As cost of living rises, Mass. residents turn to ‘side hustles’

"Can't make ends meet with only one job in this state."

Since 2022, full time dental student Emely Cepeda has worked as a personal assistant, caterer, organizer, and cleaner — all while earning a degree.

Her additional work allows her to keep up with living expenses in Boston, where the cost of living exceeds $50,000 annually, plus pay for the costs associated with being a dental student, including $4,000 board exams.

“I needed something that was flexible, where I could pick my own schedule,” said Cepeda, who found the solution in Taskrabbit, an online marketplace that matches freelance workers to people looking for help completing tasks like moving, handyman work, organizing, and more.

Working in food service since she was 15 years old, Cepeda considered becoming a bartender or server. However, the hours that would require had the potential to interfere with her studying, classes, and exams.

“Sometimes having personal expenses can seem unfeasible,” said Cepeda. “Being able to put as much work into tasking and making as much as I need while also being able to take a break if I wanted to, or if I need to focus on school, is huge for me.”

For many Bostonians, one income is no longer enough. While secondary incomes have always existed, the digital age has ushered in new ways for part time work to be at our fingertips. Platforms like Uber, Doordash, Airbnb, and others help workers offset costs, which can be incredibly beneficial when living in the second most expensive state in the U.S.

“It’s important to note that these kinds of non-traditional jobs have always been with us. There’s a long history of independent contracting. It’s just that it’s a lot easier to find those things right now,” said Matt Rutledge, an associate professor of economics and research fellow at Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research in an interview.

Rutledge previously studied the gig economy, and currently focuses his research on the economics of retirement, aging, disability, and labor.

Massachusetts is the second most expensive state in the United States, according to an analysis by Forbes Advisor. In an informal poll conducted by Boston.com, some respondents told us that taking on additional jobs was necessary to keep up with high prices and pay off debts.

“Can’t make ends meet with only one job in this state,” wrote one respondent.

Catherine, another Boston.com reader, told us she waited tables during college to cover the costs of room and board. As a social worker, Catherine has continued to work part time as a server to pay off student loans. After loan repayment, Catherine hopes to get her own apartment, travel, and buy a new car.

“As I recall, growing up in a working class town, it was common for our parents, grandparents to pick up side jobs: nights, weekends, overtime. Nothing new for many people,” she wrote.

Side hustles are most common among Generation Z, according to a Bankrate survey, with 53% of the demographic earning extra income on the side. Compare that to 50% of Millennials, 40% of Generation X, and 24% of Baby Boomers.

“A lot of Gen Z-ers are people who are still students, and [recent graduates]. These kinds of jobs actually do work very well when you may be a student only some time of the year,” said Rutledge.

And as students, they’re more likely to pick up additional work to offset student loan debt. The average cost of tuition for higher education has more than doubled in the course of a generation, while the high cost of living – especially in Massachusetts – has forced workers to find new solutions to meet everyday living expenses.

“Student loans are first and foremost in our heads, because we really think that there’s still something that we could do to try to get out from under, whereas housing costs just seem hopeless,” said Rutledge.

While secondary incomes are more common among younger generations, side hustles are also great ways for people approaching retirement to extend their careers by taking advantage of their knowledge and connections or getting to be their own boss, Rutledge said.

Carrying a side hustle or additional jobs into retirement – especially considering how the current cost of living will not always support retirees once they stop working – is not uncommon.

Since 2010, Social Security benefits have risen by 58%, but have also lost 20% of their buying power, according to Senior Citizens League, an advocacy group. During the period from 2010 to 2024, “the cost of goods and services purchased by typical retirees jumped 73% during that time.”

“A little extra money is probably a good thing. We know Social Security doesn’t go as far as it used to,” said Rutledge. “Getting a little bit of a side hustle at those ages is probably a good idea. When you’re younger and trying to get by on a gig economy job, it’s hard to save for retirement. It’s hard to think that far.”

Before choosing to pick up additional work, consider the costs. It’s important to not “ignore the fact that some of these jobs actually involve you incurring your own expenses, like your assets, insurance, car payments,” said Rutledge. “At the end, you could actually end up with an hourly wage low below minimum wage.”

“But that extra flexibility is a reason, to me, to be at least a little optimistic that there’s something that could work there.”