The 13 Best Cash Jobs

Even if you work a full-time or part-time job, you may be looking for opportunities to make cash on the side. You can do this easily through cash jobs, also referred to as “under the table” jobs.

If you have specific skills that fall outside of your job responsibilities or are interested in a specific hobby, or simply have a passion for pursuing a little extra money, there will usually be people willing to pay for it.

Even if you don’t have any specific skills, you might be able to help an older individual with labor work or help a small child navigate first-grade math. Whatever the case, there are likely more cash jobs out on the market than you’re even aware of. In this article, we discuss what cash jobs are and some of the best micro-jobs you can land to make extra cash.

Key Takeaways:

The top three cash jobs are babysitter, pet sitter/walker, and house cleaner.
These types of jobs can come in all shapes and sizes to make some extra money that can go towards your savings, investments, or pay down your debt quicker.
The best ways to find a cash job is through a social networking website like Craigslist or Facebook, though your friends and family, or just asking your neighbors.

The 13 Best Cash Jobs

In This Article

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The 13 Best Cash Jobs
What Is a Cash Job?
Are Cash Jobs Legal?
Where to Find Cash Jobs
Final Thoughts
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The 13 Best Cash Jobs

As mentioned above, there are a wide variety of cash jobs available. Below, we list the most popular cash jobs. These types of jobs could become full-time or at least consistent work, meaning they may become as lucrative as a future career.

Baby sitter

Average Annual Salary: $30,000

If you are good with kids or have a passion for helping young families, babysitting might be the right cash job for you. This is one of the most common types of cash jobs, as many families pay in cash for you to watch their child or children for a few hours.

Babysitting can be an occasional job on nights and weekends or become a consistent gig when parents are at work.

Skills needed:
- Child development knowledge
- Problem solving skills
- Safety and first aid skills
- A love for children
- Physical stamina
- Enthusiasm
Find Baby sitter jobs near me
House sitter

Average Annual Salary: $63,000

Another option to consider is becoming a housesitter. Many people frequently travel for work or vacation and require someone to be at home to take care of their things, collect packages, and gather the mail and newspapers. This is easy work and can be extremely helpful for the traveler.

Skills needed:
- Flexibility
- Responsibility
- Trustworthiness
- Problem solving skills
- Great customer service
- The ability to follow written and verbal instructions
Find House sitter jobs near me
Pet sitter

Average Annual Salary: $15,000

Another option to consider is pet sitting. For those who travel frequently and may not be able to bring their pets, they must hire someone to care for their pets. Many people prefer having a sitter to putting their animals in a kennel, as it allows the pet to be in a familiar environment while still getting the care they need.

The responsibilities for pet sitting typically require a few visits each day, feeding the animals, and some playtime. Depending on the owner, you may also be responsible for medications and grooming. However, if you’re an animal lover, pet sitting is an easy and fun way to make extra cash.

Skills needed:
- Basic knowledge of animal behavior
- Basic animal first aid knowledge
- Great communication skills
- Problem solving
- Reliability
- Situational awareness
Find Pet sitter jobs near me
Dog walker

Average Annual Salary: $29,000

Similar to pet sitting, dog walking is a perfect job for people who love interacting with dogs. Many people have busy work lives or need to be in an office for over eight hours.

During this time, their pet needs care. Dog walkers typically walk dogs based on the owner’s schedule, so you’ll need to be a little flexible while balancing your other clients, but making a schedule for yourself can easily solve that problem.

Additionally, you can use apps such as Rover or similar neighborhood apps to look for people in your area who may need a dog walker.

Skills needed:
- Patience
- Great customer service skills
- Physical strength and stamina
- Reliability
- Basic knowledge of animal behavior
- Honesty
Find Dog walker jobs near me
House cleaner

Average Annual Salary: $26,000

Most people do not enjoy cleaning things, especially their homes. Becoming a home cleaner is definitely a job to consider. The gig pays well and typically only requires a few hours of time per day, per house.

You don’t need to join a professional cleaning business to start, either, especially if you’re skilled at cleaning. Many people enjoy this service, and it can become a consistent job for extra cash.

Skills needed:
- Time management skills
- Flexibility
- Housekeeping hard skills
- Great customer service skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Attention to detail
Find House cleaner jobs near me
Dog groomer

Average Annual Salary: $31,000

If you’re an animal lover and feel comfortable with bathing and trimming nails, you can get some extra cash offering pet grooming services. Some dogs require professional grooming care, but for simple jobs like bathing and nail cutting, your assistance could be welcomed.

This type of pet grooming, especially for certain types of animals, can be a big hassle to owners but easy cash for you.

Skills needed:
- Basic grooming skills
- Physical and mental stamina
- Basic knowledge of animal behavior
- Great customer service skills
- Patience
- Attention to detail
Find Dog groomer jobs near me
Yard worker

Average Annual Salary: $31,000

Landscape experts can sometimes be expensive for small jobs like trimming hedges or mowing the lawn. If you’re comfortable with a lawnmower and working outside, offering your yard work services could be incredibly beneficial for you as a cash job.

Yard work can include things like mowing the lawn, weeding, watering plants, helping with gardening, raking leaves, and mulching property. This means you should be strong enough to do these things and not afraid of the hot sun on your back in certain climates.

Skills needed:
- In-depth knowledge of pruning techniques
- Experience with mechanical equipment
- Attention to detail
- Physical stamina
- Landscaping experience
- Great customer service
Find Yard worker jobs near me
Snow removal

Average Annual Salary: N/A

If you live in a climate that gets a fair amount of snow, snow removal or shoveling is another great option for a cash job. All you need is a shovel or snow blower to get started.

Depending on where you live, you can also invest in a plow to attach to the front of a truck to plow driveways as well. This service can help those who are unable to remove the snow themselves, such as older people or disabled people.

Skills needed:
- Physical stamina
- The ability to operate heavy machinery
- Knowledge of safety protocols
- Knowledge of snow removal
Farmers market

Average Annual Salary: N/A

If you have a local farmer’s market, you’re in luck. This is a great place to find cash job work by either helping the vendors set up their stores or working with them to sell items. You can also consider selling your own items at the farmer’s market like grown vegetables or fruit, homemade goods, crafts, and other things.

Skills needed:
- Great customer service skills
- Effective communication skills
- The ability to work in a fast-paced environment
- Enthusiasm, good attitude, trustworthiness, personal integrity, and honesty
- Attention to detail
Handyman

Average Annual Salary: $42,000

If you are skilled in fixing things around the house such as appliances, woodworking, electronics, computers, or cars, a handyman gig could be perfect for you.

Many people are not skilled in these types of jobs and would prefer to hire someone who knows what they’re doing. It’s even better because you can save them more money on top of it by helping them avoid going through a larger company. Just make sure you know what you’re doing before you take the job.

Skills needed:
- Attention to detail
- Basic understanding of electrical, plumbing or HVAC systems
- Basic math skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Great customer service skills
- Knowledge of safety procedures
Find Handyman jobs near me
Tutor

Average Annual Salary: $35,000

If you are skilled in certain school subjects, speak a second language, or just like to work with kids, tutoring could be a perfect job for you. Many parents are always looking for help for their children in things like math, reading, writing, English, or other foreign languages.

Even if you’re not skilled in school subjects, but skilled in another area such as cooking, gardening, the stock market, for example, you could tutor those looking to gain more knowledge in those areas.

Skills needed:
- Patience
- Active listening skills
- Effective communication skills
- The ability to lead
- Time management
- Problem solving skills
Find Tutor jobs near me
Photography

Average Annual Salary: $36,000

If you love taking photos and have some skills with the camera, then photography is another great option for a cash job. There is always a market for photography, whether family portraits, pet photos, maternity shoots, weddings, birthdays, or other events.

The market here can be competitive, but if you have a local market and feel you can showcase your work well, this is a great paying side-job.

Skills needed:
- Artistic skills
- Technical skills
- The ability to work independently or with a team
- Great communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Great customer service skills
Find Photography jobs near me
Designer

Average Annual Salary: $70,000

If you are skilled with graphics and computers, design work might be right for you. There are even free services to use, such as Canva, where you can create beautiful designs easily to pass off to your clients.

Many people don’t have an eye for design and prefer to hire out to those that do. This can even become a great stepping-stone into a full-time graphic design career.

Skills needed:
- Creative skills
- Technical skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving skills
Find Designer jobs near me

What Is a Cash Job?

Workers who take cash jobs typically referred to as cash workers, are not formally hired by the companies that pay them. This means their payment typically consists of tangible cash money as opposed to a payroll check or salaried deposit.

Cash jobs or “under the table” jobs are in reference to a job where you earn money “off the record” in terms of reporting the income. These jobs are almost always strictly paid in cash.

As the person who performs the duties and responsibilities of the job, you will receive cash payment instead of a typical paycheck you might get at work. Receiving payment this way has a few benefits for the receiver, mainly no taxes, social security taken, and no reporting.

These jobs are great opportunities to take, especially if you can find some that are relatively easy for you to perform while helping someone else in need. These jobs are a great way to earn more money to save monthly and save up towards a purchase.

Are Cash Jobs Legal?

There is some debate about the legality of cash jobs. Many businesses pay contractors or employees in cash, so from a business standpoint, the company is still responsible for reporting employment taxes whether they pay their employees in cash or not.

According to the IRS, paying your employees or contractors under the table is one of the top types of tax non-compliance.

If you are an employee getting paid under the table, you aren’t having the typical taxes withheld from your wages. However, you should still file annually, report those earnings, and pay your taxes.

Oftentimes an accountant can help you with this process if you’re uncertain about how to do this yourself. Whatever the case, be sure you keep a good record of your earnings to make it easier when reporting time comes.

Where to Find Cash Jobs

Craigslist. Craigslist jobs listing can be filtered to help you find the best job for you. You can filter it to find the type of job, how long you want, and how far away you want to travel for the job.
Friends or family members. Your friends and family members can help you find some extra work or maybe even hire you themselves to help them with something. They will always want to help you out so it doesn’t hurt to ask them.
Facebook. There can be plenty of people posting about under the table jobs. Just look in different Facebook groups in what you are interested in or make your own post looking for work.
Nextdoor. This social network help you stay informed about what is going on in your neighborhood. It’s a great way to find some extra work and help out those within your community.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few examples of cash jobs currently out in the market. There are plenty more to sift through, depending on your experience, skills, and interests. If you have some extra time and are looking for more cash to add to your savings or help you buy a big purchase in the near future, cash jobs might be right for you.

Author

Caitlin Mazur

Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research. Caitlin holds a degree in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

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