27 Best Under-the-Table Jobs That Pay Cash (Ultimate 2024 List)

Sometimes, finding a nearby under the table job that pays cash can be challenging. Maybe you need to supplement your daily income by working and getting paid on the spot but don’t know where to start.

Good news! There are numerous cash-paying jobs that anyone can do with or without experience. You get your earned cash in hand and don’t have to wait for ages for payment processing. You get a chance to make a quick $10, $50, $100, or any other amount right away.

This article includes information on the best under-the-table jobs plus how to find them and start getting paid.

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What Are Under the Table Jobs?

If you didn’t already know or the meaning isn’t clear to you, under-the-table jobs refer to unreported work. In other words, you work and get paid off the books.

Just to be clear, you can still get a job that pays cash only without any instances of tax evasion. These include a variety of domestic work, self-employment, and even online jobs. They work well for teenagers, people with difficulties getting regular jobs, as well as any other individuals looking for extra cash.

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Best Under-the-Table Jobs That Pay Cash on the Spot

Ready to make money on the side? Here are the most legit jobs that pay cash under the table:

1. Pet sitting

Pet sitting is quite a popular under-the-table job that any pet lover can do. Many pet owners hire pet sitters from time to time because they aren’t available to take care of their pets’ needs. If you don’t mind pets or even have one or two yourself, this is the kind of work to go for where you live.

Pet sitting can involve a variety of pet care. In most cases, your work will be to feed, exercise, and keep the cat, dog, or another pet company.

As a pet sitter, you can either care for the pets at the owners’ house or host them at your place. Some jobs just require you to check on a pet at a particular time while others involve overnight stays.

2. Dog walking

You can call dog walking a type of pet-sitting service. It just requires a little more effort. If you like playing with dogs, this is the job you need to make quick cash on the spot.

Dog walking is beneficial to dogs in terms of health and well-being. The walker gets these benefits too. Dog owners need someone to walk their dogs when they’re busy but still need their four-legged ones to be happy.

Dog walking is an activity that can take 30 minutes to 2 hours. You could do it at a particular time, like afternoons, or break it into a few walks a day. As a dog walker, you can walk more than one dog at a time if you know how and as long as they get along.

3. House sitting

House sitting is a bit similar to pet sitting. In fact, some pet-sitting jobs involve house sitting if you’re taking care of the pets at the owner’s home. And so, house sitting is simply staying or living in a property temporarily.

As a house sitter, you assume various responsibilities depending on the homeowner’s needs. Besides pet care, other tasks include general maintenance and ensuring there won’t be trespassers. This means that you must be a trustworthy person yourself.

One good thing about house sitting is that it doesn’t have to be just your local area. Some people do it in different parts of the world while traveling or on vacations that go for days, weeks, or months.

4. Cleaning houses

Another perfect way to get paid on the spot is by cleaning houses for people. Lots of homeowners are either too busy to do house cleaning or just lack the effort. If this is the type of work you have no problem doing, then it’s time to make some quick money.

While you don’t need any special skills, you need to be willing to clean and meet homeowners’ standards. Some of your duties will be to clean floors, dust surfaces, and make beds.

Simply put, you need to leave things neater than you found them. You may need cleaning tools to make your work easier in case the owner doesn’t have them.

5. Babysitting

Like being around kids and playing with them? Working as a babysitter may be something that suits you. Parents can get quite busy at work and need a trustworthy person to take care of their child’s needs.

This job requires maturity. So, your age doesn’t matter a lot as long as you and the kids’ parents know each other to some level. Your work will be to care for kids, feed them, and make them go to sleep if needed.

Babysitting can be done on a part-time basis. For instance, you could take care of kids when they come from school before the parent or guardian arrives. Or it can be weekends when the parents have some work to do, errands to run, or want to go out as adults and have fun a little.

6. Delivering things

If you have a car or truck, one of the best ways to earn cash is by doing delivery jobs. People are always ordering stuff and need someone to bring it to their doorstep.

Your job is just to go and pick up an item and deliver it to a customer. It could be food, groceries, or heavier stuff.

An important quality of delivery workers is timekeeping. You need to make deliveries within the required time to ensure a customer doesn’t wait long.

In case something happens, you can inform them to make them understand why there’s a delay. This way, you get nothing but satisfied customers and huge tips to boost your earnings.

7. Grocery shopping

Did you know that someone can hire you to shop for groceries for them? If your friends or family like how you shop for groceries, then you’re sitting on an underappreciated yet moneymaking skill.

Chances are that you’ll be needed to deliver the groceries after buying them on someone’s behalf. You’ll likely be dealing with elderly persons, busy people, or other individuals who can’t go to the store for some reason.

It’s unlikely that you’ll have to use your money first. As long as you’re to be trusted, people can give you money for the grocery expenses in advance.

8. Moving help

This is another cash-paying job that involves carrying things for people when relocating. You just need a truck or cargo van to do such an under-the-table job. If you don’t own a vehicle for this kind of work, you can hire one.

As a moving helper, you simply lift load, and transport stuff that someone wants you to move. Depending on the amount of load, you may not be able to do it alone.

You’re free to work along with others who help in the lifting for a specified payment. This way, you save time and use less effort.

9. Tutoring

If you’re good at a specific subject, you can get cash on the spot by tutoring others. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student, teacher, or any other expert.

Helping kids and teens with their studies for some compensation works because many parents want the best for their young ones. They can hire you if they know your brilliance in the topics their children are struggling with. Also, you must have good communication skills, be patient, and be an active listener.

You can tutor one or more students at a time when you’re free. It could be after school, on weekends, or when schools are closed. In most cases, you’ll have to tutor your students at their homes.

10. Lawn care

Lawn care is another way to make money under the table working outdoors. While mowing lawns appear simple, not everyone can do it well. That’s why homeowners and landowners hire others to get a perfectly mowed lawn.

Lawn care can include other tasks besides taking care of lawns. You may also do edging, trimming, yard cleanup, and other tasks depending on the owner’s needs. These additional tasks, if you offer them, are great for increasing what you earn.

Remember, this work requires experience. You may need to do some practice before going to look for jobs if you’re a newbie. You could even start with the lawns of your family and friends, know their thoughts, and improve accordingly.

11. Gardening

Gardening can be a great part-time job that pays cash in hand. It can work for you if you’re enthusiastic about working in gardens.

The gardening job can involve planting and watering plants plus other types of plant care. So, you need to be good at it to do it successfully and satisfy the person who hired you. You can even organize a garden, make it neater, and get bonuses from customers.

Having your own gardening tools is also essential. Depending on the type of services you want to offer, you need things like a hand trowel, wheelbarrow, and gloves.

12. Snow removal

Snow removal is a great cash-paying job for winter. All you need to do is remove snow and get paid.

There are various places where one can remove snow. They include the driveway, sidewalk, deck, and even roof.

Removing the snow from walking surfaces prevents slips and falls while it helps avoid damage and water infiltration on the roof. That’s why these services are in demand during the cold season in various parts of the world.

You can either shovel snow or plow it using a truck if the job’s magnitude requires more effort. So, be sure to have the right tools or machinery to handle a particular snow removal job.

13. Photography

It could be that you have some photography skills and are wondering which job that pays cash you can do. In that case, you simply need to start taking pictures of people and other things for money. As a photographer, you can do photography for individual clients, small businesses like restaurants, or events such as weddings.

You need the right equipment for this job to work well. While it’s possible to take good photos using a phone, a real camera makes you appear professional. You also need lenses, lighting, and editing software, among other things that simplify your job.

Remember, it’s essential to have a great photography portfolio. The reason is that there are lots of photographers and you need to stand out.

14. Makeup services

Offering makeup services is a great idea to get paid cash in hand if you know how to do it. Many people need to look good when going out or to events and parties.

Again, it’s crucial to have the skills as well as an interest in makeup. If you’re new to it, start by doing makeup on people close to you, find out whether they like it, and then start marketing your services to others.

What you need for this job is a makeup kit that suits your clients. Some clients already have their own sets that you could use on them if they prefer it that way.

15. Handyman services

Like fixing stuff and ensuring they work as required? If so, you can start to offer handyman services for quick cash.

As a handyman, your work involves basic maintenance on homes and business places. Depending on your skills, you could repair doors and windows, fix small appliances, do basic plumbing, or offer other services.

This means that you also need specific tools and equipment for the services you’re going to offer. Many hand toolkits are available for purchase online and include a wide variety of essential tools.

16. Running errands

Many individuals and small business owners need people to run errands for them when busy. An errand is just a short trip to do something for someone. It could be to deliver an item, buy something, or anything else.

Depending on the type of errand and the distance involved, you may need a bike or car. Most errands take several minutes or a few hours to complete.

You can get paid depending on the effort and time taken to finish the job. You could charge for mileage if an errand includes driving from one place to another.

17. Painting houses

Need to make money off the books and don’t mind getting a little messy? You could paint houses and other buildings for people and get extra cash on the side.

Every homeowner needs their walls and ceilings to be as appealing as possible. It could be a new house or an older one that needs repainting to regain its aesthetic value.

Painting requires good color vision, attention to detail, and familiarity with painting tools and materials. These skills are essential for avoiding mistakes like using the wrong paint and tools.

18. Car washing

Here comes another cash-paying job anyone can start today. You don’t need any special skills. You simply clean cars for money because many car owners can’t do it themselves.

It doesn’t take long to wash a single car. You can wash multiple cars in an hour or two and walk away with a good sum of cash.

All you need are basic cleaning tools. Some examples are sponges, wheel woolies, and air dusters.

19. Teaching dancing

Know how to dance and want quick cash? You can become a dance instructor and get paid for your services.

What a dance instructor does is simply teach people how to dance. You can help your students understand dancing elements like techniques, performance, and choreography. Your class can involve warm-up exercises, practicing choreography, and rehearsing for a performance.

You can either focus on one dance style or teach a variety of them. Some of these styles are ballet, salsa, hip-hop, and even traditional dances.

20. Deejaying

If this is something you can do, it’s time to earn some cash from it. DJs are always in demand during weekends and holidays when there are parties and other events.

Your work as a DJ is to please the crowd. You don’t want to be a boring DJ who plays tracks that don’t go well together.

Know how to build suspense and release it. Listen to your audience and give them the music they need to keep them engaged and happy.

You may need some DJ tools for the work. Besides equipment like mixers and sound systems, you need DJ software. Some events have such equipment ready and that makes your work easy.

Top Cash Paying Jobs Online

There are several online jobs that pay cash to do without being formally employed. You can receive your cash virtually through PayPal or meet up with your clients and get paid in person.

21. Content writing

You can write content for websites and make money right away. These include things like blog posts for websites, social media posts for business pages online, and emails to subscribers. Depending on your knowledge and interests, you can specialize in one or a few topics and content types.

As a newbie writer, you need to publish some samples of your work online for potential clients to see. This way, they can make the decision to hire you quickly if they like your published pieces of content.

22. Proofreading

Another online job that can pay cash on the spot is proofreading. This involves checking documents for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

You can help students and other writers proofread their work before they submit or publish it. And so, you need a keen eye to spot mistakes and grammar skills to correct them. Tools like Grammarly are great for checking writing errors.

23. Transcription

Transcription is all about converting spoken words into text. You simply type whatever someone is saying in an audio or video file.

You need to be good at typing to ensure you transcribe files within the specified time. Your listening skills matter a lot too as some files contain various accents.

There are numerous transcription tools a transcriber can use to do the work quickly. They include audio players and converters.

24. Translation

Another service to offer on a freelance basis and get cash in hand is translation. There are lots of translation tools online. However, human translation services work well because they involve brainpower.

Your work is just to express words or text in another language. Of course, you need to be good at the two languages involved. You can translate official documents, random pieces of writing, or transcripts.

25. Web design and development

Maybe you’re good at creating websites because you learned it at school or taught yourself. Why not do it for others and get paid in cash on the spot?

Many businesses don’t have websites yet. Others need a new design that suits their current needs. For that reason, they hire individual website creators because it’s more affordable, unlike big agencies. You could get jobs to design and develop blogs, online stores, news sites, and more.

26. Graphic design

Graphic design is a great job to do for cash if you’re skilled at it. Such services are needed when it comes to marketing materials like banners, book covers, and business cards for businesses.

Some requirements to be a graphic designer are IT skills, creativity, accuracy, and attention to detail. Knowledge of trends goes a long way toward creating relevant and attractive graphics.

You need specific graphic design tools like image editing apps to get started. You may want to master these tools to ensure that your works are flawless.

27. Video editing

Can you edit videos? Many video creators can pay you cash for editing videos for them.

One example is YouTube content creators. There are so many of them nowadays and not all can skillfully edit their own videos. Those are the kind of people to look for as a video editor.

With so many editing software tools available, this job isn’t that hard to do. All you need to do is learn how to use specific apps and familiarize yourself with other aspects of video editing like trimming and adding special effects.

How to Find Under-the-Table Jobs

There are various ways to find jobs that pay cash online and in person. Below are the best strategies:

Word of mouth

This is one of the best ways to get local under-the-table jobs. It’s free advertising that your customers can do for you.

You just need to offer them a great service and encourage them to spread the word for you. Most of them will automatically mention your services in their daily conversations with friends and family.

Local advertisements

Local advertising is a perfect way to reach people in your area. You simply promote your services to locals using specific media. It could be billboards, posters, handbills, or any other.

You may need to invest in this kind of advertising. That includes printing costs as well as distribution of the printed materials.

Facebook

Facebook is a social network with lots of daily active users. You can connect with people offering under-the-table jobs on the online platform and meet for further negotiations.

Some great places to look are local Facebook groups as well as those whose primary topic is a service you can offer. Posting on your account goes a long way too.

A better idea is to set up a Facebook page about the service, invite friends to like it, and create consistent posts. People can contact you for jobs when they come across your page.

Steady

Steady is an essential app that enables you to find part-time, hourly, or on-demand work opportunities. The online platform helps you find jobs according to your skills and location.

Registering is quick and easy. You enter a zip code, answer a brief survey, and get connected with other companies to join and access gigs.

In other words, you won’t have trouble looking for nearby cash jobs anymore. You can also use the app to monitor your income streams and monthly earnings.

Craigslist

The good old Craigslist is still perfect for finding cash-paying jobs nearby. This online platform has lots of classified advertisements with people offering or looking for jobs. You can list your services too or apply for the listed local jobs on Craigslist.

Remember, Craigslist is also known for its scammers. You may be a victim of fraud if you don’t take care. So, always be sure to ask for cash payments and avoid disclosing too much personal information.

Online service platforms

Many online service platforms are available online. You can find sites that are specific to a service or those dealing with various tasks.

One example is TaskRabbit. This is an online community that allows you to connect with people in your area for jobs. You can list any service, pick when and where to work, and set rates that work for you.

Job boards and employment websites

Job boards and employment websites work perfectly when it comes to finding various jobs. Many job offers are available on such online platforms.

You just need to go to one, search for a specific under-the-table job, and apply for it. If the employer likes your profile, they can get in touch with more details about the work.

An example is Indeed. It’s a great place for job seekers to get legit jobs for cash and work any time they need.

Wrapping up on Jobs That Pay Cash

As you can see, there are numerous under-the-table jobs you can do regardless of your skills, experience, and location. You can do as many of them as you like.

While finding cash-paying jobs in person works, going online may work better for you. Use Facebook and other online platforms that link you with people nearby who need your services.