In one of my Side Hustle Reports, I wrote about how I made a little over $25 taking pictures of hiring signs using an app called Job Spotter. Since that didn’t seem like all that much money, I didn’t expect a lot of people to care too much about the app. I was pleasantly surprised though at how many people asked for more info about the Job Spotter app. Goes to show that the hustle doesn’t stop around here, no matter how small it might seem.
Those of you who follow Financial Panther know that I’m all about trying to monetize the things I’m already doing. It’s why I do bike deliveries when I’m trying to get some exercise, walk dogs during my lunch hour, and charge up Bird and Lime scooters on my way to and from work. All of these activities mean that I’m out and about a lot. And while I’m out in the city, I pass by countless stores and restaurants that are looking to hire people. When I found out there was an app that could help me make some money while I’m already walking around town (or biking, or scootering), I thought it made sense to give it a try.
After over a year of using the app, Job Spotter is, without a doubt, the no-brainer side hustle app I think everyone should have on their phone. Even if you hate side hustling, this is an app that you’ll agree is worth using. It takes a few seconds to download and all you have to do is take pictures of hiring signs that you already see anyway.
What Is The Job Spotter App?
Job Spotter is a product of Indeed. Anyone who’s ever looked for a job before probably knows what Indeed is – it’s one of the largest job search engines in the world.
The idea behind Job Spotter is fairly simple. There are thousands of businesses out there looking to hire people, but the vast majority of them do not post their job openings online. Instead, they might just stick a “Help Wanted” sign on their window. The problem with this method of hiring is that not all that many people may see the hiring sign, since only people that happen to be walking by will know about the job opening.
That’s where the Job Spotter app comes into play. The creators of Job Spotter figured that since so many people are walking around, it could essentially crowd-source hiring information and put it up on its site. Now, instead of just a small handful of people seeing the hiring sign, anyone searching on Indeed can find it.
How The Job Spotter App Works
The app itself is super simple to use. The first thing you need to do is download the app on your iOS or Android device. Once you’ve got yourself signed up, all you need to do is find a hiring sign while you’re walking around town.
When you see a hiring sign, you need to take two pictures using the app. First, you take a picture of the hiring sign. Then, you take a picture of the storefront or store sign. Altogether, it shouldn’t take you more than 10 or 20 seconds to take the two pictures. It’s important to remember that you need to do all of this inside the Job Spotter app (in other words, don’t take pictures with your camera app, and then think you can upload it later – you have to take the pictures in the Job Spotter app). Also, when you take your pictures, make sure that there isn’t anyone in the frame – otherwise, your photo will get rejected.
Job Spotter pays different amounts based on how valuable it deems the sign to be. You’re paid via a point system in which each point equals one cent. I typically make between 5 cents and one dollar for each picture, with an average of probably around 50 cents per picture.
The value of a sign is pretty much based on how big the business is and how permanent the hiring sign seems to be. Large businesses (places like Starbucks, Target, etc) always have hiring signs on their windows. These are considered low-value signs that don’t pay you a ton – most likely somewhere between 5 and 30 cents. I still think it’s worth taking pictures of them if you happen to see them since the payments add up and it only takes a few seconds to do it.
The big money signs are ones for small businesses that appear to be legitimately hiring. Signs that are handwritten or that are printed out on computer paper are particularly awesome. The more “mom and pop” a business seems to be, the higher value the sign tends to be.
Below is a screenshot of my own Job Spotter app, showing how much I’ve been paid for some of my recent finds. As you can see, the hiring signs for chain restaurants pay much less than the hiring signs for the independent businesses.
How Much Can You Make With The Job Spotter App?
You’re not going to be replacing your day job income with Job Spotter, but it’s still a nice way to earn a little bit of extra money without using up a lot of your time. I’ve been using the app for over a year and tend to average between $10 and $25 of extra income each month. That might not seem like that much, but over the course of a year, that adds up to an extra $120 to $300 of income. On an hourly basis, the return is actually very good. If you’re already out and about, you’re basically making 50 cents to a dollar for 20 seconds of work.
Payments from Job Spotter are made via Amazon gift cards. Since almost everyone uses Amazon, I consider it basically as good as cash.
The thing to remember is that, just like with saving, these small amounts might not seem like a lot, but they do add up over time. I think everyone should be able to earn $10 to $20 per month taking pictures of hiring signs. In one month, I made $18 just walking around when I was at the mall. When I was in Chicago for one trip, I made over $10 just walking around Chinatown.
An extra $10 or $20 per month isn’t going to make you rich. But it is enough to cover some of your smaller expenses. Job Spotter earnings are especially useful to use for Christmas gifts. Just save up all of your Job Spotter earnings over the course of the year and you’ll be in a good position when Christmas rolls around.
The Main Reason I Like The Job Spotter App: It’s Fun!
It’s nice to get paid, but really, what makes Job Spotter great is that it’s fun. Whenever I use it, I sort of feel like I’m playing a real-life version of Pokemon Go. I find that I pay attention a little bit more to my surroundings now since I’m hunting for those hiring signs.
Another cool thing is that your pictures end up on Indeed’s website. I took the below pictures in the Job Spotter app while I was walking around campus a little while ago and found them on Indeed a few days later.
There’s a bit of satisfaction in taking these pictures since hopefully, I can help this business find a new hire. And it didn’t take me very much effort.
I’ve been making a consistent $10 to $25 every month just by using this app while I go about my daily business. It’s something that everyone can do too.
Job Spotter Tips and Tricks
I feel comfortable saying that I’m an expert with this app, so I have a few tips and tricks for you to consider.
You Can Take Pictures of the Same Hiring Sign, Over and Over. You can take pictures of the same hiring sign after a few weeks pass. I don’t know exactly how long, but I think it’s about every 2 or 3 weeks. So, if you pass by certain hiring signs that are always out, you can take pictures of them again after some time passes. One new thing that a reader pointed out to me is that you can actually take pictures of the same hiring sign at least once per month, regardless of how much time has passed. So, if you see a hiring sign at the end of the month, you can take a picture of that same sign again at the very beginning of the next month.
The Best Hiring Signs Are For Small Mom and Pop Stores. You’ll figure this out as you use this app, but the best hiring signs are those that come from small businesses. Independent restaurants or other small stores should get you close to $1 every single time. Make sure to get these type of signs when you see them.
Don’t Worry About Submission Errors. One issue that Job Spotter sometimes has is with submission errors. You’ll upload something, then get an error saying that the app was unable to submit your pictures. In that situation, just let it sit there. The app will upload your pictures once you get to a zone with better connection.
You Can Make Some Money Reviewing Other People’s Hiring Signs (But It’s Not Really Worth It). Job Spotter has a feature where you can get paid to review other people’s hiring signs. You basically just look at pictures from other users and confirm that they are pictures of what they say they are. I personally do not find this fun and do not think it’s worth the time.
The Best Way To Use Job Spotter Is When You’re Already Out and About. Job Spotter is a great app for anyone who’s already out and about. Once you start paying attention, you’ll notice that there are hiring signs EVERYWHERE. The app works really well for travelers too. If you’re already walking around and sightseeing, it’s perfect to use to just snap some pictures of hiring signs while you’re out exploring. I’ve taken pictures all over the United States, including Puerto Rico. So, if you’re traveling, make sure to download this app.
If you’re interested in trying out Job Spotter, be sure to download the app here.
Have you tried out Job Spotter? How has it worked out for you?
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the sharing economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the sharing economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports. (If you want a quick side hustle win, check out Job Spotter)
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- Simple. Kevin ditched his brick and mortar bank and now uses Simple as his primary checking account. Simple is totally free and, in his opinion, has the best mobile app of any bank.
- Personal Capital. One of best apps to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. Plus, it's free to use and you get $20 for creating an account.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
Wow! They’ve literally thought of everything. It’s insane how amazing technology is getting and what good it can do.
I know right!? It’s crazy what your phone can do for you these days. Being able to make a couple bucks in this manner wasn’t really possible even just 10 years ago.
I don’t see much value in the payout given it’s so small, but I’m way impressed with the idea itself. Technology enables all sorts of cool ideas that never would have been possible a decade ago. The fact that they can pay out at all is just amazing. I might try it out just cause it’s interesting.
No doubt, it’s not something I’d go out of my way to do, but if I see a sign, no reason not to take a quick pic. It’s only a few seconds of time, so if you were to think about it as an hourly wage, it’s actually a lot. Worth a try just to see if it’s worthwhile to you.
Very interesting, FP…
I like the way you think about a lower paying side hustle like this one – it requires little effort on your end (high dollar per hour), and you think of the money you make regarding covering an expense – i.e. paying for HBO for a year. Pretty soon, your side hustling will be enough to cover all of your expenses!
Haha, that would be cool if that ever happened.
I read about this in your last post and immediately downloaded the app. I have to say that I am really self conscious about taking the photos (why??? Everyone is too busy looking at their screens to care what I’m doing!) but I have submitted my first two and I am waiting for approval. I have to walk through downtown to get to/from work every day and our city does not like chains or big businesses in the downtown. It looks like I could make a few extra bucks each month (like you said, enough for HBO.) Thank for introducing this to us!
Awesome! I bet when you’re walking, you’re gonna see more help wanted signs than you ever noticed. I seriously never knew how many jobs must be out there.
Also, I guarantee no one will even look at you when you take a picture of a sign. Everyone is way too busy looking at their phones to see what other people are doing.
Sounds like a pretty easy way to earn a few bucks. I’ll definitely have to download the app. I know for some similar ones like GigWalk, they make you go inside and take pics of stuff (like menus and product signs)…this one seems much easier and people won’t ask you what you’re doing.
I do Gigwalk, EasyShift, and Field Agent occasionally if I happen to be in a store that has a task or if I’m nearby. Gigwalk and Field Agent are usually fine, but EasyShift usually has ridiculous tasks (it’ll be like, take 100 photos for 3 bucks). Now that I think about it, Jobspotter is basically another variant of these type of gig apps, but way easier to do.
This is just awesome FP, it’s so creative! One of the things I love about your side hustle posts is the value you take from what may seem like insignificant side gigs on the surface. But you’re getting so much more than money, these activities get you outside exercising, in the community, it’s great. Also, love how you connect the $10 savings here with your HBO subscription, it’s a great way to think in my opinion. Of course, all these side hustles add up as well. Just great!
That’s the great thing. If you’re already walking around (which I think everyone should be doing anyway), then you’re basically able to make a little bit of money. It’s like finding some spare change on the ground. Why wouldn’t you pick it up? A buddy of mine recently downloaded the app and has been noticing a ton of signs while he’s been walking his dog. These are things we just never even paid attention to before.
If you know where to go, you can make around $10/hour. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to do this for more than an hour at a time. I can get at least $5 each time I go to the mall, so it at least covers gas.
Thanks for posting about this app. So far I’ve made about $10 snapping pics, but the best part so far is that my GF picked up a part time job (on top of her full-time) in the process of snapping pics for job spotter. Win Win in my book!
That’s awesome! Didn’t even think about the fact that you could potentially find a second gig for yourself while taking pics.
I found 4 for hire signs. It is fun and it feels like you are being a helping hand for both job seekers and small businesses. I live in a tourist seasonal town so im expecting a lot more signs to go up soon.
There are probably even more out there once you start noticing them. I never realized how many places have hiring signs until I started using this app!
This is great. My wife started doing the “mystery shopping” thing a while back, and similar to this, it doesn’t provide a huge amount of value, but we’ve already had a few nice, free meals out of it. The entry barriers are low, and you can quit any time it gets boring–I downloaded the job app 🙂
I’ve never tried the mystery shopping stuff but might take a look at it. The job spotter stuff is so easy though. And I find it fun – it’s like a little game when I’m walking around.
Hey how many days on average do your submissions take to get approved? I just got this app and walked all throughout my home area and submitted about 20 submissions. Its been 3 days and only 3 have been approved…
I find that submissions are usually approved between 1 day and 8 days. Usually, it’s pretty fast, but I’ve had some submissions that take over a week to get approved, for some reason.
I uploaded the photos onto my phone and the app is asking me to take the photo directly from my camera. I’ve already left the sites. Is there another way to submit?
Unfortunately, you have to take the photos using the app while you’re there.
I love this little app. I live in a sparsely populated area with apparently few people using Job Seeker, so I have never had to worry about someone else duplicating my work. Of course, that also means there are fewer signs out there. I feel like I might be helping someone find work when I submit a hire. Do you know about the “Verify” opportunity for making even more pennies? I can make at least a couple of dollars a day by looking at the submissions of others and judging their JobSeeker qualities.
The interesting thing is, I think you still get points even if someone else has taken a photo of the sign too. My buddy and I were up in Northern Minnesota a while back and both of us took a picture of the same hiring sign at some liquor store, and we both got points for it.
I do have the “verify” section on my app. Basically, I can earn 10 cents for verifying submissions. Personally, I haven’t had a ton of fun doing that and I feel like it takes me too long, so I tend to ignore the verification ones unless I’m really bored and have time on my hands.
A friend and I did the same thing on vacation. Hers went in first and was accepted. Mine got denied as a “duplicate”. I’ve averaged $50 a month in the first 2 months and looks like I’ll reach 50 again this month. That includes verifications.
I love this! I just downloaded the app and can’t wait to look for hiring signs tomorrow. lol.
On a side note – you are a great writer. I really enjoy your posts. Keep up the great work!
Thanks so much Tess! Really appreciate it!
If you go to a mall, you can get $10 easily within an hour or two. I just wish it was easier to find high-density areas. I don’t know how the people get 70,000 points for the contests.
Totally – every time I’m at the mall, I just snap pictures of every hiring sign. It takes me no time, barely breaks my stride, and plus, I’m already there walking to someplace. It’s fun.
I have no idea how those people get 70,000 points. That would be interesting to find one of them and figure out how they are doing it.
I earn about 50,000-60,000 points a month and have been doing Job Spotter for about a year and a half. At that amount, I’m making $5,000-$6,000 of Amazon cash per year. I walk during my lunch at work and spend about 3 hours early mornings on a Saturday/Sunday 5 times a month. As I have done this over time, I know what cities and what areas have good downtowns, and also what strip malls have signs up consistently. I’ll make $50-60 on a Sunday morning these days.
Dang, you are killing it! I’m not at that level yet, haha. It sounds like you make it more of a mission to find hiring signs compared to me. I sort of know where the regular hiring signs are, but I usually just snap them when I see them. It’s still an easy 10-20 bucks each month, which adds up to some decent cash by the end of the year.
It’s become a legitimate side hustle for me. Job Spotter will let you submit the same signs the next month, so you can literally hit up the same area once each month. Luckily I work in Manhattan and have a handful of decent sized cities within a 30 min drive from my home. It started for me as a way to earn a couple bucks while I was already walking around, and has grown into this nutty kind of addiction…
Some people swipe a credit card on Amazon…I don’t.
That’s crazy! Really love seeing all the people out there doing different things to make some income. If you ever feel like doing an interview or something for this blog, hit me up, because I’d really love to share more of your story if you’d want to share it.
I decided to see how much I can squeeze it if this app in one month. So far I’m at about $80 and I’m plotting where I’m going each day. It’s great for me because I get exercise without really thinking about it and I’ve been able to buy some things I’ve needed from points I’ve earned. I started the app back in October and to date I’ve earned over $500.
Wow! You’re one of those Job Spotter power users! I’m much more passive with my job-spotting – I just snap pics when I happen upon them, but don’t plan around them.
I just started using this app after seeing the information in an ad from Indeed, I think.
So far, I have $2.38 in my “wallet”, but will keep adding-up as I take pictures. It is FUN, like a scavenger hunt that you get paid for.
Also, I don’t know if I missed this in your article, but you can also earn money verifying other people’s photos too! You just click on verify , verify submissions and say “yes” or “no” depending on if the sign photos (2) are clear!
Yep. Every little bit helps, and it takes literally 10 seconds or less time to do. That’s worthwhile for anyone.
I never do the verifying submissions thing since I find that boring, but if it works for you, for sure, you should do it.
I just heard about this app last week, and I’ve somehow made $60 in less than a week – which was surprising given the reviews I’ve read. I do live in a neighborhood that still has lots of mom and pop shops that post help wanted signs, which helps. I’ve gone a few blocks out of my way looking for signs, but for the most part, I’ve snapped them on my normal routine.
I imagine that I won’t keep us this amount since I’ve probably found most of the help wanted signs in my area, but… this is the first app that I’ve used that I’d recommend, depending on where you live!
Great job! Honestly, anyone who says they don’t see hiring signs are most likely people that drive everywhere and never walk or live in really rural areas. I think almost anyone that walks around or goes into normal commercial areas with some regularity will be able to make about $10 per month doing this basically doing nothing. That’s what I’ve been doing and I don’t even try to find signs.
We are saving ours for Christmas gifts since we buy almost everything on Amazon anyway. Do you know how long it takes to get the credit after “cashing out”? My goal is to average $1/day. I snap the pictures while I am out running Favor.
Awesome! That’s a really smart idea! I made over $200 over the course of the year with Job Spotter in 2017 – not a bad Christmas fund!
Job Spotter says up to 48 hours I think to send the Amazon gift card, but I typically see it within a day. It’s not a long time, is what I can say.
I snap pictures while I’m doing Postmates, Doordash, and Uber Eats, so we’ve got the same idea. It’s a nice way to basically up your earnings a little bit without adding more work to your plate.
How’s Favor? We don’t have that in my city, but I have one of their shirts that my brother gave me. He tried it out in DC once.
I was using this app and having a great time doing so. Today I received a rejection of one of my submissions. The stated reason for the rejection was that it was taken from my car. I sent an appeal to them pointing out that I had taken two others that day from the same car and they had been approved and gotten credit for them. I looked at my account several hours later and found that the mentioned submissions had been changed to rejected as had several previously accepted submissions from other days changed to rejected. Along with these changes to rejected they also removed the credit I had received toward my gift card from amazon. Unless you want to deal with an unscrupulous bunch of assholes I would STEER CLEAR of this app.
I mean it sounds a lot like cutting off your nose to spite your face. Sucks they took away your earnings, and honestly, I have no idea if you’re allowed to take pics from your car or not, but sounds like that’s the rule. Just don’t take pictures from your car, and problem solved. Just because they caught something that apparently was grounds for rejection doesn’t mean that others shouldn’t use an app that works perfectly well and is easy extra money. Just my opinion though – I understand beefing with something out of principle too.
The rules state that you’re not allowed to take photos from a car. I deal with this by angling the camera differently so that it’s not obvious that I am safe and warm and always parked in my car.
Maybe you should just learn a lesson from your experience. If you get caught breaking a rule, don’t tell them about all the other times you broke the rule.
Lol. Love this comment.
Used the app for the first time today. Made $6. So awesome. Since you’ve taken a lot of job postings, have your ever accidentally taken the same posting weeks or months later without realizing you did it already? What happens then?
I’ve found you can submit the same sign like once every 2 or 3 weeks, so I just run through the same signs over and over. If you submit it again too soon, you just get it rejected as duplicate.
I use it regularly and have made about $200+ so far in a little over a year. LIke a treasure hunt for sure. I have some friends using it too and they have found the point value has dropped off quite a bit recently, but not me. I keep getting many 50 and even 100 point job ads. PS I believe you can submit only once per calendar month. But you can submit one on the 30th, and then again a day or two later on the 1st.
I’m like most, just get the pics while I’m out and about but always wondered how those individuals earn so much in a very short time. Is there a trick to increasing your earnings?
The key is to be in business areas – malls, downtown shopping areas, and “main street” type places. You can also take the same picture of the same sign once per month, so some stores that always have hiring signs are guaranteed income, since you can just take pictures of them everytime you’re around. The people who get huge amounts are actively trying harder to find signs. I personally do like you, where I get signs as I’m out and about. It still comes out to $10 to $25 every month, which adds up to $120 to $300 per year. Not bad at all for just walking around like you normally would.