Top 9 Side Hustles in Hawaii to Increase Your Earnings in 2024 🌺

Hawaii is a place where people get creative about earning extra money. Almost one in four residents look for second jobs or side hustles. This helps them cover their monthly expenses. There are many ways to make extra cash, especially using what Hawaii is known for. This includes the tourism industry and local products. 

For more on these exciting ways to make money, keep reading as we dive into Hawaii’s thriving side gig scene.

Key Takeaways

• Nearly 70% of Hawaii residents struggle with the high cost of living, driving the need for additional income streams.
• Top-paying side hustles in Hawaii include music/entertainment, web design, food service management, and tourism-related jobs like surfing instruction, scuba diving lessons, and vacation rentals.
• Hawaii’s thriving tourism industry offers opportunities to earn $80-$200 per hour teaching surfing, $75-$300 per scuba dive, and $135-$430 per night through vacation rentals.
• Local specialties like macadamia nut farming, Hawaiian honey production, and lei making can generate $1,000-$2,500 per month.
• Food trucks and mobile businesses in Hawaii have the potential to earn $2,000-$10,000+ per month, with popular options like shave ice, local plate lunches, poke bowls, and Hawaiian BBQ generating $50,000-$160,000 annually.

A List of 9 Top Side Hustles in Hawaii

Hawaii is a great place to find side hustles. It has great beaches and lots of tourists. This makes it easy to turn your hobbies into money-making ventures.

Teach Surfing

Are you great at surfing? If so, you can make good money teaching others. Hawaii’s famous waves pull in visitors who need lessons. Experienced instructors can charge $80 to $200 an hour.

Hawaiian Honey Production

Hawaii’s warm weather is perfect for raising bees and making honey. You can start your own honey business selling to locals and visitors. This can bring in $1,000 to $2,500 per month.

Offer Scuba Diving Lessons

Being a diving instructor is a sought-after job in Hawaii. Its clear waters and sea life are perfect for diving. You could make $75 to $300 per dive, introducing people to your underwater world.

Rent Out Your Spare Room on Airbnb

Hawaii is a top spot for vacation rentals. If you have a spare room or property, you can earn big by renting it out. In places like Maui, you could make over $400 a night.

Perform as a Musician or Entertainer

Want to share your music or entertainment? Hawaii’s bustling scene is a great place. Perform at luaus or resorts to make around $56 an hour.

Become a Tour Guide

If you love Hawaii, guiding tours is a fun way to share your passion. You can lead all types of tours and make $15 to $20 an hour.

Seasonal and Tourism-Related Opportunities

• Food truck or shave ice shop employment
• Property management and house cleaning services
• Blogging about Hawaii
• Bartending
• Tour boat deckhand roles

Working for Rideshare Companies

Driving for Lyft or Uber is a good way to earn extra. Hawaii’s reliance on rideshares means there’s always work. It’s flexible and can be quite lucrative.

This means you can usually find plenty of work, especially in busy areas like Honolulu.The flexibility is a major perk – you can set your own hours and drive whenever it fits your schedule. Many drivers appreciate being their own boss. As of June 2024, on average, Uber drivers in the U.S. make around $19 per hour before expenses, and many assume they take home about $0.23 to $0.66 per mile after accounting for costs.

Lei Maker or Floral Arranger

Another way to earn extra money in Hawaii is by making leis or arranging flowers. Lei-making is a time-honored cultural tradition in Hawaii and still very much in demand today. Leis are given for graduations, weddings, special occasions, or to welcome visitors. As a lei maker, you could sell your handcrafted leis to local shops, resorts, events, or even directly to customers.

Flower arranging for special events like weddings or corporate functions could be another avenue to explore. With Hawaii’s year-round growing season, there is a steady supply of beautiful local flowers and foliage to work with. The key would be honing your craft, developing relationships with suppliers and customers, and marketing your lei-making or floral services effectively.

While perhaps not as consistent as rideshare driving, making leis or floral arranging could provide good supplemental income, especially if you build up a regular client base over time. Plus, it keeps an important Hawaiian tradition alive.

The Need for Side Hustles in Hawaii

Hawaii, known as the Aloha state, has a high cost of living. Financial experts say you need to make $80,000 to $100,000 yearly to live well there. The average family spends $3,070 monthly on bills, which is 50% more than the national average. This high cost of living pushes almost 25% of Hawaii’s residents to have a side hustle or second job.

The High Cost of Living in Hawaii

Even with a new $14 per hour minimum wage since 2024, 70% of Hawaii’s residents still find it hard to pay their bills. Many are looking for ways to make extra money. Side hustles, or extra cash jobs, have become very important, offering a way to make more money while enjoying flexibility and freedom.

A 2022 report from the (BLS) shows a variety of high-paying side jobs in Hawaii. You could make from $25.33 per hour as a personal chef to $56.24 per hour as a musician or singer. These jobs not only bring in extra money but also give you more control over your work and more enjoyment.

Conclusion and Future Predictions

As Hawaii’s economy keeps doing well, more people are looking for part-time work. This is because living costs are high. They find jobs they can do on their own time, like tour guide or marketing on social media.

In the future, we think there will be more small businesses run from home and apps that help people locally. Since more work can be done from home, people want to use their skills to earn money this way. The tourism industry will also keep offering jobs for guides, entertainers, and more.

The trend of side jobs in Hawaii is not going away. More and more people are starting their own businesses. They are finding new ways to work that fit Hawaii’s lifestyle. This could mean using social media or making and selling crafts. The chance to make extra money in Hawaii is big and growing.

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