do you still need to wait tables? Day jobs for musicians today

by Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, 955 The Heat, Phoenix Radio
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Musicians building their career have often needed day jobs and side hustles to pay the bills and finance their art projects. Ideally, that job would be something that put them in the same spaces as those in the music industry, such as working at a club that booked bands, or doing office work inside a studio. If that type of work was not available, the standard career advice for any artist was to wait tables as a day job. But like most work, that may be shifting today. Waiting or bussing tables is still an option for a musician in need of a day job in 2025, but it may not be the best option. There are a few others that may be work around writing and/or performing music much better for some people.

Waiting tables as a day job or side hustle

Day jobs are jobs that are completely outside of your career field. You do not do any work that is directly related to your art. You don’t practice it, teach it, coach others in it, present it, or produce it. The only reason to do these jobs, unless you have a second calling and this work is just as important as your music, is to make money to pay your bills. Waiting tables has always been such a go-to day job for musicians and other artists because it has a high potential to do just that. A few years ago, a manager at a local branch of Applebees noted that some of the servers were doing so well, they were able to afford down payments on houses he could not even afford to live in, despite advancing farther up the corporate ladder. The career advice and information website “Break room dot com,” currently reports that some waiters at chain restaurants report making more than $27.00 per hour.
Waiting tables may also allow a musician to keep in shape, meaning gym memberships and workout programs and classes can be eliminated from the budget, even when they book several gigs in a row and would need to build their stamina and endurance for the stage. Waitstaff also get discounted or even free food, which can reduce grocery costs.
In addition to the financial benefit, waiting tables is often suggested for musicians today because it allows work to stay “at work.” You can clock out, go home, and go to practice or rehearsal without worrying about customers calling, texting, or emailing you.
Despite the benefits, there are several drawbacks to waiting tables as a day job for musicians. While the exercise might be a benefit, it can also be a hindrance, as the work is often too physically tiring to allow for any other type of work once the shift is over. The reported high pay is a possibility, not a guarantee. And while you do get to leave work at work, customer demands and behavior can make it emotionally draining anyway.

Driving for order delivery and rideshare companies as an independent contractor

Hiring yourself out as an independent driver to companies such as DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, Grubhub, Shipt, or Postmates has rapidly grown into the modern equivalent of “just go wait tables,” work that many assume musicians, actors, and anyone else who needs to make money while focusing on other things can easily go and do. Pretty much anyone who can pass a background check, obtain a driver’s license, and access a vehicle that can be used to provide rides or deliveries can be accepted into the pool of drivers, but that doesn’t mean those same people will actually get to work.
Income varies greatly. There are rideshare and delivery drivers who no longer need traditional day jobs, because their income from what they thought would be a side hustle pays for everything they want and more. There are also rideshare and delivery drivers who sit in parking lots for hours at a time, earning nothing for the time they spend waiting, only to finish a four or even an eight hour shift with just a few dollars.
Unlike working in a restaurant, this is not a job you can leave at work. The app on the phone always seems to beckon, bringing feelings of guilt to anyone not constantly logged in and waiting to make money. Customer issues can also be intense, with people reporting drivers for trivial details about their rides or blaming them for errors made by the restaurant staff.
Schedule flexibility seems to be the one reason a musician might choose rideshare and delivery company work as a day job. These jobs are some of the few that can truly be worked around rehearsals, writing time, recording sessions, even tours.

Retail customer service

Finding employment in a retail environment is another traditional “go to” day job for musicians and other artists. It can be a solid option, as, like restaurant work, you can leave the work at home at the end of your shift. Bad managers may overstep standard behavioral expectations for adults by texting workers to demand they take extra shifts at a moment’s notice or ask questions about the workplace when the employee is not clocked in, but this is not meant to be a standard part of the job. You won’t get texts from customers asking questions you’re required to answer, or be forced to carry around your time clock, making you feel obligated to log back in and work some more.
A retail worker’s pay is fairly steady. It’s much easier to budget and plan for everyday expenses and the added expenses brought on by your latest project if you know how much money you’re earning each pay period.
The primary drawback is that the pay is low, coupled with work that is often physically and mentally draining. Given the option of working all day every day for guaranteed minimum wage or working part-time with the possibility of earning much more, musicians and others who need to go home and put in a whole other day’s work when their day job is done may decide the uncertainly of restaurant or rideshare work is worth it.

Salaried driving jobs

While most immediately think of rideshare driving when someone suggests a driving job, driving jobs still exist for places such as schools, nursing homes, senior centers, organizations that serve anyone with a disability, and companies that provide courier and delivery services to their clients and customers.
Some musicians and other artists prefer these jobs to driving as an independent contractor, because they provide a steady wage or salary. Pay is guaranteed, rather than just a possibility for those willing to sit in a parking lot earning nothing for several hours. There is no app, so the work is able to be left behind at the end of every shift. Those who work driving a school bus of course blend driving work with childcare, but drivers who work for smaller companies may only have to provide short rides to adults, or transport materials from one local business to another. This can result in relatively low-stress work, allowing plenty of time and energy for your music once your shift is done.

These are just the most commonly mentioned and promoted day jobs for musicians. There are of course many more, and which job is best for a specific person is going to depend on the individual’s music practice, skills, health, interests, and other obligations in life.