Your car doesn’t need to be merely a gas guzzler draining your wallet. It can be a rolling business making money around the clock, whether you or someone else sits behind the wheel.
Here are some ways to make money with your car.
1. Become a Rideshare Driver
Driving for Uber or Lyft is an excellent way to make money – especially if you do it as a full-time job. You can make $19.16/hour with Uber[1] and $21.87/hour with Lyft[2], but drivers often earn $50/hour during surge pricing. Add tips to that, and you’re in for an Uber-rewarding ride.
All you need to do is sign up with your preferred ridesharing service, meet the age, vehicle, and driving requirements (they might vary by state), and pass the background check.
2. Become a Food Delivery Driver
Being a food delivery driver is among the best jobs that pay daily. It’s perfect if you don’t want to ride with strangers because you only need to pick up food from restaurant partners and deliver it to customers.
There are some inside tricks to being a successful delivery driver, but with those on your side, you can make some serious money.
The most popular options include Uber Eats, Postmates, DoorDash, Grubhub, and EatStreet. You can earn the most with Uber Eats and Postmates – an average of $15–$20/hour[3] and $24.32/hour[4] (respectively), plus tips. Registering is identical to signing up as a rideshare driver.
3. Deliver Groceries
Delivering groceries requires getting out of your car to shop for customers – ideal for stretching your legs and burning calories. Sign up with Instacart, Shipt, or another service, download its mobile app, check items off the shopping lists, and deliver them to customers’ doors.
You can earn $200–$1,000/week on Instacart, depending on the number of orders, batch amounts, and how much customers tip you[5]. Shipt offers an average pay of $15–$17/order (including tips), but you can earn $20–$30/order with promo pay[6].
4. Try Courier Delivery
Another way to make money with your car is to register as a courier and deliver packages to customers. You can sign up with Postmates for on-demand local delivery, Amazon Flex for last-mile deliveries in your area, or with any other major delivery services.
According to Amazon Flex, you can make $18–$25/hour, depending on location, trip length, and tips.
Want a nationwide driving adventure? Check out CitizenShipper, which has 12 shipment categories, including vehicles, heavy equipment, and pets, and earn an average of $6,000–$10,000/month.
5. Provide Airport Transfer Services
Taking people to and from the airport can be a lucrative opportunity. Wingz is among the best airport shuttle services for private, pre-scheduled rides across 30 US cities. Check if yours is on the list, sign up as a driver, and connect with passengers. You can also drive them to events and enjoy higher payouts – if they mark you as a favorite.
As a Wingz driver, you can make $20–$40/hour, plus bonuses and promotions[7]. Check the vehicle and age requirements, and remember that there’s a rigorous screening process.
6. Offer a Transportation Service for Kids
This money-making option is fantastic if you love kids. Driving them to and from school, daycare, summer camp, or anywhere else can make for fun rides that pay well.
HopSkipDrive is your best option. You can earn $14–$45/ride as a CareDriver[8] while setting your schedule and making a difference in every family’s life.
Of course, youth transportation has stringent requirements, as it should. HopSkipDrive drivers must be at least 23, have five years of caregiving experience, and pass multi-agency background checks. Safety first!
7. Drive Senior Citizens
Helping seniors is always rewarding. Turning it into a job is a cherry on top. You can drive older adults to and from doctor’s appointments or provide regular commute transportation – while enjoying wonderful conversations and sharing a few laughs.
Wingz lets you register as a NEMT (Non-Emergency Medical Transportation) driver to assist and make a difference in the senior community while making $20–$40/hour.
8. Provide Pet Transport
If you love animals (who doesn’t?), you can turn your car into a pet transport vehicle and drive people’s pets to and from their vets, groomers, trainers, breeders, spas, pet care facilities, or playdates. Yes, some pets will be a handful, but they’ll be in pet carriers, so they and you will be safe.
Besides CitizenShipper, you can sign up with Fetch Pet Care to provide a pet taxi service for an average of $106/hour[9].
9. Help People Move
Helping people move can be a profitable gig or full-time job. You can register on TaskRabbit and make an average of $38/hour, but you set your rates and keep 100% of what you earn, plus tips.
Dolly lets you earn more – an average of $50/hour – but they say top helpers make over $1,000/week.
GoShare is another excellent option. You can make $45–$168/hour, depending on your vehicle (a car, SUV, minivan, pickup or box truck, or cargo van).
10. Offer Mobile Car Detailing
If you have a knack for car detailing and excellent attention to detail, consider offering mobile car detailing services. You’ll be driving to people’s homes to clean, restore, and polish their vehicles.
This cosmetic auto service ranges between $150 and $170 in the US[10], but you can set your interior, exterior, and full-service rates depending on vehicle model, size, and age.
Car detailing is among the best side hustles for couples – you can finish tasks twice as fast and get more jobs. Ask your significant other if they’re up to it, even if only on weekends. Be sure to spread the word around your neighborhood and workplace, distribute flyers around town, and leverage social media.
11. Provide Mobile Car Repairs
If you know your way around cars, you can be an auto mechanic with a twist. Like with car detailing, you can provide mobile car repairs, bringing the repair shop to people’s homes and saving them time.
Auto mechanics earn an average of $4,500/month in the US[11]. However, since mobile auto repair is a hassle-free way to fix a car, people will gladly pay more for you to come over and service their vehicles.
Get the necessary tools, offer services to friends and coworkers, and spread the word in your social circle (offline and online) to get referrals.
12. Provide Roadside Assistance
Here’s another way to make money with your car while helping people. Whether someone needs a towing service, tire change, battery jumpstart, or extra fuel, you can lend a hand and get them on their way. You can also recover vehicles after accidents and other unexpected situations.
The best part? Tow truck operators and similar professionals have high-paying jobs. For instance, Emergency Roadside Specialists at AAA Roadside Assistance make $50,000/year[12].
13. Rent Out Your Car
Don’t like driving all day? Rent out your car to rideshare or delivery drivers, gig workers, tourists, and anyone else who needs a reliable vehicle for getting around town. Getaround and Turo are the most popular peer-to-peer car-sharing services. They work like Airbnb for cars.
Getaround hosts typically charge $5–$15/hour[13], and the company says you can make “hundreds of dollars each month.” Being a host on Turo can provide a passive income stream of $500–$1,000/month, depending on your car, location, and rental frequency[14].
Don’t worry about potential vehicle damage. Every car-sharing service provides insurance coverage. Some people have learned how to develop car-sharing into a six-figure business.
14. Offer Your Car as a Movie Prop
Want your car to be a movie star? Want to hear “Cha-ching!” every time it pops on the TV during a commercial? Rent it out on Movie Time Cars or Cinema Vehicles and earn hundreds of dollars daily, depending on its type, make, model, and age.
Do you own a classic car in excellent condition, perfect for a period piece? Rent it out on Vinty for movies, TV shows, music videos, ads, corporate events, photo shoots, and other media productions.
15. Advertise Brands With Car Decals
Perhaps the easiest way to make money with your car is to turn it into a billboard on wheels. Wrap it with a paint-safe decal to advertise a brand and earn extra cash only by driving.
Apply with Wrapify to make roughly $180–$450/month, depending on the coverage level, or with Nickelytics to earn up to $500/campaign.
Another option is Carvertise, which matches you with brands perfect for your driving routine. It typically pays $500/month, but some campaigns are worth $1,500.
Final Thoughts
Turning your car into a lean, mean, money-generating machine is a brilliant way to make extra cash, whether you drive it or not. Some possibilities above are ideal as side hustles, while others are perfect as full-time jobs. Pick your favorite, hit the road, and watch the money roll in!
