Side Hustle Statistics
Last updated: 2026-10-28 · 10 sourced statistics
Official statistics do not track side hustles as such, so the answer depends on which proxy you use. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts people with more than one job: 8.99 million, or 5.5% of the employed, in September 2026. The Federal Reserve's household survey counts informal earning from selling things and short-term tasks, and found that about half of the people doing those gigs had a separate main job. Bankrate's survey asks people directly, and 27% of US adults said they had a side hustle in June 2025. This page sets out each figure with its source and limits, and what side earners report making.
Key takeaways
- 8.99 million people held more than one job in September 2026, 5.5% of the employed (BLS, seasonally adjusted).
- The multiple jobholding rate averaged 5.4% in 2025, up from 5.2% in 2024 (BLS).
- 51% of adults who did gig activities in 2024 had a non-gig main job, and 31% said they would have trouble making ends meet without the gig income (Federal Reserve).
- 27% of US adults reported a side hustle in June 2025, down from 36% in 2024 and 39% in 2023 (Bankrate vendor survey, 2,616 adults).
- Side hustlers in that survey averaged $885 a month, but the median was $200; 35% used some of the money for regular living expenses (Bankrate).
At a glance.
Every figure on this page in one table, each linked to its named source. Scroll down for the full context behind each number.
| Figure | What it measures | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.99M | 8.99 million people in the US held more than one job in September 2026 (seasonally adjusted). | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, multiple jobholders (series LNS12026619) | 2026 |
| 5.5% | Multiple jobholders were 5.5% of all employed people in September 2026 (seasonally adjusted). | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, multiple jobholders as a percent of employed (series LNS12026620) | 2026 |
| 8.80M | In 2025, an average of 8.80 million people held more than one job, 5.4% of the employed, up from 8.43 million (5.2%) in 2024 (annual averages, not seasonally adjusted). | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (series LNU02026619 and LNU02026620) | 2025 |
| 51% | 51% of adults who did gig activities (selling, renting or short-term tasks) in the month before the survey had a non-gig main job. | Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024 (May 2025) | 2024 |
| 13% | 13% of adults made money by selling things in the prior month, most often items they had owned for personal use; 3% sold things they had made. 9% did short-term tasks such as giving rides, delivering takeout or doing odd jobs. | Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024 (May 2025) | 2024 |
| 31% | 31% of people who did gig activities said they would have trouble making ends meet without that income. | Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024 (May 2025) | 2024 |
| 27% | 27% of US adults said they had a side hustle (extra money earned beyond their main source of income) in June 2025, the lowest share since 2017 and down from 36% in 2024 and 39% in 2023 (vendor survey, 2,616 adults). | Bankrate, "Fewer Americans Have a Side Hustle in 2025" (press release, July 9, 2025; YouGov fieldwork) | 2025 |
| $200 median | Side hustlers earned an average of $885 a month, but the median was $200; 25% earned more than $500 a month and 14% more than $1,000 (vendor survey, 699 side hustlers). | Bankrate, "Fewer Americans Have a Side Hustle in 2025" (press release, July 9, 2025; YouGov fieldwork) | 2025 |
| 35% | 35% of side hustlers used at least some of the income for regular living expenses such as housing and food, and 29% think they will always need a side hustle to make ends meet (vendor survey). | Bankrate, "Fewer Americans Have a Side Hustle in 2025" (press release, July 9, 2025; YouGov fieldwork) | 2025 |
| 34% | Side hustles were most common among Gen Z (34%) and millennials (31%), against 23% of Gen X and 22% of baby boomers; online sales (15%) and professional or business services such as freelance writing, design and consulting (14%) were the most common types (vendor survey). | Bankrate, "Fewer Americans Have a Side Hustle in 2025" (press release, July 9, 2025; YouGov fieldwork) | 2025 |
The statistics
8.99 million people in the US held more than one job in September 2026 (seasonally adjusted).
Source:US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, multiple jobholders (series LNS12026619)2026
Multiple jobholders were 5.5% of all employed people in September 2026 (seasonally adjusted).
In 2025, an average of 8.80 million people held more than one job, 5.4% of the employed, up from 8.43 million (5.2%) in 2024 (annual averages, not seasonally adjusted).
Source:US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (series LNU02026619 and LNU02026620)2025
51% of adults who did gig activities (selling, renting or short-term tasks) in the month before the survey had a non-gig main job.
Source:Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024 (May 2025)2024
13% of adults made money by selling things in the prior month, most often items they had owned for personal use; 3% sold things they had made. 9% did short-term tasks such as giving rides, delivering takeout or doing odd jobs.
Source:Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024 (May 2025)2024
31% of people who did gig activities said they would have trouble making ends meet without that income.
Source:Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024 (May 2025)2024
27% of US adults said they had a side hustle (extra money earned beyond their main source of income) in June 2025, the lowest share since 2017 and down from 36% in 2024 and 39% in 2023 (vendor survey, 2,616 adults).
Side hustlers earned an average of $885 a month, but the median was $200; 25% earned more than $500 a month and 14% more than $1,000 (vendor survey, 699 side hustlers).
35% of side hustlers used at least some of the income for regular living expenses such as housing and food, and 29% think they will always need a side hustle to make ends meet (vendor survey).
Side hustles were most common among Gen Z (34%) and millennials (31%), against 23% of Gen X and 22% of baby boomers; online sales (15%) and professional or business services such as freelance writing, design and consulting (14%) were the most common types (vendor survey).
When these numbers don't apply
Aggregate statistics hide a lot. Read these caveats before quoting a figure as if it describes your specific situation.
- There is no official definition of a side hustle. The BLS counts people who hold two or more jobs (including people with two employee jobs), the Federal Reserve counts selling, renting and short-term tasks in the prior month, and Bankrate lets respondents decide what counts. The three numbers are not comparable.
- The BLS multiple jobholder count records only people who say they have more than one job. Someone who earns from selling or occasional gigs may not describe that as a job, so the count likely misses many informal side earners.
- The Federal Reserve figures come from its 2024 survey (fielded October 2024, 12,295 respondents). The 2025 edition, published May 2026, did not report gig activity, so these are the latest available from that source.
- Bankrate's figures are a vendor survey: an online, non-probability YouGov panel of 2,616 US adults (699 with a side hustle), fielded June 2 to 4, 2025, weighted to the population. Treat year-to-year changes in a survey of this kind with caution.
- Averages are pulled up by a few high earners. Bankrate's mean side hustle income was $885 a month, but the median was $200.
- For platform gig work and its broader definitions, see the gig economy statistics page; for people whose business is their main job, see the self-employment statistics page.
How we compiled this data
Reviewed on 2026-10-28. Every figure was read at its source that day. Multiple jobholder counts and rates come from the official BLS public data API for Current Population Survey series LNS12026619, LNS12026620, LNU02026619 and LNU02026620; series titles were confirmed on FRED. Gig activity figures come from the Federal Reserve Board's report "Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024" (May 2025, 12,295 respondents); we checked the 2025 edition (May 13, 2026) and it does not report gig activity. Survey figures come from Bankrate's own press release of July 9, 2025, labelled as a vendor survey with its sample. We checked for a 2026 Bankrate edition and did not find one. We removed the previous version's Bankrate 2024 figures (superseded by the 2025 survey), a Pew Research figure from 2021 that is used on the gig economy page, an Upwork freelancer estimate, and a $400 self-employment tax line that is covered on the self-employment page.
We hand-collected each figure from its original publisher rather than recycling secondary round-ups, cross-checked the headline numbers against the source documents in 2026-10-28, and link every statistic to the report it came from so you can verify it yourself. Where a publisher issues annual updates, we cite the report edition and flag the year inline.
Frequently asked questions
How many Americans have a side hustle?
It depends on the measure. 8.99 million people, 5.5% of the employed, held more than one job in September 2026 (BLS). A broader self-reported measure from Bankrate's June 2025 survey found 27% of US adults had a side hustle, defined as extra money earned beyond their main source of income.
Are side hustles becoming more or less common?
The two measures point in different directions. The BLS multiple jobholding rate rose from 5.2% in 2024 to 5.4% in 2025 and was 5.5% in September 2026. Bankrate's survey share fell from 39% in 2023 to 36% in 2024 and 27% in 2025.
How much do side hustles pay?
In Bankrate's 2025 survey, side hustlers averaged $885 a month but the median was $200, so a typical side hustle brings in far less than the average suggests. 25% earned more than $500 a month and 14% more than $1,000.
Do people rely on side hustle income?
Many do. 31% of adults doing gig activities told the Federal Reserve they would struggle to make ends meet without that income, and 35% of Bankrate's side hustlers used some of it for regular living expenses.
Do I need to invoice for a side hustle?
If you sell services to clients, an invoice records what you charged and when, which helps you get paid and keep the records you need at tax time. The links below cover invoice numbering, business banking and how different kinds of side income get paid.
Put these figures to use
- Invoicing hub: How to write, number and send invoices, with templates for common services.
- Invoice number generator: Set up a simple numbering scheme before you send your first invoice.
- Business bank accounts for freelancers: What to compare when you separate side income from personal money.
- Passive income ideas for freelancers: Templates, courses and licensing compared by how the money reaches you.
Related statistics
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