20 Quick Ways To Make Extra Money In Oakland, CA [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: February 22nd, 2024

20 Quick Ways To Make Extra Money In Oakland, CA [2024]

Oakland is home to professionals with extensive experience in a wide range of fields, including finance, technology, law, and healthcare. You might possibly make a lot of money by getting active in these businesses and networking with others. But who has the time to do all of that?

People start side hustles for a variety of reasons; some need the additional money to pay their bills, while others are saving up for a large purchase in the future. Many people just want to have a little extra money in their pockets.

Nobody has time to work a 9-5 job and yet make a profit. Oakland has several chances for entrepreneurs and business owners wishing to supplement their income.

Looking to make easy money or start a business in Oakland, California?

In this post, we provide you with 20 side hustle ideas and ways to make money in Oakland, California.

Here they are: javascript:void(0)

If you do any shopping online (and if you don’t, who are you? ), you are probably familiar with cashback and reward apps. The premise is pretty simple: find something you like or actually need online, buy it through DollarSprout Rewards, and save money you would have otherwise spent.

It’s common to find an easy 2 to 5% cash back at popular retailers, and the browser extension also automatically searches the web for coupons and promo codes to try.

Earning Potential: Up to $100+ per year

Requirements: Once you install the desktop browser extension and quickly set it up, it’s set to start saving you automatically, forever. There’s no “catch” and it’s completely free to use.

Investment needed: No investment needed!

How To Get Started: You can earn cashback and rewards from DollarSprout Rewards and start your journey here

2. Become A Delivery Driver

Delivery drivers are responsible for delivering items from one location to another. Delivery drivers may need to deliver various goods like food, furniture, other household goods, etc, plus they are also responsible for loading & unloading.

Becoming a delivery driver is a good side hustle in Oakland as there are a lot of businesses that hire delivery drivers. You can earn a good income, work as per your time, and be independent.

Earning Potential: Up to $21/hour

Requirements: To become a successful delivery driver, you must have a valid driving license and your own car. Though no basic education is compulsory but still having a high school diploma or an equivalent certificate will be helpful. You also need to be physically fit as your job will include some heavy loading and unloading.

Investment needed: $0 investment needed

How To Get Started

You can find some delivery driver jobs here or here. Provide whatever documents they require, and work on establishing a strong delivery network.

3. Rent Out Your Attic Or Garage

Do you have an attic or a garage space that you do not use anymore? Then put it on rent to make some extra cash.

You can rent it to local people or businesses that are looking for space to run their operations and can function in the limited space of a garage or attic. A lot of small business owners look for this kind of space in the initial stage of their journey so you won't have a hard time finding a customer/client.

Earning Potential: Up to $100/month (depending on the size of your space and which city or state you are residing in)

Requirements: You will need an extra garage or attic that is habitable with basic facilities like electricity and ventilation.

Investment needed: $0 investment needed if the place is already in good condition.

How To Get Started: You can list your space and set your own price on websites like Airbnb, Apartments.com, LoopNet, Neighbor and more.

4. Become A Cashier

A cashier maintains knowledge of weekly ad items, gives customers direction on product location throughout the store, is familiar with events and seminars going on or coming up, and maintains excellent communication with the front end manager and head cashier at all times.

Earning Potential: Up to $2.5k/month

Requirements: Be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or equivalent, and 1-2 years of recent cashiering experience. Have and show an outgoing and friendly behavior, a positive attitude, and the ability to interact with our customers.

Investment needed: No investment needed!

How To Get Started: You can log into simplyhired.com and start your journey as a cashier here.

5. Start Working for a Rideshare Company

In this type of job it is important to have good customer service skills and knowledge of the city's roadways and landmarks. It would also be beneficial to have a good rating from previous rideshare experiences if any. Also, having a clean driving record and a well-maintained car can greatly increase the chances of getting hired.

Earning Potential: Up to $20-25/hour

Requirements: To start working for a rideshare company in San Antonio, one should first meet the basic requirements set by the company, such as having a valid driver's license, a reliable vehicle, and being at least 21 years old.

Investment needed: You don't need to invest any money to start this side job.

How To Get Started: You can find a rideshare company job on indeed.com.

6. Sell extra textbooks

If you’re a college student or have graduated within the last year or two, chances are good that you still have some textbooks that you could easily sell for a few extra bucks. Usually, when you sell textbooks back, you get a tiny fraction of what you paid for them.

Online book-selling platforms let you compare buy-back prices from different vendors so you can get the most money.

Earning Potential: Chances to earn up to more than half of the book purchasing amount.

Requirements: It is important to have knowledge about the books you are selling, such as their condition, edition, and market value, to price them appropriately and provide accurate descriptions to potential buyers.

Investment needed: No investment needed!

How To Get Started: Nowadays, there are sites like BookScouter that allow you to “comparison shop” when it comes to selling back your textbooks. here

7. Become A Mobile Car Detailer

As car ownership is becoming more of a necessity and less of a luxury, starting a side hustle related to the automotive industry can be a profitable business choice in Oakland. If you are passionate about cars and looking to earn some extra money, then starting a mobile car detailing business can be a great choice for you.

The car detailing business is a little different from car washing as you'll be offering a thorough cleaning of the vehicle inside and out. As a car detailer, you'll be responsible for -

Hand washing and drying
Interior cleaning and vacuuming
Exterior polishing and waxing (we use only premium products)
Leather cleaning and conditioning
Door jambs cleaned out (to remove dirt and grime)
Windows cleaned inside and out

Earning Potential: Up to $20/hour

Requirements: Requirements for the job include the ability to work independently, a valid driver's license, transportation to and from customers, and cleaning tools & supplies

Investment needed: $0 investment needed if you already have a car or van to take you to your client's.

How To Get Started:

Do good research and find the neighborhoods with the highest number of vehicles. You can also ask your family, friends, and acquaintances to help you build an initial clientele. Or, you can apply here for the job as a mobile car detailer.

8. Make Money Renting Out Your Camera

If you are a photographer or videographer with a variety of camera accessories gathering dust, you can make good money by simply renting that equipment. because there is a sizable market and rising demand for renting out equipment in Oakland.

You can rent out your cameras or equipment on the Sharegrid platform. It is a fantastic way to earn some extra cash and save your camera from getting nonfunctioning.

Earning Potential: Up to $60/day

Requirements: Simply post images of your old equipment or camera on the rental website or app and wait till your ad reaches your potential customers. You don't need to consider anything else besides that.

Investment needed: You don't have to pay anything to list your items on rental websites because they are all free. If you already own a camera and other photography equipment there is no investment necessary.

How To Get Started: Visit websites like sharegrid.com and list your camera for rent.

9. Start Investing In Real Estate

Investments are a great way to make some extra money. Moreover, it depends on the type of investment you make that determines the number of returns you can expect. Real estate is a great way to make investments with high profits. However, you need good knowledge of the real estate market to step into it.

Different real estate investing platforms allow you to invest amounts as small as $500 right from the convenience of your home. You can check where you are investing and invest according to your preferences but before making any decisions make sure you study the market well.

Earning Potential:: Depends on the market and how much you invest, but you’re guaranteed a profit!

Requirements: You will need an initial capital to for investing in real estate plus detailed market knowledge (you can seek advice from a real estate consultant to make more informed choices).

Investment needed: You can start your investment with as low as $500 in the beginning.

How To Get Started: You can start investing with as little as $500 from platforms like Fundrise

10. Become A Virtual Assistant (VA)

If you like to work independently and from home, a virtual assistant job is a great way to make extra income on the side.

As a virtual assistant, your job will require you to make phone calls, schedule appointments, send emails, make travel arrangements, and so on.

Earning Potential: Up to $22/hour

Requirements: Being tech-savvy, being familiar with cloud services & desktop sharing, and having knowledge about Google Docs, spreadsheets & Google calendar will make you a fit for this job. Plus having good communication skills and quick grasping power will take you ahead in this field. It will be a bonus if you can show any prior experience in a similar or related field.

Investment needed: $0 investment needed if you have a desktop or laptop in good working condition and fast internet.

How To Get Started: You can create a profile on popular freelancing platforms like Upwork or Fiverr, or you can also search for VA jobs on job portals like Indeed.

11. Take Online Surveys

Although these aren't the favorite side hustle of almost everyone, they are convenient and easy ways to do so. While you can doze off when watching a movie, why not click some buttons and do some work to make the money you want?

Several survey sites allow you to get paid while you share your opinion. You can fill in your opinions for endless surveys and earn extra bucks for filling up the survey forms. Some platforms even offer a bonus for completing the first five rounds of the survey.

Potential: If you’re smart, you can earn up to $10 per survey!

Benefit: You can do these surveys anywhere, anytime, and however you’d like!

How To Get Started: You can start filling out surveys at Inboxdollars, Survey Junkie and many more.

12. Become A Warehouse Associate

If you don’t enjoy doing desk jobs, like interacting with people, and want to work in the logistics or related sector, then working as a warehouse associate could be your calling. You can do this as a part-time or a full-time job and earn a living.

Earning Potential: Up to $21/hour

Requirements: You’ll require at least a high school diploma, have to be physically fit & hardworking, have good time management & interpersonal skills, inventory control & documentation skills, be organized & have an eye for detail, and most importantly, the ability to work with a team.

Investment needed: Don’t need to invest any amount to start working as a warehouse associate.

How To Get Started: Search for warehouse associate jobs on ZipRecruiter and Indeed.

13. Get A Part Time Job As A Waiter / Waitress

As a restaurant server in Oakland, you will need to attend to customers, make suggestions as per their liking, wait tables, handle queries, deliver checks & receive payments.

Earning Potential: Servers make $13.95/hour (on average) + tips

Requirements: If you can show any previous waiting or restaurant serving experience you'll get a preference. Other than that you'll need to have patience, be good at customer service, have a pleasant personality, pay attention to customer safety & cleanliness, and be reliable & responsible. Having a high school diploma is also helpful for your resume.

Investment needed: $0 investment needed to get started as a restaurant server.

How To Get Started: Reach out to people in your circle and ask them whether they know someone in the restaurant business. Or apply for restaurant server jobs on Indeed.

14. Make Money Renting Out Your Pool

Do you have a private swimming pool on your property? You can rent it out for some extra cash. Offer your poolside property to event companies or someone looking for space by the pool to host an event or party and make a handsome income from it by each hour.

Earning Potential: Up to $60/hour

Requirements: You will need a pool that’s in good condition with all the basic facilities and cleaning equipment. The next thing you require is insurance to protect your property from damage. Also, you should set rules & expectations and be clear about it from the start, as it is your personal residential property.

Investment needed: You'll need to pay for insurance if you don't already have one. The insurance cost will depend on the state you are living in, plus there will be some cleaning and maintenance costs which can be around $130 per month on average.

How To Get Started: Visit websites like Swimply and list yourself as a host.

15. Become a Budtender

A budtender's primary role is to assist customers, such as by offering suggestions, answering questions, and handling and showcasing products. This role requires patience to provide excellent customer service.

Budtenders are responsible for providing outstanding service to our customers and supporting the overall day-to-day operations of our retail dispensary.

Earning Potential: Up to $18-$20/hour

Requirements: It is important to Build outstanding customer relations, acquire knowledge of medical cannabis strains and applications, excellent communication skills & capable of learning register skills with accuracy and efficiency.

Investment needed: No investment needed!

How To Get Started: You can easily search for a Budtender jon in indeed

16. Become english teacher as second language

The program features outstanding faculty with teaching and research interests in language and literacy development, innovative language-learning methods, and technology-enhanced instruction. A unified focus on language for communicative purposes draws together contemporary theories that focus on the language learner as a whole person.

As part of the application process, candidates will be asked to describe and include examples of the characteristics that most closely align with their personal and/or professional commitments and experiences.

Earning Potential: Up to $13-$20+ per hour

Requirements: It is important to have the experience to teach, mentor, and engage in services for students. It also needs to have knowledge and experience in addressing disproportionate impact at an institution.

Investment needed: No investment needed!

How To Get Started: You can easily search for a ESL job here

17. Become A Valet Parking Attendant

Looking for side gigs to earn extra income in your free time in Oakland? Start working as a valet parking attendant. If you know how to drive and possess basic people skills this can be a great career option. You can work at restaurants, hotels, clubs, airports, and other business complexes as a parking attendant.

As a valet parking attendant, you'll be responsible for greeting customers as they enter the property, parking & bringing back the guests' cars from the parking space, and ensuring this whole operation is performed smoothly. In addition to providing excellent customer service, you'll also be responsible for keeping the parking lot clean and organized.

Earning Potential: Up to $14/hour + tips

Requirements: A valid driver's license, zero traffic offenses, neat appearance and uniform upkeep, and excellent customer service & communication skills.

Investment needed: $0 investment needed

How To Get Started:

Identify office blocks, restaurants, or office compounds with good traffic and talk to the management to get started. For inspiration, observe how professional valet services like Royal Parking operate and borrow a leaf from them.

18. Start A Blogging Channel

Starting a blog is something many people want to do and some even manage to start one. But what happens when you're ready to start getting serious with it?

Creating your own blog will help you begin a sustainable income stream, which you can increase with the creation of new products and services. The first step is deciding what type of blog you want to start, this could be an e-commerce store, a beauty blog, or even a cooking channel.

Earning Potential: $1,000 per month with 12 months

Requirements: Blogging is the art of writing and publishing blogs. It requires a lot of blogging skills, especially in writing blogs. There are various demands from the blogger's side and from your side as well.

Investment needed: It requires some money, time and investment. You should know that you need to find a good market for your blog because it will help to gain serious users engagement and traffic.

How To Get Started: Blogging is a great way to share what you know and build your personal brand. To achieve this, you'll need an audience. The easiest way to find that audience is by writing blog posts.

How Jodi Carlson Grew A Niche Blog To $6.5K/Month

19. Become A Accounting Clerk

Are you an Accounting Clerk looking to join a well-respected organization? The Accounting Clerk will match invoices to purchase orders/ vouchers, data entry, and assist with Accounts Payable (A/P) and Accounts Receivable (A/R). This job offers a dynamic, team-oriented workspace, great benefits, and future career advancement opportunity.

Earning Potential: Up to $25/hour

Requirements: Accounting clerks should have excellent communication, time management, and organizational skills. You must also be proficient in accounting, mathematics, computing, and data management.

Investment needed: You don't need to invest any money to start this side job.

How To Get Started: You can be a accounting clerk easily by finding it on simplyhired.com.

20. Become a Dog Walker

If you have a couple of hours and need an exercise buddy, consider taking a stranger's dog for a walk. There are tons of people in the area that can't walk their dogs and will pay you to have a fun hour or two with their bundle of fur. Can it get any better?

Apps like Wag let you work on a flexible schedule and choose when you want to work. However, if you're open to doggy sitting/boarding - you're on call 24/7. Still, you're doing a service to your neighborhood and getting paid handsomely for it!

Earning Potential: up to $25/hour

Benefits: You get to play with a furball, get some exercise and explore the area!

How To Get Started: You can apply to be a dog walker through apps like Rover, Walkatxpets, Wag.

Dog walking can bring in some serious money. Learn how Melodi makes $54k/month walking dogs.

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Pat Walls