Stewart started his New York side hustle, Ryan for Dogs, in 2002 to earn money between sparse acting gigs. Now, it’s his full-time job: He makes roughly $60 per hour walking three to five pups at a time. Guaranteed work by a reputation built over multiple decades, Stewart makes up to $120,000 per year, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
“I don’t even think of myself as loving dogs, it’s just that they’re almost like an extension,” Stewart tells CNBC Make It. “I don’t love my right hand, you know? It’s just there.”
Ryan Stewart started dog-walking as a side hustle in 2002. Now, he makes up to $120,000 per year walking in New York City.
Stewart, who’s in his early 40s, says the best part of his job is that “without a college degree, I’ve managed to make six figures a year ... doing something I love.” He works roughly 36 hours per week, spread across six days, he says — noting that dogs require constant attention, making his six-hour shifts often feel demanding.
“A good dog walker is focused and attentive, because you want to prevent your dog from getting hurt,” Stewart says. “You have to watch traffic. You have to watch the dogs [so they] don’t fight each other. It’s not one of those [jobs] that you can put on some AirPods and listen to music while you’re doing it.”
