There is so much to do in Boston that living here can feel like a full-time job. It only seems fair that someone should offer monetary compensation.

No matter how satisfying your real job may be, getting paid for what you do in your leisure time will always seem ideal. Sadly, no matter how much you think about it on the T or ponder it in the Public Garden, there is nothing out there that will allow you to cash in on your spare time.

Unless of course you’ve got an iPhone. Want to get paid for your walk home? There’s an App for that.

Gigwalk is an application that allows users to report, record and share information about their surroundings. The application is free, and works by notifying users when a job is available in their area.

According to Jenifer Silver, a local Gigwalker, there are over 4,000 gigs in Boston. Provided you’re willing to snap a photo, you can now earn a second paycheck for doing whatever you’re doing, wherever you happen to be.

People rely on Gigwalk to provide them with information the internet may fail to capture, such as the daily drink special at a tiny independent cafe. Gigwalkers, as Gigwalk employees are known, function as a human search engine, providing photographic proof to specialized queries.

Silver reports responding to anywhere between five and 40 gigs per week. “My favorites are the ones where you can pop in and out without anyone noticing, such as Starbucks, McDonalds and other fast food settings. Occasionally I’ll make friends with the person working and they’ll give me a coffee!” Though Silver’s rate of response depends on her daily schedule, she points out that any time can be a good time for a gig: she’s even completed gigs on dates with her husband.

If the idea of earning $5 while dining out sounds appetizing, take heart in the fact that Gigwalk is growing. Over 100,000 gigs are available nationwide, and 5,067 of them are coming to Boston. With most gigs paying between $4 and $7 each, Gigwalkers have the potential to earn $12 to $20 an hour. Unlike you’re entry level office job, effort is always rewarded at Gigwalk. The more gigs you complete accurately, the higher your odds of accessing gigs that pay between $70 and $90 each.

“Since launching Gigwalk in May, we have rapidly grown into an on-demand mobile army of 50,000 iPhone users nationwide,” said Ariel Seidman, CEO and co-founder of Gigwalk. This army isn’t fighting for just anyone, either. With a client roster that includes TomTom and MenuPages, Gigwalk could prove beneficial to both your wallet and your resume.

So go out to eat, drink, and enjoy your city. And, if you’re a Gigwalker, get paid for doing so.

About The Author

Erin Kilmer is a Blast junior editor

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