Nine to THRIVE – Data Reveals the Most Popular Side Hustles in Canada
At BonusFinder Canada, it’s no secret that we’re all about winning. And for a lot of us here in Canada, more than a quarter in fact, that cup of ambition stretches beyond what a 9-5 job can offer.
When we spotted the news that the wealth gap in Canada increased at the quickest rate on record in the first three months of this year, we wanted to see what that really means for hardworking Canadians and their salaries.
Sure enough, Canadians have started to pick up side hustles and contract work to help cover expenses and secure some savings outside their day jobs.
In fact, side hustles as a term has been searched for 131,040 times in the last year, on average. Ontarians are the most interested in potential side hustles, with 50,520 searches in the last year from people in the province looking to supplement their income.
The Most Popular Side Hustles in Canada
Through analysing search data, we were able to collate the search volume figures for different side hustles within each region in Canada, including related keywords. We then found the average annual search volume to reveal which Canadian side hustle is the most popular throughout the country.
1. Social Media Management
It’s not just the case that any side hustle will do, we Canadians are a discerning bunch after all! According to Google search data, social media management is the most popular side hustle in Canada, searched 43,200 times in the past year. Ontario accounts for 22,800 of these searches, suggesting that most media managers are based in the province.
2. Virtual Assistance Jobs
Virtual assistant jobs have emerged as the second most popular side hustle in Canada, with 24,240 searches annually. This is likely due to the rise of remote and more flexible working, as individuals opt for remote administrative, organizational, and support roles to earn extra income and achieve a better work-life balance for themselves and their families.
Selling Handmade Crafts
Selling handmade crafts comes in third, as Canada’s talented crafters and artists searched for information about selling their items, 14,640 in the last year. Again, Ontario, along with British Columbia and Quebec, saw the most searches in this category. With Etsy’s gross merchandise sales reported to achieve $13.32 billion in 2022, it seems handmade jewelry is the best way to make a profit.
Other Common Canadian Side Hustles
Four of the top side hustles are related to the creative industry, whereas only two relate to the diet and fitness industry. Seven out of 10 of the most popular side hustles are suitable for remote working, making them perfect for working alongside a day job.
The least sought-after side hustle from the research is rideshare driving with zero searches in Canada, which is surprising as apps like Uber, Lyft or even Bolt are very popular.
Influencing Canada
While social media management is the top side hustle searched for across all provinces, social media influencing takes fourth place with 10,800 searches in the last year.
With influencers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch and others building communities, collaborating with brands and reaping the rewards of minor celebrity, becoming an influencer in your own right appeals to a lot of Canadians.
It’s particularly true for people in Yukon province where it was the most searched for side hustle of the last year. While the benefits might make it appealing, it’s not as easy as it looks, and is certainly not the way to make a quick buck.
Side Hustle Opportunities for Canadians
There’s good news from our study for Canadians yet to find their perfect side hustle. According to the data, there’s plenty of opportunities for people to pick up a side hustle in under-searched categories.
If you need a fully remote side hustle that can be done flexibly with little competition, paid online surveys are the perfect match. Only 720 Canadians have searched the team in the last year, and as it’s opinion-based you don’t need any qualifications.
Animal lover and don’t mind travelling? The biggest side hustle opportunity for you is as a pet sitter — only 120 searches in the last year! Again, no qualifications necessary, and you get to see more of our beautiful country. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, and your day job allows it, why not offer your services abroad too?
And of course, we had to look at where in the country people are using things like sports betting and online casinos. Across the whole of Canada, making money from gambling featured in the top 10 side hustles searches, above selling on eBay, Airbnb hosting, web development, and OnlyFans, among others.
People in Yukon are most interested in making money from gambling, however as it’s not guaranteed income like some of the other side hustles listed, the search volume there peaked at 480 in the last 12 months.
The good people of Yukon are also the keenest for information on earning money from OnlyFans the most — with 240 searches in the last year.
Methodology
1. BonusFinder Canada sought to determine which of the most common side hustles Canadians from different provinces are more interested in.
2. They used a range of reputable online sources to create a comprehensive list of the most common side hustles.
3. Subsequently, they utilized Google Ads Keyword Planner to collate the average search volume figures for each region in Canada, including related keywords.
4. The keyword search was filtered by the last 12 months, between April 2022 to April 2023.
5. The search volumes are based on the average number of searches for each keyword and its close variants within the selected time frame (e.g 12 months – April 2022 to April 2023) and location selected.
6. To calculate the average yearly search volume for each region, the total search volume for all side hustles was multiplied by 12.
7. The data collection was completed on June 12th, 2023, and is accurate as of that date.
