Verified on Sep 15, 2026
You shovel snow and clear walks and steps for customers you find yourself. No company or app sits between you and them. A job is priced by visit, hour, inch of snow, storm, or the whole season. No one publishes what a self-employed shoveller takes home. This only works where real snow falls.
You clear snow from driveways, walks, and steps for customers you find yourself. No company or app sits between you and them.
This page covers two jobs: shovelling snow by hand, and clearing it with a snow blower you carry or push. It does not cover truck plowing, roof snow removal, or large parking lots.
You can also offer to spread ice melt or salt after clearing, so the surface does not refreeze.
Minneapolis requires homeowners, not the person they hire, to clear sidewalks after snow stops. Houses get 24 hours. Other properties get 4 daytime hours. If it is not cleared, the city can do the work and bill the owner. A rule like that can be one reason a customer wants fast help. Ask what your own city requires.
This work only happens where real snow falls, and only during winter.
No source states a take-home number for a lone snow shoveller. We checked federal wage data and two snow-removal companies’ own price pages. Not one of them prints that figure.
Landscaping and groundskeeping is the closest listed government job to this trade. Its own duty list includes clearing snow from walkways and parking lots. Employees there earned $20.33 an hour on average in 2025, or $42,290 a year. That wage belongs to a landscaping company’s employee, not a self-employed shoveller.
Real pricing works differently. Two snow-removal companies name five ways to bill a job. Price it per visit, per hour, per inch of snow, per storm, or as one flat fee for the season.
Snowfall changes the price too, apart from how the job is billed. Some services charge more once snowfall passes 6 inches. Property size matters too: a big driveway or lot takes more time and gear than a small one.
What a customer pays is gross pay, not take-home pay. Self-employment tax adds 15.3% of what is left after costs. Nobody withholds it ahead of time.
Driving between jobs, quoting, and waiting out a storm all earn nothing. Your shovel and your blower’s engine or battery wear out too.
Cash, a check, or a payment app are all ways to be paid. Agree on the price and the payment method before the job starts. No source we checked sets one payment rule for this trade.
Once net self-employment earnings reach $400 in a year, the IRS wants a return filed. Business income goes on Schedule C. Self-employment tax goes on Schedule SE. Income counts no matter how you are paid, including cash.
A manual shovel is the cheapest way to start. A spring-assisted 18-inch shovel costs $39.97. A handheld spreader for ice melt adds $24.97. Together that is about $65, our own math, not a published figure.
A cordless electric shovel is a step up, at $149.99. A self-propelled, battery-powered snow blower for a bigger driveway costs $1,599.99, far more than a shovel.
General liability insurance is optional. It would cover an accident, like a damaged step edge or a dented car door. No price for this coverage was found.
This fits you if you don’t mind cold, early mornings, and work that starts whenever it snows.
It fits people who want to choose how a job is priced. You can charge by the job, the hour, the inch of snow, or the season.
It fits people who can start with a $39.97 shovel and no vehicle, if they can walk to nearby homes.
It fits students home for winter break. It also fits parents with a flexible schedule, since storms bring jobs at odd hours.
See more seasonal gigs like this one, including mowing lawns and cleaning gutters.
Skip this if you cannot work early mornings. A customer may want the walk cleared before leaving for work. Snow does not wait for a convenient hour.
The American Heart Association links the exertion of shovelling snow to a higher risk of heart attack. The risk is higher for people with heart disease or heart risk factors. Long cold exposure can also cause frostbite, hypothermia, and other cold-related illness. If any of that could be you, talk to a doctor before you take this work. This is not medical advice.
Skip this if you cannot handle ice underfoot. A slip on an icy walkway or step is a real risk while carrying a shovel or pushing a blower.
Skip this if you need steady income all year. This work pays nothing in months without snow, and a light winter means fewer storms and less work.
Skip this if you will not check your local rules first. Neither place we checked says if a lone hand shoveller needs a license.
Day 1. Call your city or town about any snow-removal license or permit.
Day 2. Buy your shovel and, if you want one, a spreader. At the prices we checked, that is about $65.
Day 3. Knock on doors near you and offer a per-storm price or a seasonal deal for the whole winter.
Day 4. Check the weather. Snow work runs on storms, not a set schedule.
Day 5. Watch the storm. Plan to shovel once it slows or stops, so you do not clear the same spot twice.
Day 6. Shovel your first job early, before customers leave for work. Push snow rather than lift it.
Day 7. Spread ice melt if the customer wants it, get paid, and set part of it aside. Self-employment tax runs 15.3% on your net earnings, on top of income tax.
A snow shovel is the core tool. A spring-assisted handle takes some strain off your back.
An ice scraper or snow broom clears a light dusting or an ice glaze that a shovel handles poorly.
A handheld spreader puts down ice melt or salt evenly after you clear the snow.
Ice melt or rock salt keeps a cleared surface from refreezing into ice overnight.
A cordless or gas snow blower clears a bigger driveway faster than a shovel, without a plow truck.
Boots with grip, made for ice, cut your risk of slipping on icy walkways and steps.
Warm, layered clothing and gloves matter. Cold and hard physical work together raise your health risk, and layers let you adjust as you warm up.
A car, truck, or a nearby neighborhood you can walk to gets you to each job.
General liability insurance is optional. We found no published price for it in this trade.
What you charge is not what you keep. Self-employment tax runs 15.3% on your net earnings, on top of income tax. Unpaid driving, quoting, and worn gear all cut into your take-home pay.
This work is seasonal. It pays nothing in months without snow, and a light winter means less work overall.
Snow does not arrive on a schedule. You may need to shovel early in the morning, in the cold, right after a storm ends.
The American Heart Association links shovelling’s exertion to a higher risk of heart attack. The risk is higher for people with heart disease or other risk factors. Cold weather on its own can also hurt you. This is not medical advice.
Ice makes walkways and steps slippery. A slip while carrying a shovel or pushing a blower is a real risk.
Neither New York rule we read says if a lone hand shoveller needs a license or permit. Call your own city to find out.
There is no steady paycheck. You earn only when it snows and a job is booked.
No platform steps in if a customer does not pay you.
Do I need a license to shovel snow? It depends on where you live. Syracuse, NY requires a license for the snow-plowing and removal business. Its own paperwork does not say if a hand shoveller with no vehicle needs one. West Seneca, NY’s permit is written for plow vehicles, not hand shovels. Call your own city or town office to ask.
How much should I charge? There is no single price. Price it per visit, per hour, per inch of snow, per storm, or as one flat fee for the winter. Snow depth and property size each change the price on their own.
Do I have to report cash I get paid for shovelling? Yes. Cash counts as income just like a check or a payment app. Once your net self-employment earnings reach $400 or more in a year, file Schedule C and Schedule SE. A tax preparer can help with your own forms.
Is shovelling snow bad for your heart? The American Heart Association links shovelling’s exertion to a higher risk of heart attack. The risk is higher for people with heart disease or other risk factors. Pushing snow instead of lifting it is one recommended step. This is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor if you are unsure.
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