Top side hustles in this guide
Indianapolis is one of the easiest big cities in the country to build extra income. Rent is lower than in most metros its size, you can cross town in 20 minutes, and the calendar is stuffed with events that send demand for drivers, staff and services through the roof. That combination means the best side hustles in Indianapolis don't require a huge audience or a big investment — just reliability and good timing.
This guide covers 20 side gigs that work in Indy right now, what each one typically pays, what it costs to start, and the local details (neighborhoods, seasons, employers and events) that separate people who earn real money from people who quit after two weeks.
Why Indianapolis works for side hustles in 2026
Three things make Indy unusually friendly to side income:
- Low costs, normal wages. Housing costs sit well below Chicago, Denver or any coastal city, while remote clients pay national rates. Every freelance dollar stretches further here.
- A packed event calendar. The Indy 500 in May, the Brickyard 400 in summer, Gen Con in late July or early August, the Indiana State Fair in August, the NFL Scouting Combine in late winter, Big Ten football championship weekend in December, plus Colts, Pacers and Fever home games. Each one creates surges for rideshare, parking, hospitality and short-term rentals.
- Real seasons. Lawns need mowing from April to October, leaves pile up in November, and Indy typically gets enough snow each winter to make driveway clearing a paying gig. Seasonal hustles stack neatly on top of year-round ones.
The local economy also helps. Big employers like Eli Lilly, IU Health, Elevance Health, Salesforce and Roche Diagnostics bring in well-paid professionals who outsource chores, while the FedEx hub at the airport and the Amazon warehouses in Plainfield and Whitestown make Indy a logistics town with steady courier and package work.
Quick comparison: side jobs in Indianapolis
| Side hustle | Typical pay | Startup cost | Time to first dollar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) | $15–$25/hr before expenses | Car that qualifies | 1–2 weeks |
| Food & grocery delivery | $15–$22/hr before gas | Car, bike or scooter | Under 1 week |
| Amazon Flex / courier | $18–$25/hr (block pay) | Car with cargo space | 1–2 weeks |
| Lawn care | $35–$60 per standard lawn | $0–$400 | Days |
| Snow removal | $30–$75 per driveway | $30–$100 (shovel, salt) | First snowfall |
| Rental turnover cleaning | $25–$45/hr | $75–$150 in supplies | 1–2 weeks |
| Handyman / assembly | $40–$75/hr | $100–$400 in tools | 1–2 weeks |
| Pet sitting & dog walking | $18–$30/walk, $40–$75/night | $0 | 1–3 weeks |
| Freelancing (writing, design, VA) | $20–$75/hr | Laptop | 2–6 weeks |
| Event staffing | $15–$25/hr | $0 | Next big event |
Gig-app side hustles (fastest cash)
If you need money this month, app-based work is the quickest path. The trick in Indy is to work the surges and skip the dead hours.
1. Rideshare driving
Indianapolis is an event town, so rideshare is all about the calendar. Post-game rushes near Lucas Oil Stadium and Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Friday and Saturday nights in Broad Ripple, Mass Ave and Fountain Square, and early-morning airport runs are the money windows. Race weekends at the Speedway and convention weeks downtown can be the best-paying days of the year. See our Lyft and Uber guide for sign-up basics.
2. Food and grocery delivery
DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart and Walmart Spark all run busy in Indy. Suburbs like Carmel, Fishers and Westfield tend to tip better and have easier parking than downtown, while Castleton and the Keystone corridor pack restaurants close together. Dinner rush and rainy or icy evenings pay the most.
3. Amazon Flex and package courier
With major Amazon facilities on the west and north sides and constant parcel volume, Flex blocks are common, especially around Prime Day and the November–December rush. Roadie and GoShare cover larger or same-day items. You see the block pay up front, which makes it easier to plan.
Before you commit to driving, run your real numbers. Gas, depreciation and the federal mileage deduction change the picture a lot:
Gig Driver Earnings Calculator
Uber, Lyft, DoorDash or Instacart — see what you really earn per hour after gas and wear on your car.
Home and yard services (best pay per hour)
Indy has a huge stock of older homes on the near-east and near-north sides and thousands of suburban lots with big lawns. Homeowners here will happily pay someone dependable to take chores off their weekends.
4. Lawn mowing and yard cleanup
Start with your own block, then the next one. Weekly mowing contracts in Fishers, Zionsville, Greenwood or Avon turn into predictable income from April through October, and fall leaf cleanup is a short, high-demand season. Use Nextdoor and neighborhood Facebook groups to fill a route.
5. Snow removal
When a storm hits, everyone wants their driveway cleared before work. Sell a season package to 10–20 neighbors in October so you're not scrambling. A sturdy ergonomic snow shovel and a bag of ice melt are enough to start; a snow blower lets you take more clients.
6. Handyman and furniture assembly
Neighborhoods like Irvington, Meridian-Kessler, Bates-Hendricks and Herron-Morton are full of older homes with sticky doors, leaky faucets and loose fixtures. TaskRabbit is busy for furniture assembly and TV mounting. Stick to small jobs and skip anything that needs a licensed electrician or plumber.
7. Pressure washing
Spring and early fall are prime time for driveways, decks and vinyl siding. A single job often pays $150–$400, and before-and-after photos market themselves on Facebook. An electric pressure washer covers most residential work.
8. House and rental turnover cleaning
Short-term rentals near downtown, the hospital districts and the Speedway need fast, reliable turnovers, especially on race and convention weekends when hosts charge peak rates. Recurring house cleaning in the suburbs is steadier. One good property manager can fill your whole week.
9. Pet sitting and dog walking
Busy professionals in downtown apartments and suburban families who travel for youth sports keep Rover and Wag busy. Holidays and race weekends book out early. Overnight sitting pays the most per booking, and repeat clients often move off-app.
Event side gigs: cash in on Indy's calendar
Few cities your size host as many big events. Plan your year around them and you can earn in a weekend what normally takes a month.
10. Event staffing and concessions
Staffing agencies and concession operators hire for Lucas Oil Stadium, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Indiana Convention Center, the Speedway and the State Fairgrounds. Shifts include ushering, ticket scanning, concessions, setup and teardown. Many non-profit groups also staff concession stands and split the proceeds.
11. Renting your parking space or driveway
If you live near the Speedway, downtown or the fairgrounds, your driveway is worth money on race day and game day. List it on apps like SpotHero or simply put up a sign. Homes near the track have done this for generations.
12. Short-term rental hosting or co-hosting
Hosts near downtown and the Speedway see huge demand during the 500 and major conventions. If you don't own property, co-host for an owner: handle messaging, cleaning and restocking for a cut of revenue. Check local zoning and HOA rules before you list.
Online side hustles that thrive on Indy rent
Remote work is where Indianapolis quietly wins. You earn coastal rates and pay Midwest rent.
13. Freelance writing, design or marketing
Pick one skill and one niche. Indy has a strong base of healthcare, life sciences, logistics and SaaS companies (the Salesforce and tech scene downtown helps) that need content, design and ads. Start on Fiverr or Upwork, then move clients to direct retainers. Our digital marketing side hustle guide shows how to package services.
14. Virtual assistant and bookkeeping
Local realtors, contractors and small medical practices need help with inboxes, scheduling, invoicing and CRM cleanup. Bookkeepers who know QuickBooks are in steady demand around tax season.
15. Tutoring and test prep
Families in Carmel, Fishers and Zionsville invest heavily in math, SAT/ACT and college-application help. College students at IU Indianapolis, Butler and the University of Indianapolis can tutor in person; anyone can tutor online for national platforms.
16. Online courses and digital products
If you have a professional skill — Excel, nursing exam prep, logistics software — package it into a course on Udemy or a template pack. It's slower to start but earns while you sleep.
Creative and selling side hustles
17. Real estate and event photography
Agents across Hamilton County need listing photos and short video walk-throughs every week. Weddings and graduation photos fill spring and summer weekends.
18. Reselling and flipping
Estate sales in older north-side neighborhoods, Goodwill outlets and garage sales feed eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Mercari. Vintage Colts, Pacers and racing memorabilia sell especially well — locally and to fans nationwide.
19. Handmade goods and local markets
Indy's pop-up markets, holiday bazaars and farmers markets (including the Saturday markets in Broad Ripple and Carmel) are great test kitchens for crafts, candles and Indy-themed apparel. Sell in person first, then expand online with Shopify or Etsy.
20. Mobile car detailing
Road salt wrecks cars every Indiana winter, which makes spring detailing an easy sell. Target office parks along Keystone and the north side, where workers will pay to have their car cleaned while they're at their desks.
Which side gig fits your schedule?
- Full-time job, weekends free: lawn care, pressure washing, event staffing, photography.
- Evenings only: delivery, rideshare, online tutoring, freelancing.
- Parent with school-hour gaps: cleaning, pet sitting, virtual assistant work.
- Student: event staffing, tutoring, dog walking, delivery by bike downtown.
Still not sure? Pick the gig that matches the hours you can protect every week — consistency beats hourly rate in month one.
How to start a side hustle in Indianapolis this month
- Pick one hustle that fits your hours. Don't start three at once. Choose based on the time you actually have, not the time you wish you had.
- Set your earnings target. Decide what you need per month and work backward to hours per week. Our income calculator does the math.
- Get listed where people already look. App sign-ups for gig work; Nextdoor, Facebook neighborhood groups and Google Business Profile for local services.
- Land three clients and ask for reviews. Early reviews matter more than any ad. Offer a small first-job discount if you need to.
- Mark your event calendar. Add the 500, Gen Con, the State Fair, the Combine and home-game schedules so you can plan surge weekends.
- Open a separate account and track expenses. It makes taxes painless and shows you which hustle actually pays.
Indiana taxes and rules for side income
Indiana keeps things simpler than most states:
- State income tax: a flat 2.95% for 2026, scheduled to step down further in later years.
- County income tax: you also pay your county's rate based on where you lived on January 1. Marion County is about 2.02%; Hamilton County is lower.
- Self-employment tax: 15.3% federal on net profit for Social Security and Medicare, on top of federal income tax. Use the self-employment tax calculator to estimate your set-aside.
- Sales tax: Indiana's 7% sales tax applies to most physical goods. If you sell products, register for a Retail Merchant Certificate through the state's INTIME portal. Most personal services aren't taxed.
- Licensing: there's no general statewide business license, and most service hustles in Indianapolis don't need a city license. File an assumed business name if you operate under a brand, and check permits for food sales and regulated trades.
Compare with nearby cities
Thinking about how Indy stacks up? See our guides to the best side hustles in Columbus, Louisville and Chicago. You'll notice Indianapolis combines bigger-city event demand with lower costs than any of them except Louisville — a rare mix that Better Side Hustles readers in Indy keep telling us works in their favor.
Pick one idea from this list, give it 90 days of consistent effort, and track every hour and dollar. That's how a side gig turns into reliable income — or the first step toward working for yourself.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best side hustles in Indianapolis in 2026?
The strongest options are event-timed rideshare and delivery, seasonal lawn care and snow removal, short-term rental cleaning, handyman work in older neighborhoods, pet sitting, and remote freelancing. Indy's low rent means online income goes further here than in coastal cities, while the packed event calendar keeps local gigs busy year-round.
What side gigs in Indianapolis can I start this week?
Delivery apps (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, Spark), Amazon Flex, Rover pet sitting, TaskRabbit furniture assembly and event staffing agencies can all pay within a week or two once your background check clears. If you already own a mower or a shovel, door-knocking your own street can produce paying lawn or snow clients in a day.
How much can I make from side jobs in Indianapolis?
Most people working 8–15 hours a week earn roughly $400–$1,500 a month. App-based gigs typically net $15–$22 an hour after gas, while skilled services like handyman work, pressure washing or freelancing often run $40–$75 an hour once you have repeat clients. Results vary with hours, season and how well you price.
Do I need a business license for a side hustle in Indianapolis?
Indiana has no general statewide business license, and Indianapolis does not require one for most service side hustles. You may need to file an assumed business name with the county if you use a brand name, register for a Retail Merchant Certificate if you sell taxable goods, and get specific permits for things like food sales or trades. Check the city and state sites before you scale.
How are side hustle earnings taxed in Indiana?
Indiana has a flat state income tax of 2.95% for 2026, plus a county income tax (Marion County is about 2.02%). On top of that you owe federal income tax and 15.3% self-employment tax on net profit. A simple rule: set aside 25–30% of profit and make quarterly estimated payments once you expect to owe $1,000 or more.
Which Indianapolis suburbs are best for side hustles?
Carmel, Fishers, Westfield and Zionsville have high household incomes and big lawns, which is ideal for lawn care, snow removal, pet sitting, cleaning and tutoring. Greenwood and Avon offer similar demand with less competition. Downtown, Mass Ave and Broad Ripple are better for rideshare, delivery and event work.
Better Side Hustles Editorial Team. We research side hustles the practical way — platform fees, real pay ranges and what it takes to land your first dollar. How we write our guides.
Last reviewed October 26, 2026. Pay ranges are estimates and vary by city, season and effort. This article may contain affiliate links; see our disclosure.
