Talk about recession indicators: our most popular content lately has focused on making extra money, getting hired quickly, and surviving an economic downturn.
But what if you can’t afford to struggle through a months-long interview process to land a job — or even wait a week for a part-time paycheck through a gig app? If money is tight and you need some breathing room while you work out your next steps, here’s how to find real jobs that pay in a day or two.
Same-Day Pay Jobs
Some employers and staffing agencies offer daily pay (often for a fee, so check the fine print). These jobs tend to be concentrated in retail, hospitality, construction, and other industries that need staff quickly and on an irregular basis.
Find these jobs by signing up with staffing agencies like PeopleReady and Labor Finders, which offer some same-day jobs. Other agencies that typically pay weekly sometimes partner with services like DailyPay to offer same-day pay for certain gigs, so be sure to ask. (Although again, check for convenience fees.)
You can also find daily pay gigs on search engines like Indeed and ZipRecruiter. Search in your area using keywords like “daily pay” or “same day pay” to find listings.
Tip: Check for seasonal jobs that offer this option, either directly through the employer or via a service like DailyPay.
Local Gigs
If you can babysit, pet sit, walk dogs, shovel snow, rake leaves, mow lawns, haul junk, clean houses, etc., you can often find cash gigs near you pretty easily. Use word of mouth and local sites like Nextdoor and your neighborhood Facebook group to let people know that you’re offering your services.
Want to expand your reach? Sign up with Thumbtack, Care.com, and TaskRabbit. Many of these services pay in a day or two, and you often find repeat customers who will pay you in cash.
Tips Jobs
Waiting tables, bartending, and barista-ing offer a paycheck (typically weekly) and more frequent infusions of cash in the form of tips. Start by checking with restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in your area. If you’re already a regular, you may have an inside track.
Yard Sales and eBay
Selling your extra stuff has an added benefit that other fast-earning gigs don’t offer: it clears out your clutter while it pads your bank balance. Organize a yard sale in your neighborhood or sell your unwanted items on eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, etc. Even going through an online marketplace will get you money pretty quickly; for example, eBay typically pays out in one to three business days upon request.
Etsy
Established sellers on Etsy can get paid daily (provided that they reach the minimum deposit amount, which varies by country, typically around $25). While you have to invest the time to build your shop, once you’re up and running, you may be able to cash out daily if needed.
Trade In Used Electronics
AARP notes that many big-box stores like Walmart, Costco, and Best Buy offer electronics trade-in programs that let you swap tablets, cellphones, gaming systems, and more for hefty store credits: “In early August, Walmart’s trade-in program was offering up to $288 for a used iPhone 14, Best Buy was offering $30 for a used pair of Bose 700 headphones and Costco was offering up to $450 for a used Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ 256GB tablet.”
More Options for Weekly Pay
Need extra cash but can afford to wait a week for payday? Check out our list of legit side gigs.
Featured Partner
Huntr: Huntr helps you create tailored resumes and cover letters fast with AI, fill out application forms in one click, and automatically organize your job search. Sign up for free.
New & Noteworthy
AI Inspires Another Layoff: IT professional services giant Accenture has laid off over 11,000 staff during a push toward enhanced AI offerings. “We are exiting on a compressed timeline people where reskilling, based on our experience, is not a viable path for the skills we need,” said Accenture CEO Julie Sweet.
Jobs Data Is Grim: The monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics didn’t publish on its normal schedule due to the government shutdown (and, uh, other factors). However, we crunched the numbers anyway to show what’s happening in the job market. It’s not great.
The Stock Market Reflects a Totally Different Economy: So far, the job market hasn’t had much effect on the stock market. The Dow added over 300 points on Friday, reaching a record high, even as the government shut down, DOGE’d federal workers came off paid leave and joined the ranks of the unemployed, and other jobs data showed a stagnant job market.
Our Favorite Tools & Tips
CareerOneStop Training Finder: When you need to build skills and credentials to advance your career, CareerOneStop’s Training Finder will help you with every step, from learning about options to getting the skills you need to grow or change careers.
The Muse Job Application Tracker: If you’re looking for a simple way to track your job applications, download The Muse’s free and simple spreadsheet to manage your applications, interviews, and follow-up.
STAR Interview Response Technique: The STAR interview response technique can help make interviewing easier. Using this method, you can share examples of how you successfully handled situations at work to show you possess the credentials the interviewer is looking for in an ideal candidate.
Sponsored by Proficiently
Proficiently uses a combination of a team of career coaches and AI to help you get hired. Proficiently helps with personalized job curation, job matching, resume and cover letter assistance, networking outreach, LinkedIn optimization, interview prep, and more. Most importantly, they aim to ensure their clients feel personally supported throughout their job search.