Possible gigs, side gigs, to do without degree?

[DeniseNJ]

I was looking at the MMM blog posts for 50 jobs to do without a degree, parts 1 and 2.  But they are older posts.  I couldn't find anything more recent.  Anybody want to post something interesting?  I'll start.

Secret shopping--doesn't actually pay a lot but can be fun to do.  Lots of free meals and activities.
Donating plasma--not fun but pays surprisingly well for just lying there.  Centers are not in the best neighborhoods.
Survey--really don't pay well but if you can't get out of bed, might be worth it.
Selling stuff on ebay, etc--could be especially good if you get free stuff from secret shopping.
Selling tradelines--can't make a living at this but nice for some extra cash.
Clean something--cars, houses, crime scenes, dogs, etc.  Not easy but can pay well.
Transcription services--I can't believe this is still a thing but there seem to be companies hiring online.

[Fru-Gal]

Power washing, any kind of manual labor, garden helper, office assistant, retail, waiter, cook, dishwasher, outdoor activities leader, events planner, trades apprentice, private school substitute teacher, daycare attendant, ticket taker, usher, smart phone flipper, organizer, life coach, decluttering coach, driver, delivery driver, trucker, forklift operator

[Ron Scott]

Start a business?

[jrhampt]

My easy fallback was always waitressing.  Restaurants are even more short-handed now, should be fairly easy to find work.

[DeniseNJ]

My easy fallback was always waitressing.  Restaurants are even more short-handed now, should be fairly easy to find work.

I waited tables for years and put dh through college waiting tables.  That was 30 yrs ago and I still have literal nightmares about it up to once a month.

And yet, if I lost my job tomorrow, I'd be waiting tables Monday.

[AuspiciousEight]

hvac technician, electrician, plumber....

software engineer. I know several software engineers who have no bachelor's degrees and who are self taught who do pretty well. 

[Fru-Gal]

You can get certified as an EMT in a semester, or actually some companies will pay you to get trained and it takes a few weeks.

[Nutty]

EMT and paramedic are more full time commitments than what I'd call side gigs.  If you want to work 12 hours a day for a week straight, yes, you will make money.  In a busy area, you will work and sleep.  Eating is optional.

I'm considering a handyman service.  Change light bulbs and odd jobs.  Something slow paced.

Starting a business is another all or nothing endeavor.  But once it is rolling, you can sit back and let it do it's thing.  Easier said than done, I'm afraid.

I like the transcription idea.  Sounds like office work and self paced.  Do they have deadlines?

[TheFrenchCat]

I've been seeing part time remote jobs where you write things that are used to train AI models.  Some of them require specific degrees, like nursing or data analysis, but some don't appear to require any degree.

There's also part time remote customer service/call center jobs, but those appear to be more stressful than a side gig is worth, to me at least.

[PlanetDee]

I got a massage therapy license. It does take training in most states, but not too long and not very expensive. It will be my early retirement part time gig when I’m done working. You can make over $100 an hour and can be very rewarding if you like working with people.

[Just Joe]

For a long time I flipped cars. I'd buy a car, make the repairs and use it for a while. Then I sold it with a clear conscience that it was once again a reliable car.

I can't say it made me alot of money but it did fund the purchase of tools, it taught me alot, and I drove for free during a period where I was driving alot recreationally.

Ideas: fishing or hunting guide. Camping guide. Teach workshops on hobby subjects important to you such as photography, electronics, computers (Linux, Mac, Windows, picture editing, CAD, etc), or advanced sewing such as embroidery. Workshops on simple car repair and maintenance. Specialize in the repair of something: restoration of a specific era/model of car. Buy, restore and sell.

I try not to get into a situation where I'm doing a long project for someone. I avoid building something or repairing something for someone. That puts me on their schedule. I would prefer to buy something, do the R&R and then sell it outright.

[Boll weevil]

Yard care services. Most people think lawn mowing, but one interesting one I saw was lawn aerating… put out some flyers, schedule several jobs on the same day, then rent a machine and knock them out.

I don’t know if DJing is still a thing for weddings, parties, school dances, etc.

If you’ve got some artistic talent, you can probably sell artwork. Maybe also commissions (for instance,  murals or custom pinstriping).

Niche photography. sports (so long lenses needed), real estate (super wide lenses, staging, and HDR processing). Wedding photographers sometimes need a “second shooter”.

Food prep? BBQ and cake decorating come to mind.

Custom fabrication? I have a coworker who has a small machine shop on the side. Do maker spaces allow you to do commercial work? Also, welding.

One that would be schedule constrained would be working venue security at arenas or stadiums for concerts, football and baseball games, etc.

[rocketpj]

My next side hustle is going to be water taxi/sea tow operation.  I don't want to own the company, just be a casual operator.  I have plenty of experience and all the certifications as a side effect of my volunteering (Search & Rescue), I just haven't taken the step to add the 'job' to my calendar.  The pay is decent and I love being on the water, so it's a win for me. 

[Fru-Gal]

Omg this sounds amazing please share how it goes !!

[Zikoris]

Invigilating exams. You literally hand out papers and read a book for a few hours while people write silently. The qualifications are absolutely nothing. My partner used to do that on weekends.

[crocheted_stache]

One that would be schedule constrained would be working venue security at arenas or stadiums for concerts, football and baseball games, etc.

Likewise, bag check, parking attendant, and many other such jobs. A convention center or fairground may have similarly intermittent work.

[Freedomin5]

One of our young family members (young adult in his early 20s) did not graduate high school. He has been hired as a flooring installer, associate at a big box store, fast food worker, Uber driver, and pizza delivery guy over the past few years. You can also get work as a cleaner. Basically, do the jobs that other people don't want to do or think are beneath them, and you will always have someone willing to hire you.

[Zikoris]

One that would be schedule constrained would be working venue security at arenas or stadiums for concerts, football and baseball games, etc.

Likewise, bag check, parking attendant, and many other such jobs. A convention center or fairground may have similarly intermittent work.

I have two coworkers who do that here and there as a side gig at the local arena - one big advantage is that you can often see large parts of big name concerts for free. One coworker got to see quite a bit of the recent Taylor Swift concert that way. I believe she was on bag check, which is done by the time the headliner gets on stage.

[Just Joe]

If you use your personal car for deliveries - check with your insurance company... If our teenager (back then) wanted to deliver pizza with a car on our insurance, in our name - there was risk of non-coverage.

[crocheted_stache]

There are a couple of "side hustle" websites that catalog small-business opportunities, focusing on those that could start with small or zero monetary investment (e.g. get hold of a laptop or other basic tools if you don't already have them) and operate as a part-time, secondary income source. Some could potentially grow to become a primary income source. They cover everything from contracting to pick up litter in parking lots, to online freelancing, to some less usual activities, such as voice acting.

Side Hustle Nation is one such site. It looks like you can explore the blog/articles and podcast for free. There may be some paid class, which you can skip until/unless you want to.