How to Make Money During the Summer

Summer offers a prime opportunity for individuals to earn income, leveraging seasonal demands and increased availability. This period creates unique earning possibilities due to specific market needs, like a rise in tourism and outdoor activities. Exploring various avenues can help identify suitable income-generating options during the warmer season.

Exploring Traditional Summer Employment

Traditional summer employment involves roles where individuals are classified as W-2 employees, with taxes withheld by the employer. Common industries seeking seasonal staff include retail, hospitality, tourism, and food service. Hotels and resorts often hire additional staff like front desk personnel and tour guides to accommodate increased visitors. Restaurants and cafes also expand teams with waitstaff and kitchen help to manage higher customer volumes.

Recreation and camp settings offer numerous summer positions, such as camp counselors, lifeguards, and activity instructors. These roles often require specific certifications, like CPR or first aid, and typically run from mid-May through early August. Local government entities frequently hire for parks and recreation departments, managing public pools and summer programs. Administrative support roles also see a seasonal uptick as businesses adjust for staff vacations or increased project loads.

Conventional summer jobs can be found through various channels. General online job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn often list seasonal openings, while specialized platforms such as CoolWorks.com and SummerJobs.com focus on summer employment. Company websites, local business postings, and school career services are also valuable resources. Attending local career fairs provides direct access to recruiters.

The application process involves tailoring resumes and cover letters to highlight relevant skills and summer availability. Demonstrating reliability, strong customer service skills, and enthusiasm can be beneficial during interviews. As W-2 employees, individuals receive regular wages, and employers withhold federal income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes. A Form W-2 is provided at year-end, summarizing earnings and withheld taxes for filing.

Engaging in the Gig Economy

The gig economy offers flexible, task-based work where individuals operate as independent contractors. This structure provides flexibility, allowing individuals to choose their own hours and tasks, which is appealing during summer. Payments are typically processed through digital platforms, facilitating per-task or per-project compensation.

Common gig work includes delivery services for food, groceries, or packages via platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Instacart. Ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft are also available. Pet care apps like Rover and Wag connect owners with sitters and dog walkers. Freelance opportunities in writing, editing, graphic design, or web development are found on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. Virtual assistant tasks and online tutoring are also prevalent.

Initiating gig work involves signing up for chosen platforms, which may require background checks for delivery or ride-sharing services. Users set up profiles detailing services and availability. Payments are often made directly through the platform, with options for instant or weekly settlements. As independent contractors, individuals are responsible for their own taxes, including federal income and self-employment taxes (Social Security and Medicare).

If an individual expects to owe at least $1,000 in tax for the year, estimated tax payments are generally required quarterly using Form 1040-ES. This includes self-employment tax, covering both employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare, totaling 15.3% of net earnings. Quarterly payments are typically due on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year. Businesses paying independent contractors $600 or more will issue a Form 1099-NEC to report nonemployee compensation.

Creating Seasonal Service Opportunities

Beyond traditional employment and the gig economy, summer provides opportunities for entrepreneurial ventures through seasonal services. These are typically small, self-started businesses catering to local community needs, often without large digital platforms. This approach offers direct control over services and client relationships.

Common summer services include lawn care and gardening, involving mowing, weeding, and yard maintenance. Other prevalent services are house-sitting, babysitting, car washing, and window cleaning. Individuals can also offer odd jobs or handyman services for minor home repairs. Tutoring for students needing summer help can be self-marketed. Swimming pool maintenance is another high-demand service during warmer months.

To identify local demand, observe community needs and engage with neighbors. Marketing services can be done through word-of-mouth referrals from friends and family. Distributing local flyers or posting on community bulletin boards can reach a wider audience. Utilizing community social media groups and neighborhood apps like Nextdoor also effectively advertises services to potential clients.

Set rates by researching what competitors in the local market charge for similar work. Lawn mowing rates can range from $30 to $65 per hour or $50 to $250 per service, depending on yard size and services. Babysitting rates typically average between $10 and $30 per hour, varying by location, experience, and number of children. Clearly communicating pricing, service scope, and scheduling helps manage expectations and maintain professional relationships.

Income from these self-started ventures is considered self-employment income. Individuals are responsible for tracking all income and expenses, reported on Schedule C of Form 1040. If net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more, self-employment taxes are due. Estimated quarterly tax payments are generally required if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in federal income tax for the year, similar to gig economy work.