According to Indeed, the average salary of accountants is $65033 per year in the United States which is great but accountants are still looking for work to do in their free time. This is because accountants often have to face seasonal workloads and fluctuating demands in their line of work that can make them consider starting something on the side that’s less taxing.
In this article, we have talked about some of the best side hustles for accountants. These side hustles are not generic. Accountants are usually masters of numbers, and finance and have problem-solving skills that are always in high demand.
Their unique skills allow them to start several side hustles for accountants from the comfort of their homes during their free time. Many of these side hustles can be easily scaled into a full-time business that can help you quit your job.
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15 Best Side Hustles for Accountants Proven to Make Money
Here, you will find the 15 best side hustles for accountants that you can start without learning any new skill set.
1. Offer Tax Preparation Services
Every year, the tax season brings a flood of clients who do not know how to file their taxes and handle the deductions. As an accountant, you can help these individuals and small businesses in filing accurate returns and maximizing their refunds.
This side hustle for accountants is not only profitable but also highly flexible. You just need to dedicate a few hours every day. You can charge anywhere between $30-$50 an hour depending on the complexity of the work.
You can offer these services through freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr or even make a social media page and promote yourself.
2. Offer QuickBooks or Accounting Software Training
According to Luisa Zhou, there are 33.3 million small businesses in the United States. Many of these small business owners struggle to understand the accounting software that can make their life a little easier.
As an accountant, you know how to use platforms like QuickBooks, Xero, or FreshBooks. You can offer training sessions to create some digital resources like tutorials or workshops.
Businesses will pay you to help them understand this accounting process. According to Preply, accounting tutors can easily charge up to $38.50 an hour. This pay rate makes it one of the best side hustles for accountants.
3. Freelance Bookkeeping
Many solopreneurs and startups can not hire a full-time bookkeeper but they do need help managing their finances. This is a fantastic side hustle to start and earn a good amount of money.
You’ll have to maintain financial records, track expenses, and prepare basic financial statements.
According to the rates quoted on Upwork, bookkeepers can charge anywhere between $10-$100 an hour depending upon your experience.
If you are looking for some other side gigs that can make thousands of dollars every month, then give a go to this article. Here you will find best side hustles to start in 2025 that can make you good money on the side consistently.
4. Forensic Accounting for Legal Cases
Some legal cases involve fraud, embezzlement, or financial discrepancies. These legal cases require an accountant who can do a little digging and uncover the fraud.
Forensic counting is one of the most profitable side hustles for accountants. You can easily partner with law firms to analyze the data for such cases and uncover irregular transactions.
5. Offer Budget Coaching
Many families have student loans, home mortgages, etc to pay and need help with their budget. As an accountant, you can step in and offer coaching in this regard.
You can easily use your expertise to help clients by creating realistic budgets that help them achieve their financial goals. You can also offer customized plans to help them repay their debt and achieve their long-term financial goals.
This coaching service can be an extremely profitable side hustle and you can easily charge anywhere between $30-$50 an hour.
6. Financial Planning and Advisory
As an accountant, if you have a little experience with retirement planning and investment strategies, then you can offer financial planning and advisory services.
This is easily one of the best side hustles for accountants. If you have a certification like CPA or CFP, you can offer great advice to businesses and individuals who are looking to secure their financial future.
7. Auditing Side Gigs for Small Businesses
Small businesses usually don’t have a lot of budget to hire a full-time auditor but they need one that can help them maintain compliance, and check their record for accuracy in order to gain the trust of stakeholders.
As an accountant, you can offer independent auditing services to these businesses. You will have to check the financial data and suggest improvements for enhanced accuracy and transparency.
If your goal is to make money in less time while working during your free hours, then this is one of the best side hustles for accountants.
8. Payroll Processing for Small Companies
Payroll is a time-consuming task and many small companies often face problems doing this. A small error in their payroll can be extremely time-consuming for them to correct.
Because of this, they prefer to hire an accountant for some time that can do this for them. You can use software like Gusto or ADP and complete tasks like calculating wages, managing tax withholdings, and ensuring timely payments.
You can easily become a reliable partner for them and earn a good amount of money. You can join Upwork and Fiverr and earn anywhere between $50-$100 an hour depending upon the complexity of the task.
9. Create and Sell Accounting Templates
Small businesses that don’t want to hire a freelancer again and again often prefer to buy software and tools that can make their lives easier. As an accountant, you can create professional templates for different tasks like invoicing, budgeting, tracking expenses, and financial forecasting.
You can use Excel, Google Sheets, etc to create these templates and easily sell them on platforms like Etsy, Gumroad, or even your website.
Create value-packed bundles as they sell easily and promote them on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. This is one of the side hustles for accountants that will work as a passive income stream.
10. Start an Accounting Blog or Write an eBook
You can start an accounting blog where you can talk about different topics such as “Tips for Small Businesses”, “Tax Filing Guidelines”, “How to Create Personal Budgets”, etc.
You can easily monetize your blogs through ads, affiliate links, or by selling courses, etc. You can also write an eBook on topics like “Tax Preparation for Freelancers” or “Accounting 101 for Small Businesses” and then sell it on platforms like Amazon Kindle Publishing.
11. Offer CFO Services for Startups
Some startups can not afford to hire a CFO. As an accountant, you can step in as a part-time or fractional CFO. You will have to help them with budgeting, forecasting, and financial strategy.
Although you need some years of experience to be hired as a CFO, this is easily one of that side hustles for accountants that can pay your extremely well.
12. Teach Accounting Courses Online
This is another lucrative side hustle idea that can act as a passive income. You can create an online course on topics like “Accounting for Startups”, “Accounting Basics”, and “Tax Optimization”. You can sell them on platforms like Udemy, Teachable, and Coursera.
13. Consulting for Business Startups
Startups are often confused about how to implement different systems in their business. As an accountant, you can offer consulting services to these businesses by helping them implement accounting software, establishing workflows, etc.
14. Tax Auditing Representation
Some businesses face IRS or other tax authority audits. In this scenario, they need someone who has deep knowledge of tax laws and regulations. As an accountant, you can help them by reviewing financial documents, responding to authority inquiries, and ensuring that the company is following the laws.
15. Teach Accounting Online
There are several students and professionals who are pursuing professional degrees like CMA, CFA, and ACCA and can not attend full-time classes so, they prefer to learn things online.
As an accountant, you can help them by teaching them online. To find work, you can sign up on platforms like Preply, Wyzant, etc to start offering your services.
You can easily earn $50-$100 per hour depending on the difficulty of tasks. This is one of the most fkexible side hustles for accountants as you can teach at any time that suits you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What side hustles can accountants do?
Accountants can offer side hustles such as tax preparation services, freelance bookkeeping, CFO consulting, financial coaching, or creating and selling accounting templates. Accountants can also offer teaching services.
How to make extra money as an accountant?
Accountants can make extra money by freelancing, offering niche services like forensic accounting or cost accounting, creating online courses, or writing blogs and eBooks about financial management.
What business can an accountant start?
An accountant can start a consulting firm and offer specialized services like tax auditing or financial planning. They can even launch an online business where they can sell accounting templates and tools.
Can I do bookkeeping as a side hustle?
Yes, you can do bookkeeping as a side hustle for accountants. You can help small businesses and startups by managing their finances remotely.
What are some side hustles for finance professionals?
Finance professionals can do side hustles like doing tax preparations for companies/individuals, providing budget coaching, personal finance advising, freelance bookkeeping, or teaching financial literacy courses online.
Why are side hustles for accountants a great idea?
Side hustles for accountants are a great idea as it allows professionals to use their expertise in finance and accounting to earn extra money. These opportunities can be done easily and often align with accountants’ core skills which makes them easier to manage alongside a full-time job.
Are side hustles for accountants sustainable in the long-term?
Yes, side hustles for accountants can be sustained in the long tern if you focus on building a loyal client base from the start. Also focus on offering services like financial consulting or tax preparation, which are in demand.
Side Hustles for Accountants – The Bottom Line
All of the gigs mentioned in these articles are only for accountants who already have accounting knowledge. You can offer different services such as teaching online, auditing, coaching, etc.
These are some of the best side hustles for accountants. You should create a LinkedIn account and network there. This is a great way to get the word out and build some relationships within your community.