Washington has the highest minimum wage of any US city, one of the most educated and highest-paid populations in the country, twenty million visitors a year who mostly see the Mall, and a demand for interpreters in every language an embassy speaks. Here are nine side hustles that pay in 2026.
1. Local Friend: show visitors the city beyond the Mall, at your rate#
Visitors walk the Mall in the heat and see the Smithsonian. A Local Friend shows them the city the way a friend would, by the hour: the monuments at night, lit and empty; U Street, Shaw and the food; Georgetown; Eastern Market on a Saturday; the Wharf; a Nationals or Capitals game; how to use the Metro. You set your rate (commonly $30 to $55), Roavi lists you free and takes no commission. Very few are listed in DC. No licence is needed for this. How it works in the US.
2. Tutoring#
A highly educated city with competitive private and public schools: test prep, math, science, writing and college essays at $40 to $100 an hour.
3. Interpreting#
Embassies, international organisations, hospitals and courts need Spanish, French, Amharic, Arabic, Portuguese, Chinese and more. $30 to $60 an hour, more with certification.
4. Paid research studies#
The universities and the nearby NIH campus in Bethesda enrol volunteers year-round. $25 to $200 a session.
5. Rideshare#
Reagan National, Union Station, the hotels and the convention centre. After gas, $18 to $27 an hour.
6. Delivery#
$15 to $22 an hour after costs, by bike in the dense neighbourhoods.
7. Convention and arena staffing#
The Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Capital One Arena, Nationals Park, the inauguration and protest seasons. $20 to $30 an hour.
8. Pet sitting#
$40 to $75 a night, $20 to $30 a walk.
9. Notary loan signings#
$90 to $150 a signing.
What makes DC different#
The highest city minimum wage in the country, which sets the floor for hourly work. The international and educated population, which raises the rates for skill. And the taxes: a graduated DC income tax, plus an unincorporated business franchise tax above a gross-income threshold most small side hustles do not reach; set aside about 30 percent with federal and self-employment tax.
Live in DC? Show visitors the city beyond the Mall at your rate.
Become a Local FriendAcross the river and the line: Virginia and Maryland. En español: cómo ganar dinero extra en Washington DC.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best side hustle in Washington DC?
Tutoring at Washington rates ($40 to $100 an hour) for a highly educated city, interpreting in a city of embassies and international organisations, paid research studies at the universities and nearby NIH, and Local Friend, showing the twenty million annual visitors the city beyond the Mall at a rate you set.How much can you make with a side hustle in DC?
After costs, typical 2026 ranges: tutoring $40 to $100; interpreting $30 to $60; research studies $25 to $200 a session; rideshare $18 to $27 an hour after gas; delivery $15 to $22; convention and arena staffing $20 to $30; pet sitting $40 to $75 a night; notary signings $90 to $150; Local Friend at the rate you set, commonly $30 to $55.How are side hustles taxed in DC?
A graduated DC income tax, plus a franchise tax on unincorporated businesses with gross income above a threshold that most small side hustles do not reach, on top of federal income and self-employment tax. Set aside about 30 percent and pay quarterly.What is a Local Friend and how does it work in DC?
Someone who lives in DC and shows visitors it by the hour: the monuments at night when they are lit and empty, U Street and Shaw, Georgetown, Eastern Market on a Saturday, the neighbourhoods and food beyond the Mall, a Nationals or Capitals game, how to use the Metro. You set your rate, Roavi lists you free and takes no commission. Very few are listed in DC. No licence is needed for this.