Best Side Hustles in Canada (2026, With Real Earnings)
A second survey, Ownr and Ipsos in September 2026, found 23 percent of Canadians earn side income. Both numbers can be true. They are different questions and different samples. How the extra dollar hits benefits is clawbacks. How to report it is side-hustle taxes. The three paths, including just asking for a raise instead, are how to earn more.
- Omnisend's figures come from a Cint survey of 1,029 people in Canada in March 2026, published on its side-hustles report.
- Most of that work fits beside a job: 91 percent under 20 hours a week. Plan for that, not for a second full-time job you will not keep.
- Facebook Marketplace leads the report's online-selling chart at 53 percent of Canadian online sellers. This page does not repeat Amazon, eBay, or Etsy shares that were not in the page text.
- On BNN Bloomberg's October 8, 2026 coverage of Ownr/Ipsos, nearly 1 in 5 side hustlers say they're likely to go full-time. Intent is not the $500 month.
What "best" can mean when half earn $500 or less
Best, on these numbers, means the highest chance of keeping the money after the hours and the clawbacks, not the highest screenshot in a forum. A hustle that fits in 5 to 20 hours, uses skills you already sell at work or tools you already own, and does not require inventory you cannot return, matches how Canadians in the Omnisend sample actually behave. A hustle that needs a storefront, a vehicle, and 30 hours will lose to the job you already have. Price that job's next raise before you price the hustle: how to ask for a raise.
Three shapes that match the hours
| Shape | Why it fits the data | Read next |
|---|---|---|
| Sell things you already own, occasionally | No inventory bet. The tax question is whether it is still personal. Marketplace is where the Omnisend chart says Canadian online sellers already are, at 53 percent. | Is Marketplace taxable? |
| Resell on purpose | This is a business once you buy to sell. The reporting rules, not a fee rumour, decide whether the platform tells CRA. | Reselling and flipping and platform reporting |
| Sell a skill or an audience | Tutoring, local services, or content. Sponsorships and free products are income. Driving has its own tax article. | Creator income and rideshare and delivery taxes |
Omnisend also reported that 48 percent sell online, with a caveat: the same report's FAQ gives a different Canada figure, 55 percent. This page does not pick a winner between those two lines. The 53 percent Marketplace share is the chart figure the report states in the body, and it is the one used here. Vintage at 27 percent of sellers is on the same report if you are choosing what to sell. It is not a promise of profit.
Before you scale
If the month is reliably over your costs and you are about to resign, the runway article is side hustle to full-time. If the income will move a benefit, run the clawback page first. A $500 month that costs $400 of Canada Child Benefit is not a $500 month. The Omnisend sample's most common reason is money. Money after the clawback is the only money that counts.
Frequently asked questions
Why do two surveys disagree, 31 percent and 23 percent?
Omnisend asked, through Cint, who has a side hustle. Ownr and Ipsos asked who earns side income, in a different month, with a different sample. Quote the question with the number. Do not average them into a third statistic.
What is the best side hustle if I have ten hours?
The one you can finish inside those hours without a pile of unsold goods. Selling items you already own, or a skill you can book by the hour, fits the 91 percent who stay under 20 hours. A new product line does not, until the first version has sold.
Will I owe tax under $500 a month?
Business income is reported even when it is small. The $30,000 GST/HST line is a different test, and it is in the side-hustle tax article. "Under $500" is not a filing exemption.
