11 Dirty Side Hustles No One Is Talking About For 2025

some of the biggest money makers out there in 2025 are hiding in the shadows and no I'm not talking about starting a Tik Tok Empire I'm talking about side hustles that are so under the radar they'll leave you questioning your day job from cleaning up messes that even raccoons would pass on to Turning literal garbage into gold we're going to be diving into 11 dirty side hustles that no one else is talking about but absolutely should be so if you're ready to roll up your sleeves and get paid let's get into it what if I told you that you could make $150 per hour cleaning up other people's messes no I'm not talking about regular cleaning I'm talking about biohazard cleaning where the real money is hiding in plain sight biohazard cleaning is exactly what it sounds like cleaning up hazardous materials in crime scenes extreme hoarding situations or any place where dangerous substances need professional handling and it's kind of like being an emergency room doctor but for buildings and you're not just cleaning you're literally bringing spaces back to life and according to reports from actual biohazard cleaners on Reddit small jobs started $150 to $500 and this could be for something like a minor water loss incident under a sink while larger jobs involving things like crime scenes can pay anywhere from $500 to $5,000 even better projects involving crawl spaces or major contamination can net you up to $20,000 per job take this paramedic who started doing biohazard cleaning as a side hustle according to his Reddit post he charges $1 to $150 extra per job depending on severity and he turned his medical background into a perfect complimentary business that now makes cash on the side now to get started you'll need proper certifications and licenses you also need professional grade PPE equipment industrial cleaning supplies and a reliable van or truck now the pros here are is an extremely high hourly rate there's also low competition and there's steady demand in any economy the cons are it can be emotionally challenging work it requires specific certifications and you may have to do the work at inconvenient times now some of the certifications licenses uh courses you have to take are the OSHA bloodborne pathogen standard training IICRC crime scene cleanup technician certification hazardous waste operations and emergency response certification also known as has whopper and then there might be State specific permits for Biohazard Waste handling and there might be Transportation permits if moving biohazardous materials plus a business license specific to hazardous material handling and these certifications can cost anywhere between $2 and $5,000 total depending on the state and city you live in and training typically takes 2 to 3 months to complete so yeah this one's a little bit harder to get into and it might not be one that you can do all the time hence why I put it on a side hustle video but it's one where when something happens if you are a person who has those certifications there's not a lot of options out there and so you're probably going to be the person that they call and so it's a really easy way to make extra money and if you live in a big enough City or maybe a growing town you could turn this into a full-time business so I'm going to give this one a 7 out of 10 opportunity score because in a world where sanitation and professional cleaning have become more important than ever this one sits at the perfect intersection of high demand and low competition however I'm putting it at seven because there's a lot of certification requirements and you kind of have to have a really strong stomach in order to do it now if you're already enjoying these ideas go ahead and hit that like button because it helps the channel and it makes sure we keep bringing you hidden gems like this and speaking of cleaning up messes wait until you hear about the next dirty gold mine I'm about to talk about this is a business that quite literally deals with nothing but grease and that is grease trap cleaning so you know those delicious fried foods that everybody loves at restaurants well someone has to deal with all that grease and if that's someone is you you can make an absolute Fortune doing it yes grease trap cleaning is a side hustle that literally turns restaurant waste into liquid gold and you can think of it almost like being an oil change technician but for restaurants because just like your car needs regular oil changes every restaurant needs their grease trap cleaned it's not just a service it's a legal requirement if a restaurant gets inspected and their grease trap isn't cleaned they are going to get fined and they're going to get in a lot of trouble and the numbers that you can bring in doing this are actually mindblowing just look at this redditor in Texas who shared that he runs a grease trap Servicing Company charging $300 per cleaning for A500 galon trap and when you consider each job takes about 45 minutes and he Services multiple restaurants daily we're talking about a th000 per day potential and this redditor shared that his friend became wealthy by cleaning restaurants Venta hoods and other equipments that required a high temp power washer and he started with just a basic pump truck focusing on small local restaurants and now has contracts with major chains across three different states now to get started you'll need to rent some equipment such as a pump and or a power cleaner And depending on the state you live in you may need EPA and state level permits plus you'll need a driver's license basic mechanical knowledge and you'll need to be able to reach out to local restaurants now the pros of this one are you can get a recurring monthly Revenue so not only can you do this as a side Hustle but you absolutely can turn it into a full-time business there's also very high profit margins and it's an essential service that can't be outsourced worst plus there's limited competition and it's a Recession Proof business the cons are there can be a high initial equipments cost you either have to rent or get a pump and other equipment it can also be physically demanding there are also strong odors in many cases you'll have to do it either during the night or an early morning hours to avoid disrupting the business but overall I really like this one I'm going to give it an 8.5 out of 10 opportunity score restaurants will always need their grease traps cleaned because it's a legal requirement and with increasing food delivery and restaurant growth this industry is only going to get bigger plus strict environmental regulations that are expanding in different states means this service can't be cheaply outsourced overseas like many other things now by the way if doing these dirty side hustles isn't your thing I created a completely free cheat sheet on how to get a remote job and you can check that out by clicking down the description and the pin comment below so I have options for people no matter what you're interested in on this channel which is why you should definitely subscribe as well now if you think dealing with grease is Dirty Work wait until you hear about our next business that literally cleans up up after your business and that is a portable toilet rental now have you ever wondered who owns those blue boxes at every outdoor event well they might be driving nicer cars than the event organizers themselves I'm talking about portable toilet rentals a business that proves you can literally make money while other people handle their business basically what you do here is you invest in portable toilets and then you rent them out to clients and you can think of it like being a miniature landlord but instead of dealing with tenant drama you're just renting out plastic Thrones that practically rent themselves and the numbers here might make you have to sit down standard units typically rent for 25 to $475 a week but here's where it gets interesting ADA Compliant units go for $100 to $700 per event and Deluxe flushing models can command up to $850 per week now they say that posting is not allowed anymore but take a look at this Gary from the UK built his portapotty rental company euru into a 9 million a year business and he started with just basic units and smart marketing and he focused on construction sites and events and now he maintains a fleet of 4,000 portable toilets with a 90% utilization rate so do the math on that now to get started you'll need a few basic portable toilet units and these typically cost about $500 to $11,000 each plus you'll need a truck with lifting capability or I suppose you could rent the truck as well and you'll need cleaning equipment and supplies because each time people use them it's going to need to be cleaned plus you'll need some storage space for the Porta poot units depending on where you live you might need some local business permits and you're definitely going to need a strong stomach now the pros here are there is steady demand from construction and events people are never going to stop pooping and peing there's also High profit margins it's recession resistant it's a scalable business model and there's little day-to-day management needed the cons here are there is initial investment in units they also requires storage space there's competition in urban areas and there's seasonal fluctuations and obviously you're going to be dealing with waste and that's a pretty big con so overall I will give this one an 8 out of 10 opportunity score because everyone needs a bathroom it's literally a basic human necessity and as Forest Gump said happens and you might as well be there to profit from it all right guys so we're a few minutes into the video what's your take on these unique side hustles have you ever tried any of them do you think you would try any of them have you heard of others trying them drop a comment below cuz we'd love to hear your stories or your questions also if you think that there's one I should have included on this list that I didn't drop that comment below as well now speaking of Dirty Jobs nobody wants to do let me tell you about the next side gig a business where being a a little bit trashy can make you incredibly wealthy and that's medical waste disposal Courier and you know those red biohazard bags in doctor's offices Well turns out there's a gold mine in handling medical waste and it's a market that's literally growing by the minute medical waste disposal isn't just about picking up trash it's about being a crucial Link in the healthcare supply chain ensuring dangerous materials don't end up where they shouldn't so you can think of it almost like being an environmental superhero in Reverse instead of saving the planet from pollution you're saving people from contaminated Medical waste and according to Industry reports medical waste removal costs between $2 and $20 per pound but think about this a typical small medical office produces about 2,000 lb of medical waste annually so do the math there that's up to $40,000 per year just from one small client take this guy from Reddit for instance who started a medical career service focusing on waste disposal he laid down the types of waste you can possibly handle and notes how to handle these waste for your safety and to get started you'll need proper licensing and certifications so check with your local area you can literally ask AI about the licensing and certification in your local area if you don't know how to do it a reliable vehicle preferably a van medical waste transport containers relationships with disposable facilities and knowledge of OSHA regulations or regulations in whatever country that you're in which like I said check with an AI it'll probably lead you to the right place at least now the pros here are consistent monthly contracts High profit margins growing industry limited competition and it's Recession Proof the cons are there is heavy regulation and I guess that could be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it because that means there is a bigger burier to entry there is high liability and because of that you have to follow very strict protocols plus there's an initial certification cost and you have to deal with regular compliance audits but overall I'm going to give this one a 9.5 out of 10 opportunity score because there are a ton of healthc care facilities out there and it's just expanding faster and faster and medical waste disposal is becoming more crucial than ever plus the Aging population means more medical waste it's literally a growing Market that you can't ignore someone out there is very likely going to start a business that gets to the 100 million or billion dollar valuation literally just getting rid of medical waste and maybe you might be the person to do that so let's get on to the next one honey farming and this is a side hustle that's as sweet as it sounds picture rows of buzzing beehives producing Liquid Gold while you enjoy the perks of being Your Own Boss honey farming also known as beekeeping involves raising bees to produce honey but not just honey also beeswax and other Hive products that you can sell and it's kind of like managing tiny flying employees who work for nectar and occasionally sting you as their resignation letter and the income can be surprisingly sweet a small operation might pull in $300 to $500 per Hive annually James Hartman for instance started his honey farm with just $500 and turned it into a $41,000 a month business and what's cool about this is that he began beekeeping as a form of therapy after leaving his job in the bomb squad talk about turning lemons into lemonade or in this case wild flowers into honey $41,000 a month selling honey from his garden not bad now getting started is relatively affordable you need a few beehives that are around $300 each some basic beekeeping gear and a location with plenty of flowering plants now this one might be a lot better for you if you have a large property or you live out in the country or you live maybe in a smaller town on the edge of town now the pros honey and other Hive products are in constant demand and it's great for the environment and you can scale as your expertise grows the cons bees can be unpredictable and maintaining hives takes consistent care and attention so this side house will gets a solid 7.5 out of 10 on the opportunity scale it's lucrative and rewarding but requires ongoing effort and a bit of Bravery around stinging insects now the cool thing about all of these side hustles is you can actually start a YouTube channel this is the most common question that I've gotten over and over again from people that have emailed me or reached out to me is Shane how do I start my own YouTube channel and it makes sense because YouTube is literally the number one career that young people want to do more than a doctor a lawyer or even a sports star and luckily for you I have completely free training on exactly how to grow and make money from YouTube which I'll put down in the description and the pin comment below do not miss out on it I don't know how long it's going to be free but I want to show you exactly how I was able to start a YouTube channel that makes millions of dollars a year and how you can do it as well with that being said let's move on to the next one crawl space and attic cleaning have you ever wondered what's lurking in dark Corners above your head or Beneath Your Feet well someone has to clean those spaces and they're making a killing doing it crawl space and attic cleaning it's about tackling the Forgotten spaces that most people are too scared to even look at think of it like being an urban spelunker except instead of exploring caves you're going to be navigating hidden passages of people's homes and getting paid handsomely for it and basic attic cleaning starts at $100 to $500 but crawl space cleaning that's where the real money is we're talking $500 to $2,000 for a basic job and up to $5,000 when dealing with mold fungus or pest infestations take this Seattle contractor for instance who recently charged $9,400 for a 960 ft attic job the space was in really rough shape but after a full clean sanitizing mold remediation sealing all the cracks and building a small storage area they transformed it completely hey maybe they could turn that into a YouTube Studio I tell people how to do that as well Link in the description and the pen comment below but yeah to get started here you'll need basic cleaning equipment PPE gear proper lighting inspection tools a strong back and a stronger stomach and the pros here are it's a high per job Revenue there's low competition there's year round demand and you can combine it with other services plus there's great Word of Mouth potential the cons are it's physically demanding there's confined spaces potential health hazards it's weather dependent and it requires insurance so I'm going to give this one an 8.5 out of 10 opportunity score with increasing home prices more people are maximizing their existing space including attics and crawl spaces plus the specialized nature of the work keeps competition low while growing awareness of mold and air quality issues so a lot of the time you're going to come in after a pest control company already gotten rid of the pest and you just basically have to clean everything out so yeah really good one and also if you know somebody who could use a little inspiration for their next side hustle hit that share button and spread the wealth I don't have a big marketing team or anything like that I basically rely on Word of Mouth for this Channel and a significant amount of people that come to this channel actually come to it because other people share it with them now speaking of things that make people squeamish wait until you hear making other people's Misfortune into your fortune next is going to be foreclosed property cleaning and you know what they say one person's foreclosure is another person's for and unfortunately in today's real estate market there's serious money to be made cleaning up foreclosed properties and I'm not just talking about a little dusting think of it like being a properties reset button when Banks take over homes they need someone to transform these often neglected properties back into sellable assets except instead of parts and paint you're dealing with everything from basic cleaning to full property Rehabilitation and the numbers on this are staggering properties typically pay between 500 to 2,500 per cleanup job but here's where it gets exciting many foreclosure cleaners make additional income selling valuable items left behind by the previous owners for instance this person's been cleaning out bank forclosed homes for the past 17 years and he shares that National companies pay between $3 to $35 per cubic yard of debris removed while Regional companies typically pay $18 per cubic yard and the real profits come from additional services like demolishing decks repairing roofs and handling insurance claims and to get started you'll need basic cleaning equipment a reliable truck or van some space for storage Insurance it definitely helps to have relationships with real estate agents or Banks and of course a strong stomach the pros here are there is a high per job payout there's multiple revenue streams typically it is a relatively flexible schedule there's relatively low startup costs and there's high demand in many markets the cons are inconsistent workflow it can be physically demanding you're going to be sometimes dealing with biohazards and it requires thick skin so I'm going to give this one a 9 out of 10 opportunity score this is another one of those dirty jobs or dirty side hustles that a lot of people need and there's not a lot of people out there willing to do it now speaking of abandoned properties you know what loves dark empty houses more than squatters mold and where there's mold there's money seriously there's a lot of money we're going to be talking about mold remediation and this isn't just about wiping down some bathroom tiles we're going to be talking about professional mold remediation which is a Specialized Service that becomes more in demand as awareness of health risks starts to grow it's becoming more and more common for people to realize that the mold in their house causes ser serious health problems and when you do this it's almost like being a detective and a surgeon combined you're hunting down hidden threats and surgically removing them before they can spread further and it's kind of like CSI meets Home Improvement and the earning potential here is enough to make your eyes water small jobs can net you $150 to $500 while larger jobs dealing with extensive mold problems can bring in3 to $20,000 per project and these aren't rare cases either one remediation job dealing with fire damage in an attic brought in over $20,000 just ask Peppers here who breaks it down perfectly a small bathroom cleanup job can net $500 to $5,000 while medium-sized jobs involving crawl spaces typically bring in $3 to $20,000 and the big money comes from large scale disasters which can easily exceed $20,000 per job now to get into this field you'll need professional certification and training specialized equipment and protective gear insurance and proper licensing a knowledge of health codes and regulations strong attention to detail and good relationships with home inspectors and the pros here are you get a high profit margin there's growing awareness which means increasing demand there's recurring business from property managers there's less competition than general cleaning and it's an essential service that can't be postponed the cons are there is a significant initial investment in equipment there's strict regulations and liability concerns it does require some training it can be physically demanding and there is exposure to potentially harmful substances but overall I'm going to give this one an eight out of 10 opportunity score because with increasing awareness of mold related health issues and stricter real estate inspection requirements the demand for these Services isn't going anywhere but up now if you think dealing with mold is dirdy work wait until you hear about the next opportunity and this is actually cleaning up an entirely different way it turns out there's gold in poop and I'm not talking metaphorical yes you can get paid to do poop removal and they say the best businesses solve real problems and let's face it dog poop in your yard is definitely a real problem we're talking about professional pooper scooper services and before you wrinkle your nose you might want to see the numbers this business is like being a lawn detective except instead of looking for Clues you're looking for well you know poop but here's the thing it's basically a subscription-based gold mine hiding in plain site and the numbers are anything but crappy for a single job you're looking at $26 per week for one visit and about $68 for three visits and if you have multiple dogs even better two dogs fetch $31 to $72 per week so do the math on a full client roster and you're looking at some serious monthly Revenue now how long do you think it actually takes a person to clean up the dog poop not not long at all probably about 10 minutes take will and Levi story they started swoop scoop with just $174 in equipment at the end of 20120 and within 3 months they had 350 customers and today they're making $200,000 per month in peak season and they're managing about 2,000 customers across multiple locations and that's not bad for picking up what others left behind a 2.4 million a year business that you can start tomorrow with $174 now to get your own piece of this pie you'll need basic equipment such as a rake bags disinfectant reliable transportation scheduling software or a notebook insurance it's not mandatory but it is nice to have and of course a very strong stomach and a sense of humor now the pros here are there's low startup costs recurring monthly Revenue minimal competition can't be automated flexible schedule and it's a weather resistant business the cons are it's obviously dealing with dog poop so not a lot of people want to do that there's also physical labor required and you need many clients for a good income plus there's weather exposure and there might be some seasonal fluctuation but overall I'm going to give this one an 8 out of 10 opportunity score doesn't require much at all to start plus it's a subscription model which means predictable recurring Revenue which is every business owner's dream all right so we're done talking about cleaning up other people's messes I promise well kind of next on their list is another disposal business that's turning trash into cash and that's trash pickup what's that saying one man's trash is another man's treasure well in this case it's literally true I recently found an entrepreneur named osalo who turned trash collection into a luxury valet service and he started it all with just $500 during covid now he's making over $23,000 per month collecting trash and think of it like being a high-end concierge but instead of handling Hotel guests you're handling garbage most trash removal services charge between $15 and $50 per month per household and with just 100 regular customers paying $30 a month that's $3,000 monthly recurring revenue and what's really interesting is how Oswaldo approached this he started his company trash and go LLC as a side hustle during Co with only $500 now the company is generating over $23,000 per month with the idea to turn trash pickup into a luxury service and he now runs his own valet service in the early morning and late evening and just like as valdo you can get started with a reliable pickup truck basic liability insurance local permits storage space for sorting recyclables strong back and work ethic and marketing materials and the pros here are you have low startup costs recurring monthly income flexible schedule options every neighborhood needs it and you can start small and scale up the cons are there's early morning hours physical labor is required there's weather exposure and there is some competition from big companies although a lot of the time they don't do a very good job so overall I'm going to give this one a 7.5 out of 10 because the barriers to entry are pretty low there's always demand and you can start with just one neighborhood plus with the rise of online shopping people have more trash than ever now the next one on the list is going to be totally different than any of the other ones and that is is oyster farming and you know the phrase the world is your oyster well for some people it's not just a saying it's a business plan meet oyster farming where the payoff for growing these salty Delicacies can be as rich as the flavor oyster farming involves cultivating oysters in coastal Waters or estuaries and selling them to seafood markets restaurants or directly to Consumers and you can think of it as gardening but your crops are underwater and come with a side of cocktail sauce and according to Oldman oysters an investment of $10,000 can yield returns of $500 ,000 in Just 2 to 5 years take James Frey for example he started his oyster farm with just $7,500 for cages seeds and a kayak and a few years later his business is Crystal Coast oyster and it's projected to hit 4 million in sales and that's not bad for a guy who used to move refrigerators for a living so yeah he's making about $1.6 million a year in Revenue now to get started you'll need some oyster cages a boat or kayak and access to suitable Waters plus a basic understanding of marine biology doesn't hurt but passion and persistence are the real game changers here oysters believe it or not actually improve water quality and the demand for seafood is consistently High the cons is it's labor intensive depending on the state you live in it likely requires permits and you'll be at the mercy of weather and Tides now this one's a little more complicated than some of the other ones on the list but I'm going to go ahead and give this side hustle a 7 out of 10 but if you want to watch more dirty side hustles I actually made a video that absolutely blew up people loved it and it has a bunch of other options for you and you can check it out by clicking right here