Astrology as a side income: reading online in spare hours next to a job
Plenty of astrologers read online in the evenings while keeping a day job. Here is how to pick your hours, check your employer's rules, set a rate and file tax, with no promises about income.
Updated
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Short answer
You can earn a side income from astrology by reading on an app in fixed spare hours, such as evenings or weekends, next to your job. Apps ask about this up front: Astrotalk's form asks your current work status and how many hours a day you can give 3. Check your employer's rules first, because central government servants need permission for outside paid work under Rule 15 of the CCS (Conduct) Rules 2, and side income can change which tax return you file 1. On Kismo you set your own per-minute rate and see your share of each minute before you accept a request.
Key facts
- Best hours
- Fixed slots you can protect every week, such as evenings or weekends
- What apps ask
- Astrotalk asks your current work status and daily hours 3
- Government employees
- Need the government's permission for private business or outside employment 2
- Tax form
- ITR-3 covers salary plus business or profession income 1
- Missed requests
- Anytime Astro alerts you to missed calls and chats 4
- Kismo minimum withdrawal
- Rs 2,000, the whole balance, once every 14 days
Can you earn a side income from astrology next to a job?
You can earn a side income from astrology next to a job by reading on an app in your free hours, since apps let you choose when you are online. Astrotalk's form asks about your current work status along with the hours a day you can give 3.
A side income from readings is real but uneven. It depends on how often you are online, how quickly you answer, and whether clients come back to you.
Which hours suit astrology readings next to a full-time job?
The hours that suit readings next to a full-time job are the ones you can protect every week, often evenings, late nights or weekends. Pick slots where nobody will pull you away mid-session.
| Slot | Works if | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Early morning | You wake early and think clearly | Rushing a client to catch your train |
| Lunch break | You have a private room for 30 minutes | Colleagues walking in |
| Evening after work | You rest for an hour first | Tiredness making answers short |
| Late night | Your household is asleep and quiet | Lost sleep before a working day |
| Weekends | You have longer free blocks | Family plans already made |
Missed requests matter. Anytime Astro's app shows astrologers their missed calls and chats and offers a Reach out button afterwards 4. Even so, a missed request is often a client who went to someone else, so go online only when you can answer at once.
Can a salaried employee read astrology for money?
A salaried employee can often read astrology for money, but first check whether the employer allows paid work outside the job. For central government servants, Rule 15 of the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964 bars private business or outside employment unless the government permits it 2.
The same rules allow honorary work for educational, religious or charitable bodies, if it does not get in the way of official duties 2. Paid readings on an app are not honorary, so ask for permission first.
If you work for a state government or a private company, read your own service rules or employment contract for clauses on outside work. When in doubt, ask HR in writing and keep the reply.
How should a part-time astrologer set a per-minute rate?
A part-time astrologer should set a per-minute rate low enough to win first clients, then raise it as reviews and returning clients grow. Your hours are limited, so over time the aim is more value from each hour, not more hours.
- Start near the lower end of the range while you have no reviews.
- Raise the rate in small steps once returning clients ask for you.
- Set a higher call rate if calls tire you more than chats after a working day.
- Work out your share of each minute before you settle on a number.
The trade-offs are covered in setting your per-minute rate.
What is realistic in your first months of part-time readings?
In your first months of part-time readings, expect few requests, slow reviews and a lot of learning about online clients. A small, steady weekly schedule is easier to keep and helps returning clients find you.
Weeks 1 to 2
Learn the app, the request screen and how fast you need to reply.
Weeks 3 to 8
Collect your first ratings by finishing every reading properly, never by asking for stars.
Month 3 onward
Notice which questions you answer best and which hours bring requests, then adjust.
Nobody can promise how quickly clients come. Treat the first months as practice that happens to pay.
Do you pay tax on a side income from astrology readings?
Tax on a side income from astrology readings depends on how that income is classed, and it can change the return a salaried person files. The Income Tax Department's guide for salaried people says ITR-1 and ITR-2 do not cover profits from a business or profession, while ITR-3 covers salary together with them 1.
ITR-4 is an optional, simpler form for business income worked out on a presumptive basis, and a company director cannot use it 1. Ask a chartered accountant which head your readings fall under before you file; the tax guide for online astrologers goes further.
How does a side income from readings work on Kismo?
On Kismo a part-timer sets a rate from Rs 20 to Rs 1,000 a minute, separately for chats and calls, and sees the share of each minute on the request before accepting it.
| Visit with the same client | Your share of your rate |
|---|---|
| First visit, Rising level | 30% |
| First visit, Established level | 40% |
| First visit, Top level | 50% |
| Second visit | 50% |
| Third visit onward | 55% |
A visit covers every session with the same client within 12 hours of the previous one. Your level is what you earned in the last 30 days, recomputed nightly: Rising under Rs 7,500, Established from Rs 7,500, Top from Rs 19,000.
Example with made-up minutes: at a Rs 40 rate, 20 minutes with a first-time client at Rising level pays you Rs 240. At the same rate, 15 minutes with a client on a third visit pays Rs 330.
Withdrawals start at Rs 2,000, take the whole balance in one transfer, and are possible once every 14 days, sent by email through Grade. Being online needs care at work, because 15 minutes in the background sets you offline.
What do astrologers ask about this?
How many hours a week do I need for an astrology side income?
No public page we read sets a minimum, but apps ask you to state your hours honestly, and Astrotalk advises a schedule you can keep after joining 3. A few fixed hours every week are easier to plan around than one long, irregular session.
Can I take astrology readings during office hours?
Only if your employer allows it and you can answer at once. On Kismo a request lasts 30 seconds, and a missed one sets you offline and lowers your place in Explore, so going online at a busy desk works against you.
Do I need to tell my employer about my astrology side income?
Check your contract or service rules. Central government servants need the government's permission before taking up private business or outside employment, under Rule 15 of the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964 2.
Can I learn astrology while working full time?
Yes. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Jyothisha Bharathi course in Bengaluru meets on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons 5. Other options are compared in astrology certificates and courses.
When are side earnings on Kismo paid out?
Kismo lets you withdraw once your balance reaches Rs 2,000, and you take the whole balance, once every 14 days. Each payout is reviewed and sent by hand within a few working days, by email to your registered address through Grade.
Is income from astrology readings taxable?
Ask a chartered accountant how your readings are classed. The Income Tax Department's guide for salaried people lists ITR-3 for salary together with business or professional income, and ITR-4 for business income on a presumptive basis 1.
Read for clients on Kismo
Set your own per-minute rate for chat and calls, from Rs 20 to Rs 1,000. Apply in your browser with your Aadhaar or PAN and one reading.
Free to apply in your browser. A person reads your application and decides within 2 days.
Where should you go from here?
Where do these facts come from?
- Returns and Forms Applicable for Salaried Individuals for AY 2026-27, Income Tax Department, Government of India. Accessed .
- CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964: Rule 15, Private Trade or Employment, Institute of Secretariat Training and Management, Government of India. Accessed .
- Astrotalk Astrologer Registration: How To Register as an Astrologer on Astrotalk?, Astrotalk blog. Accessed .
- For Astrologers: Anytime Astro (com.anytimeastro.experts), Google Play listing, Google Play. Accessed .
- Jyothishya Bharathi, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bengaluru. Accessed .