Downward angle icon Downward angle icon. A millennial man in California secretly worked two remote jobs to give him the confidence to start his own business. Workers in this story not pictured. Urbazon / Getty Images A millennial man in California secretly worked two full-time remote jobs last year to make nearly $200,000. His “overemployment” allowed his wife to work part-time and gave him the confidence to start his own business. He said having children gave him extra motivation to achieve “financial freedom.”
In 2021, Patrick found himself with a lot of time on his hands.
He told Business Insider in an email that his role as a remote account manager doesn’t require eight-hour days, and that pandemic-related restrictions have limited what he can do outside of work.
So he came up with the idea to look for a side hustle to boost his income and professional skills.
This idea changed his life.
Patrick, a 34-year-old California resident, made nearly $200,000 last year by secretly working two full-time remote jobs and doing freelance work on the side, and the extra work has boosted his income in 2023 by about 70%.
The extra income has allowed Patrick to pay off debt, renovate his house, invest in rental properties, and build up his savings — all while averaging just 20 hours a week between his two full-time jobs.
It also brought him and his wife two great gifts: it enabled her to switch from full-time to part-time work, freeing her up to spend more time raising their children.
For Patrick, this has helped him achieve “financial freedom,” which he says can only be achieved by being his own boss and having a steady income.
“Being overemployed has helped me gain the skills and confidence to start my own business,” he said.
Patrick is one of the “overemployed” Americans who are quietly juggling multiple remote roles to boost their income and job security. BI interviewed more than 20 of these jugglers, who are making as much as $1 million a year from a variety of jobs and using the extra income to pay off student loans, save for retirement, buy expensive vacations, or buy diet pills.
While some companies allow employees to take on extra work, doing so without approval can come with repercussions. Moreover, the race to work remotely, return-to-office mandates, and burnout have some overworked people questioning whether overemployment is sustainable.
Patrick shared how his experience of being overemployed led him to start his own business and if he plans to continue doing so in the future.
Getting used to juggling work and family gave him the confidence to start his own business.
Patrick has been working remotely for the same company since 2020, but the rest of his job has changed significantly over the past four and a half years.
In 2021, he entered the world of overemployment by taking on a remote freelance role providing growth marketing services in addition to his day job. He got used to juggling two freelance clients in addition to his day job.
Then, in 2022, Patrick started a second full-time remote job with three freelance clients. He said his two full-time employers were unaware of his extra work obligations.
Mid-last year, Patrick left his second remote job, which required an average of about 15 hours of work each week, after his wife became pregnant and needed extra support.
In addition to his remaining full-time job, Patrick said he now has seven freelance clients for whom he works an average of about 80 hours a month. He said his freelance work has turned into a full-fledged business, and he formed a limited liability company in December of last year.
Patrick believes his experience working multiple jobs and freelancing helped him realise he was capable of managing a business.
Patrick said he plans to continue being overemployed for the time being, and he’s not too worried about his major employer demanding he return to the office: Under current policy, employees who live more than 50 miles from the office, like him, don’t have to commute, he said.
Juggling work has improved his financial situation, but the extra income remains “vital,” he said.
“I’m a new father and my goal is to achieve financial freedom,” he said.
Are you working multiple remote jobs simultaneously and can you share details about your pay and schedule? If so, please contact this reporter at jzinkula@businessinsider.com.
