First adopter or good gifter, the new tech available during the holiday season is enticing but pricey. So what should the average financially strapped person do? Take on a second job, also known as a side gig, a side hustle, or moonlighting. According to a recent FlexJobs study, by 2025, there will be more than 3.2 million side jobs, an 8.5% increase from 2019. For pros interested in supplementing their incomes without supplanting their dignity, there are flex side jobs that pay well and can be done in coordination with a full-time job. With tech skills, there are certainly more jobs to consider.
"If you're thinking of getting a seasonal job but aren't sure how it would fit into your already busy life, it's important to know that there are flexible seasonal jobs," said Kathy Gardner, director of PR and media at FlexJobs in CT. "Many, maybe most, seasonal jobs are part-time, but there are also those that offer flexibility like being able to work from home. Finding this type of online seasonal job may help you bring in extra income without the extra hassle of an additional commute or being away from home at night and on the weekends."
While it makes the most sense to need a second gig during the holidays, "There are also plenty of temporary flexible jobs that aren't necessarily 'seasonal,' but are available for short-term work, so people don't have to limit themselves to only holiday-related jobs," Gardner said. "Jobs like associate blogger, test-center administrator [standardized tests are nearly exclusively done on a computer], data-entry assistant, human resources clerk, and marketing assistant are hiring as part-time temporary jobs."
Tech has also opened up flexible side work, " We see the impact of technology creating more opportunities for seasonal work that can be done from home," Gardner said. "Powerful, portable mobile devices and widespread high-speed internet make it much more possible for people to do work away from a centralized office.
Communication platforms, like video-conferencing and online collaboration programs, also help to connect remote workers and teams across miles or time zones, so jobs that once had to be performed onsite, can now be done from home."
The top well-paying tech-oriented/tech-related side jobs, according to the report are:
1. Consultant
Pay: $100/hour
With expertise in a particular area, consultants typically work with an organization to provide guidance, review processes, and improve performance. Of high-paying side jobs in the consulting field, IT often offers the most pay.
2. Graphic Designer
Pay: $25/hour
Graphic designers create visual concepts for a variety of mediums: websites, print materials, social media, ads, logos, and more. This common high-paying side job requires experience with design software such as Photoshop , Illustrator, and InDesign .
3. Lead Generation Specialist
Pay: $30/hour
Lead generation specialists typically prospect, qualify, and generate appointments and lead to a variety of companies and business-development teams.
4. NetSuite Administrator
Pay: $70/hour
Creating safe searches, custom fields, and customer reports; developing workflows; creating and customizing KPIs; and designing and implementing NetSuite solutions are some common duties of this high-paying flexible job.
5. Online Instructor
Pay: $30/hour
Online instructors, particularly those with computer or IT knowledge, can earn up to $30/hour by using online platforms to teach students, grade work, and monitor student progress. This high-paying flexible side job is also great for those who want to make their own schedule.
6. Project Manager
Pay: $65/hour
Project managers can find part-time or freelance jobs where their skills are used to oversee timelines, track budgets, coordinate team members, and more.
7. Quantitative Market Researcher
Pay: $25/hour
Market researchers will use their smartphone or tablet to gather information from the field on inventory, pricing, promotions, and/or traffic. Some on-site work is needed, with the rest of the job being performed remotely.
8. Social Media Marketing Specialist
Pay: $30/hour
Social media marketing specialists may create marketing campaigns, develop social media strategies, and write marketing and social media content.
9. Software Developer
Pay: $55/hour
Software developers can find jobs related to maintaining and updating applications, testing automation design, troubleshooting issues, updating documentation, and more.
10. Web Designer
Pay: $32/hour
Web designers are needed to help with the design end of websites. Jobs will require various program knowledge, such as CSS, WordPress, and jQuery.
11. WordPress Developer
Pay: $45/hour
This common high-paying side job requires strong experience with the WordPress content management system to create and edit themes, set up and utilize plugins, and write code.
12. Bookkeeper
Pay: $30/hour
Bookkeepers typically perform bank reconciliations, year-end closing duties, payroll, financial reports, and more. Knowledge of QuickBooks is required by many employers.
You can thank technological advances for opening up the job field. "That's partly because technology has made it much easier for individuals to put themselves out there as consultants and freelancers, and partly because job security is no longer 'a given' the way it was in previous decades," Gardner said. "Professionals today feel that they need to take more control over their careers and have not only a regular job, but potentially two, three, or more side gigs to forming their own job security."
Advances in tech in the last decade have made it easier for people to work productively outside the 9-to-5 office gig, she added. "[A]nd the growing knowledge economy naturally supports jobs that don't have to be done in an office. It does seem like the trends over the last several years, especially with the growth of freelancing and the gig economy, are set to continue."
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