Top side hustles in Nashville
Nashville never really has an off-season. Bachelorette parties pack Lower Broadway every weekend, conventions fill the Music City Center, and new residents keep arriving for jobs at HCA Healthcare, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Amazon and dozens of fast-growing companies. That steady stream of visitors and newcomers is why the best side hustles in Nashville lean toward hospitality, driving and services for busy people, with creative gigs layered on top for anyone with music, video or design skills.
Below are 18 side gigs that work in Nashville right now, with typical pay, startup costs and the neighborhoods, events and rules that matter. Better Side Hustles has kept the focus on gigs you can start within a month, not ideas that need a year of runway.
Nashville's side hustle micro-markets
Each part of the metro creates a different kind of demand. Know which one you're working:
- Downtown, SoBro and The Gulch: tourists, bachelorette groups, conventions and stadium crowds. Best for rideshare, event staffing and rental cleaning.
- East Nashville, Germantown and 12 South: younger professionals in condos and renovated bungalows. Great for delivery, dog walking and short-term rental work.
- Franklin, Brentwood and Green Hills: high household incomes and big yards. Ideal for lawn care, pressure washing, tutoring, cleaning and pet sitting.
- Midtown and West End: Vanderbilt and Belmont students plus Music Row. Best for tutoring, moving help and creative gigs.
- Murfreesboro, Mt. Juliet and Hendersonville: fast-growing suburbs with new construction, which means furniture assembly, handyman and moving work.
Tourism and nightlife side gigs
1. Rideshare driving
Friday and Saturday nights on Broadway, early flights at BNA, Titans games at Nissan Stadium, Predators games at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville SC at Geodis Park and every day of CMA Fest are the money windows. New Year's Eve and July 4th downtown are among the busiest nights of the year. See our Lyft and Uber guide for sign-up basics.
2. Short-term rental cleaning and co-hosting
Permitted rentals across downtown, East Nashville and The Gulch turn over almost every weekend, often with tight Sunday checkouts and Friday check-ins. Hosts value cleaners who show up on time, restock well and report damage with photos. Co-hosting for owners pays a share of bookings.
3. Food and grocery delivery
Dense neighborhoods like Midtown, Germantown and The Gulch stack orders quickly, while Brentwood and Franklin tip well on Instacart. Traffic on I-40 and I-65 can kill your hourly rate, so pick a zone and stay in it.
Nashville traffic and parking costs change the math on driving gigs. Plug in your numbers before you commit:
Gig Driver Earnings Calculator
Uber, Lyft, DoorDash or Instacart — see what you really earn per hour after gas and wear on your car.
4. Event staffing and concessions
Staffing agencies and concessionaires hire for Nissan Stadium, Bridgestone Arena, Geodis Park, the Ryman, the Music City Center and CMA Fest every June. Shifts include bartending support, ushering, setup and merch sales.
5. Bachelorette and group-trip services
Nashville is one of the most popular bachelorette destinations in the country, and groups pay for hair and makeup, rental decorating, welcome baskets, photo sessions and planning help. Partner with rental hosts and party-bus operators for referrals.
6. Pet sitting and dog walking
Apartment dogs in The Gulch and Midtown need midday walks, and touring musicians and traveling nurses need overnight sitters. Rover is the fastest way to build reviews, and repeat clients often move off-app.
7. Freelancing for healthcare and music businesses
Nashville is a national healthcare-management hub and the business center of country music. Both need writers, designers, social media managers and data help. Start on Fiverr or Upwork, then pitch local agencies and labels directly.
8. Music lessons and session work
If you play, teach. Families in Williamson County and adults new to town want guitar, piano and voice lessons, and working musicians pick up session, demo and writers-round gigs. Lessons are the steady income; gigs are the upside.
Side jobs in Nashville compared
| Side hustle | Typical pay | Startup cost | Time to first dollar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rideshare | $16–$28/hr before expenses | Eligible car | 1–2 weeks |
| Rental cleaning | $25–$50/hr | $75–$150 | 1–2 weeks |
| Food delivery | $15–$24/hr before gas | Car or e-bike | Under 1 week |
| Event staffing | $15–$25/hr | $0 | Next big event |
| Group-trip services | $100–$500 per booking | $100–$400 | 2–4 weeks |
| Music lessons | $35–$70 per lesson | Instrument | 1–3 weeks |
| Freelancing | $25–$80/hr | Laptop | 2–6 weeks |
Creative side gigs in Music City
9. Photography and content creation
Artists need press photos, album art and social content, bachelorette groups want photo sessions on Broadway, and real estate agents need listing photos all over Davidson and Williamson counties. A phone gimbal makes short-form video look professional.
10. Video and podcast editing
Independent artists, churches, podcasters and small businesses all produce video and audio and few want to edit it themselves. Remote editing work fits around a day job and pays well once you have a portfolio.
11. Virtual assistant for artists and creatives
Songwriters and touring acts need help with booking emails, scheduling, social posting and merch orders. If you understand the music business, this is a niche with little competition.
Home services for a growing city
12. Moving help
So many people relocate to Middle Tennessee that moving help is a steady gig year-round, peaking in summer and around Vanderbilt and Belmont move-in. TaskRabbit, Dolly and Lugg send jobs, and a pickup lets you charge more.
13. Handyman and furniture assembly
New townhomes and apartment buildings mean endless furniture assembly, TV mounting and shelving jobs, and older homes in Sylvan Park and East Nashville need small repairs. Skip anything that requires a licensed contractor.
14. Lawn care and landscaping
Franklin, Brentwood and Nolensville have large yards and owners who'd rather pay than mow in the summer heat. The season runs from spring well into fall, with leaf cleanup to finish the year.
15. Pressure washing
Humidity puts mildew on siding, fences and patios across Middle Tennessee. Rental hosts want spotless exteriors for listing photos, and HOAs in the suburbs send reminder letters that create demand for you.
16. Tutoring and test prep
Williamson County families invest heavily in ACT prep, and Vanderbilt, Belmont and Lipscomb students make strong tutors. Online tutoring lets you work any evening.
17. Mobile car detailing
Office parks in Cool Springs and the Maryland Farms area of Brentwood are full of commuters who'll pay for a detail while they work. Spring pollen season is especially busy.
18. Reselling vintage western wear
Cowboy boots, vintage denim, pearl-snap shirts and band tees sell fast to visitors and online buyers. Source at estate sales and thrift stores around the metro, then sell on Poshmark, eBay or your own Shopify store.
How to make money in Nashville starting this month
- Choose your micro-market. Downtown for tourism gigs, the suburbs for home services, Midtown for students and creative work.
- Pick one hustle and set a target. The income calculator turns a monthly goal into weekly hours.
- Get listed. Sign up for the apps, or post on Nextdoor and neighborhood Facebook groups and set up a Google Business Profile.
- Network with hosts and planners. One property manager or event planner can send you more work than any ad.
- Get your minimal activity license from the Davidson County Clerk once you expect more than $3,000 a year in gross receipts.
- Save for federal taxes. Move a percentage of every payout into a separate account.
Tennessee taxes and Nashville rules for side income
- No state income tax: Tennessee does not tax wages or self-employment income.
- Federal taxes still apply: federal income tax plus 15.3% self-employment tax on net profit. The self-employment tax calculator helps you plan quarterly payments.
- Business tax and licenses: under $3,000 in annual gross receipts, no business license is required. From $3,000 to just under $100,000 you need a minimal activity license from the county clerk. At $100,000 or more you need a standard business license and must file an annual Tennessee business tax return.
- Franchise and excise tax: LLCs and corporations generally owe Tennessee franchise and excise taxes, including a minimum franchise tax, even with small profits.
- Sales tax: Tennessee's state rate is 7%, and Davidson County adds a local rate on top. Register with the Department of Revenue if you sell taxable goods.
- Short-term rentals: require a permit from Metro Codes. There are owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied permits, non-owner-occupied permits are limited to certain zoning districts, and permits must be renewed every 12 months. Hosts also owe occupancy taxes.
Compare with nearby cities
See how Nashville stacks up against the best side hustles in Memphis, Louisville and Atlanta. Nashville costs more to live in than Memphis or Louisville, but its tourism volume and lack of state income tax make it one of the strongest side hustle cities in the South.
Pick one idea, give it 90 days and track every hour and dollar. That's how side gigs in Nashville become income you can rely on.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best side hustles in Nashville?
The strongest options are rideshare around Lower Broadway, BNA and stadium events, short-term rental cleaning and co-hosting, food delivery, event staffing, services for bachelorette and group trips, pet sitting, and freelancing for the healthcare and music industries. Musicians can add lessons and session work. No state income tax means you keep more of every dollar.
How can I make money in Nashville fast?
Delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Instacart usually pay within a week. Event staffing agencies hire constantly for Nissan Stadium, Bridgestone Arena and the Music City Center, and turnover cleaning for rental hosts is in steady demand every weekend. Moving help on TaskRabbit is another quick start, since so many people relocate to the area.
Do I need a business license for a side hustle in Nashville?
If you gross less than $3,000 a year, Tennessee requires no business license. Between $3,000 and $100,000 you need a minimal activity license from the Davidson County Clerk, and at $100,000 or more a standard license and an annual business tax return. Short-term rentals need a separate Metro Codes permit, and food or regulated trades need their own permits.
Do I pay state income tax on side hustle income in Tennessee?
No. Tennessee has no personal income tax on wages or self-employment earnings. You still owe federal income tax and 15.3% federal self-employment tax on net profit. LLCs and corporations may owe Tennessee franchise and excise taxes, and sales tax applies to many goods. Setting aside about 20 to 25% of profit covers most people.
How much can I make from side jobs in Nashville?
Most people working 8 to 15 hours a week typically earn $500 to $1,800 a month. App gigs usually net $15 to $24 an hour after gas, while turnover cleaning, photography, music lessons and freelancing often reach $30 to $80 an hour once you have regular clients. Big weekends like CMA Fest and New Year's Eve can pay far more.
Can I run an Airbnb in Nashville as a side hustle?
You can, but you need a short-term rental permit from Metro Codes first. Nashville issues owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied permits, and non-owner-occupied permits are restricted to certain zoning districts. Permits run for 12 months and need renewal. If you do not own property, cleaning and co-hosting for permitted hosts is an easier way in.
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.
