How To Get Paid to Walk [9 Options For 2023]

Are you looking for a little extra money but unsure how to make it?

Do you love to walk?

In today’s gig economy, you can combine those two things to get paid to walk.

There are a few ways you can do this.

This article will cover several ways to earn money by walking, such as dog walking jobs and gig work.

You’ll get to make a little extra money and stay fit simultaneously.

Keep reading to learn more.

Can You Get Paid to Walk?

Yes, you can!

You can make money just by walking with the right services and programs.

Services include things like gig work, dog walking, and fitness apps.

How Much Can You Make by Walking?

The amount you are paid depends greatly on the type of walking you do.

If you’re working with a gig company like DoorDash, you can make up to $25 an hour.

Meanwhile, dog walking jobs can make at least $16 an hour.

For more casual money earning, apps like SweatCoin let you earn 5 Sweat Coins daily as a standard member.

The Sweat Coins can be later traded in for real money.

One coin is worth around a penny.

There are different types of gig workers that make different levels of money.

The key is to find a lucrative niche.

As a gig worker, you’ll be defined as a 1099 contractor.

What You’ll Need to Get Paid to Walk

Do you want to get paid to walk?

Then this next section will cover everything that you need to get started.

A relatively clean bill of health: If you want to make money walking, the first step is to ensure that you are physically up to the task.

Your physical capabilities will help determine what kind of walking jobs you’ll be able to take and hence how much money you can earn.

Gig work like DoorDash will pay better if you’re faster, while apps like SweatCoin can be taken at your own pace.

Smartphone: A smartphone is an extremely important tool for making money walking.

This will allow you to connect with gigs on the go, chat with potential dog-walking sponsors, or even just track your steps.

Plus, it’s always great to have maps handled.

Decent shoes: If you’re going to be walking, you’ll want to ensure your footwear can hold up.

If your current shoes, you may want to upgrade them as soon as you can.

Where to Get Paid to Walk

In this next section, we’ll go over a few ways that you can get paid to walk.

There are several types of money-making opportunities in this section, so you can pick one that is right for you.

Rover

Rover is a great option for animal lovers.

Rover is a company that lets you sign up to take on a few different pet-based jobs.

This includes pet boarding, house sitting, drop-in visits, doggy daycare, and dog walking

For this article, readers may find the dog-walking option the most attractive.

You can make some decent money by taking dog walking jobs on Rover.

Other dog walkers have reported making anywhere from $60 to $120 a day by walking 2 to 4 dogs daily for about thirty minutes each.

This is a great option for people who love pets.

You can choose to walk either dogs or cats or both.

You can even set the dog’s size within a range you would be comfortable handling.

You may be required to go through a vetting process to show that you are trustworthy with other people’s pets.

This company also has an app to schedule jobs on the go.

• Typical Fees/Commission: Rover takes 20% of earnings
• Typical Payment Methods: PayPal or check

Wag

Wag is very similar to Rover because it is a pet care company.

Wag caters to cat and dog owners by providing walks, boarding, drop-in, wellness services, and training.

The average income for dog walkers on Wag is about $15.65 an hour.

If you’re walking a few dogs a day, this can add up pretty quickly.

If you want to make money walking, dog walking is one of the simplest options.

Wag is another great option for animal lovers.

If you’re good with animals, you may even want to consider offering other services like boarding or training.

Wag’s commission is, unfortunately, rather large, but it is the only place where you can earn money for training and pet wellness.

Additionally, Wag can be covered by pet insurance, so the chances of clients being unable to pay you are decreased significantly.

• Typical Fees/Commission: Wag takes 40% of the money earned.
• Typical Payment Methods: Weekly through a Stripe-connected bank account

Miles

Miles is the app that rewards you for getting on the move.

Using the app, you’ll earn Miles, which can later be traded for rewards like gift cards.

While you can earn by walking, you can also earn by driving and biking.

This app is less a job and more of a way to get rewarded simply by doing something you would have been doing anyway.

The rate you earn money depends on the type of travel and how far you go.

The type of movement is calculated by the speed you are going.

Walking earns ten times the amount that traveling in a car would for the same distance.

Miles isn’t an app that will make you a lot of money, as the average user reported making anywhere between 1 and 5 dollars a year.

However, it does make for an easy way to earn some free money with your daily walks and even your commute.

What makes Miles great is that you’ll be earning money for something you’ll be doing anyway.

However, some users may be turned off by their phones, always having to track their location and speed.

If you don’t mind sharing that data, this app is a no-brainer for rewarding yourself for your movement.

• Typical Fees/Commissions: Free
• Typical Payment Methods: In-app gift cards or special offers

StepBet

StepBet can gamify walking by letting you set goals and group challenges if you need extra motivation to get moving.

When your group reaches your goal, you get rewarded.

The amount you are paid largely depends on how much you put in.

It works by placing a bet on the number of steps your group will make in a given amount of time.

If you reach your step goal, you’ll get your money back plus a small profit.

The only case where you may not get a small profit is if everyone on your team wins.

StepBet is an excellent way to motivate yourself to get active if you need that little extra push.

It does require a $40 bet upfront, so if you want that money back, you’ll need to get moving.

• Typical Fees/Commission: StepBet takes 15% of the pot unless everyone wins, in which case they forfeit their share to ensure everyone gets back at least what they put in.
• Typical Payment Methods: A withdrawal request takes 48 hours and will be deposited into a PayPal account.

Fit Potato

Fit Potato was very similar to StepBet in that you would bet against yourself to meet a step goal and get rewarded if you met it.

The only difference between StepBet and Fit Potato was that Fit Potato had a set step amount per game that you needed to reach, and you only needed to pay $5 into the pot.

Fit Potato was a great way to motivate you to move with a little monetary risk.

With only a $5 charge, the paybacks were meager compared to StepBet.

Fit Potato was a great way to motivate yourself to walk with a lower barrier to entry.

The payouts were lower, but the bets were also lower, making it a more budget-friendly option.

Unfortunately, at the time of writing this, Fit Potato has been shut down.

We don’t know at this time if they will come back in the future.

• Typical Fees/Commission: Fit Potato took 15% of the betting pot.
• Typical Payment Methods: Apple Pay

Instacart

Instacart is a gig-style company that lets you make money as a personal shopper.

It works because an Instacart shopper puts an order on the app for whatever they need.

You open the app and choose an order you think you could fulfill as a walker.

To make money walking, you’ll likely want a light order that’s fairly close by.

You then go to the store, pick up what the shopper wanted, and deliver it to them.

Shoppers can get anything from groceries to home goods to stationery.

Depending on how many orders you can comfortably do while walking, you can make, on average, $15 an hour.

If you live in a dense area where you can get many orders, this amount may go up.

You can also make more through tips.

Instacart is a great option for those who want to grab jobs on the go but have no interest in walking dogs.

It also gives you something to do while walking, rather than just strolling aimlessly.

As a walker, you can simply shop, and the buyer will come to the store to pick up their order later.

Instacart is a great example of the flexibility that the gig economy offers.

• Typical Fees/Commission: Instacart has fees and commissions placed on the purchaser, including delivery fees.
• Typical Payment Methods: Direct Deposit

DoorDash

Another gig company is DoorDash.

A DoorDash driver gig lets you take orders from restaurants and some convenience stores and deliver them to the buyer.

Unlike Instacart, DoorDash orders are usually smaller and are easier to carry while walking.

DoorDash will even give you an insulated bag to keep food hot.

As a “dasher,” you can make about $25 an hour.

You’ll also retain all of the tips from your customers.

DoorDash is a great option for dense urban areas that are easy to walk with plenty of restaurants nearby.

People always want that midday snack or that late-night coffee run, but they don’t always want to leave the comfort of their homes to get it.

• Typical Fees/Commission: DoorDash charges all order fees to the customer. They never take any part of your tips.
• Typical Payment Methods: Direct Deposit or DasherDirect

CircleCare

CircleCare is a corporate wellness program that encourages employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle through challenges and rewards.

It is used to create a workplace wellness community for all who opt to participate.

If your workplace has CircleCare, it allows you to make a little extra money by keeping fit.

By using the app, you can earn CarePoints.

CarePoints can be earned by being active, logging your vitals, sharing your experiences, and taking your medications.

The CarePoints can then be traded in for rewards as decided by your company.

The great thing about CircleCare is that you will have a support group all around you with your coworkers.

As an employer, CircleCare is also a great way to encourage a healthy lifestyle in your employees and help reduce your insurance costs.

CircleCare can work with Apple Health, Fitbit, Google Fit, Jawbone, and Garmin.

• Typical Fees/Commission: As a CircleCare user, you are not responsible for fees or commissions.
• Typical Payment Methods: Dictated by your place of employment.

UnitedHealthcare Motion

UnitedHealthcare Motion takes an interesting approach to earn through walking.

This company lets you earn money that can be used to pay outstanding medical bills by walking.

They push towards meeting 10,000 steps regularly to have a healthy lifestyle and help pay off your medical bills.

If you regularly meet your step goals, this company will let you earn up to $1095 per year, which can be directly applied to existing medical costs.

The great thing about UnitedHealthcare Motion is that not only do you get to keep fit, but you can pay off some of that outstanding medical debt.

If you don’t have any medical debt, then the extra you make from meeting your step goals can be used to schedule regular appointments with your health provider to maintain good health.

• Typical Fees/Commission: None
• Typical Payment Methods: Once you issue a medical claim through UnitedHealthcare Motion, you’ll be reimbursed via direct deposit or virtual card payments.

Why You Should Consider Walking As a Side Hustle

There are a few reasons why you should consider walking as a side hustle.

Let’s explore them now.

• Healthy Lifestyle: Walking is an excellent way to keep fit while being fairly low-impact and easy to do.
• Low Cost: You don’t need any fancy equipment to walk. You just need a decent pair of shoes.
• Varied Opportunities: You get to pick a way to earn money that suits you and your lifestyle.
• Easy Entry: Most side hustles in this article are fairly easy to start. Some of the gig work requires a vetting process, but you can take work as much or as little as you want.

Problems With Walking

Walking is not always the greatest way to exercise.

We’ll explore a few reasons here.

• Exposure to Weather: If you’re walking, you’ll be outside and exposed to the elements. If you rely on this money, that may mean walking in rain and shine.
• Fitness Requirement: If you have low mobility, it may be difficult to earn a lot of money by walking.
• Safety: Some areas may not be safe for pedestrians.
• Money Potential: Outside of gig work, walking may not earn much, and your time and energy may be better spent elsewhere.

How To Get Paid to Walk: Step-By-Step Instructions

This next section will give a step-by-step overview of how you can get paid to walk.

1. Note your endurance and physical capabilities.
2. Choose how you want to make money. This option can be gig work, including through DoorDash, a fitness app like StepBet, or another program. 
3. Sign up for the service or app you want to make money with. This process usually includes entering information such as your name, address, phone number, and email. In some cases, you will need to supply additional information, like your driver’s license.
4. Sign all required documents and complete any required background checks or vetting processes. Many gig jobs require a background check before you can start working for the service. Pet services may require a vetting process to prove your background and credentials.
5. Configure your payment method. Depending on the programs, this may include setting up PayPal, adding your direct deposit information, or giving your mailing address for a check.
6. Start earning money!

Things to Consider When Walking for Money

Finally, we’ll review a few final things you may want to consider before earning money by walking.

Fitness Level

Making decent money by walking will require walking, potentially for long periods in all sorts of weather.

If you are low mobility, you will want to consider that before you choose a way you want to make money walking.

Location

Dense urban areas will be the easiest places to make money, particularly in a gig economy.

These areas may also be less safe for a solo walker.

Rural areas, on the other hand, may suffer from the opposite effect, with fewer options to make money.

Technology

Most walking jobs require at least general comfort with a smartphone.

This requirement includes everything, from signing up for apps, choosing gigs, settling payment methods, and even dealing with maps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions that come up about making money from walking.

Similar Ways to Get Paid

If you’re looking for similar ways to make money, here are a few other options that may fit into your lifestyle.

Get Paid to Lose Weight

Similar to walking, you can find apps that allow you to get paid to lose weight.

Owned by the same company as StepBet, you can try DietBet.

Other similar apps include HealthyWage, Achievement, StickK, and Walgreens Balance Rewards.

Get Paid to Workout

If you’re looking to get paid to work out, you may find some overlap between that and walking.

You can use apps like Sweatcoin and StepBet.

It is also MapMyFitness for runners, Charity Miles, and Rover.

Additionally, you could try earning extra money by becoming a fitness trainer, working in a physically demanding job, or making fitness-related YouTube videos.

Get Paid to Travel

There are so many opportunities to get paid to travel.

Most people would think of travel bloggers/vloggers and photographers first.

You could also work as a flight attendant or house sitter.

If you don’t want to get paid specifically for traveling, you will work as a freelancer so that you can work anywhere in the world with just a laptop and an internet connection.

Freelance jobs include things like a writer, software development, and video editing.

Wrapping Up

If you want to make money walking, there are so many options that you can explore depending on your fitness level, location, and interests.

We hope that we have given you a wide enough variety of options so that you can pick the best for you.

Let us know what you think in the comments, and share this with anyone else you know who would want to make money walking.