I made $37,000 assembling Ikea furniture last year. It gave me the flexibility to run my own business and farm.

Sandra Navarro said she has carved out a niche on Taskrabbit, assembling dressers from Ikea. Sandra Navarro 2026-03-28T09:56:01.239Z Share Copy link Email Facebook WhatsApp X LinkedIn Bluesky Threads lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Impact Link Save Saved Read in app Loading audio narration... This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. Sandra Navarro works on Taskrabbit and runs her own handyman business in Arizona. She has a specialty that gets her gigs: assembling Ikea furniture. Last year, Navarro made $37,000 through Taskrabbit as a gig worker. AI-generated summary Summaries are generated by an AI model trained on Business Insider's articles. AI may make mistakes or provide inaccurate/incomplete information. We're unable to load that answer right now. Please try again. How did Navarro start on Taskrabbit? How do gig workers manage finances? Why is flexibility important in gig work? What is Ikea's Pax wardrobe system? What skills are needed for furniture assembly? This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sandra Navarro, a 33-year-old who lives in Arizona and assembles furniture for customers on Taskrabbit. Business Insider verified her earnings. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. I originally saw an advertisement for Taskrabbit in New York several years ago.At the time, it wasn't available in the Phoenix area. But later, when I was leaving the restaurant industry, I checked again, and the company was starting to accept Phoenix applicants. I had worked in restaurants for two decades. I started at the bottom as a busser and worked my way up the service side. I went as high up as a store manager. I also tended bar and, toward the end of my career, became a kitchen manager. I was very sleep-deprived and overweight from the work hours.With Taskrabbit, I set my own schedule. I have a farm and my own handyman business, so I schedule tasks in between those commitments. My time is very limited, and having the ability to pick and choose and create my schedule is so critical. I've always been pretty handy with furniture assembly. The majority of what I do for Taskrabbit is assemble Ikea furniture, though I also see a lot of items from Wayfair and Amazon.The most common item I assemble is dressers. Folks normally want to tackle it on their own, then see all the pieces and think, "Nope, this is not for me." I've found my niche within Ikea's Pax wardrobe system. It can be a stand-alone dresser against a wall or an entire walk-in closet, depending on how it is assembled. I've played around with an in-store tool Ikea offers that lets you customize it, so I've become familiar with this particular piece of furniture.Last year, I made about $37,000 in gross income from Taskrabbit. Outside Taskrabbit, I mount TVs on walls, assemble furniture, put up photos, and do other work through my handyman business.A personal suggestion for anyone doing gig work is to read the book "Profit First" by Mike Michalowicz. It shows you how to set yourself up not only to collect profit but also to tuck away money for taxes and other expenses that come up in your business. As a gig worker, managing your own business and finances is crucial.Do you have a story to share about Taskrabbit or gig work? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. More stories from gig workers I quit driving for Uber after I got a full-time finance job. Ride-hailing took more unpaid work than it used to. I drive for Uber and Lyft as a medical student. It's not the profitable side hustle I expected it to be. I drove for Uber for a decade after leaving my corporate job. Now, I'm looking for alternatives as my pay falls. I've done gig work in all 50 states. Here's how I use apps like Lyft and DoorDash to support my love of travel and food.