For many Americans, making money as quickly as possible is a top priority. Recent Google search trend data from SEMrush shows that searches for “how to make money” were at 90,500 and “how to make money fast” was at 74,000. Given the current cost of living, this is not surprising.

For example, a recent Cardrates survey of Gen Z and Millennial professionals revealed a startling reality: Most Americans can barely afford a roof over their heads…at least somewhat. More than half (52%) of young Americans spend more than half of their salary on housing costs, and it is estimated that 76% spend more than 30% on housing, violating the traditional 30% rule for housing-related budget allocations.

Worryingly, the Cardrates report also revealed that a striking number of Millennial women – one in ten – are seeing housing costs eat up almost 100% of their salary, showing that an employer’s paycheck alone will not be enough to survive in 2024 (when this study was conducted) to live comfortably) or beyond. It’s no wonder that “making money” is a top priority for many young American professionals.

How to make money in 2025

Below are five simple tricks to make more money in 2025:

1. Learn a new skill

The fastest way to make more money is to invest in yourself. Whatever you invest in your learning, development and growth will be paid back in dividends when needed. Taking the time to develop a growth mindset and learn a new skill will benefit your career in many ways; It allows you to stay relevant in your industry, be in demand by employers and new business clients, and gives you more influence if you decide to go freelance.

According to Coursera’s latest report, the top skills of 2025 that are proving to be the most in-demand and popular are:

1. Prompt technology
2. Applied GenAI
3. Data analysis
4. Cybersecurity
5. Business optimization
6. Risk management
7. WordPress
8. Linux
9. Software documentation
10. curiosity

2. Complete a Professional Certificate/Professional Certificate

Why not earn a professional certificate while learning a new skill? In fact, you can achieve this at almost no cost, as many certifications in key skill areas such as project management, product design and AI are available for free. More employers are adopting the skills-first approach to hiring and are even encouraged by the U.S. Department of Labor to hire based on qualifications rather than degree requirements.

Therefore, a certificate showing that you have spent time honing certain skills can help you stand out to employers. It shows that you are committed to your personal development and that you take it seriously enough to achieve more just talk.

3. Start freelancing

Another relatively quick way to make money is to work freelance. Most Generation Z and Millennials report becoming profitable after about three months of side hustling, and with the widespread availability of online platforms and freelance marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork, freelancing has certainly become very accessible and in a few simple steps you can You are now finished and can get started with your profile.

However, it is important to note that while it may look easy at first glance, the reality is that it takes a lot of hard work, persistence, trial and error, and consistency to achieve any level of sustained financial success as a freelancer . You need to find a way to carve out your own niche and thoroughly understand and research your target market. The easy part is providing the freelance service. The part most people don’t see is the hours of research and administration behind the scenes just to get yourself up and running.

4. Build passive income

And then of course there is passive income. You can make money by choosing sources of wealth that generate income constantly, virtually even when you are sleeping. These can range from real estate to stocks to high interest savings accounts to making money by selling photographs online as stock photos and paying each time a license is purchased.

5. Make money through gig work

Finally, one of the quickest ways to make money on demand is through gig platforms like ride-sharing and food delivery apps or websites like TaskRabbit that connect people with local tradesmen, personal assistance, and home improvement services. Although gigs are not sustainable in the long term, they are certainly excellent side hustles and can form the basis for larger ventures in the future.

Making money doesn’t have to be difficult. This year, 2025, is your year to begin rewriting the history of your career and your finances. This will be the year you finally decide to learn a new skill, sign up for a course, start your freelance business and start creating passive income.