HONOLULU (KHON2) — Working part-time while also having at least one other full-time job has become the new normal for American workers. Long gone are the days when you could work 40 hours a week and be rewarded with a nice life.
Today, with higher prices, rising inflation and new tariffs we have to pay, workers are seeking new employment to supplement their incomes.
So, KHON2.com did a bit of digging to find some of the more popular ways residents in Hawaiʻi are bringing in the cash.
Top 10 Part-time jobs residents are turning toward to boost their monthly/annual incomes in Hawaiʻi
1. Tour guide/outdoor instructor.
- Teach surfing, hiking, snorkeling or scuba diving— in Hawaiʻi’s natural beauty is in high demand by tourists.
2. Bartender/restaurant server.
- Tips can push hourly earnings from $15–$30+/hour in resort areas..
- High-demand tourist zones (Waikīkī, Lāhainā).
3. Uber/Lyft or delivery driver.
- Flexible schedule, instant work: UberEats, DoorDash, Instacart, Lyft.
- Earn up to $25–30/hour with a car, or $15–20/hour biking/walking.
4. Pet sitter/dog walker.
- Enjoyable, flexible, pays $16–30+/hour, overnight stays can fetch $60–115/night.
5. Freelance writer/virtual assistant.
- Work from anywhere, cafes, beaches, home.
- Typical rates: $25–40/hour-plus, with high-demand gigs paying more.
6. Photography (portrait, event, stock).
- Use Hawaii’s landscapes—shoot beach portraits, weddings, etc.
- Rates vary: $25–150+/hour for events.
7. Substitute teaching or childcare.
- Fill-in teacher roles, babysitting with Care.com, tutoring.
- Pay: $20+/hour, sometimes $60–115/night for babysitting.
8. Host/hostess or organizer.
- Part-time gigs in hospitality, tourism, event setup.
- Pay: ~$15–20/hour, plus possible tips.
9. Side hustles from home.
- Options like affiliate marketing (e.g., Costco reviews), appointment setting and voice acting.
- Can bring in $3K–5K/month depending on effort and platform.
10. Fitness/wellness instructor (certified).
- Yoga, personal training, Zumba, etc.
- Pay: $30–75/hour depending on clientele & setting.
You can click here for more exciting opportunities through Indeed.
So, as the summer months wane on, there are lots of opportunities to get your groove going before the grind of school and other responsibilities begin.