The best side hustles for military members are flexible and portable: knife sharpening, building a military niche website, training AI models, and house hacking with a VA loan. For military spouses, the best options are remote businesses that survive a PCS move, like virtual assistant work, bookkeeping, and an online store.
Yes, active-duty service members can have a side hustle, but you’ll usually need approval first. Under the Joint Ethics Regulation, off-duty employment is approved unless the work would involve prohibited conduct, and your branch may add rules on top of that. For example, Air Force guidance requires sign-off from your supervisor, legal office, and commander, plus at least six hours of rest before your next duty period.
Military spouses face a different challenge. The civilian spouse unemployment rate was 20% in the 2024 Survey of Active Duty Spouses. With a PCS move every few years, portable work matters.
Below are 18 side hustles for military members, veterans, and spouses, with real examples from people I’ve interviewed on The Side Hustle Show. Jump to the list sorted by situation to find what fits your duty status.
1. Knife Sharpening
Matt Rowell got the idea for his side hustle while deployed with the Navy in Djibouti. He picked up a sharpening kit, taught himself from YouTube videos, and practiced his way to proficiency.
He went on to earn $30–60 an hour sharpening knives for his local customers. In one month, he made $1,700 and had to turn some customers away.
It’s cheap to start, easy to do on your own schedule, and every house you drive past is a potential customer.
2. Build a Military Niche Website
Your military experience is valuable to the people coming up behind you.
Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Steven Foust built NCOonFire.com to help soldiers get promoted faster. He sells memberships and mentoring, and eventually grew it to $14,000 a month!
Think about what you know that others are searching for: promotion points, PCS moves, military benefits, or transitioning to civilian life.
3. Start an Authority Site in Your Specialty
Dr. Ryan Gray was an Air Force flight surgeon when he and his wife started MedicalSchoolHQ.net, a resource for premed and med school students.
He grew the website and podcast on the side, and eventually turned it into a full-time business after leaving the Air Force.
Whatever your specialty, from aviation to IT to logistics, there’s probably an audience looking for what you know.
4. House Hack with a VA Loan
The VA home loan lets you buy a home with up to 4 units with no down payment, as long as you live in it.
That makes it a powerful house hacking tool. Live in one unit, rent out the others, and let your tenants cover most or all of your mortgage. When you PCS, you can keep the property and rent out your unit too.
Here’s our full guide to house hacking, including how Craig Curelop rented out part of his home to cover his housing costs.
5. Train AI Models
AI companies pay people to review and improve chatbot answers by rating responses, fact-checking, and rewriting answers that miss the mark.
It’s a remote side hustle you can do on your own schedule. DataAnnotation lists generalist projects at $25–50 an hour, with higher rates for coding, STEM, and other specialized fields.
The work can be on-and-off depending on what projects are available.
6. Fitness Coaching
Service members know how to train for a fitness test. Plenty of civilians (and recruits) will pay for that kind of accountability.
You could offer in-person sessions, online coaching plans, or test-prep programs for people trying to join. Here are more fitness side hustle ideas with real earnings.
7. Delivery Gigs
Delivery apps let you work whenever you have a free evening or weekend, and you can stop anytime.
With DoorDash, you pick up and deliver takeout orders. With Instacart, you shop for groceries and deliver them. Either way, you choose when to log on, so it’s easy to work around duty hours.
8. Online Surveys and Apps
Survey and rewards apps won’t replace a paycheck, but they’re an easy way to earn a little extra from your phone during downtime.
Swagbucks pays for surveys, videos, and shopping, and KashKick pays you to try games and offers. Here’s our full list of the best online survey sites.
Swagbucks
4.4
Swagbucks has paid out over $650 million to users over the last 10+ years.
- Quick and easy to use
- Lots of ways to earn
- $10 sign-up bonus
- Surveys don’t pay much
9. Loan Draw Inspections
Lou Shaver spent his career as an inspector, first in the Army and then for the Navy. In retirement, he started doing construction loan draw inspections, photographing homes under construction so lenders can release the next round of funding.
He charges about $65 per inspection and now averages about $4,100 a month, with almost no startup costs and not much selling.
10. Win Government Contracts
The government is the world’s largest customer, and small businesses won around $154 billion in contracts in a single year, according to retired Lt. Col. Ricky Howard.
Veterans have an edge here: some contracts are set aside for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses through the SBA. Here’s Ricky’s step-by-step guide to winning government contracts.
11. Become a Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistant work is one of the most portable jobs for military spouses. Your clients don’t care whether you’re in North Carolina, Germany, or Japan, as long as the work gets done.
Abbey Ashley started her VA business while on maternity leave and booked enough clients in a few months that she never went back to her old job. She has a free training on becoming a VA that covers where to find clients.
12. Virtual Bookkeeping
Small businesses need someone to keep their books in order, and it’s flexible work you can take with you from base to base.
Kate Johnson, the wife of a naval officer, started her bookkeeping business with an extra 9 hours a week. When we spoke, she was able to earn $70 an hour from home. Here’s a free training on how to get started.
13. Start an Online Store
Samantha Hamilton grew Dottie for Running, her Disney-inspired running skirt brand, while raising three kids and living in Germany, where her husband was stationed.
She built it into a six-figure business and eventually sold it for $120,000. An online store can move with you, as long as you have reliable shipping.
14. Sell Printables on Etsy
Printables are digital files people buy and print at home, like planners, checklists, and party invitations. Etsy delivers them automatically, so there’s nothing to ship when you PCS.
Rachel Jones averaged over $10,000 a month selling printables on Etsy, while balancing a full-time job and two young kids.
Etsy Printables
Create something once, sell it over and over again on autopilot. That’s the dream of a printable digital product business.
This free guide to seasonal product ideas will get your creative juices flowing on what you could sell.
15. Teach Online Classes for Kids
Outschool lets you teach live online group classes to kids from anywhere with an internet connection.
Jade Weatherington grew from $32 her first month to $10,000+ a month working about 20 hours a week.
16. Pet Sitting
Military families are always moving, deploying, or traveling for training, and many need someone to watch their pets.
On Rover, you set your own rates for boarding, house sitting, drop-ins, and dog walking. Here’s our full Rover sitter review.
Rover
4.4
- Strong income potential
- Reputable platform and protection
- Flexible schedule
- Potentially difficult pets (and owners)
- Limited to local demand
17. Create UGC Videos for Brands
UGC (user-generated content) means getting paid to film short, authentic-looking videos that brands use in their ads and social media. You don’t need a big following, and you can do it from any duty station.
Megan Collier landed her first $750 UGC deal within 10 days and now earns about $300 an hour.
18. Find a Remote Job
If you’d rather have steady part-time work than run a business, FlexJobs lists hand-screened remote and flexible jobs, so you don’t have to dig through scams.
It’s also worth checking the MSEP partner portal on Military OneSource, where partner employers recruit military spouses.
FlexJobs: #1 For Remote Jobs
4.7
The best place to find legit work from home jobs. Established in 2007, FlexJobs has 1000s of listings including part-time, full-time, and freelance options in tons of industries.
Side Hustles for Military Members and Spouses by Situation
Active duty, with approval: knife sharpening, niche websites, AI training, fitness coaching, delivery gigs, and surveys and apps.
Deployed or stationed overseas: AI training, authority sites, printables, and online classes. Check host-nation rules first.
Military spouses: virtual assistant work, bookkeeping, an online store, pet sitting, UGC, and remote jobs.
Veterans and retirees: loan draw inspections, government contracts, and house hacking with a VA loan.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can active duty military have a side hustle?
Yes, but you’ll usually need approval first. Under the Joint Ethics Regulation, off-duty employment is approved unless the work would involve prohibited conduct. Your branch may also require sign-off from your chain of command and set rest requirements, so check with your legal office before you start.
What are good side hustles for military spouses?
The best ones are portable and remote, so they survive a PCS move: virtual assistant work, bookkeeping, online stores, printables, and online teaching.
What are good remote jobs for military spouses?
Start with the MSEP partner portal on Military OneSource, where partner employers recruit military spouses. FlexJobs also lists screened remote and flexible jobs across dozens of fields.
Can you have a side hustle while deployed?
Online side hustles like AI training or running a website can work, as long as you have internet access and approval. Matt Rowell got the idea for his knife sharpening business while deployed with the Navy.
What are the best side hustles for veterans?
Veterans can use skills from their service in businesses like loan draw inspections, compete for veteran set-aside government contracts, and use a VA loan to house hack.
