How to make extra money on top of a job

The quickest extra money may come from the job you have. Covered workers who aren't exempt get time and a half for overtime, with a new tax deduction for the premium through 2028. About 1 in 5 people eligible for the EITC didn't claim it. We read each rule on October 23, 2026.

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Can you earn more at the job you already have?

Overtime. Coverage by federal wage law is common, the IRS notes, but there are many exemptions from its overtime rule. If you're covered and not exempt, you must get at least time and one-half your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, the Labor Department says. An exemption depends on your occupation, your duties and your pay.

For 2025 through 2028, the IRS also lets overtime-eligible workers deduct the premium part of that pay, the "half" of time and a half. The deduction goes up to $12,500 a year, or $25,000 on a joint return, and shrinks above $150,000 of modified adjusted gross income ($300,000 joint). At $20 an hour, an overtime hour pays at least $30, and the $10 above your regular rate is the part you may deduct. Tips get a similar deduction, up to $25,000, in jobs the IRS lists as customarily tipped.

Your withholding. If you get a big refund every spring, the IRS's Tax Withholding Estimator can help you avoid having too much tax withheld. You'll get a bigger paycheck now and a smaller refund later. It'll take about 25 minutes, with your latest pay stubs at hand.

Is money waiting for you at tax time?

Often, yes. The Earned Income Tax Credit helps low- to moderate-income workers and families get a tax break. By the IRS's own estimate, 80.8% of eligible people claimed it in tax year 2022, so about 1 in 5 left it unclaimed.

Married couples filing jointly can earn more, up to $26,214 with no children. Income from gig work counts as earned income. Refunds that include the credit can't go out before mid-February, by law. If you've missed it, the IRS generally allows a refund claim within 3 years of filing that year's return, and it points to free tax preparation by IRS-certified volunteers.

How many people work a second job?

About 9 million did in September 2026, or 5.5% of everyone employed, the BLS says. Most pair a full-time job with a part-time one.

If you get Social Security before full retirement age, earnings count against your benefits. In 2026, the SSA holds back $1 for every $2 you earn above $24,480, then credits those months back once you reach full retirement age.

What can you sell for extra money?

Things you already own, mostly. In the Fed's survey for 2024, 13% of adults made money selling things in the prior month, and 10% sold items they had owned for themselves. On eBay, the fee is 13.6% of the total sale in most categories, plus 30 or 40 cents an order.

For side gigs, our side hustles guide prices the common ones against what the same work pays as a job. Our from-home guide covers remote jobs and renting out a room.

Earning apps like ours. PaysFair pays for surveys, games and campaigns. Its smallest cash-out is $1.00, sent as a gift card by email, and your first cash-out is checked by hand. Tasks done over a VPN or proxy don't count.

Which extra-money offers are scams?

The FTC names these in its guidance on job scams.

How is extra money taxed?

All of it counts. The IRS says gig income must be reported even if no 1099 shows it, and even if it's paid in cash. For payments made after 2025, a business generally files a 1099-NEC only at $2,000 or more, up from $600, but the income is taxable either way. If you work for yourself, self-employment tax of 15.3% is usually due once your net earnings reach $400.

What do other guides on this leave out?

We read five guides that rank for this on October 23, 2026, and four more wouldn't load for us. None mentions overtime, the EITC or tax withholding, and none cites the BLS or names the FTC. Only one uses the word scam, while three mention a raise. One says any income over $400 a year is taxable, though the IRS says gig income must be reported whatever the amount. The same guide gives $600 for a 1099-NEC, a threshold that rose to $2,000 for payments made after 2025.