How to Make Money in London: Top 15 Realistic Side Gigs

With London's population increasing by over 75,000 yearly, there are thousands of people looking for money-making opportunities in the capital every day.

I was born and raised in London, and spent much of misspend youth looking for ways to make extra cash. And if I learned anything, it's that there are opportunities around every corner, even for young people with no experience. 

Here are my top ten suggestions for people in London looking for casual work. All of these side gigs are quick to start and only require a few hours of your time a week. They are also realistically achievable for most people, and do not require of experience in a certain industry or specific qualifications. 

Dog Walking (£5-15/hour)

London is full of wealthy professionals, many of whom love pets but don't have the time to walk them. That's where you come in, and you would be surprised at how easy it is to get started using online platforms for this kind of work.  

Of course, it's much easier to find jobs if you agree to work for less, but even if you want to make a reasonable hourly wage, you should find jobs without too much hassle. To look for clients, I recommend Rover and Wag!

Besides being a good money making opportunity, this is also a nice way to get outside and get some exercise each day. My only major warning is to meet the dogs before accepting jobs, and avoid any problem animals. 

Paid Surveys & Gaming (£4-20/hour)

If you are based in London but want to earn extra cash from the comfort of home, the quickest way to get started is by using GPT (get-paid-to) platforms. These sites will pay users for completing simple tasks online like answering surveys and testing new games. 

All you need is a smartphone to get started, and if you put in a few hours each day completing these small tasks, you can earn up some cash and withdraw. 

Our own platform, Freecash, is the most trustworthy GPT site on the web, with 4.7/5 from over 150,000 reviews. It is also one of the highest paying, and we offer numerous withdrawal methods, including PayPal and bank transfer. 

Child Care / Au Pairing / Babysitting (£8-20/hour)

As mentioned in the dog walking section, London is full of professionals who have very little time for anything besides work, and that also includes child care. 

You will need to be comfortable around children, and to be perfectly blunt, it will be far easier to find work if you identify as female. But if that applies to you, this could be a very rewarding side gig. 

If you are young and from abroad, you could consider au pair work, which normally includes a place to stay. But if you simply want some extra cash, I suggest you start with babysitting. 

Help at Borough Market or Spitalfields

In case you haven't been to either of them yet, Borough Market and Spitalfields are two amazing food markets in London. There are all kinds of cuisines on offer, and thousands of visitors flock to these hubs every day. 

Especially on the weekend, the traders at these markets are massively overwhelmed and are almost always on the lookout for more helping hands. The work is tough, and the days are long, but this can be a great weekend side gig, especially for foodies. 

To work at either, you should contact the individual traders, here is a list of Borough Market traders, and here are the Spitalfields traders. 

Sketches and Poetry for Tourists (£5-50 per piece)

Of course, you will need to be artistic or have a certain literary flair, but hand drawn sketches and custom poetry is very popular on the streets of London. Tourists are usually willing to pay at least £5, and depending on your style you could produce the work for them in as little as 10 minutes. 

Before you get started, remember that to sell sketches or poetry on London's streets, you need to contact the local council where you intend to trade and apply for a Street Trading License. 

Once you have this license, you can sell hand-drawn sketches in popular tourist areas like Covent Garden and Leicester Square, and for custom poetry try the South Bank.

Walking Tours (£10-50/hour)

There are so many potential walking tours you can create around London; You could focus on a specific author like Dickens, a field of study like medicine, local cuisine, or a period of history. Really, the list is endless, so whatever your interests, you should be able to find a niche. 

The real challenge with walking tours is that you need to be comfortable creating an engaging route and script, and then presenting to a group of strangers. But if you feel you can do that, this side gig has one of the highest earning potentials out there. 

You could work for a walking tour company, but I suggest you go independent. Start by planning your tour, then rehearse to friends, and once you feel confident, advertise your first tour on platforms like ToursByLocals and Airbnb Experiences. 

I would suggest offering a very competitive price, or even free, when you begin. You might get tips, but more importantly you can hope for good reviews. 

Food Delivery (£8-20/hour)

Perhaps the most common side gig in the world, and definitely in London. I worked as a food delivery rider for years, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for evening work who feels comfortable on a bike. 

It is hard work, and for the best money you need to be online from 6-10pm, but what I really loved about this job was that it also provided a great way to exercise. And besides staying in shape, I also got to discover every part of the city. 

The two main platforms here are Deliveroo and Uber Eats, but certain larger restaurants also hire their own riders. 

Start a Market Stall at Camden or Portobello Market 

The amount you can earn with this gig massively varies, but if you want to make or trade handcrafted goods, then you should head to Camden or Portobello market. 

This idea will require some initial investment on your side, and it will be hard work, but this is a great way for creative and social individuals to become their own boss in London. And with good food traffic, the earnings potential is significant. 

This is a tough gig, but if you are interested, you will need to apply to trade with Camden Council or Kensington & Chelsea Council. 

Event Staffing (£12-20/hour)

As a cultural hub, London has a constant flow of major events, from theater and film festivals, to concerts and comedy. And those events always need extra staff to stamp tickets and pour drinks. 

This kind of work inevitably means you'll be doing long hours late into the night, but these are also usually one-off jobs, so you could do just one a week to earn extra cash on the weekends. 

A good place to start looking for work is the platform GIG, where you can find a lot of work specifically in London. 

Private Tutoring (£15-50/hour)

London is home to many wealthy families, with teenage kids aiming to get into top universities. If you are confident in an academic subject, this can be a great opportunity for you to earn great money for only a few hours per week. 

It goes without saying, but you will need to be confident in your subject, and you will need to do a substantial amount of prep work. But if you feel up to the task, you can use an online profile to create a teaching profile in minutes. 

The key with online teaching platforms like Superprof, Tutorful and MyTutor is to accept that you need to offer a very cheap rate for the first few months until you have reviews. Once you have a strong profile, you can raise your lesson price. 

Extra in Film (£80-150/day)

The London film industry has been growing rapidly in recent years, thanks to tax incentives from the UK Government and the increasing costs of filming in Hollywood. Because of this, there is an increasing amount of work for extras available in London, and it can be a perfect side gig. 

You will normally be paid a day rate, and you will have to work a very long day in most cases, but the pay is decent. And what a memorable side gig, you might get the chance to meet an actor you like, or see behind the scenes on one of your favorite shows. 

The best agencies for London are Uni-versal Extras and Casting Collective. All you need to do is complete a profile about yourself, and start applying for work as an extra. 

Odd Jobs and Manual Labour (£10-25/hour)

Last but not least, a suggestion for anyone capable of doing manual work in London. Thanks to odd job platforms, you can easily find this work online now, and it usually pays well. You don't even necessarily need to know a trade, so long as you are fit and willing to work. 

TaskRabbit is a well-known platform where you can find gigs such as lifting heavy items or helping people move. Another great option is Airtasker, which allows you to browse a variety of short-term jobs in your local area, often with flexible scheduling and competitive pay.

Theater Usher  (£10-15/hour) 

London is the home of theater, and there are dozens of ongoing productions that need front of house staff to operate. Whether it be stamping tickets, pouring drinks, or directing guests to their seat, working in a theater can be great for some extra cash. 

This is evening work, so it has to suit your schedule, but it's usually a blast, and you'll be working alongside some interesting characters in iconic locations. 

The easiest way to find this work is to research the specific major theaters, but there is also a good pool of jobs available on uktheater.org.

House Sitting (£0-50/Day)

You might not necessarily get paid for house sitting, but based on the price of rent in London, having a free place to stay is the equivalent of earning thousands a month. For some house sitting gigs, you will get a small amount per day, usually if the job includes chores like watering plants. 

I recommend TrustedHousesitters as the number one platform globally for house sitting, but there is stiff competition on that site, so make a good profile! 

Work at a Pop-Up Restaurant (£10-15/hour)

Pop-up restaurants and supper clubs are all the rage in London, but of course all of these places need short term waiting staff to function. If you are interested in helping out at one of these places, there's more than enough work to keep busy every weekend. 

There are dozens of agencies in London that allow you to sign up as a freelance temp worker, but I particularly like YoungOnes as they have a great app and can offer an average wage of £15/hour. 

London Side Gigs Recap