29-Year-Old Makes $45K A Year From Side Hustle She Can Do While At Her Full-Time Job

Alison Chan works full-time from home as a remote paralegal. While she's working, she watches other people's dogs, which allows her to generate a "second salary."

What To Know: According to a CNBC report, Chan makes $3,750 per month from Rover, an online pet care platform. 

Living in Chicago and studying for the bar exam, Chan needed to generate extra income in order to keep up with her expenses. That's when she started experimenting with the dog-sitting side hustle.

At first, she charged just $35 per stay, but realized she was undercutting her competition more than she needed to. She increased her prices to $80 and started earning repeat customers by doing things like sending photo updates to owners. 

Even with the 20% fee Rover charges, Chan made $32,000 last year and is on pace to make $45,000 in 2023. 

"When I did my taxes last year, I realized [my side hustle] was like a second salary," she said. 

See Also: Raising CEOs: The Unconventional Parenting Secret Behind 2 Successful Startup Founders

How It Works: Chan spends about 40 hours per week dog sitting, but most of those hours are passive, she said. 

She set up three two-hour drop-off and pick-up windows: one in the morning, one around lunch and another in the evening. Once an animal is dropped off and screened, she lets them sleep, play with toys or interact with each other while she's managing legal work on her computer.

The extra income and flexible schedule are ideal, but the relationships are even more rewarding. That's why she plans to keep the side hustle going even after she passes the bar exam.

"I have a steady income coming in, and I would be giving that up when I already have an established clientele,” Chan said. 

She told CNBC that her clients and their pets have started to feel like family. Chan boards around three dogs per day and charges around $80 each. That's an extra $240 each day that she makes from the comfort of her own home. 

Read Next: Here Are 4 Side Hustles For Early Birds And Night Owls, One Pays Up To $100 Per Hour

This story is part of a new series of features on the subject of success, Benzinga Inspire.

Photo: Bartek Zakrzewski from Pixabay.