Just 27 percent of U.S. adults had a side hustle in 2025, down from 36 percent a year earlier, the first decline Bankrate has recorded since 2017 (Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey). Yet the money still matters: the median side hustler earns only 200 dollars a month (Bankrate), 61 percent of side hustlers say life would be unaffordable without the income (LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey), and Intuit QuickBooks found 47 percent of Americans earned side-hustle income in the past year. Behind those headlines sits a market that Business Research Insights values at 674 billion dollars for 2026. This analysis consolidates data from Bankrate, LendingTree, the Federal Reserve, and 6 other primary sources to separate the signal (a cooling but resilient side economy) from the noise (averages inflated by a thin top tier of earners).
TL;DR
- 27 percent of U.S. adults had a side hustle in 2025, the lowest share since 2017 (Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey).
- 47 percent of Americans reported earning side-hustle income in the past year (Intuit QuickBooks, 2026 Entrepreneurship Study).
- 20 percent of adults did gig work in the prior month, including 13 percent who sold things and 9 percent who did short-term tasks (Federal Reserve, SHED 2024).
- The median monthly side income is just 200 dollars, versus an 885-dollar average (Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey).
- LendingTree pegged the 2026 average at 1,242 dollars a month; Intuit QuickBooks measured 2,038 dollars (LendingTree; Intuit QuickBooks).
- 61 percent say life would be unaffordable without their side income (LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey).
- Gen Z (34 percent) and millennials (31 percent) are the most likely generations to hustle (Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey).
- Men average 1,195 dollars a month from side hustles versus 611 dollars for women (Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey).
- 72.9 million Americans were independent workers in 2025, including 5.6 million earning over 100,000 dollars (MBO Partners, State of Independence 2025).
- Demand for top AI skills on freelance marketplaces rose 109 percent year over year (Upwork, In-Demand Skills 2026).
- The global gig economy is valued at 674.13 billion dollars in 2026, forecast to reach 2.5 trillion by 2035 (Business Research Insights).
1. Side-Hustle Participation: The 2025 Slowdown
The story of 2025 is a first-in-eight-years reversal. Bankrate’s share of adults with a side hustle fell from 36 percent in 2024 to 27 percent in 2025, the lowest reading since 2017. Analyst Ted Rossman tied the drop to a stronger job market and cooling inflation, which reduced the need for extra cash. The surveys still disagree sharply on the headline number, because each defines a side hustle differently: Intuit QuickBooks counts anyone who earned side income, LendingTree screens for a regular gig, and the Federal Reserve asks specifically about gig activities in the past month. Read them together and the picture is a large but softening side economy, closely tracked in our freelance economy statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. adults with a side hustle, 2025 (vs 36% in 2024) | 27% | Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey |
| U.S. adults with a side hustle, 2026 (vs 38% in 2025) | 33% | LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey |
| Americans who earned side-hustle income, past year | 47% | Intuit QuickBooks, 2026 Entrepreneurship Study |
| Adults who did gig work in the prior month, 2024 | 20% | Federal Reserve, SHED 2024 |
| U.S. independent workers, 2025 (vs 72.7M in 2024) | 72.9 million | MBO Partners, State of Independence 2025 |
| UK Gen Z with a side hustle | 66% | Finder, UK Side Hustle Statistics |
Outlier note: Intuit QuickBooks’ 47 percent looks high next to Bankrate’s 27 percent, but it captures any side income in a full year rather than an active, ongoing gig. See the full Bankrate survey.
2. The Income Reality: Average vs. Median
The single most misread side-hustle statistic is the average. Bankrate’s average of 885 dollars a month sits more than four times higher than its median of 200 dollars, a gap created by a thin layer of high earners. That same pattern repeats across surveys: LendingTree’s 1,242-dollar average dwarfs its 400-dollar median, and Intuit QuickBooks’ eye-catching 2,038-dollar figure reflects a sample skewed toward more active, business-minded hustlers. The median is the honest number for a typical person, and it is falling, from 250 dollars in 2024 to 200 dollars in 2025 (Bankrate).
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average monthly side income, 2025 | $885 | Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey |
| Median monthly side income, 2025 (vs $250 in 2024) | $200 | Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey |
| Average monthly side income, 2026 | $1,242 | LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey |
| Median monthly side income, 2026 | $400 | LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey |
| Average monthly side income, 2025 | $2,038 | Intuit QuickBooks, State of Side Hustles |
| Say life would be unaffordable without the income | 61% | LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey |
| Side hustlers earning just $1 to $50 a month | 28% | Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey |
Context: the three averages (885 dollars, 1,242 dollars, 2,038 dollars) diverge mainly on sampling, not measurement error. Details in the LendingTree survey.
3. Generation Gap: Gen Z and Millennials Lead
Younger workers hustle more, but they do not out-earn their elders per hour. Intuit QuickBooks found millennials earned the most of any generation at 2,260 dollars a month, working roughly 20 hours for about 113 dollars an hour. Gen Z leads on participation but skews toward smaller, casual gigs, which is why 40 percent of Gen Z side hustlers earn just 1 to 50 dollars a month (Bankrate). The through-line is that side hustling is now a default expectation for people under 35, not an exception.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Side-hustle rate by generation, 2025 (Gen Z 34%, millennials 31%, Gen X 23%, boomers 22%) | 34% top | Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey |
| Gen Z with a side hustle, 2026 | 43% | LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey |
| Millennial average monthly earnings (highest of any generation) | $2,260 | Intuit QuickBooks, State of Side Hustles |
| Millennials specializing in freelance/contract work (vs 17% Gen Z) | 27% | Intuit QuickBooks, State of Side Hustles |
| Gen Z and millennials (18-35) who have or plan a side hustle | 66% | Intuit, The Side Hustle Generation 2024 |
| Adults 18-29 who did gig work in the prior month, 2024 | 26% | Federal Reserve, SHED 2024 |
Outlier note: 80 percent of Gen Z business owners started their venture online or with a mobile component (Intuit, 2024), reflecting how digital-native the youngest cohort is. See Intuit’s State of Side Hustles.
4. Necessity vs. Choice: Why People Hustle
Motivation is split between covering the basics and buying extras, and the split is a useful economic barometer. 31 percent of gig workers said that without their gigs they would have trouble making ends meet (Federal Reserve, SHED 2024). Bankrate’s data shows the largest single use of side income shifting toward discretionary spending (41 percent, up from 37 percent in 2024), a sign of easing pressure, even as a stubborn core hustles to survive. LendingTree’s respondents point squarely at macro forces: 36 percent cite the current economy and 32 percent name basic cost of living. For many, the side hustle is a hedge against a volatile primary paycheck, a theme that overlaps with our remote work statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| How side income is used (discretionary 41%, living expenses 35%, savings 28%, debt 20%) | 41% top | Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey |
| Gig workers who wished they had benefits like health insurance, 2024 | 28% | Federal Reserve, SHED 2024 |
| Have a side hustle because of the current economy | 36% | LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey |
| Have a side hustle to cover cost-of-living expenses | 32% | LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey |
| Gig workers who would struggle without gigs, 2024 | 31% | Federal Reserve, SHED 2024 |
| Gig income was essential (23%) or important (35%) for basic needs | 23% / 35% | Pew Research Center, State of Gig Work 2021 |
| Major reason for gig work: saving extra money (56%) or covering income gaps (52%) | 56% / 52% | Pew Research Center, State of Gig Work 2021 |
Note: Pew’s gig-income figures are the most recent available from that dataset (Pew Research Center, 2021) and are flagged as such. See the Federal Reserve gig-work report.
5. What People Actually Do: Types and Platforms
The mix has tilted from driving toward selling and creating. The number of independent content creators jumped 13 percent in 2025 to 10.1 million (MBO Partners, State of Independence 2025). Selling goods is now the most common gig activity, and online talent platforms keep pulling in more workers, with 63 percent of independent service providers using them, up from 37 percent in 2020 (MBO Partners). Online retail is a top category in its own right, a pattern detailed in our ecommerce statistics, while content work bridges into the wider creator economy.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Most common categories (gig/on-demand 29%, freelance/professional 26%, creative/content 23%, trades 21%) | 29% top | LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey |
| Top Bankrate industries (online sales 15%, professional services 14%, food delivery 9%, crafts 9%) | 15% top | Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey |
| Adults who made money selling things, 2024 | 13% | Federal Reserve, SHED 2024 |
| Independent content creators, 2025 (up 13% year over year) | 10.1 million | MBO Partners, State of Independence 2025 |
| Independent service providers using online talent platforms | 63% | MBO Partners, State of Independence 2025 |
| U.S. adults who ever earned money via an online gig platform | 16% | Pew Research Center, State of Gig Work 2021 |
Outlier note: 44 percent of young side hustlers use social media as their primary marketing tool (Intuit, 2024), which is why content skills increasingly double as sales channels. See the MBO Partners report.
6. Hours, Burnout, and the Gender Gap
Time and reward remain unevenly distributed. Men average 1,195 dollars a month from side hustles versus 611 dollars for women, nearly double, with medians of 247 dollars against 148 dollars (Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey). Bankrate attributes the gap partly to occupational sorting: the most common gigs for women were child care and crafts, while men skewed toward landscaping and home repair. Most people keep the commitment modest, and the payoff can be strong for those who do: Intuit QuickBooks calculated an effective rate near 104 dollars an hour, well above the 37.02-dollar national average wage.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Side-hustle gender gap (men $1,195 avg / $247 median vs women $611 / $148) | ~2x | Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey |
| Average time spent on a side hustle | 19 hrs 32 min/month | Intuit QuickBooks, State of Side Hustles |
| Effective hourly rate vs national average wage ($37.02) | ~$104/hour | Intuit QuickBooks, State of Side Hustles |
| Side hustlers spending 5-10 hours per week | 32% | LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey |
| Gig workers who wish the pay was more consistent, 2024 | 49% | Federal Reserve, SHED 2024 |
| Gig workers citing flexibility vs work-life balance | 55% vs 35% | Federal Reserve, SHED 2024 |
| UK men vs women with a side hustle | 53% vs 39% | Finder, UK Side Hustle Statistics |
Context: 96 percent of gig workers spend under 35 hours a week on gigs and 70 percent spend under 5 (Federal Reserve, SHED 2024), so most side hustles stay genuinely secondary. Full data in the Bankrate survey.
7. Market Size, AI, and the Road Ahead
The macro picture is expansion, reshaped by automation. Demand for the top AI skills on freelance marketplaces more than doubled, rising 109 percent year over year (Upwork, In-Demand Skills 2026). AI video generation and editing led at 329 percent growth, and generative-AI specialists command up to 22 percent more per hour. That premium helps explain why the number of six-figure independents keeps climbing (MBO Partners) even as casual participation cools. AI tools also lower the barrier to entry for content-driven side hustles, from newsletters to short video, where creators increasingly pair writing with production tools such as an AI voice generator.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global gig economy market value, 2026 | $674.13 billion | Business Research Insights, Gig Economy Market 2026 |
| Projected global gig economy market, 2035 (15.79% CAGR) | $2,522.37 billion | Business Research Insights, Gig Economy Market 2026 |
| Growth in demand for top AI skills, 2025 | +109% | Upwork, In-Demand Skills 2026 |
| Growth in demand for AI video generation and editing | +329% | Upwork, In-Demand Skills 2026 |
| Independent workers earning over $100,000/year, 2025 (up ~19%) | 5.6 million | MBO Partners, State of Independence 2025 |
| Independent workers using generative AI, 2025 (vs 65% in 2024) | 74% | MBO Partners, State of Independence 2025 |
| Businesses turning to freelancers to close skill gaps | 49% | Upwork, In-Demand Skills 2026 |
Outlier note: the 674-billion-dollar market figure is a market-research estimate; treat the 2035 projection as a scenario, not a certainty. See the Upwork In-Demand Skills 2026 release.
Summary: Side Hustles by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. adults with a side hustle, 2025 | 27% | Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey |
| Americans who earned side-hustle income, past year | 47% | Intuit QuickBooks, 2026 Entrepreneurship Study |
| Adults who did gig work in the prior month, 2024 | 20% | Federal Reserve, SHED 2024 |
| Median monthly side income, 2025 | $200 | Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey |
| Average monthly side income, 2026 (LendingTree) | $1,242 | LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey |
| Average monthly side income, 2025 (QuickBooks) | $2,038 | Intuit QuickBooks, State of Side Hustles |
| Say life would be unaffordable without the income | 61% | LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey |
| Projected global gig economy market, 2035 | $2,522.37 billion | Business Research Insights, Gig Economy Market 2026 |
| Millennial average monthly earnings | $2,260 | Intuit QuickBooks, State of Side Hustles |
| Side-hustle gender gap (men vs women, average) | $1,195 vs $611 | Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey |
| Growth in demand for AI video generation and editing, 2025 | +329% | Upwork, In-Demand Skills 2026 |
| Adults who made money selling things, 2024 | 13% | Federal Reserve, SHED 2024 |
| Independent content creators, 2025 | 10.1 million | MBO Partners, State of Independence 2025 |
| U.S. independent workers, 2025 | 72.9 million | MBO Partners, State of Independence 2025 |
| Independents earning over $100,000/year, 2025 | 5.6 million | MBO Partners, State of Independence 2025 |
| Ever earned money via an online gig platform | 16% | Pew Research Center, State of Gig Work 2021 |
| Growth in demand for top AI skills, 2025 | +109% | Upwork, In-Demand Skills 2026 |
| Global gig economy market value, 2026 | $674.13 billion | Business Research Insights, Gig Economy Market 2026 |
| Time spent on gig work (under 5 hrs/week) | 70% | Federal Reserve, SHED 2024 |
Methodology and Sources
Data was gathered by aggregating the most recent publicly available surveys, government datasets, and market reports on side hustles and gig work, prioritizing primary sources with disclosed methodology and cross-referencing income and participation figures across at least two independent surveys.
- Bankrate, 2025 Side Hustle Survey (YouGov Plc; 2,616 U.S. adults; fielded June 2 to 4, 2025) - bankrate.com
- LendingTree, 2026 Side Hustle Survey (QuestionPro; 2,049 U.S. consumers aged 18 to 80; fielded March 3 to 6, 2026) - lendingtree.com
- Federal Reserve, Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024 / SHED (fielded October 2024; published May 2025) - federalreserve.gov
- Intuit QuickBooks, State of Side Hustles and 2026 Entrepreneurship Study (3,000 U.S. adults; fielded December 2025) - quickbooks.intuit.com
- Intuit, The Side Hustle Generation (Pollfish; 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18 to 35; fielded November 2024) - intuit.com
- Pew Research Center, The State of Gig Work in 2021 (fielded August 2021; most recent available) - pewresearch.org
- Upwork, In-Demand Skills 2026 (freelancer earnings analyzed January 1 to December 31, 2025) - investors.upwork.com
- MBO Partners, State of Independence in America 2025 - mbopartners.com
- Business Research Insights, Gig Economy Market 2026 (market-research estimate) - businessresearchinsights.com
- Finder, UK Side Hustle Statistics (UK survey data; cited for international context)
- CNBC reporting on Bankrate’s 2024 survey (891-dollar 2024 average, traced to Bankrate)
Data watch: Bankrate publishes its side-hustle survey each summer, so a 2026 edition is expected imminently; the Federal Reserve releases its SHED report each spring, with 2025 data due around mid-2026; MBO Partners issues State of Independence annually in the fall; Upwork updates its In-Demand Skills report each January; and Pew Research Center’s State of Gig Work has not been refreshed since 2021, so those figures should be treated as dated. LendingTree runs its side-hustle survey periodically, most recently in March 2026.
Last updated: July 10, 2026.
We review and update this page quarterly as new data is published.