7 Side Hustle Ideas for Savvy Programmers

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July 31, 2020 Career

Being a savvy programmer doesn’t always guarantee to land you on a high-paying tech industry job. Contrary to what most people think, programmers do not have it easy with their work. The truth is, programmers, do a lot of work most of the time. Various project iterations demand long hours of work and overtime, especially when the deadlines reach crunchtime.

With a taxing amount of workload and with a pay that is hardly commensurate to the effort programmers put in, it is no wonder why many programmers seek changes in their career path or make ways to earn more with a side hustle. Here, we’ll discuss more on the side hustle ideas that savvy programmers can take advantage of and find opportunities.

1. Start an Internet Business

Programmers can have great potential as entrepreneurs too. Using their programming knowledge, they can advertise and sell any programming-related products they can create, such as ready-made web pages, scripts, programs, and applications. Also, to improve your income-generation potential, you can incorporate affiliate marketing by tying up with other related businesses. For example, by marketing and promoting other tech products such as computer hardware and software, you also get commissions from every successful conversion to the affiliate link.

Affiliate marketing may seem easy, but there are principles and concepts that you should be keenly aware of. This is why it is important to undergo training in affiliate marketing. However, you must tread carefully when it comes to online training as not all are legitimate. Thankfully, some online reviews and guides can help you locate valid and legitimate affiliate marketing training resources.

The good thing about this review type is that it is done by third-party companies or individuals so you are ensured of an unbiased review and recommendation. Also, leading personalities and authorities in online business and affiliate marketing are key contributors to many review articles about training facilities. This means that you have experience and expertise to back you up in making your decisions in pursuing your internet business.

2. Do Freelance Programming Gigs

Freelancing is a good side hustle option especially if you are pressed for time or if your schedule is just too hectic to insert a part-time one. Flexibility is the greatest asset of freelancing as it gives you total freedom to manage your free time for doing your side hustle. It’s not just your programming skills that you can freelance in the market today. You can even make use of your other skills which are unrelated to programming. After all, your goal in your side hustle is to earn an extra income. Thus, if you have picked up different tech-related skills, you can have various freelancing options such as coding, web development, graphic design, and data analyst.

3. Engage in Consulting Work

Consultancy jobs online or in real life can be a great way of extending your knowledge to people and industries that need your inputs and expert advice. Being a programmer, you can share valuable insights about SEO in various industry settings and you can market yourself as a knowledgeable resource person in this field.

Business owners and startup company planners will seek your guidance and advice on how to create a website that has a strong online presence and receives a steady influx of traffic.

4. Start a Programming Blog or Website

Another way of showcasing your programming skills and earning from them is to make a website or blog about programming. Here, you have total control when it comes to your content and how often you can monitor and update your website or blog. There are various ways you can earn by sharing your knowledge through your website.

The easiest methods would be to promote affiliate links for products that you use concerning your programming or tech topics, serve ads on your website, or establish sponsored partnerships with other companies. You can also provide paid webinars through minicourses on your website for those who want to learn more about programming. You can set separate courses for beginners and advanced learners to further expand your earning potential.

5. Work as Online Tech Support

Most programmers not only have software and programming skills, but they also have considerable skills with computers, networks, and hardware. This makes them well-suited for tech support jobs as freelancers or part-timers.

The tech support jobs have a promising forecast in the coming years, which makes it a good long-term side hustle if you want to save up extra cash for a long period. Industries who use technological resources and have integrated digital marketing into their operations are most likely to request for a reliable online support resource, including freelancers.

6. Make Money on Twitch

If you have the knack for developing games or if you are an avid gamer yourself, you can make good use of the Twitch platform for making money. Twitch is a platform with humble beginnings as a service for streaming and watching online gameplay. Many users have found ways to make Twitch a legitimate source of income through various means, such as offering Twitch premium emoticons or Bits, offering Twitch subscriptions to streamers, promoting and accepting donations, and serving video ads.

The streaming service of Twitch is not just limited to gaming but is created for any kind of streaming. Here, you can share useful videos on programming tips and use the income-generation methods mentioned earlier or you can add offers of sponsorships and affiliate links or sell products and merchandise related to your posted stream.

7. Be a Social Media Manager

Side hustles don’t have to be as tough as your regular job. You can also have fun while doing your side hustle and earning at the same time. Being a social media manager is a side hustle that is both fun and financially rewarding. You can capitalize on your tech skills like digital design and coding languages to land a part-time or freelance social media manager side hustle.

Some companies and clients want to designate or outsource social media managers to handle the operation and activities of their social media accounts. This is also a promising job, which is forecasted to have increased demand in the coming years.

There can be many options and ideas for side hustles for programmers. You just need to be resourceful and diligent in your search. Also, it pays to gain other useful skills to make you more marketable and a good prospect for clients. The internet offers endless possibilities for additional income and you just have to know how to hack it.