Top side hustles in New Orleans
New Orleans doesn't have an off-season so much as a slightly quieter one. Carnival rolls into French Quarter Fest, Jazz Fest, Essence Fest, Saints season, the Sugar Bowl and back into Carnival, with conventions filling the gaps. Every one of those events creates work: rides, food, drinks, cleaning, tours, photos and setup. That's why the best side hustles in New Orleans follow the crowds, and why people who plan around the calendar earn far more than people who just turn on an app.
Below are 18 side hustles in New Orleans, with typical pay, startup costs, the permits that matter here, and the neighborhoods and seasons that make each one work.
The New Orleans money calendar
Before picking a hustle, look at when the money arrives:
- January–March: the Sugar Bowl on New Year's, then Carnival season building to Mardi Gras. Parade weekends are the busiest days of the year for drivers, bartenders and cleaners.
- April–May: French Quarter Fest and two weekends of Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds, plus spring conventions at the Morial Convention Center.
- June–August: Essence Fest around the Fourth of July, Satchmo SummerFest and slower, hotter weeks. Hurricane season starts June 1.
- September–December: Saints at the Caesars Superdome, Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center, Halloween in the Marigny, fall festivals and the holiday season.
Underneath the events sit steady employers: Ochsner, LCMC Health, Tulane, Loyola, Xavier, Dillard and the University of New Orleans, the Port of New Orleans and its cruise terminal, and thousands of restaurants and hotels.
Best side hustles in New Orleans right now
1. Festival and event staffing
Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest, Essence Fest, Saints games and conventions all need ushers, ticket scanners, bar backs, runners and setup crews. Sign up with staffing agencies early in the year so you're on their list before Carnival.
2. Short-term rental cleaning and co-hosting
Licensed rentals in the Marigny, Bywater, Treme, Mid-City and Uptown need fast turnovers, especially on festival weekends. Co-hosts handle messaging, restocking and maintenance for owners. Only work with properties that hold valid permits.
3. Rideshare driving
Airport runs from Louis Armstrong International, convention traffic downtown, Frenchmen Street at night and post-game crowds at the Superdome are the money windows. During Carnival, know the parade routes or you'll lose hours. Our Lyft and Uber guide covers sign-up basics.
4. Food and grocery delivery
DoorDash, Uber Eats and Instacart are busy Uptown, in Mid-City and across the river in Metairie and Kenner. Summer heat and rainy afternoons push orders up. A bike works well in the Quarter, the Marigny and the CBD where parking is painful.
5. Licensed tour guiding
Ghost tours, cemetery tours, food tours, history walks and music tours are a New Orleans staple. The city requires paid tour guides to hold a license, which involves a history exam and a background check. Once licensed, you can work for established companies or build your own tours.
6. Bartending and catering
Weddings, second lines, Carnival balls, conventions and private parties keep caterers short-staffed. Louisiana requires alcohol server training and a permit (often called a bar card) for most people who serve drinks.
7. Pet sitting and dog walking
Hospital staff at Ochsner and the medical district, service-industry workers with late shifts, and residents who leave town during festivals keep sitters busy. Audubon Park and City Park are great walking routes.
8. Remote freelancing
Restaurants, tour companies, musicians and hotels all need marketing, design, photography and copy. Start on Fiverr or with local businesses, then build monthly retainers. Our digital marketing side hustle guide shows how to package services.
Side jobs in New Orleans compared
| Side hustle | Typical pay | Startup cost | Time to first dollar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event staffing | $15–$25/hr plus tips | $0 | Next big event |
| Rental cleaning | $80–$175 per turnover | $75–$150 | 1–2 weeks |
| Rideshare | $15–$28/hr before expenses | Eligible car | 1–2 weeks |
| Delivery | $15–$22/hr before gas | Car or bike | Under 1 week |
| Tour guiding | $20–$40/hr plus tips | License | Weeks |
| Bartending & catering | $18–$35/hr plus tips | Server permit | 1–3 weeks |
| Pet sitting | $40–$70/night | $0 | 1–3 weeks |
| Freelancing | $25–$75/hr | Laptop | 2–6 weeks |
Want to know how many festival shifts it takes to hit your goal? Plug in your numbers:
Side Hustle Income Calculator
Plug in your rate and hours to see monthly and yearly take-home — and how long until you hit a goal.
Creative side hustles in the Crescent City
9. Photography
Engagement shoots in the French Quarter, bachelorette parties on Bourbon Street, weddings in the Garden District and family photos in City Park. Real estate agents also need listing photos year-round.
10. Live music and DJing
Restaurants, private parties, weddings and brunches hire musicians and DJs constantly. Build a set list for corporate events, which often pay more than club gigs.
11. Costumes, krewe crafts and throws
Carnival creates huge demand for custom costumes, decorated shoes and handmade throws. Krewe members order months ahead. Sell at local markets and online.
12. Content creation for restaurants and bars
New Orleans restaurants live and die by social media. Short videos of dishes and cocktails, shot with a phone and a clip-on lav mic, can become monthly retainers.
Home services and hurricane-season work
13. Hurricane prep and cleanup
From June through November, homeowners need storm shutters installed, yards secured, gutters cleaned and debris hauled after storms. Sell a prep package early to older residents and absentee owners. Leave roofing and electrical work to licensed contractors.
14. Handyman work in historic homes
Shotgun houses and Creole cottages in Bywater, Treme, Mid-City and the Irish Channel need constant small repairs: sticking doors, loose shutters and humidity damage. Check historic district rules before touching exteriors.
15. Pressure washing and mold cleanup
Humidity grows mildew on everything. Porches, sidewalks, siding and courtyards need regular washing, and businesses in the Quarter pay to keep storefronts clean.
16. Lawn and yard care
The growing season is long. Lakeview, Gentilly, Metairie and Algiers have yards that need mowing nearly year-round.
Skill-based side jobs in New Orleans
17. Tutoring
Students from Tulane, Loyola and UNO can tutor in person, and families pay well for ACT prep and help with private-school entrance exams.
18. Online courses and digital products
Cooking, cocktails, music lessons and local history all translate into courses on Udemy or digital guides. It's slow to build but earns while you sleep.
Match your hustle to the neighborhood
- French Quarter, CBD and Warehouse District: tours, event staffing, bartending, rideshare and storefront pressure washing. Convention weeks fill hotels and restaurants here first.
- Marigny, Bywater and Treme: rental cleaning for licensed hosts, music gigs on Frenchmen Street, photography and handyman work on older homes.
- Uptown, Garden District and the Irish Channel: pet sitting, tutoring for families and university students, delivery along Magazine Street and wedding photography.
- Mid-City, Lakeview and Gentilly: Jazz Fest parking and services near the Fair Grounds, lawn care and dog walking around City Park.
- Metairie, Kenner and the West Bank: airport rides, suburban lawn care, hurricane prep and grocery delivery.
How to start a side hustle in New Orleans this month
- Look at the calendar first. Pick a hustle that matches the next big event, not the one that peaks after you've lost interest.
- Handle permits early. Occupational license, tour guide license or alcohol server permit can take weeks, so start now.
- Get on staffing lists. Event agencies and caterers book their crews before Carnival and Jazz Fest.
- Build local visibility. Neighborhood Facebook groups, Nextdoor and a Google Business Profile bring in early clients.
- Collect reviews and referrals. New Orleans runs on word of mouth.
- Save for taxes. Put away a share of every payout and track mileage and supplies.
Louisiana taxes and New Orleans rules
- State income tax: Louisiana moved to a flat 3% income tax starting in 2025 and raised its standard deduction.
- Self-employment tax: 15.3% federal on net profit. Use the self-employment tax calculator to estimate quarterly payments.
- Occupational license: most New Orleans businesses, including home-based ones, need a city occupational license, which renews every year.
- Tour guides: paid guides need a city tour guide license.
- Short-term rentals: residential permits generally require owner-occupancy with a homestead exemption, and the rules have changed often. Verify permits before cleaning or co-hosting for anyone.
- Sales tax: if you sell goods, register with the Louisiana Department of Revenue and the city. Combined state and local sales tax in Orleans Parish is high, so build it into your prices.
More Louisiana and nearby city guides
Elsewhere in Louisiana, see our guide to side hustles in Bossier City. For nearby big cities, compare the best side hustles in Houston and Memphis.
Pick one idea, plan it around the next festival, and track every hour and dollar. Better Side Hustles readers in New Orleans who do that tend to find the city pays them back.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best side hustles in New Orleans?
Festival and event work, delivery and rideshare timed to Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, licensed tour guiding, short-term rental cleaning, catering and bartending, pet sitting, hurricane prep, photography and remote freelancing are the strongest options. Tourism runs nearly year-round, so demand for hospitality and service work rarely disappears for long.
How can I make money in New Orleans fast?
Delivery and driving apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart and Uber can pay within a week or two of approval. Event staffing agencies hire heavily before Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, Essence Fest, Saints games and big conventions. Catering companies and bars often need extra hands on short notice during festival season.
Do I need a license for a side hustle in New Orleans?
Most businesses in New Orleans, including home-based ones, need an occupational license from the city, applied for through Safety and Permits with a follow-up to the Bureau of Revenue. Paid tour guides need a separate city tour guide license, and short-term rentals need their own permit. Check nola.gov before you take your first paying client.
How is side hustle income taxed in Louisiana?
Louisiana switched to a flat 3% state income tax starting in 2025, with a larger standard deduction than before. You also owe federal income tax and 15.3% self-employment tax on net profit. A safe rule is to set aside about 25% of profit and make quarterly estimated payments once you expect to owe $1,000 or more.
Can I do Airbnb as a side hustle in New Orleans?
It is heavily regulated. Residential short-term rental permits generally require the owner to live on the property and hold a homestead exemption, permits are limited by block, and commercial permits have been frozen. Many people earn from the industry instead by cleaning, co-hosting or handling maintenance for licensed hosts. Confirm current rules with the city first.
What side gigs in New Orleans pay the most during Mardi Gras?
Rideshare, bartending, catering, event staffing, parking near parade routes, and short-term rental cleaning see the biggest jumps during Carnival. Rates and tips rise because demand spikes, but so do traffic and street closures. Plan your routes around the parade schedule and book cleaning or catering clients weeks in advance.
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.
