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If you’re thinking of getting a part-time job, you might hold two unconscious assumptions. First, you might assume that it won’t be fun. Second, you might assume that it won’t pay well.
While you’re not entirely wrong in holding these two assumptions (after all there appears to be no shortage of low-paying, tedious part-time jobs) but with a little bit of creative thinking, you could find part-time jobs that are so good, you might want to make a career of them.
If you know how to massage, play a musical instrument, write code, or drive a car, you might be able to make a great living without working 40 or more hours a week.
Let’s take a closer look at how these four ideas could prove more promising than you might think:
- Massage Therapist
After you qualify as a massage therapist, you can go into business for yourself, either traveling to people’s offices and homes equipped with portable massage therapy supplies or setting up a small clinic out of a rented office.
As a massage therapist, you will be helping people enhance their health and well-being. Manipulating people’s tense muscles to relax them will provide your clients a wide range of benefits. Massage reduces stress and anxiety and promotes peace and calm. It rehabilitates injured muscles and joints. And it improves blood and lymph circulation.
Your journey to becoming a well-paid massage therapist, earning $60 or more an hour, consists of three stages:
- First, you must spend some time acquiring professional training, earning certificates, and getting licenses. Depending on the state you live in and your level of specialization, this can span from 330 to 1,000 hours.
- Second, you must set up a business. You can also choose to work part-time for someone else, like a spa or alternative health professional.
- Third, you must find and retain clients. If you work for yourself, you will have to learn some marketing. If you work for someone else, they might do all the marketing.
- Music Teacher
When people think of music teachers, they often think of conservative women who teach children how to play the piano. This, to say, the least, is just a stereotype. Men can teach music lessons just as well as women and people of all ages are willing to learn. Moreover, you aren’t confined to any particular musical instrument. You could, for example, be a young man who makes money as a jazz teacher. Your students could be people of all ages, not just children.
How much can you earn? On average, expect to earn from $50 to $75 an hour. If, however, you’re locally famous, then you can easily double those fees.
You can teach people in your home or travel to their homes. You can also rent out a studio and have classes.
- Software Engineer
Technology jobs are in high demand and pay well. You don’t have to work 80 hours at a top corporation to earn a good living. You can choose your own hours and set up a freelance business.
On average, you can earn from $60 to $100 an hour, and you can earn even more if you charge per project instead of asking for an hourly rate.
You can find most of your clients online by signing up for a few job boards.
You can get formal training to be a software engineer or just take a few online courses and progressively develop your skillsets. You will probably find a lot more if you have professional certifications, but this can be a longer, more expensive route.
- Rideshare driver
Although you will have to follow the rules and regulations of a ridesharing company, you will still have plenty of freedom when it comes to choosing your schedule.
A few basic requirements of becoming a rideshare driver are you need to have your own car, have good insurance, and have a clean driving record. It will help if you have a good idea about your local roads and highways. In addition, your car should be legally roadworthy.
Should You Go Solo?
Is it better to work for yourself or for someone else? While it takes time, money and effort to set up your own business, it’s rewarding in many ways. You get to choose your own schedule and clients. You also get to keep most of the money you earn because many of your expenses will be tax-deductible.