If you love to walk but want to monetize the time you spend out and about, you have several options to choose from. There are side gigs that involve lots of walking, ways to earn on the go from your phone with paid task sites, and even apps that reward you for steps.
I've put together a ranking of the best ways to get paid to walk, so that you can get out there for your daily walk and earn some extra cash.
How to Get Paid to Walk
Here is my favorite ways to get paid for walking:
Rank
Idea
Difficulty
Earning Potential
1
Dog Walking
Moderate
$10-25/hour
2
Flyer Delivery
Moderate
$10-25/hour
3
Get-Paid-To Platforms
Easy
$5-15/hour
4
Tour Guide
Hard
$15-50/hour
5
Paid Walking Apps
Very Easy
<$1/hour
You can find an overview of each idea for how to get paid to walk below, as well as advice on how to get started.
Dog Walking
You need to at least be comfortable around dogs to be interested in this idea, but if that sounds like you then paid dog walking could be perfect. The money is decent for the hours you put in, the walks can be genuinely relaxing, and you have a lot of flexibility with this kind of side gig.
To find customers, you can begin by asking friends who have dogs. But even if you don't know anyone with a pet, there are several online platforms where you can advertise dog walking services, like Rover.
But please make sure you meet the dogs before accepting walking jobs. You do not want to deal with badly behaving pets.
How to Get Started:
1
Sign up on platforms like Rover or Wag! to find clients, while advertising locally with flyers or via Nextdoor.
2
Offer your first clients significant discounts in exchange for testimonials.
3
Build up your profile with good reviews, and you can steadily begin raising your rates for new clients.
Flyer Delivery
If you like walking, the simplest way to monetize your time is by delivering flyers door to door. You don't need to interact with customers, you can wear headphones and listen to music or a podcast as you go, and you can earn some cash for a solid day of walking.
The only serious drawback to delivering flyers is that the work is inconsistent and hard to find. There are very few permanent positions delivering flyers, you will instead have to keep looking for new opportunities, normally through casual channels.
How to Get Started:
1
Check traditional job-searching sites in your state, but also Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, where you can often find this kind of casual work advertised.
2
If you cannot find flyer delivery work online, consider approaching small businesses directly, offering to deliver a few thousand leaflets in their target areas for a competitive price.
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Get-Paid-To Platforms
Get-Paid-To platforms will pay you a small amount for completing simple tasks online, like responding to surveys or testing a new app or game. The advantage of this method is that it is completely flexible, and you can sign up to start earning in minutes.
Complete as many tasks as you want from your smartphone whenever you go walking, and you will eventually be able to withdraw your funds to PayPal, or via gift cards.
You will not earn as much as you would with some of the other suggestions in our ranking, but you can make a few hundred dollars a month if you use the platforms consistently.
2
Find surveys and gaming offers from the platform, then complete these tasks on your phone while walking.
3
Withdraw your earnings through PayPal, gift cards, or direct deposit.
Tour Guide
Becoming a local tour guide can be hugely rewarding, and the earnings potential is significant, but this is undoubtedly the hardest way to earn money while walking. You will need to create an interesting walk and script, find customers, and be comfortable presenting to a tour group.
You also need to live in an area with something tourists would be interested in seeing. But even if you don't live in a historically significant town, remember that you could also go on a walking tour focused on food and drink, or natural beauty.
How to Get Started:
1
Plan an interesting walking tour and write a script, you could go to historical sites, areas of natural beauty, or even good food spots.
2
Rehearse your walk with friends, and make adjustments based on their feedback.
4
Use positive testimonials and promote your walk through social media.
Paid Walking Apps
Last but not least, the simplest way to earn money while walking: With paid walking apps. Download apps like Sweatcoin, and whenever you walk, the app will generate in-app currency based on your steps. Easy right?
But before you get too excited, it's worth noting that the earning rates are incredibly low. It takes years of walking to be able to spend your Sweatcoin, and you can only spend it in their store. I recommend downloading the app and letting it run in the background, but use other methods to earn significant cash.
2
Earn Sweatcoins in the background as you walk, and spend them bidding on auctions (in my opinion, the best way to get monetary value back for your Sweatcoins).
