43 Passionate Hobbies that Make Money: For Everyone

The term ‘hobby’ has become somewhat of a misnomer. In modern times, hobbies are often seen as something fun and relaxing. They are enjoyed for their own sake, rather than because they can bring financial gain or provide other benefits such as developing new skills. While some hobbies can certainly be considered enjoyable experiences, others can result in considerable monetary rewards.

Some hobbies are becoming increasingly lucrative, even though at first glance you might assume them to be less valuable than others. For example, you may never have thought much about the world of coin collecting, until you realized that it’s now worth millions of dollars. There are also several ways in which you can turn your hobby into a career — from simply selling items you’ve created, to creating original artwork or music.

List of 43 Hobbies that Make Money

1. Social Media

Social media is more of a daily routine than a hobby. Many people love social media and have created lucrative businesses using it for others.

There are many ways to make a hobby out of scrolling through social networks day in and day.

Posts sponsored by brands
You can become a brand ambassador to help promote products and earn a commission from the brand
For clients, audit other social media profiles

2. Writing – Hobbies that Make Money

Writing is my main hobby and makes me money so why not start with that one?

Writing is a passion of mine. It allows me to express my thoughts in a variety of creative ways that engage my readers and my own critical thinking. There are many ways to make money from writing, which is something I love.

There are many ways to make money writing:

Sell and write ebooks
Write for magazines
You can become a freelance writer for blogs and other online publications.
Blog income comes mostly from affiliate marketing, sponsorships and ads.
Ad copywriting

3. Illustration

Have you ever been to Creative Market? It has been a great resource for me to buy graphics for my websites. You can find almost anything related to design on this site. There are themes, plugins and illustrations as well as fonts and designs. Literally, anything.

Illustration services available on Fiverr and Upwork
You could make a few illustrations and sell them on Etsy.
There are other ways you can make money with your illustrations.
These can be printed on t-shirts using Zazzle

4. Reading

You can get paid to read books, which is quite surprising. These are usually paid by book review sites. However, you can also get paid for freelance editing, copyediting and proofreading.

Sites that pay for book reviews

You can also make money by reading.

Audiobook narration
Freelance reading manuscripts
Start a publishing company
You can become an online proofreader

5. Driving

Driving on open roads is a pleasant experience. It can be frustrating in jam-packed traffic.

Others don’t mind it and enjoy driving, listening to their music, and being in their own space. They also enjoy not being seated at a computer.

There are many ways to make money driving

DoorDash – delivers food
Instacart – Shop and Deliver

You don’t have to hate driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic or people stealing your tips. It’s possible to still make money from your car, but you don’t have the right to drive it.

Make money with your car

You can rent it on Hyrecar
Turo lets you rent it
Getaround lets you rent it
Zoomcar

6. Baking

You can make money by baking, just like you can with cooking.

Here are some popular ways to make money from baking:

Make a YouTube channel
Start a blog about baking
Open a bakery
Send a request to your local news station for small baking segments

7. Pet Loving – Hobbies that Make Money

It worked for me as a pet owner and I was pleasantly surprised that it did!

I signed up with Rover at the start of this summer and ended up doing Two cat sitting jobs. Each job was $55 and I only had to go to the house once a day and watch a cat for 30 mins. We had fun and I made sure that the cat was well-hydrated when I arrived.

That was it.

I know many pet sitters and dog walkers who earn a full-time living from their pet-loving profession. I have also read about pet owners who started their own businesses.

You can also make money with your pets.

Pet grooming
Photography of pets
You can make outfits for your pets and then sell them on Etsy

8. Video Games

My obsession with the PlayStation game Spyro was when I was younger. It’s possible to get paid to play the same game in your spare time.

It’s insane, I know.

Here are some ways you can make a living playing video games as a hobby.

You can livestream your gameplay and make money with sponsorships or ads on YouTube.
Twitch allows you to livestream your gameplay and make money with sponsorships or ads.
Mistplay allows you to make money by playing mobile games with your phone

9. Graphic Design

You can make money from your passion for graphic design, similar to illustration. Sign up to sell on these sites Creativemarket & Etsy and upload your designs. Then, market your listings with ads, connections to bloggers, site creators, and other marketing methods.

Graphic design can also be used to make a profit.

Design services available on Fiverr and Upwork
You can create a website that offers a membership service, where members receive new designs each week or month.
Your website can be used to sell your graphic design services
Printful and Printify allow you to create designs and have them printed on t-shirts or other merchandise.

10. Building

This is a fascinating topic. Although I cannot build anything that will save my life, there are many people who are passionate about it and make a living from it through apps like Handy.

Handy allows you to be sent small jobs such as handy work, yard cleanup and furniture assembly. Handy helped a reader to earn $135 in just four hours by installing ceiling fans.

You can also make money by building a hobby.

TaskRabbit accepts tasks
You can build tiny homes and then offer your services to others
Steady is a great place to look for construction jobs

11. Cleaning

Handy is great for finding both cleaning and building jobs.

You can also make money cleaning.

AppJobs allows you to search for cleaning jobs in your area by entering your city and zip code.
Start your own cleaning business

12. Coding

Coding was my full-time job. I was fortunate to find a trade I loved. You can find many jobs in coding (including work from home)! They are becoming more common every day.

You can make more money with your coding hobby.

Find coding jobs at FlexJobs or Indeed
Register on Upwork and get hired for your coding skills
YouTube tutorials for film coding
Make an online course in coding (Teachable is a great tool for this).

13. Painting

As I mentioned, I enjoy painting. It was actually my first side hustle that I made a profit from, and it was something I never tried to push.

I used to paint live at festivals and college and bring my finished paintings with me. I sold everything I brought. Some of my work was even displayed in a gallery.

This was not something I pursued and I stopped trying. As I began my I.T. career, life became hectic and the time I had for painting became less.

You can also make money by painting.

Sell paintings on Etsy
You can sell them in cafes
Make an Instagram account and sell your products directly to people. You can also take Venmo payments.

14. Gardening

You have many options to make more money from your gardening hobby. You can grow fruits and vegetables locally and then sell them at a farmer’s market.

You can also make money by gardening.

Other gardens can be created for people
Create an ebook on gardening

15. Blogging

You can make money from your love of writing by starting your own blog, as I mentioned in item 2. However, anyone can start a blog. To monetize a blog and make some significant money, you will need to take a few extra steps.

Here are some common ways to monetize your blog.

Display ads can be set up on your blog using AdSense, Mediavine, or other options.
You can place affiliate links in articles to get paid when people sign-up or buy things through them. (I use that quite often in my blog).
Get paid for the number of articles you sponsor by partnering with companies
Your blog can be used to offer services

16. Cooking

You could earn extra money if you’re a master chef. This is the most popular way to make money these days, according to YouTube channels that show how to put together recipes.

There are many other avenues that can be used.

You can make more money from your cooking hobby.

Etsy allows you to sell recipes
Start a food blog
Open a food truck
Food bloggers can sell your recipes

17. Dress up

Behind closed doors, everyone loves dressing up. If you’re creative, it can be a lucrative hobby. There are many apps and platforms that will assist you in this endeavor.

Dress up and make money with:

Twitch streams cosplay and costumes
Streaming how you make your costumes
Create a YouTube channel dedicated solely to your outfits, costumes and how you put them together.
OnlyFans Streams Cosplay
For fans who want more exclusive content, create a Patreon

18.Shopping (Flipping, Retail Arbitrage, etc)

You can also earn money by shopping.

You can buy items from yard sales or garage sales and then resell them online.
You can buy items at flea markets or resell them online. This workshop is free and will help you to sell your products.
Sell your old electronics on Decluttr and Gazelle
Earn money by sharing your opinions on products through sites such as Survey Rewardz and Pinecone Research.
You can become a mystery shopper by auditing stores using apps such as Shopkick or Field Agent.

19. Knitting – Hobbies that Make Money

Although I’ve never knit, I know many people who enjoy knitting. Many of their creations are sold by them.

There are many ways to make money knitting:

Sell your creations via Etsy
Flea markets are a great place to sell your creations
Take your creations to local boutiques for sale in their shops

20. Working with children

While I was able to volunteer with children in high school, I never felt the desire to continue that work. Many of my friends went on to become counselors, teachers, and even taught online.

Sites that pay to you to teach online

21. Restoring

You could make money restoring antique furniture or other timeless items if you are passionate about it.

There are many ways to make money by restoring items

Find items at garage sales, thrift shops, auctions, etc., and restore them to sell them online.
Resell your items by taking them to a consignment store

22. Photography

You can easily make a living as a photographer if you are creative and have a keen eye for photography. Event photographers are needed for weddings and festivals.

You can also make money by taking up photography as a hobby.

Stock photos can be created and sold on many Sites like Shutterstock, Stocksy, 500px
Teachable allows you to create an online course in photography
Do pet portrait photos for people

23. Collecting

To some, collecting might seem like hoarding. For those who collect because they love it, it can be a form investment.

They are confident that their collection will be worth a lot. They may just want to give it to their family and friends.

There are many ways to make money from a collection

It can be sold at an auction
It can be sold on eBay
You can sell it on a classifieds website like Craigslist

24. Speak

Public speaking is something I hate. It has been something I hated since childhood. Many people make a living speaking at conferences and events.

You can also make money by speaking as a hobby.

Start a podcast
Audiobooks can be recorded for other people
Online courses on public speaking
You can become a professor to give lectures

25. Travel

I love to travel, and have been able to make some extra money through my hobby. Another site that I own is a travel blog. It has been very rewarding to be able to promote Airbnb, which I love and use every single day on my travels.

There are many ways you can make money from your travel hobby.

You can start a travel blog, vlog, and/or Instagram.
You can earn points and rewards by using apps like Rakuten, Ibotta, and Hilton
TrustedHousesitters allows you to housesit others while on vacation
You can become an Airbnb host to open up your property for other travelers.

26. Filming

Filming can be a great hobby but it can also prove to be costly. To help pay the expenses, why not make some extra money by filming?

There are many ways to make money from your filming hobby.

Start a YouTube channel
Make an online course in filming techniques
Make a documentary or an indie film

27. Movies to Watch – Hobbies that Make Money

I enjoy watching movies and have been fortunate to make some extra money doing so.

My first job was actually at a movie theater. I got to see the movies whenever I wanted and also had the opportunity to catch a few movies during breaks.

One of my favorite ways to make money is to watch movies.

Swagbucks allows you to earn money by watching movie trailers and celebrity videos.
Podcasts are a great way to discuss movies

28. Décor – Hobbies that Make Money

People love decorating their homes, especially during holidays. It would be amazing if you could also get paid to decorate your house.

It’s so satisfying to create something and make a space look certain.

How to make money from your decorating hobby

Become an interior designer
Make a YouTube channel to give tutorials about certain decorating ideas
Start a blog about decorating
You can set up a haunted house for Halloween and charge people to enter it.

29. Brewing (Wine, Beer or Kombucha)

I love wine, beer and kombucha, but maybe a bit too much. It’s not something I know how to make.

If I had, I’d be trying to make money off it.

There are many ways to make money from your hobby of brewing.

Festivals are a great place to sell your brews
Farmer’s markets: Sell your brews
To see if your brews will be sold at local markets and grocery stores, bring them along.

30. Health and fitness

Although I’m a huge health and fitness fan, I think the industry is too saturated to be able to do what I want. There are still opportunities to be an influencer in the industry.

You can also decide to not try to influence and find a new way.

Here are some ways to make money as an athlete or a fitness fan:

Sell and write a book on health/fitness
For a small fee, create online challenges that others can sign up for.
Healthywage allows you to get paid for completing challenging tasks.

31. Sports

Okay, I don’t hate you but I am not a big sports fan. Except for hockey, soccer (football), or any other Olympic sport.

However, I love running and being active. I also enjoy playing occasional esports.

There are many ways to make money from a sport-related hobby

Make a podcast about sports commentary
Twitch Streams esports Games
Make a YouTube channel dedicated to sports and sports commentary.

32. Fixing things

Many people are too lazy or inept to fix things themselves so they turn to apps such as Handy, TaskRabbit, and AppJobs to hire others to do the job. These apps can be a great way to make money if you enjoy fixing things.

These apps can be used to make money by fixing things.

Sell ebooks on fixing certain problems.
You can create an online course to fix specific problems like plumbing or walls.
You can start a YouTube channel to make tutorials on fixing things.

33. Party Planning

Partly because I love decorating, but I also love party planning. Party planning is a great way to make money decorating, but there’s so much more to party planning than decorating.

How to make money from your party planning hobby

You can become a wedding planner or party planner and work at specific venues (or privately).
You can start a YouTube channel and a blog about party planning
You can create and sell products that are specific to your party planning business, and then sell them online through an eCommerce site (like Shopify).

34. Swimming

I was a competitive swimmer, and won the Swimmer of The Year award at the swim club where I competed. At the time, I was in 8th grade. I continued swimming through high school. Who knows where I might be if I kept that competitive spirit.

Guess what? After getting severely burnt out, I quit swimming competitively and found it difficult to enjoy the sport again.

Although I did not make any money competing in swimming, there were other ways that I could make money now.

How to make money from your swimming hobby

Create YouTube tutorials
Make a podcast or blog about how to cope with burnout while swimming competitively
Sell and write ebooks on swimming and the lifestyles that go with it
Swimmers can create and sell their products

35. Hospitality

Hospitality can be a broad hobby. You can make a lot of money in the hospitality industry if you enjoy hosting guests, serving drinks, and being friendly.

There are many ways to make money in hospitality

You can host a part of your property on Airbnb
Part-time bartender job
Start a catering business
Enjoy a bed and breakfast

36. Music

Are you a musician? You could make some money doing it.

Alexandra makes this possible by flipping guitars online, as mentioned previously. She still makes money by selling musical instruments, even though she no longer plays much.

You can make money from your musical hobby.

Online instrument repair and sale
Create YouTube tutorials
Online courses can be created to teach you how to play certain instruments
Start a band, and get gigs

37. Comedy – Hobbies that Make Money

Although I think I’m funny, I haven’t got the guts to stand up comedy. In the past, some of my friends worked in a sandwich shop.

They could have made more money, even though they didn’t make any money from it and it was mostly for entertainment.

There are many ways to make money from comedy

Create a podcast
Start a YouTube channel
Make a blog
Make funny ebooks for sale
Write jokes for free
Open mic nights are a great way to get started in comedy and earn money.

38. Running – Hobbies that Make Money

Although I enjoy running, I doubt I would be able to make a living from it. There is too much going on.

For someone who is more into running and fitness than anything else, think about how you can make the most of that.

There are many ways to make money running and exercising.

Be a personal trainer
You can create a brand for fitness and sell products such as muscle tape or workout equipment.
Make a blog, vlog, or podcast about running.
Healthywage allows you to get paid for completing challenging tasks.

39. Beauty and Skincare

You’ve probably noticed the rise in popularity of beauty gurus on YouTube over the past five years. They’re everywhere.

Jeffree Star, one of my favorite beauty gurus, makes millions every year in the beauty business with beauty tutorial videos and beauty reviews, sponsorships, creation of their own makeup products, and other activities.

You can be a beauty guru today, but seriously.

There are many ways you can make money being a beauty/skincare expert:

Make a YouTube channel to share makeup tutorials and reviews
Make an Instagram account for your beauty photos and ask companies to sponsor them
Make beauty products that you can sell to your followers
You can sell your makeup services to others and charge them for their wedding makeup.

40. Histories

Are you an avid history buff? Many jobs are available in museums and historic landmarks for history buffs.

You can also make money as an historian.

Make an Airbnb Experience based on the history of your city/town
In your city, start a tour company
Host your house on Airbnb if it is located on historic land.

41. Cars

When it came to fixing my car, I learned a few things from my dad. He taught me to first YouTube how to fix it and then to do research before you go to the mechanic.

This has in some ways helped me tremendously. It has also hurt me in other ways. I would try to do things, but I wouldn’t know how I was doing it.

It was still a learning experience.

There are many ways to make money from your car-loving hobby.

Create YouTube tutorials
Online courses or ebooks about fixing cars
Part-time fixing cars for others

42. Investing

You can invest in companies if you are passionate about supporting the companies you believe and have the money. Your money will make more money this way.

How to start investing

M1 Finance is an online brokerage that we use to make investments in companies we believe in.

43. Hiking – Hobbies that Make Money

You can make a living sharing your love for hiking and the great outdoors with others.

Airbnb Experiences hosts can create an experience in their city by creating an Airbnb Experiences account. This will allow them to guide visitors through a state park, hiking, or other outdoor activities. For $50-100 per person, you could make a good income from your outdoor hobby.

You can also make money by hiking.

Work in a state park
Make a YouTube channel to document your hikes

Conclusion

But what most people still mean when using the word hobby is something that you enjoy doing for its own sake. And with so much focus on being productive, we forget just how important it is to relax. This is why hobbies like reading, writing, music, art and spending time with friends and family, should be considered part of your daily routine. They help us recharge our batteries after a long day of work, and they keep us healthy in mind and body.

43 Passionate Hobbies that Make Money: For Everyone