Side Hustle Nation: How Americans Are Earning Extra in 2026
A side hustle used to sound like a fun little extra. Now, it often reads like a budgeting strategy.
Even with inflation cooler than its peak, a lot of people still want a second stream of income that can cover groceries, rent increases, or the random expense that shows up uninvited.
New survey data suggests this style of living isn’t fading out. It’s settling in.
Side Hustle Statistics in 2026: The Numbers Are Still Climbing
A recent report from MyPerfectResume found that 72% of the surveyed workers rely on at least one form of extra income.
That number is up slightly from last year, and more than half of the respondents said they expect to maintain the same level of side income in 2026.
In plain terms, many people aren’t just trying it out. They’re building around it.
What Counts as Secondary Income Sources
The phrase “side hustle” covers a lot. Some people are picking up gig work, some are selling services independently, and others are earning money that doesn’t require an hourly shift.
MyPerfectResume lists common categories like:
Freelance or gig work
Investment income
Small side businesses
Passive income, such as rent or royalties
Traditional second jobs
Here’s the point worth noticing: secondary income sources aren’t one thing anymore.
They’re a mix of time, skills, and whatever people can realistically maintain alongside a main job.
Multiple Jobholders Hit a Modern High
Surveys tell us how people feel about money. Labor data shows us what they’re doing.
One measure that keeps getting attention is the share of people who have more than one job.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, published through FRED, shows that people with more than one job reached 5.4% in November 2025.
That doesn’t mean everyone is juggling two full-time jobs. But, it does suggest more people are stacking their schedules, shifts, and gigs to keep the cash flow steady.
Why It All Feels Necessary
One of the main reasons side work has stuck around is that pay and prices haven’t moved in perfect sync.
MyPerfectResume reported that nominal wages rose from 2020 to 2024, but inflation also rose over the same time period, leaving some people feeling like they’re working harder to stay in the same place.
Even if inflation cools, the cost of living never rewinds. Even though rent, groceries, and insurance climbed fast during those spike years, many budgets still feel tight today.
Gen Z Side Hustle Culture Looks Different
Side hustling isn’t evenly spread out across every age group.
Bankrate’s 2025 survey found side hustles were most common among Gen Z (34%) and millennials (31%), followed by Gen X (23%) and baby boomers (22%).
That lines up with what you might expect. Younger people are earlier in their earning years, more likely to be paying off debt, and often more comfortable testing flexible income streams.
A Gen Z side hustle is also more likely to be:
Skills-based
Platform-based
Portfolio-style
Depending on what fits around school or a first full-time job, these are some of the most common side gigs:
Freelance projects
Short-term gigs
Content work
Tutoring
Delivery
Task-based apps
How Much Do Side Hustles Pay?
This is the part people want to know quickly, because extra income can mean anything from coffee money to rent money. Bankrate found that the typical side hustle brings in about $200 per month.
That’s not life-changing on its own, but it can cover a utility bill, prescriptions, transit costs, or a good chunk of groceries.
So, if you’re wondering how much side hustles pay, the realistic answer is: for many people, it’s meaningful in small, stabilizing ways. It smooths over the month and buys some breathing room.
A Practical Way to Think About Side Income
The best side hustle is the one you can maintain without burning out. For some, that means a predictable second job. For others, it means a flexible gig they can turn on and off.
A lot of people land somewhere in the middle, adding on extra work during expensive months and easing off when they can.
If there’s one clear takeaway from the latest numbers, though, it’s that side income has become a normal part of the modern work plan. It’s not for everyone, and not forever, but, for a lot of people right now, it’s fitting the bill.
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