Winter might be the season when people like to nest at home, but it can also get expensive between heating costs and holiday spending. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association expects average U.S. heating costs this winter to rise 10.5% from a year ago. Meanwhile, Americans on average planned to spend more than $1,400 on the holidays alone, according to Empower.
One way to deal with these costs is to bring in extra income with a winter side hustle — and many Americans are doing just that. New research from SideHustles.com identified some of the most popular winter side hustle search terms in different states and cities. In some cases, you can earn $25 or more an hour in your spare time with these side gigs.
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Read on for more information on different types of winter side hustles to consider, as well as the winter side hustles most searched for in each state.
Also see the highest-paying side gig in each state.
Types of Winter Side Hustles
If you have digital design skills, you could earn up to $50 per hour creating digital graphics and winter-themed designs for local businesses or personal shoppers. SideHustles.com recommended offering your services on platforms like Etsy and Fiverr or reaching out directly to local business networks. This is an especially good winter side hustle because you can do the work from home.
For those who don’t mind getting out in the elements, here are some other winter side hustles with decent potential earnings to consider, per the study.
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Snow removal and shoveling: $25 to $75 per hour
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Winter event photography: $25-plus per hour
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Winter sports instruction: $20 to $30 per hour
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The Most Popular Winter Side Hustle Searches
As part of its research, SideHustles.com looked at popular online searches for winter side gigs across the United States. One thing it found was that Nevada, New York and Colorado were the states where residents searched the most for winter side hustles.
Popular search terms included “short-term winter jobs,” “holiday side jobs” and “winter remote jobs.” The latter term was especially prevalent in frigid states, like Alaska, Maine and Wisconsin. But some states were very specific in terms of the top side hustles — including New Mexico (selling baked goods), New York (personal shopping) and Washington (house sitting).
Here are the top winter side hustle search terms for each state.