Side hustles were supposed to help people get ahead. Pay off debt. Build savings. Escape the 9-to-5. But for a lot of Americans, the side gig has morphed into a second job with none of the benefits—and all of the exhaustion.
A new survey from SideHustles.com shows just how cooked people are in 2025. Sixty-seven percent of side hustlers say they’re burned out, with Gen Z (73%) and millennials (68%) feeling it the most. Nearly 1 in 5 say their hustle drains them more than their actual job. That’s Ubering all night after a full workday, freelance deadlines eating up weekends, or filming TikToks at midnight to chase a CPM.
And burnout isn’t a slow creep. Most people hit their breaking point after just eight hours a week—well before the average side hustler’s 15-hour weekly grind. To no one’s surprise, the pressure gets worse for those juggling multiple gigs. People with three or more hustles are 24% more likely to feel burned out than those sticking to just one.
This constant output isn’t just exhausting—it’s seeping into everything else. Forty-one percent say their side hustle messes with their sleep. Another third say it’s wrecked their mental health and mood. And 22% admit it’s putting a strain on their relationships. Gig work may promise freedom, but burnout has become part of the package. More than 80% of Gen Z and millennials say it’s just something you accept.
Not all gigs are created equal, though. Rideshare driving and delivery top the burnout charts (74%), followed closely by tutoring, freelance work, content creation, and online selling. Even caregiving and renting out assets—jobs that might seem low-key—rank high in emotional fatigue.
Most people aren’t talking about it. About 36% of side hustlers keep their burnout to themselves, while another chunk scrolls through social media to cope. Only a small fraction are seeking professional help.
Still, nearly half say AI tools like ChatGPT have taken some pressure off. And even with all this stress, 76% of Gen Z and millennials would still recommend side hustling. Because in a world where everything costs more and wages haven’t kept up, burnout doesn’t feel like a crisis—it simply feels like the cost of doing business.
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