Although you may be working full-time or part-time for a business already, you might also want to make extra income through under the table jobs.
There are numerous gigs you can do in order to make extra money that can go towards your savings, investments, or helping pay down debt faster.
And even if you think you do not have a specific skill, there are still simple things people are willing to pay cash for just to get some help.
Below, I’ll cover everything you need to know about working under the table. Ready to dive in? Let’s get started!
What Does “Under the Table Jobs” Mean?
Although a pretty common phrase, not everyone is familiar with “under the table jobs.”
For those unfamiliar with the term, it simply means you earn money that is “off the record” when it comes to reporting the income and strictly paid in cash.
You as the person who did the work, will get cash for your time instead of an official paycheck. This means no taxes, social security taken, and no reporting.
However, these gigs are great to help you save more money monthly or put extra towards something. And no experience is required on many of these jobs.
Is it against the law to work under the table?
There are some businesses that will pay contractors or employees in cash. From a business standpoint, if you choose to pay cash for wages, then your company is still responsible for reporting employment taxes.
According to the IRS, paying employees under the table is one of the top types of a tax non-compliance.
And if you are an employee or contractor that is getting paid under the table, taxes aren’t withheld from your wages. But you should still be filing. reporting those earnings, and paying taxes.
Yet, many people do accept cash from side jobs or other work transactions under the table and cash is not reported. That is a risk both sides take.
What you choose to do is up to you, but just note the potential penalties you could face.
If you are working for cash in a non-business setting, most people will not report these cash earnings and probably won’t get flagged by the IRS. But how you handle these cash transactions is on you.
Top Under the Table Jobs
Now there is nothing wrong with under the table jobs, it’s a great way to make some side income and may even apply to your career development.
Many of these types of gigs could also become full-time or be quite lucrative as a future career. But any earnings you get, technically must be reported as mentioned in the previous section.
Below are some of the best under the table jobs that can pay you in cash, instead of a check or direct deposit.
Again: While these jobs are “under the table,” you are technically a contractor and any cash you earn should always be recorded at the end of the year. What you do with any cash you make is on you.
1. Babysitting
Certainly the most common type of under the table jobs is babysitting or being a nanny. Most families will pay you in cash to watch their child or children for a few hours.
This is not for everyone, especially if you are not good with babies or kids. But if you do enjoy it, this job can pay quite well for weeknights or weekends.
2. House sitting
Another simple option to make some cash is house sitting. No children involved here, but some families may go on extended vacations or traveling for work that need you to check up on their house.
House sitting includes doing things like checking the mail, watering the plants, getting the mail, and just general check ups. Easy cash!
3. Cleaning jobs
While I like to be clean and have things tidy, I really dislike doing it. And many people really hate it or do not have as much time and are willing to pay others to clean.
You do not need to own a professional cleaning business to get started (although one day you might if you get a lot of work). The cleaning can be pretty straight forward like dusting, vacuuming, washing, etc.
4. Pet Sitter/Dog Walker
While this might be included in house sitting if they have pets, it might be an entirely separate under the table job for you.
People have busy work lives and sometimes need someone to take care of their pets. Or it could be during any vacation as well, because taking pets to a kennel can be very expensive. If you love animals, this can be a great way to make some cash.
Besides watching and taking care of pets, others may just need you to walk their dog a certain amount of times per week. An app like Rover can help you find local people needing dog walkers, but you certainly can find people outside of that too.
You won’t get rich overnight doing this, but $20-$50 each time you do this can really add up.
5. Pet Grooming
Since I just shared about pets, another option to make money under the table is through pet grooming. Similarly, there are many professional services out there that people will prefer to go to.
But, if it is simple like a bath and trimming nails that you have some experience with, there is a market for people to hire you for that.
Again, many people do not like doing this so they will gladly pay some cash to you to handle it.
6. Landscaping/Yardwork
While professional landscapers may do beautiful work or help clean up big projects, they can also be very expensive.
Plus, if the people needing some work is not overly complicated, this is something you can handle.
Things like mowing lawns, weeding, watering plants and helping with gardening, raking leaves, maybe simple mulching too.
7. Snow Removal/Shoveling
Besides cleaning, you know what else plenty of people hate doing? Removing snow or shoveling.
But besides those that hate it, older people or those disabled may need help clearing sidewalks, driveways, etc.
All you need is a shovel or snow blower to get started. If you want to offer more aggressive snow removal, if you have a truck you could attach a plow to the front and take care of some local businesses too.
8. Farmers market
Doesn’t matter what town you live in, farmers markets will exist.
Usually you’ll find these running on most weekends or even certain times of year pending the type of market it is.
But these are a great places to find some work help setting up vendors or working with them to sell items. Your other option is to sell your own stuff at one too for cash like any homemade goods, produce you grew, crafts, etc.
9. Class Instructor
By this, I mean if you have a specialty skill that people are interested in paying to learn. Think of things like a basic yoga class, dance, karate, art, crafting, etc.
Yes, there are certified ones for some of that and those will certainly pay you more. But it’s a great way to share with others some knowledge and make some quick money.
10. Handyman
Are you good at fixing things in general? Like household appliances, woodworking, electronics, computers, etc. Whatever it may be, if you have a knack and knowledge for any of these areas then people will certainly pay you to help out.
And that’s especially true if you can save them some money from usually very expensive professional services. Of course, do not take on a job you have no knowledge of to just to try to make a few bucks. You don’t want to start off with negative experiences.
11. Tutoring
Are you good at a particular subject or subjects? People are always looking for help, especially for their children when it comes to math, reading, writing, and the English language.
And it doesn’t even have to be any core subjects in school as it could be as simple as cooking, gardening, etc. If you have a strong expertise and like teaching others, tutoring is a great way to make money under the table.
12. Painting
If there is one other main job that majority of people probably hate doing, it’s painting. It can be a bit time consuming and well, just not that fun.
But if you don’t mind it and have some experience, you can definitely make some cash doing this work for others.
Painting may include particular rooms in someone’s house, fences, sheds, or maybe other miscellaneous items.
13. Photography
Almost everyone can take good pics thanks the advancement of cameras on our cellphones. But it still takes a bit of skill to take great photographs and edit.
So if you dabble in photography and like doing it, there is always a market for it. Whether that is family portraits, maternity, weddings, other events, product photos for businesses, etc.
Now the market is competitive, but if you keep at it and can showcase your work, it can become a seriously well-paying side hustle or potential full-time job.
Everyone has to start somewhere though, and some under the table photo jobs can be a great start.
14. Graphic Design
Do you have an artistic vision? Are you good with graphics and computers? Then you can make some cash under the table by doing graphics for people.
While this is also a full-time career for most people, it’s a great way to dabble if you are just getting started.
You could do anything from logos for websites, t-shirt designs, signs, greeting cards, etc. People are willing to pay some decent money for these services.
15. Selling Crafts
Besides graphic design, if you have creativity and some skills in crafting, you can sell these to people for cash. That can be at garage sales, art shows, craft shows, local festivals, etc.
But there is a market for all sorts of things like in woodworking, clothing, art, jewelry, knick knacks, or whatever you make.
This takes a bit more effort that some of the other options because you are creating things, but can put a few hundred bucks or more in your pockets.
16. Personal assistant
Not everyone will need or want a personal assistant, but there are people willing to pay for this help.
Your duties could include numerous things like grocery shopping, running random errands, or helping organize someone’s home, etc.
People of all ages may be on the lookout for a personal assistant to help with daily items. Many of the jobs might be random, but if you don’t mind it then this can be a great way to make some under the table cash.
17. Baking
Who doesn’t love some delicious and sweet treats from time to time? If you have a knack for baking, you can certainly make cash selling your creations.
Whether that is for people directly, at bake sales, or just advertising for people to come to you — there is plenty of money to be made under the table. This can become a full-time business, but that is not always of interest to everyone.
And if you are really good at the creative side, baking speciality cakes or cookies can rake in the cash. Who doesn’t love a themed cake or baked good?
18. Drive People
Although you do have apps like Uber and Lyft, you can still make cash without those apps under the table.
If you head over to your local Craigslist and search “Ride share” you’ll find people looking for rides and willing to pay cash.
You’ll people looking for personal drivers, quick errands, or lifts to various locations. Many also advertise their services too. As always, be cautious and do your due diligence before randomly picking up people.
If you don’t want to go the Craigslist route, you can start mentioning to family and friends or when networking with others. Whatever you feel comfortable with if this is the direction you want to go to make some extra money.
How to Find Under the Table Jobs
Now that you know the kind of under the table jobs that exist, how do you find these types of gigs and best job listings?
There are a few ways you can find gigs by searching online and other opportunities you might need to take some initiative to put yourself out there.
Craigslist
One of the classic ways to find under the table jobs is through Craigslist. The website has been around for years and you can find people looking to pay others for random jobs.
When you visit the website, you should allow it to find your location. But if you don’t, select the area that best matches where you live. Then scroll down to the “Gigs” section to find potential cash jobs.
There is a mix of categories and options. But always proceed with a bit of caution, because there can be scams on Craigslist too.
But there will be plenty of legit options, just make sure you filter by ones offering cash payment.
While I’m not the biggest Facebook user anymore, it’s also a pretty good resource to find some under the table jobs as well.
Between Facebook Marketplace and local groups, you can find people posting and sharing odd jobs they may need some help with.
When looking for local groups, make sure it’s active and people are posting each week. But you can find a handful of different groups that you could potentially join and find some work.
Another option, is to post some Facebook statuses for your network of friends and family to see.
If you have a few skills or even just posting for some work, you might be surprised how many people will pay you to do stuff.
And you generally know them, so you may feel more at ease doing the work and not bing scammed.
Nextdoor
Thanks to technology, there are more ways to find under the table jobs quickly. A popular and growing social website called Nextdoor is a great option to consider.
This free social network keeps you informed about what’s going on in your neighborhood. And that includes finding a last-minute babysitter, lawn care, planning a local event, or sharing safety tips.
While the social network is for more than just jobs, it’s still a great way to find some local cash gigs. The website is free to use and you can sign-up here.
Ask Friends and Family
A simple way to put the word out is to just ask your friends and family! There may be work they need done and are more willing to trust someone they know to get the job done.
Besides any help they may need that would pay you, they could have their own networks of people who might be interested too.
It never hurts to ask or mention to people you know.
There are more websites and ways to find some under the table paying gigs, but the above are great places to start.
You should be able to start finding some cash jobs quickly and as you continue to do good work, your clientele will grow.