- Alexander Samuel was living paycheck to paycheck in 2020.
- Two years later, the 33-year-old earned $100,000 helping people move through TaskRabbit.
- With "moving season" just around the corner, he says it could be the perfect time to pick up a side hustle.
In 2020, Alexander Samuel was living paycheck to paycheck.
But just two years later, the Bronx-based 33-year-old earned nearly $100,000, according to documents verified by Insider, helping people move through TaskRabbit, an online platform that matches freelance workers with people who need help with everyday tasks. And he did so working just 10 to 30 hours per week.
Before starting TaskRabbit in 2020, Samuel says he was "unable to save money at all," and that the platform has helped him become "more financially stable."
"I was making enough — and more — to pay my bills and save over $10,000," he told Insider. "I had never ever seen that type of money ever, nor could I believe it was really happening."
This year, he says he wants to start saving up to buy a home of his own.
Samuel is among the many Americans turning to freelance platforms like TaskRabbit, Poshmark, and Fiverr to help them get ahead financially. A record 60 million Americans, or 39% of the US workforce, freelanced full-time or part-time last year, according to an Upwork survey of 3,000 US adults, up from 36% in 2021. Younger generations led the way, with 46% of millennials and 43% Gen Z saying they freelanced.
While many companies are still hiring, the growth in freelancing suggests traditional jobs aren't cutting it for many workers, many of whom have seen inflation outpace their wage gains. The Upwork survey found earning extra income was a key reason 83% of freelancers decided to explore this alternative style of work.
'Moving season' is when the money is made, but the grind isn't for everyone
Before finding TaskRabbit, Samuel says he worked in a variety of sales roles over the past decade at restaurants, car dealerships, and insurance companies. But eventually, he realized he wanted to be his own boss. He tried driving for Uber, but says it didn't make sense to continue due to the cost of gas and the time it required.
Then one day late in 2020, a friend told him he was having a lot of success through TaskRabbit and let Samuel tag along for a task.
"I fell in love with it," he said. In 2021, Samuel decided to dive in.
Samuel does some furniture assembly and delivery tasks, but his typical job involves helping clients move. He says it only took him a a few months to start earning substantial income, but that doing so was far from easy.
During "moving season" — when most renters' leases end — from March to October, Samuel works only 20 to 30 hours per week, but he has to travel to and complete roughly 15 to 20 different tasks. Samuel's most lucrative month in 2022 was May, when he took home more than $16,000 by racking up 73 tasks completed across 219 hours. In July, he earned over $12,000 completing 64 tasks across 160 hours — doing so while battling the summer heat.
"I don't have time for myself because there is so much work," he said. "I will work around 30 hours a week. I will have to force a day off. If not, I know I'll be working every day."
While he largely works in the New York City area, he's driven as far as Connecticut and Long Island for jobs. In the past, he's completed tasks in Brooklyn and Connecticut on the same day.
The work can also be extremely physically demanding — he once had to move a washer and dryer up two flights of stairs — and often comes with unexpected challenges.
In January, for instance, Samuel was tasked with finding a way to move a couch to a client's basement. It required a lot of maneuvering and the removal of a door, but he eventually figured it out.
"The client was very happy because they started to get worried that the couch wasn't going to make it inside," he said, adding that he received a $50 tip.
During the winter months, he only works roughly 10 hours per week. But while there are some "slow weeks," Samuel says there are "still jobs coming in to keep afloat."
When Samuel first started TaskRabbit, he was charging roughly $30 per hour for moving and heavy lifting tasks, but now, he says his rate ranges between $55-$150 per hour depending on the job. While TaskRabbit requires a $25 registration fee, users keep 100% of their earnings and tips. The company makes money by charging clients a service fee on top of the hourly rate.
'Customer service comes first'
Samuel has one key piece of advice for other aspiring taskers: "Customer service comes first — never leave a task undone."
"Always go above and beyond for a client," he said. "It separates you from the rest." Given clients in the middle of a move are often a bit stressed, he says the extra effort can go a long way and be rewarded with a generous tip.
He says his strong customer service, in addition to his strong reviews and willingness to take on challenging tasks, are among the reasons he's not worried about more people joining TaskRabbit and making the platform more competitive.
And Samuel says he has no plans to stop tasking.
"My favorite part of working through Taskrabbit is the travel and helping my clients," he said. "When I'm done with a task, I feel accomplished. I know that I'm able to make a difference in what I'm doing."
