You may already have a full- or part-time job, but you’d like to supplement your income by doing unofficial work.
Well, let me give you some ideas.
You could pursue several side hustles to earn additional cash for savings, investments, or eliminating debt faster.
And even if you don’t think you’re an expert in anything, there are still basic tasks people are prepared to pay cash for.
Just read on, and I’ll give you the low down on under-the-table jobs.
Sound good?
Let’s get to it, then.
What Do I Mean By “Under The Table” Jobs?
Although “under-the-table jobs” are typical, not everyone knows what it entails.
These jobs refer to income streams not declared to the government and are paid to the worker in cash only.
You will be compensated in cash rather than a traditional paycheck for your efforts.
Nothing is documented, and you won’t have to pay taxes.
These side jobs are excellent for boosting savings or providing a one-time windfall.
For many of these positions, prior work experience is not necessary.
Are Under The Table Jobs Illegal?
Some companies prefer to pay freelancers and workers in hard cash.
Even if a business opts to pay wages in cash, it must still file the appropriate employment tax forms.
The Internal Revenue Service has identified “under the table” employee payments as a significant source of tax noncompliance.
Taxes are not deducted from the pay of an employee or contractor who receives payment in cash.
Even so, you must continue to submit paperwork.
Your responsibility is to declare your income and pay tax on it.
However, many people collect cash from side jobs or other transactions at work, which is often not disclosed to the proper authorities.
Each party is taking a risk in doing so.
Regardless of your decision, be aware that consequences could arise.
Most folks will not declare cash profits from non-business activities to the IRS because they are unlikely to raise any red flags.
Nevertheless, it would be best if you handled these monetary exchanges properly.
Most of the time, you can take on these jobs, and no one will hound you about them.
The Best Under The Table Jobs That Pay Cash
Now that we’ve got all the fine print out of the way let’s get to the jobs themselves.
You’ll find that you’re familiar with most of these gigs as they are available to all age groups and skill levels.
Virtual Assistant
Are you exceptionally skilled at organizing and assisting others?
You can start making money immediately by being a virtual assistant; eventually, it could become your full-time job.
There is always a web-based company owner who might use your expertise, whatever it may be.
You can earn money off of doing everything from email organization to client follow-up.
Many business owners find their workload overwhelming, so they recruit virtual assistants to help them with daily tasks.
Did you know you can become a virtual assistant with no experience?
What you can do as a trust VA includes the following examples of tasks:
- Scheduling
- Graphic design
- Online Marketing
- Editing
- Client communication
- Data entry
- Lead management
Freelance Writer
If you know how to put words together, freelance writing might be a fantastic way to bring in some added funds.
Almost every company, no matter how big or little, has some internet presence these days, and they all need content, content, content!
Seek out the websites of local businesses that appear to have fallen on hard times.
You could offer to bang out a few blog posts for them to assist them in targeting their customers to gain new customers.
Writing for bloggers is another option to consider.
If you write an article 1,000 words long, you can expect to earn $70 to $150 for your efforts.
Not bad!
Here are some freelance writing websites to check out.
Handiwork
Do people say that you have a flair for mending things?
If so, folks will undoubtedly pay money for your services.
They pay you in cash regardless of whether you help them with their appliances, woodwork, electronics, or computers.
You could focus on gaining private clients and fulfill the following roles:
Mover
One option for physically capable people is to work as a mover.
It’s a quick and straightforward option for getting paid in hard currency.
You may choose to pass on large projects that take a lot of time and effort and may even involve stairs.
Instead, find work transporting smaller items from one location to another.
Hundreds of moving jobs are posted every day.
You’re not going to have trouble finding local gigs.
This is the most straightforward way to earn $15+ per hour covertly, assuming you don’t mind getting your hands dirty and can lift a few couches and tables.
Painter
Painting is another common and easily accessible form of under-the-table employment.
Homeowners are usually on the lookout for painting help.
Your duties will include helping the painting crew with site preparation, painting, and cleanup.
Find commissions on Craigslist if you’re skilled in mural or picture painting.
These gigs pay more than your standard spray painting or fence painting projects.
Snow Remover
Snow removal is a terrific opportunity for a short-term, cash-paying side job in wintry regions.
A snow shovel or snow blower will do the trick.
Flyers can be handed out, and membership in neighborhood Facebook groups or the Nextdoor app can boost your chances of finding some customers.
Driveways must be shoveled, and people are prepared to pay for this service.
Working these jobs won’t make you wealthy, but you’d be surprised how much folks are willing to pay for this task.
This is a fantastic method to supplement your income during the colder months.
Social Media Manager
For those born in the Millennial or Gen Z era, using social media is second nature.
Please use your expertise by offering your services to other businesses needing assistance with their internet presence.
Here’s yet another fantastic opportunity to work remotely for a company that operates entirely online or for a small, locally-based company.
Insufficient time and knowledge prevent many business owners from keeping up with their social media accounts.
You can assist in managing their content and developing campaigns that will appeal to their intended audience.
Web Designer
If you have any experience with web design and would like to boost your earnings, you can sell your services to clients.
Depending on the project’s scope, you might expect to make anywhere from $500 to $5,000.
It’s surprising how many small businesses don’t have websites in this day and age.
Having any website, even a one-pager, will help them stand out from the competition and allow them to gather reviews and build credibility with their target audience.
If I were to take this route, I’d advertise my services to local companies that either don’t have a website or have one that’s so dated that it’s barely functional.
Babysitter
It’s easy to obtain work as a babysitter, and you may do it whenever you choose.
There are several ways to get the word out, whether by word-of-mouth in the local community, through your existing network, or online platforms like Care.com.
Parents are not big fans of the online classifieds site Craigslist.
Better strategies, such as word-of-mouth and referrals, will be your bread and butter.
It would be best to start by approaching folks you know, like, and trust, like your friends in the neighborhood.
This is cash-only, under-the-table work that might be temporary or ongoing, depending on your schedule.
Based on the number of children you’re responsible for and the tasks required, your hourly rate could be anywhere from $10 to $30.
This could be ideal for you if you enjoy working with kids and need a way to supplement your income.
Catering Staff
Caterers have a lot on their plates during the busy wedding and holiday seasons.
They have too much work, so they often hire extra hands.
As a waiter or waitress, you are responsible for setting up tables and trays, serving food, and making deliveries.
If you’re desperate for money and can’t find anything else, this job might do in a pinch.
Prepare to be available for work when the season comes.
To increase your chances of getting hired when catering needs arise, consider joining some local companies.
Don’t forget to ask local eateries and caterers if they need any assistance.
Last but not least, sign up with freelancing websites like Taskrabbit.
On such platforms, people regularly advertise their catering services.
You will get notifications for job listings that are relevant to your interests.
Gardener
Working as a gardener presents seasonal and year-round opportunities.
There will always be a market for yard work, and people will pay for it (especially the elderly, lazy, and busy).
You may join freelancing portals like Taskrabbit or Nextdoor or inquire at nearby nurseries that can use assistance.
Joining a local gardening group is another way to get the word about your services and become the go-to person for all their gardening needs.
Finally, launch a website or blog showcasing your expertise.
Doing so will set you apart from the competitors and open new revenue opportunities.
Pet Sitter
One of the most ubiquitous side hustles is pet sitting.
The position is ideal for those who enjoy interacting with animals and like-minded pet lovers.
Dog walkers and pet sitters are in high demand since pet owners constantly need someone to mind their pets when they can’t be there.
The hourly rate is high enough that you can make $50 with no effort.
With just two or three regular customers every week, you may bring in a respectable amount of extra revenue.
Participate in neighborhood pet-sitting networks like Rover and Wag Walking so more people can see you.
Promote your business’s offerings on Facebook and Instagram.
You may even advertise your services in local Facebook groups when you join them.
If you want to advertise your services in the community, you can print and distribute flyers with your info.
Farmer’s Market Seller
Almost any town or city has a farmer’s market.
It’s a fantastic avenue to buy and sell goods or look for a job.
Inquire among the overworked vendors who have booths here; they may be able to put you to work.
You could make much money working behind a counter or carrying crates.
Rent a table and set up shop if you have something to sell.
Anything you can produce at home, from sauces to crafts, can be sold.
Who knows?
Maybe you’re a secret baker, and your creations will be the next big hit!
This is also a fantastic opportunity if you’re into gardening and you grow your produce.
Tutor
Tutoring is a rewarding side gig if you have a teaching background or enjoy working with young learners.
You can instruct pupils in various subjects, including language, mathematics, history, and literature.
Many children require assistance outside of the classroom.
Facebook moms’ groups and the local paper’s classifieds section are good places to start looking for these jobs.
The same holds for helping kids with non-academic subjects like art, crafts, music, etc.
Get your name out there by signing up with local tutoring platforms and websites like Preply, Chegg, and VIPKid.
Session Work
Are you proficient with any musical instrument?
Then I suggest not wasting any time and monetizing those sweet skills!
Get bookings at local establishments, hotspots, and gatherings.
Events like weddings and birthdays are indeed good places to locate work.
The pay is usually decent, too.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for online, try pubs, restaurants, and event planners.
Get some YouTube demos ready before you ask around so you’ll have a portfolio.
You can play a gig in just a few hours and make as much as $100, not including tips or drinks.
Indeed, no one would turn down an offer like that!
Get your music by signing up with local music services and websites like Bandmix and Craigslist.
Post ads promote your business on sites like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Cook
There is gainful employment if you’re good in the kitchen.
You can count on a financial return if you can whip up some fine grub.
Both catering and baking are viable home-based businesses for you.
The right advertising strategy will help you land jobs as a caterer for various events, including weddings, corporate gatherings, birthday parties, and more.
People often hire caterers because they lack the knowledge or time to prepare the food.
Start locally and solicit word-of-mouth from loved ones.
You should always be aware of food safety laws, as you do not want a lawsuit on your hands.
Yoga Instructor
Right now is a great time to start teaching yoga because of the high demand.
As a yoga instructor, how do you go about securing unofficial work?
The goal is to attract clientele.
Patrons can be found in online communities, on Instagram, and by word-of-mouth among friends and family.
You’ll need a location to hold your lesson; a park or your own house are excellent options.
Paying weekly or monthly in advance are possible compensation methods.
This is an excellent way to stay in shape while making extra revenue.
Yoga instruction can also be provided via video chat to expand one’s clientele.
Plus, if you know somebody in the fitness industry, they might be open to having your classes in their gyms or fitness centers for free.
House-sitting
If you need additional cash, house-sitting may be the perfect option.
You’ll be able to get more involved in your community and make some new friends.
Maybe you’ll even get to travel.
If you’re set on just accepting cash payments, you’ll need to seek out customers on your own, either online or off, and make that fact known.
You can spread the word about yourself through fliers, word of mouth, social media, a blog, etc.
However, the number of people finding and reserving house-sitting gigs online is growing.
Many websites provide easy access to available jobs, and some even let users create profiles and receive feedback from homeowners.
If you have the right skills and a flexible schedule, house-sitting may be a fulfilling side gig.
Who knows?
This could become your full-time profession, and you might be hired as a property custodian!
Photographer
One of the enjoyable careers that pay you cold hard cash right away is that of a photographer.
The development of new equipment has made it possible for nearly anyone to take professional-quality photographs.
Still, becoming a pro demands a high level of expertise and experience.
You can get better at something by watching instructional videos online, all because of the internet.
You’ll need a decent camera and a good eye to make photography a regular business.
Competition is high; therefore, you’ll need to advertise your services better than everyone else.
Making a portfolio of your finest works might help you do this.
Promoting your brand online can be done by creating a website and social media accounts.
You can get hired for weddings, photo shoots, sporting activities, and concerts.
Your rates can change based on the specifics of your set and the event.
Makeup Artist
Everyone wants to look their best when they attend essential events like conferences, weddings, and graduations.
This work is always available, and its most fantastic perk is that clients may arrange sessions in advance, giving you more control over your time.
Makeup artists can demand higher rates the more exceptional their work is.
Always strive to improve your craft and stay abreast of any new developments and trends in the cosmetics industry.
Promote your offerings actively and always deliver excellent results for your clientele.
It’s important to let your work speak for itself in such a competitive industry, as word of mouth is one of the most effective forms of advertising.
Cleaner
To supplement your income, why not offer your cleaning services to those who value a spotless home but lack the time or motivation to maintain it themselves?
Few people would make the effort even if they wanted to clean since they lacked time.
The fact that expert qualifications aren’t required is a definite plus for this type of work.
House cleaning jobs are plentiful, and you may find them simply by asking around or searching online classifieds like Indeed and Craigslist.
You may also consider starting a foreclosure cleaning business.
Thumbtack estimates that the going rate for a house cleaner is between $20 and $25 an hour, with an additional $5 to $10 an hour added if the cleaner needs to use the client’s supplies or vacuum cleaner.
Transcriptionist
Thousands of people earn a living doing transcription work from home.
Transcription is converting speech to text by listening to recordings and typing what you hear.
Working as a transcriber is a great side hustle if you’re a skilled listener and typist.
Transcription services are available for various media formats, including conference calls, dictation, and interviews.
It’s a productive field offering remote employment options, and you can use tools like Descript to make transcription easier.
Selling Old Items
Nothing beats digging through boxes of old photos, records, and games, especially when you remember that you can cash in on the items you no longer want by selling them.
You can get up to $100 for that old, unwanted collection of autographed hockey pucks.
You can also easily make up to $200 by selling your old video gaming console and any games you no longer play.
Your closet’s unused treasure trove of once-trendy threads may be what another person is looking for.
The next logical step, after a stroll down memory lane and the accumulation of unwanted items, is to consider your options for selling them.
Many platforms exist for this, such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and the good old-fashioned yard sale.
However, each outlet will have unique problems and approaches to addressing them.
Yard sales take the most time and effort to organize and produce the least profit, while eBay and Facebook require you to meet strangers in a settled location.
The used goods you’re selling won’t be helpful to you; therefore, it doesn’t matter how you get your profit.
Creating a fast profit makes more sense than letting unused items occupy valuable storage space.
Car Detailer
Compared to a drive-through car wash, washing your vehicle and detailing by hand is a truly unique and enjoyable experience.
People are willing to spend much money on professional auto detailing services.
Anyone with free time on the weekend or during the summer would be perfect for this work.
It would be best to have only some common household cleaners and a bit of time and effort to finish the job.
Get experience on your car and advertise your services in a local Facebook group or Craigslist by posting “before and after” photos.
Crafting or Flea Market Flipping
Why not turn your creative energy into a source of income if you have a flair for making things out of random materials?
There will always be an audience for handmade goods such as jewelry, pottery, wall hangings, woodwork, textiles, glassware, and knickknacks of every variety.
You can profit by selling them to the people in your local area at garage sales, community fairs, and local art and craftsmanship exhibitions.
You don’t even have to start from scratch.
Instead, try thrift flipping, find something at a flea market that piques your interest, put in some work to improve it, and then sell it for a profit.
Pinterest is a terrific resource for finding new inspiration.
If you can successfully incorporate the concepts, you’ll discover that you’ve created something from what would have gone to a landfill.
If you are positive that you have something unique to offer customers, you can even consider opening your own Etsy shop!
There are items you can sell on Etsy.
This is one of those cash jobs that might turn into your full-time occupation.
Microtasker
Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is an online marketplace that connects businesses and developers with competent workers worldwide to complete small, independent jobs.
Among these are the processing of video and photos, the verification and processing of data, the collection and transcription of information, and the identification of objects in visual media.
Clickworker is a freelancer task distribution platform like MTurk.
Many activities, such as survey administration, copy editing, data classification, and proofreading, fall under their purviews.
These can be done quickly and easily on your computer or mobile device.
Anyone may join Fiverr and start selling their services by creating a “seller” account.
Video production, translation, writing, graphic design, and digital marketing are just some services you could offer.
Clothes Seller
Some folks love getting new threads but don’t necessarily want to pay the total price for them.
Everyone must have clothes, but few are willing to pay full retail.
This could be a fantastic chance to make extra cash privately if you have clothes to sell.
Also, there are a plethora of options for selling apparel online.
If you want to make some extra money, one option is to buy used clothing from thrift shops and resell it.
Another option is to sell clothes you no longer wear.
You could also consider joining local Facebook groups and buying clothes in bulk to resell.
It’s important to sift through drawers and closets to find clean, undamaged garments. Of course, designer items will fetch higher prices.
Surveys and Paid Online Tasks
Responding to surveys in your spare time can be lucrative if you seek discretionary income.
This is something you could do while you’re chilling at home or waiting in line somewhere.
You can earn $5 just for signing up with a reputable service like InboxDollars.
It’s one of the highest-paying survey sites around.
You get paid to share your opinion on services and goods you currently use.
When you complete surveys that pay you immediately, you can withdraw your profits quickly and easily through PayPal.
Survey Junkie is another option.
Paid surveys and simple tasks like web browsing or watching videos are offered here.
Pet Groomer
If a pet needs a wash or its nails clipped, most owners will take it to a professional service.
This might be your side gig if you don’t mind getting wet and dealing with animal tantrums!
Many folks don’t want to groom their pets despite the straightforward process.
They’d rather pay someone else to do it perfectly the first time than risk making mistakes while learning on the job.
Aside from pet sitting, this is another under-the-table job that will let you hang out with animals and get compensated.
Final Thoughts On Cash-Paying Jobs
If you’re resourceful enough, there will always be a way to boost your income.
Getting an under-the-table job may also help you expand your professional network.
You can make a difference in your environment while still generating income.
If you’d instead work alone, there are still plenty of opportunities available to you.
To clarify, it is not against the law to get paid cash in exchange for work, but you must report it as income when filing your taxes.
While it might not raise eyebrows to a certain threshold, holding tens of thousands of dollars in the bank without an explanation could raise red flags.
Be responsible with what you earn from under-the-table jobs online and offline.
Hopefully, this list has piqued your interest enough to motivate you to start working on that side hustle or odd jobs you’ve been eyeing.
Kudos for looking up jobs that pay cash.
Now, it’s time to grind harder.
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