Do you already have a day job? Not to worry. These jobs can be flexible and fit into evening and weekend hours. Let’s take a look.
1. Housekeeping
Housekeeping is something you can do independently or under an agency. Let’s say you choose to do this job independently. You can bring in at least $500 a week if you clean 2 to 3 houses a day. Under an agency, you might need to clean 4 to 5 homes per day to bring in the same amount. Start building up your clientele, and that $500 will be in your pocket in no time. Try using Care.com to find jobs or start letting friends and family know you’re looking to pick up work as a house cleaner.
2. Virtual Assistant
Becoming a virtual assistant is a newer phenomenon that many find lucrative. You can work as a virtual assistant for a business or an individual. This position usually entails administrative tasks such as sending emails, scheduling meetings, or making appointments. Depending on the demands of who you’re working for, you could be a virtual assistant to numerous people, making it easier to bring in more money.
3. Work in a Restaurant
Do you enjoy entertaining guests and making sure they have an enjoyable experience during their night out? Pick up a few shifts as a waiter or bartender. If you make it all the way up to the restaurant manager, you could make roughly $22 an hour.
4. Emergency Call Operator
There’s no question about it—being an emergency call operator is not for the faint of heart. But you might build a profitable career if you can handle emotional callers and stressful situations. Most 911 operators start off around $20 per hour—this job is one of the most profitable on our list. Visit 911DispatcherEDU.org to learn more.
5. Uber Driver
Driving for Uber is convenient because you pick your hours and customize your experience with your riders. Uber claims that drivers make an average of $25 an hour, including tips. At this rate, you can drive for 20 hours a week and significantly boost your weekly income.
Here’s a tip to potentially make even more—try giving your passengers a memorable and pleasant experience by providing them with a phone charger, small candies, or gum and letting them pick the radio (or Spotify) station. You’ll likely get a bigger tip on top of the fare they’re already being charged.
6. DoorDash
DoorDash is a food ordering app that allows customers to quickly get their food delivered to their doorstep. As a DoorDasher, you can pick your hours and schedule. Instead, you make a percentage off the food sale, plus tips and a rate for drive time. For most deliveries, you’re looking at roughly $15 to $20 an hour. Work this job on the side for around 25 hours a week, and you’ll get an extra $500 a week. Not bad for driving around listening to tunes and making hungry people happy. Plus, it’s a great way to learn about new restaurants.
7. Instacart
Do you enjoy grocery shopping? If so, Instacart is the perfect side hustle for you. You do the shopping, check-out, bagging, and delivering. Although Instacart doesn’t guarantee a minimum rate, it’s reported that the average hourly rate for Instacart shoppers is $11.
You’d have to work over a 40-hour workweek at this rate to hit the $500 mark but getting tips on top of that rate may shorten the load to 30 hours per week. It’s also a side hustle you could work around your day job. Like DoorDash, you can choose your hours and pick up as many or few jobs as you want.
8. Website Tester
All you need for this gig is a computer and a keen sense of web function. Quite a few companies are looking for web testers. One excellent site is TryMyUI. TryMyUI asks you to be yourself—and give feedback on websites. The company pays $10 for each test, which usually lasts around 20 minutes. So you’d need to test 50 web pages to rack up $500 a week, which would take just over 16 hours.
9. Online Researcher
Try your hand as an online researcher. Some companies gather research to put compelling information in front of their readers. For example, Wonder, an online company, asks you to dig deep into some questions it poses. For example, the company might ask, “How do you potty train a dog?” and you’ll help answer the question. Wonder pays $25 per hour for this type of work. You would need to work 20 hours a week to receive that $500.
10. Freelance
You can venture into the gig economy and work as an independent contractor or freelancer. Jobs such as transcriptionists, social media managers, and virtual assistants can pay you handsomely on an hourly or per-project basis. Moreover, these roles give you the freedom and autonomy to work remotely from anywhere that suits your lifestyle.
11. Tutor (Online or In-Person)
Tutoring, whether online or in-person, may provide an excellent opportunity to supplement your income by leveraging your knowledge and teaching skills. With the growing demand for academic support across various subjects and grade levels, tutors may be able to command competitive hourly rates, depending on the subject matter and your expertise.
Online tutoring platforms and word-of-mouth referrals can be great sources for finding tutoring clients. The flexibility of setting your own schedule also makes tutoring an attractive option for those seeking a lucrative side gig. For the best shot at making a decent side income, you may want to consider dedicating at least 10 to 15 hours per week to your tutoring gig.
Increase your Income
Many options are available to make $500 a week. While it might not be easy or quick money, there is something for almost everyone. If you find yourself looking for additional income, remember that you have options that can work around your standard 9-5 job by working after hours or choosing opportunities to work from home. Use your increased income to save, pay off bills, or splurge a little.
FAQ
Is it possible to make $500 fast?
It depends on how soon you need the money, but you can sell items to a reseller and get the cash right away in some cases.
What are some easy side hustles from home?
Some easy side hustles from home include proofreading, virtual tutoring, website design, or selling crafts on websites like Etsy.
What are some jobs that pay every week?
If you are looking for a job that pays weekly, some freelance and virtual assistant jobs pay weekly. Additionally, some delivery driver jobs will give you weekly pay; if your job provides cash tips, you can get those every shift.
Jeannine Mancini Jeannine Mancini, a Florida native, has been writing business and personal finance articles since 2003. Her articles have been published in the Florida Today and Orlando Sentinel. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master of Arts in Career and Technical Education from the University of Central Florida.
