Jun 16, 2026
For many Americans, side hustles are a way to earn a little extra cash. For 32-year-old artist and former teacher Bailey Baumann, what started as a creative outlet has grown into a thriving six-figure business.
After launching her art studio in 2018 while teaching full-time, Baumann spent years balancing stressful workdays with side jobs. But when she teamed up with her father, a 3D-printing enthusiast, to create and sell colorful fidget toys, the business took off.
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Last year, their company generated $428,000 in revenue.
“I absolutely loved being a teacher, but being a teacher really burnt me out,” Baumann told CNBC. She says the low pay meant she had to work odd jobs on nights and weekends.
Her father, Charlie Moreton, joined her business in 2025 after spotting a design for cake-shaped fidget clickers that he thought fit his daughter’s style. After the initial success of selling their first cake fidgets, the father-daughter duo began paying artists a commercial license for their fidget designs, printing them and selling them.
The business now averages about 1,500 orders a month. In 2025, it brought in a gross revenue of $428,000 and a net profit of $94,000. Of that, Baumann paid herself $36,000. She plans on increasing that to $78,000 this year.
“I thought I was going to be teaching and working two part-time jobs for the rest of my life,” Baumann says. “Being able to do this, it’s a breath of fresh air.”
Her father, who works as a network security engineer, decided not to take a salary from the business last year but is now being paid $750 a week. Moreton says they’ve never had to take out a business loan and the remaining income is reinvested entirely into the business.
Growing interest in side hustles
Whether it’s selling handmade crafts, delivery food or creating social media content, Americans are turning to side hustles to make ends meet. According to research from Omnisend, 28% of Americans have taken on a side gig. Of those with side gigs, 53% said it was “to earn extra money for bills or essentials.” And 51% reported making up to $500 a month from their side gigs.
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While the individual income is relatively low, the total amount of income from side hustles is substantial. On average, income from side hustles is $84.1 billion a month nationwide.
E-commerce businesses, like Baumann and Moreton’s, are the most popular. People are turning to digital platforms like eBay, Etsy and Facebook Marketplace to sell their handmade goods, secondhand items or digital products. Freelance work and content creation are also popular side hustles.
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What to consider before starting a side hustle
With the cost of living weighing on so many, an extra couple of hundred dollars a month can have a substantial impact if used and budgeted correctly.
But there are some things to consider before starting a side hustle.
Not all side hustles are made equal and it’s important to pick one that is not only manageable but profitable. Consider your specific skills, background and availability before making a decision. For example, data from Upwork, a freelancing platform, found life coaches make the most per hour — $150 on average — but the side hustle relies on personal brand and reputation. Content creators make $40 per hour on average, but income can be inconsistent.
Gig jobs, like driving for Uber or Instacart, can also bring in income, but personal expenses, idle time and unstable income all also need to be factored in. It’s also important to review your current employment contracts to ensure there are no conflicts of interests.
When picking a side hustle, you should remember that time is money. Pick something that can fit into your schedule, lifestyle and plays into your financial goals. Not every side hustle journey is going to grow into a six-figure venture like Baumman’s. But done right, a side gig can bring you in some extra cash and has the potential to grow into something bigger.
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Rinna Diamantakos is an assigning editor at Moneywise.com. A versatile journalist, she has experience as a writer, editor and producer. Her work has focused on politics, business and financial news.
