Side hustle pay is up, but fewer Americans have one

What LendingTree found

According to LiveNOW's summary of LendingTree's survey of nearly 2,050 U.S. consumers, side hustlers report about $1,242 a month on average in 2026, up from roughly $1,215 the prior year and far above levels cited for 2022. At the same time, only 33% of Americans report having a side hustle, down from 38% in 2025 and 44% in 2022. Gig and on-demand work remained the most common category at about 29% of examples.

Many respondents still said they would prefer one stable paycheck. About 32% of side hustlers in the coverage use extra income for everyday expenses, with similar shares citing discretionary spending or saving. Roughly a quarter rely on it for essential bills.

Why averages rise while participation falls

When fewer people keep a side hustle, the remaining pool can skew toward those earning more or those who truly need the cash and cannot quit. People who tried delivery, found $9 net hourly, and stopped do not appear in the average. People grinding two apps to hit rent do.

That does not make the average useless. It means you should compare your logged net hourly to your goal, not to a survey headline.

Interest vs action

LiveNOW notes more than half of Americans say they are likely to start a side hustle within a year even as participation declines. Interest stays high. Execution fails when costs and hours surprise people. Calculators exist to shrink that surprise.

Gig work as the default answer

With gig and on-demand work topping category lists again, many newcomers will open DoorDash or Uber first. That can be correct for urgent cash. It can also be wrong if skilled freelance nets higher on fewer hours. Run freelancing vs gig work with your actual week before you follow the survey's most common category.

Sidequity takeaway

Record survey pay and falling participation can coexist. Your job is to know your net monthly and net hourly after a normal month, then decide keep, adjust, or stop. If $1,242 gross is the target, work backward through costs and hours to see if it is realistic at your rate.

Read the original

This page summarizes LiveNOW from FOX reporting on LendingTree survey data. Read the original article for full breakdowns and quotes. Sidequity adds planning context only.