As a veteran, you know the feeling of being lost and not knowing what to do with your life. You served your country with distinction, but now it’s time for you to get back out there into the civilian world.
Luckily, this doesn’t mean that you need to go back to square one! There are plenty of side hustles that veterans can take up in order to keep their skills sharp and make some extra cash on the side.
In this blog post we will discuss ten of those side hustles so that you can find something that suits your interests and skillset best!
Extra Money
Extra money now-a-days is very important to almost everyone. You can’t really get by with only one stream of income. This holds true for veterans especially.
Lets hop into all the different income stream military veterans can get into.
Uber, Lyft or Doordash
This is one of the more obvious side hustles for military veterans. Doordash, Uber and Lyft offer a way to make some money on the side by providing their services as drivers. You don’t need any special skills or training to do this- all you need is your car and an app!
All these apps take are basic driving skills to complete deliveries, answer the phone when people call for a ride, or deliver food on-demand.
Instacart
The grocery delivery service Instacart is one of the best side hustles for veterans. You can work as an “Instacarter” and help customers by picking up their groceries from a store, bringing them to your car or home, then delivering them in person!
As long as you’re on time, you’ll be a great addition to this company that is always looking for more drivers.
Uber EATS
If you live in a major city and know your way around, then UberEats might be the perfect side hustle for veterans. Working as an “UberEater” is very similar to working for Uber or Lyft- but instead of delivering people from one place to another, you deliver food! This service can be accessed through the Uber app, and you can deliver anything from sushi to steak.
Bodyguard
Bodyguards are hired to protect individuals on a day-to-day basis or during special occasions such as weddings and business meetings.
Military training definitely helps when it comes to this.
Turo
Turo is a side hustle that many veterans are unaware of. Turo offers the ability to rent out your car, truck or motorcycle from other people in your community for short periods of time!
This can be an excellent way for military vets with cars sitting idle and not being used regularly- to make some extra money on them.
Dog Walking
If you enjoy spending time with animals, then dog walking may be the side hustle for veterans that’s perfect for you.
A lot of people who own dogs don’t have enough time to walk them- so this is a great opportunity! You’ll need your own transportation and an app like Rover or Wag in order to get started.
Start a Blog
If you have a unique and compelling story to tell, then blogging can be an excellent side hustle for veterans!
The internet is always looking for content that people will enjoy reading- so if you’re passionate enough about your experiences in the military, this might be what’s best for you.
As long as there is something interesting about your life, people will be interested in reading about it.
Keep in mind blogging doesn’t necessarily even have to be about your life – it can be about anything you’re passionate about.
Starting a blog can be very challenging and there’s a lot you should know before getting started with your blog.
Start a Youtube Channel
If you can video tape yourself doing something or have a lot of videos on your phone that are worth uploading- then starting a Youtube Channel may be the perfect side hustle for veterans.
YouTube is one of the most popular sites out there, so if you’re able to create quality content and get people interested in what you do – then you’ll be able to make some money as a Youtuber.
Podcasts
Podcasts are a form of media that is growing in popularity and this side hustle for veterans can be especially profitable.
If you’ve seen the success that podcasts like Serial or This American Life have had- then you know they’re more than just radio shows! If you have any stories to tell, an interesting topic to discuss, or a hobby you want to share with the world- then starting a podcast can be very profitable.
Public Speaking
You may have learned a lot of valuable lessons in the military.
Whether you are sharing your personal story or giving motivational speeches to groups of people, public speaking can be a great side hustle for veterans.
It’s important that when you’re presenting things- they have some kind of message and meaning behind them.
People want to hear what other people have in common with themselves– so make your message relatable!
Photography
There are plenty of ways to make money as a photographer. If you’re good at taking candid shots or have the ability to take professional photos for events, then photography may be the perfect side hustle for veterans.
You’ll need your own camera and editing software- but if this is something you enjoy and are good at- then it’s worth the investment.
Fitness Coach
If you’ve been in any kind of physically demanding position for a long time, then fitness coaching may be best side hustle for veterans to consider.
Whether you’re an athlete or were just always on your feet during military service, this can be a great way to make money.
You’ll need your own transportation and some kind of certification- but if you have the skills, then this could be an excellent side hustle for veterans that would give you a sense of accomplishment too!
Task Rabbit
Chances are if you’ve been in the military you may be pretty handy.
If you want to make money on the side- then Task Rabbit is a great site for military vets with skills that can be put to use.
Allowing people in your area to “hire” you as needed, this could be an excellent way to supplement your income or do something fun when there’s nothing else going on!
Security Guard
It’s important to note that you’ll need some kind of certification or training for this side hustle.
If security is something you’ve been trained in- then it might be perfect for your abilities as a veteran and if there are any opportunities where you live, start applying today!
Sometimes employers will even just hire you if they know you have a military background, but getting a certification just to help your job security may be a good idea.
Customer Service
If you’ve been in the military, chances are customer service is a skill that comes naturally to you.
With this side hustle for veterans- it’s important to be kind and patient with customers.
With some formal training or certification though, this could be an excellent way to make money working from home on your own schedule!
Investing In Real Estate
If you have some extra money to invest- then investing in real estate could be a great side hustle.
It’s important before making any investments, that you do your research and make sure this is something that will work with your budget.
But if you’re looking to diversify what kind of income streams are coming in, then this could be a great option for you.
This could be great for veterans because they are able to qualify for a VA loan.
Wholesaling Real Estate
If you have some extra time to invest into a side hustle- then wholesaling real estate could be the perfect opportunity for veterans.
The best way to describe wholesaling would be to get older, unused properties under contract and selling that contract for a profit.
A lot of people make good money doing this strategy.
Affiliate Marketing
If you’re good at marketing online, then affiliate marketing may be the perfect side hustle.
With this strategy- it’s important that you have a website where people can click through to get more information about what they want or need.
You’ll also need an Amazon Associate account and some kind of merchant account with a bank or PayPal.
Airbnb Host
If you have a spare room- then Airbnb could be a no brainer for you.
This could be an excellent opportunity to make some extra money or it can even supplement your income from another job if you’re looking to save more of your paycheck!
Dropshipping
If you have a website and the skills to make marketing strategies- then dropshipping may be perfect for your side hustle.
Dropshipping does involve some up front costs, but it’s possible to turn that into profit quickly if done correctly.
Consulting
If you have a skill that is needed by someone else- then consulting could be good for veterans.
It’s important to note, however, that this does require some certification or training in order to qualify and it can also take a lot of time outside of your work hours.
Etsy Shop
If you have some artistic skills or if you’re crafty- then Etsy may be a good fit for you.
It’s important to note that this is a very competitive market and it can take time before your store starts making any money, but it has a large audience!
Retail Arbitrage
If you’re skilled at finding bargains and reselling them- then retail arbitrage might be the perfect side hustle for veterans.
It’s important to note that this is a difficult side hustle because it takes time, research and some money before you can start making any profits!
Freelancing
If you have a skill that employers need- then freelancing may be the perfect side hustle.
It’s important to note that this can take up more time than other options, but it does provide some stability if your current job is lacking in any way!
Mowing Lawns
If you want to keep things simple, something like mowing lawns could be the perfect side hustle for veterans.
It’s important to do your research and make sure you’re a good fit before starting this kind of job- but it doesn’t require formal training or certification!
Create an E-book
If you have some knowledge that is needed by other people- then creating an e-book may be the way to go.
It’s important to do your research and look into this before making any investments in advertising, because it can take a lot of time!
Sell Your Old Stuff on Facebook Marketplace
If you want to keep things simple- going through your old stuff and seeing what you can sell can be a good way to save some extra money.
One of the best ways to do this is by posting photos on Facebook Marketplace and specifying what condition it’s in, how much you’re willing to sell it for and what gender of person would like that item.
Redbubble
If you’re skilled at graphic design- then Redbubble may be another good side hustle.
It may take a lot of time upfront but you can create a lot of designs and eventually start to make some money.
Making designs based on being a veteran could be lucrative as well because veterans are very passionate and like to show that they are veterans.
Start Your Own Business
If you have a good idea, the time and money- then starting your own business may be another great side hustle.
It’s important to note that this is difficult because it requires a lot of work and potentially some loans or investments before you can make any profit!
Amazon Flex
If you have a car and some extra time- then Amazon Flex may be perfect for your side hustle.
This is the way to go if you don’t want to make any investments or sign up for anything because it’s an opportunity that will come to you!
It’s important to note, however, that this does require a lot of driving and can be dangerous without proper training.
Pet Sitter
If you have some free time- pet sitting may be a good relatively stress free side hustle for veterans.
It’s important to note that this doesn’t require any formal training or certification in order to qualify, but it does take a lot of patience!
Virtual Assistant
If you have some free time and enjoy helping people this may be an easy to make some extra money for you.
It’s important to note that this is difficult because it requires a lot of work in order to qualify, but if you’re skilled at negotiating deals or scheduling events, then this might be the way to go!
Social Media Marketing
If you’re skilled at marketing and running social media- then this may be a good side hustle for veterans.
You can use social media to market to local businesses and make a monthly retainer doing so.
This profession or side hustle takes a lot of due diligence because social media and the online realm is changing every single day.
A lot of local businesses have no idea what they are doing when it comes to marketing themselves, nor do they have the time so this could be a great gig to capitalize on.
Rent Out Website Traffic
If you start a website based on chiropractors in a specific city, and the traffic starts rolling in to that website. You can then rent out that traffic to local businesses.
Depending on the traffic you can make a lot of extra money on a monthly basis just by putting in the work up front.
Conclusion
There are a lot of options out there for side hustles and it’s important to find the one that is perfect for you.
Not all veterans have the same skills, income levels or time- so if you’re looking for something specific, I would recommend doing your research beforehand!
Fortunately as more people in society are taking part in side hustles, the more options there are for veterans looking to make some extra cash.
The only way you’ll start to see results is if you get started.
There are a lot of free resources like Youtube and other things which are a great way to help make you’re decision easier.
If these ideas helped you please share this list on social media.
Also take a look at our latest posts:
