As an accountant, you have a range of skills that can be leveraged to bring in extra income on the side. From problem-solving and analytical skills to trend forecasting and communication – you have a lot of knowledge from which to draw.
If you’re looking for a way to turn that expertise into a profitable side hustle, you’re in the right place. In this guide, we look at some of the best ways to make money on the side in accounting.
Even a side hustle that only brings in a couple of hundred dollars each month can help offset some of your expenses, and in fact, some of the side hustles listed here have the potential to turn into sources of full-time income.
Read on to see all the options available to you so you can choose a side hustle to start earning extra cash right away.
Online Jobs
1. Start a Blog
Starting an accounting or bookkeeping blog is a side hustle that can potentially bring in a six-figure income – with the right strategy, of course.
You can focus on any of the key highlights of your industry and create a content calendar to provide your audience with relevant information on a regular basis. As your traffic grows, you’ll be able to monetize your blog using a variety of ways such as Google AdSense, affiliate marketing, product sales, and more.
Your blog doesn’t even have to be about accounting, it can be on any topic that inspires you. But, the process for creating and growing it is the same.
Where to Find Jobs:
If you’re not sure where to start, I have the perfect resource to help you out. Sign up for my free mini-course on blogging to learn all the basics to get your money-making blog up and running as quickly as possible.
How Much Money Can You Make?
$500-$5,000/month
Resource to Learn More:
2. Create a YouTube Channel
With over 122 million daily active users, YouTube offers an opportunity for a hugely profitable side hustle.
You can create a channel and publish informative videos on a number of topics surrounding accounting, bookkeeping, or personal finance. Alternatively, you might choose to focus on helping people understand how to use accounting software and other tools.
Much like building a blog, creating a successful YouTube channel will take patience and effort. But most importantly, you need a good strategy.
You’ll need to meet a few conditions before you can start monetizing your channel with ads on your videos. For example, you’ll need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours over the past 12 months before you can monetize your channel with YouTube’s partner program.
Fortunately, there are many other ways you can use to earn money on your channel in the meantime, such as promoting products (other people’s or your own), doing sponsored posts, and selling merchandise.
Where to Find Jobs:
If you’re not sure how to get started, sign up for my free 8-day email course to learn the YouTube Secrets to building a successful channel.
How Much Money Can You Make?
$400-$2,000/month
Resource to Learn More:
3. Start a Virtual Bookkeeping Service
Another great side hustle to consider – offer bookkeeping services. Bookkeepers handle the daily tasks of recording financial transactions for a business. Becoming a remote bookkeeper is an excellent accounting side hustle. It allows you to make money by helping entrepreneurs and small business owners with their accounting needs while working from home and in your own time.
You can find work as an independent contractor, or you can go through an agency. Take on multiple clients to maximize your earnings as a remote bookkeeper.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$25-$75/hour
Resource to Learn More:
4. Create An Online Course
As an accountant, you have the option to share your expertise in a number of ways. One of the most profitable ways to do this is to create and sell an online course. This is a great way to create passive income for accountants
If you browse through online learning marketplaces like Udemy, you’ll find that there are plenty of accountants like you who are already benefiting from monetizing their knowledge in this way.
For example, there are many CPA courses available on these sites. This makes sense because anyone who’s pursuing an accounting career has to write the CPA exam, and many students require a bit of assistance to help them get good grades.
Many course creation platforms like the ones listed below will even help you market and sell your course. You can also promote it on social media to your friends, family, and professional network to attract even more customers.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$500-$5,000/month
Resource to Learn More:
5. Teach a Money Management Workshop
Put your accounting skills to good use by teaching money management workshops online. Personally, I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t benefit from a money management workshop. As an accountant, you can create strategies to help different types of people manage their money better and organize workshops to help them make a positive change in their finances.
You can start by researching the latest industry trends and asking your friends and family which financial concepts they are most interested in learning more about. This will give you inspiration and a starting point for which direction to go with your money management workshops.
Use platforms like Podia and Skillshare to create your workshop and get it out into the world.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$800-$1,500/week
Resource to Learn More:
6. Create And Sell Budgeting Spreadsheets
Printables like budgeting spreadsheets, financial planners, checklists, and other custom-made worksheets can help you supplement the income from your accounting job.
You can use Google, Excel, or one of many free graphic design platforms like Canva or Photoshop to create designs that people can print.
One of the best things about this side hustle is that you only have to create the product once, and you can sell it again and again.
And you don’t have to stop at just one, you can create all kinds of printables to help people manage their money, find tax deductions and credits, plan for retirement, and whatever else you can think of.
If you’re still not sure what type of printables you can create, conduct a quick search on platforms like Etsy, Fiverr, and Shopify to get some inspiration on the types of products you can create and how much you can price them.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$100-$400/week
Resource to Learn More:
7. Publish an eBook or Audiobook
Another way to create a source of passive income as an accountant is to write an eBook and publish it for free.
Once written, you can turn your eBook into an audiobook for the added benefit of attracting non-readers and improving accessibility. Plus, you’ll earn more profit, which is great.
This is the perfect side hustle for you if you’re a keen writer, but it can also work even if you don’t have any writing skills. There are sites where you can outsource your eBook and audiobook creation (and even the marketing), allowing you to sit back and watch the royalties flow in.
Where to Find Jobs:
- Smashwords
- Author’s Republic
- Kobo
- ACX (Amazon’s Audiobook Marketplace)
- Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
How Much Money Can You Make?
$400-$2,000/month
Resource to Learn More:
8. Offer Financial Coaching Services
Yet another lucrative side hustle for accountants is to become a financial coach. Offering your accounting knowledge in this way is a superb alternative to creating online courses or eBooks for people who prefer a more direct way of imparting their expertise.
Financial coaching can help people develop financial literacy to make more effective money decisions. As an accountant, you are well-suited to provide this service.
If you enjoy the stimulation of in-person interactions, you can coach people face to face, otherwise, you can offer your financial coaching services online. Leverage social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to help you market your services to more people.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$80-$150/hour
Resource to Learn More:
9. Start An Accounting-Related Podcast
Starting a podcast can be a fun side hustle for accountants who want to make extra money by sharing their knowledge and expertise with a wide audience. You can easily supplement your income by working just a few hours each week.
Having an accounting-related show could also lead to other opportunities in the future, such as sponsorships or consulting work. As you build up your podcast audience, you will be establishing yourself as an authority in your field.
This side hustle is a great alternative to blogging for accountants who are comfortable with public speaking and would rather talk than write when sharing their knowledge.
Platforms like Spotify or Buzzsprout offer all the tools you need to create, promote, and monetize your podcast.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$400-$2,000/month
Resource to Learn More:
10. Write Business Plans
Writing business plans for aspiring entrepreneurs is a profitable way for accountants to make money on the side.
Someone starting a new business generally needs guidance on what to include in their business plan, and they often lean on business management experts like you for assistance.
As an accountant, you already have knowledge of how a business or corporation works. You can help your clients create research-based strategies to present to lenders and investors in a clear and concise way. You can charge between $250 to well over $1,000 for each business plan you create.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$500-$1,500/month
Resource to Learn More:
11. Build an eCommerce Store
Side hustling as an accountant doesn’t always have to do with accounting. You can focus on any other passions you have outside of your work.
Start an eCommerce store to sell any type of merchandise you want, such as branded clothing, phone accessories, wall art, housewares, and whatever else you can think of. There are a lot of profitable product ideas, many of which you can find with a simple online search.
Whether you choose to sell commoditized or niche products, the process of building your store and managing the logistics of your business requires a well-thought-out strategy. Check out the resource below to see how you can get started in this extremely profitable side hustle.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$400-$1,500/week
Resource to Learn More:
12. Become An Adjunct Professor
An adjunct professor is a part-time academic appointment in higher education. As an adjunct professor, you’ll be paid to teach accounting courses at a university or college.
This is a great way to supplement your income using skills you already have, and it’s a side hustle that requires no money to start. To get started, research schools and connect with peers to discover opportunities open to you. You can also apply at the sites listed below to find open positions.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$800-$1,200/month
Resource to Learn More:
13. Offer a Virtual CFO Service
Most small businesses and startup firms require the services of a chief financial officer. Start getting paid for your accounting side hustle today by offering your services as a virtual CFO.
As a part-time remote financial controller, your job scope will involve things such as overseeing a company’s accounting department, managing the company’s insurance, preparing budget plans, tax reporting, CPA audits, and financial compliance.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$500-$2,500/month
Resource to Learn More:
14. Create Software Tutorials
If you know anything about virtual or online accounting software, you can make money by creating software tutorials online. This is a flexible side hustle that you can pursue in your own time to earn some extra coins.Â
Choose a software option and spend time getting to know all its ins and outs. For the most part, software providers offer in-depth guides on how to get the most from the software.
You can then find ways to create simplified tutorials to answer some of the most common questions people have when using the software. For example, you might choose the payroll program and then create software tutorials focused on each of the software’s different features.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$100-$400/week
Resource to Learn More:
Freelance Jobs for Accountants
In today’s gig economy, starting an accounting side hustle has never been easier (or more profitable).
Here are some of the ways you can use your counting skills to earn more as a freelancer.
15. Become a Freelance Writer
Turn your knowledge into hard cash by writing about your subject matter expertise. Freelance writing can be a profitable side hustle if you have good writing skills.
There are many businesses and entrepreneurs who’ll be happy to buy your services. Your work will involve creating blog posts, articles, social media content, emails, or any other type of content about a particular topic related to your expertise.
You can find content writing gigs on websites like the ones listed below.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$1,200-$3,500/month
Resource to Learn More:
16. Freelance as a Forensic Accountant
Another superb way to make additional money as an accountant is to work as a forensic accountant. Your job will be to find evidence of fraud, money laundering, or any other illegal financial activities within organizations.
For the most part, they are hired by companies that conduct audits on other businesses. But, you can also advertise your services to find your own clients by creating a website, networking with others in the industry, or advertising on social media.
The platforms below are also good places to find clients for your forensic accounting side hustle.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$50-$80/hour
Resource to Learn More:
17. Leverage Your Data Entry Skills
A data entry side job is perfect for you if you have a penchant for accuracy and enjoy filling in spreadsheets.
These types of jobs are commonly available across all industries as freelance positions. They offer work-from-home flexibility and allow you to earn a healthy side income doing simple, non-taxing work.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$10-$35/hour
Resource to Learn More:
18. Tax Consultation
Taxes are a fact of life and many small businesses and individuals will always require help with their tax returns. As a tax consultant, you can make money by helping them figure out tax forms, fill them out, and make deductions correctly.
There’s huge potential to earn more money in this side hustle during tax season, especially if you are a CPA or CGA who can deal with complicated tax issues.
In addition to completing tax returns and offering other tax preparation services, you can also offer a tax planning service where you help individuals and business owners prepare for their tax bills and provide them with strategies to lower their taxes.
The resource below outlines how to get started as an accounting consultant.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$25-$45/hour
Resource to Learn More:
Offline Side Hustles for Accountants
As you’ve seen so far, there are many ways for a professional accountant to supplement their income with a side hustle.
However, not everyone wants to make a side income sitting at a computer. Some people prefer to be out and about, interacting with others, and taking a break from their daily work routine.
If you want to know how to make extra money as an accountant without having to sit at a computer, then these side hustles are for you.
19. Offer A Mobile Notary Service
Your skills as an accountant allow you to provide valuable services that go beyond traditional accounting and tax.
Acting as a Notary Public is one of the many services that you can add as a side hustle to help you bring in extra income.
Mobile notarization tasks include witnessing the signing of legal documents, such as contracts, loans, power of attorney papers, and other important documents to ensure that there is no fraud or forgery.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$15-$35/hour
Resource to Learn More:
20. Rent Out Stuff
From cars and extra rooms to textbooks and tools, there are many things you can rent out if you need some extra cash.
An equipment rental side gig is an excellent way to make passive income. Once you set up the rental, you don’t have to put in much effort.
The resource below outlines dozens of things you probably have around your house that you can rent out right away to start earning a side income.
Where to Find Jobs:
- Rent Out Space: Neighbor.com, PeerSpace, StoreAtMyHouse
- Rent Out Gym Stuff: Loanables, Fat Llama, Rentah
- Rent Out Your Car: Turo.com, GetAround, HyreCar
- Rent Out Baby Stuff: Baby’s Away, Baby List, BabyQuip
- Rent Out Tools: SpareToolz, AutoZone, RentMyEquipment
How Much Money Can You Make?
$100-$500/week
Resource to Learn More:
21. Become a Rideshare Driver
If you have a car, you can earn money by providing rides to passengers. This gig economy job is a great way to earn extra income during your free time. Most people use the service daily, which means you’ll never be short of customers.
You can get started by signing up on one of the many ridesharing apps, such as Uber or Lyft. You’ll get paid from the app, and there are many ways to maximize your income, as outlined in the resource below.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$400-$1,500/week
Resource to Learn More:
22. Deliver Items
If you’d rather not have to deal with passengers, another way to earn money on the side is to deliver food, groceries, packages, and other items.
You can sign up on food delivery apps like Uber Eats and Postmates, or package delivery services like GoShare to start earning right away.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$400-$1,200/month
Resource to Learn More:
23. Invest In Real Estate
As an accountant, you have a set of skills uniquely suited to investing.
You can create a source of passive income by investing in real estate with platforms like Fundrise. These platforms take all the stress out of the process of investing by managing everything completely so you don’t have to lift a finger.
Start small and grow your investment each month to increase the amount of income you get with each passing year.
Where to Find Jobs:
How Much Money Can You Make?
$1,500-$4,000/month
Resource to Learn More:
There you have it. This article has outlined some of the best ways to earn extra income as an accountant or bookkeeper.
Choose any that appeal to you and get started building your side income right now. If you want to, you can even turn your side hustle into a full-blown business that can earn you way more than your current accounting salary.