Side hustles have become the rule, rather than the exception, for a growing number of Americans.\u00a0A new survey shows almost one-third of working adults have at least one extra source of income beyond their \u201c9-5.\u201d<\/p>\n
But how can you earn extra money without spending all your time working?<\/p>\n
Local contractor Joe Toomey is among those seeing success by using the Swimply app to rent out a warehouse splash pad he originally built for his children. This trend follows a broader regional growth in the side hustle economy, which includes platforms like TaskRabbit, where Pittsburgh workers earn an average of $54 an hour for home repairs and assembly tasks.<\/p>\n
Toomey, a local contractor, originally built the splash area inside his warehouse so his children could have a place to play nearby. After he hosted a birthday party for his daughter at the facility, he noticed significant interest from other parents. \u201cEveryone\u2019s like, we want to use it, too,\u201d Toomey said.<\/p>\n
This interest led Toomey to list the space on Swimply, an app that allows people to rent out pools and other private areas. While Toomey did not disclose his exact earnings for the past year, he is considered one of the platform\u2019s top earners. According to the Swimply website, individuals in that category can bring in $100,000 a year. Toomey noted the extra income has been used to pay household bills.<\/p>\n
The success of the rental has allowed Toomey to reduce his workload as a contractor and achieve a better work-life balance. He said the change has significantly impacted his personal life. \u201cIt\u2019s given me more time to spend with my family, which you know, I didn\u2019t have before,\u201d Toomey said.<\/p>\n
Beyond pool and splash pad rentals, other platforms are seeing growth in the Pittsburgh region. TaskRabbit reports having more than 200 workers, known as taskers, in the city. These individuals earn an average of $54 an hour performing tasks such as furniture assembly, television mounting and minor home repairs. The company reports that some taskers earn more than $100,000 on the platform.<\/p>\n
Residents are also using apps like Turo to rent out their personal vehicles or Neighbor to lease extra storage space in their homes. Consumer adviser Clark Howard said these secondary income streams can occasionally result in major professional shifts. \u201cThere are times that what you do is a side hustle just to bring in a little extra money leads to a whole new life for you, a whole new career,\u201d Howard said.<\/p>\n
Individuals who maintain a side hustle must pay estimated taxes to the IRS four times a year. Howard noted that because taxes are not automatically withheld from these earnings, failure to pay quarterly can result in fees and penalties at tax time.<\/p>\n
Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n