AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan
In 2021, Patrick found himself with a lot of time on his hands.
His tasks for his remote account manager role didn't require a full eight-hour workday, he told Business Insider via email. Outside work, pandemic-related restrictions limited how much he could do.
Then he had an idea: He could look for extra work to boost his income and professional skills.
This idea changed his life.
Patrick, who's 34 and based in California, made nearly $200,000 last year secretly working two full-time remote jobs and doing additional freelance work on the side. The extra gigs boosted his 2023 earnings by roughly 70%.
The extra income has allowed Patrick to pay off debts, make home improvements, invest in rental properties, and boost his savings. What's more, he said he only worked 20 hours a week, on average, across both full-time jobs.
It also provided him and his wife with two big gifts. For his wife, it made it possible for her to trade her full-time job for a part-time one — which has given her more time to raise their child.
For Patrick, it's helping him reach the "financial freedom" that he said only comes with being one's own boss and having a stable income.
"Overemployment has helped me learn the skills and gain the confidence to start my own business," he said.
Patrick is among the "overemployed" Americans who have secretly worked multiple remote roles to boost their incomes and job security — BI has interviewed over two dozen of these job jugglers. These people have made as much as $1 million annually across their jobs and used their extra income to pay off student debt, save for retirement, and afford expensive vacations and weight-loss drugs.
While some companies may be OK with their employees taking on extra work, doing so without approval could have consequences. Additionally, competition for remote roles, return-to-office mandates, and burnout have led some job jugglers to question whether overemployment is sustainable.
Patrick shared how his overemployment journey led him to start a business — and whether he plans on keeping it up.
Patrick has been working remotely for the same company since 2020, but his other work commitments have changed considerably over the last four and a half years.
In 2021, he dipped his toe into the overemployment world by taking on some remote freelance work — he provides growth marketing services — in addition to his primary full-time job. He became comfortable juggling two freelance clients in addition to his main role.
Then, in 2022, Patrick started a second full-time remote job while retaining three freelance clients. He said his two full-time employers were not aware of his extra work commitments.
In the middle of last year, Patrick quit his second remote job — which required roughly 15 hours of work each week on average — because his wife was pregnant and needed additional support.
In addition to his remaining full-time job, Patrick said he currently has seven freelance clients which only require about 80 hours of work a month on average. He said his freelance work has turned into a full-fledged business — he established an LLC last December.
Patrick credits his experience juggling multiple jobs and freelance gigs for helping him realize he was capable of managing a business.
Going forward, Patrick said he plans to keep up his overemployment for the foreseeable future. He's not too worried about his primary employer asking him to return to the office — he said the current policy is that employees who live more than 50 miles from the office, like himself, don't have to commute.
While job juggling has improved his finances, he said the extra income continues to be "really important."
"I'm a new father and my goal is financial freedom," he said.
Are you working multiple remote jobs at the same time and willing to provide details about your pay and schedule? If so, reach out to this reporter at jzinkula@businessinsider.com.
