1. permanent position with an employer
The most common variant is the classic permanent position. This offers you security and a steady income. There are, for example, marketplaces that keep you up to date if your dream job comes on the market.
On FiveTeams, for example, you can enter your desired salary and your LinkedIn profile and you will receive suitable job offers above your desired salary without any effort. Registration takes less than a minute.
2. work as a freelancer
One of the easiest ways to earn extra money is to work as a freelancer. You can offer this on marketplace platforms like Fiverr or UpWork, for example.
Services can come from a variety of categories, including programming, business, marketing, design, writing, translation, video, music, and more.
Whether you want to use your existing programming skills to earn money on the side or you have other skills you'd rather turn into cash, such marketplaces can be your front door into the world of freelancing.
By the way, you can not only earn money as a freelancer on such platforms, but you can also outsource some tasks that you would rather have someone else do, so you can use your precious time for something more valuable.
3. create a youtube channel
If you want more personal interaction with your audience and have a personable, friendly personality, you can start your own Youtube channel.
In doing so, you'll also practice public speaking, which can be very beneficial for you and your career.
So even if we were to completely disregard the potential income (which can be quite substantial), it's still worth starting a YouTube channel.
Personally, I think starting a YouTube channel is much more effective than just starting a blog.
Because with YouTube, you can build a much stronger relationship with your audience on a much deeper level than you could with a blog about programming.
Of course, the best strategy is to have both if time allows.
Now when it comes to monetization, making money on Youtube is not very different from making money with a blog.
You can make money with Youtube ads, affiliate links or selling your own products.
4. start a podcast
If you prefer talking about topics instead of being on camera, a purpose-built podcast format might be right for you.
Many people use podcasts to learn new content like software development on the go. That might be the right audience for you.
Streaming providers like Apple Music or Spotify offer you an easily accessible platform for this.
In addition, a podcast also holds the great potential to get into conversation with interesting personalities. Here you can find a list of our favorite digital podcasts.
The bigger your reach, the more likely the "big fish" in your niche will follow your call!
5. work on open source projects and receive donations.
Most people think of open source software as enthusiastic and generous developers who spend their days and nights creating and improving software for free.
In fact, "open source software" was synonymous with "free software" for several decades. Developing software with open code through group effort excluded the possibility for profit.
But today, there are ways to profit from creating open source software (OSS).
We have listed some opportunities for you below:
Being able to teach people online is a great skill to have if you want to make some extra money.
Online teaching comes with great benefits for both the student and the teacher.
If you have a topic that you're passionate about and you have the knowledge, you could start offering 1-on-1 coaching sessions for more inexperienced developers.
This way you can put your knowledge to profitable use.
If you want to scale these sessions a bit and reach more people in the same amount of time, you can also offer group coaching sessions.
7. participate in paid programming challenges.
Programming contests are a great way to earn good money with your own programming skills.
Most contests offer substantial cash prizes for the winners.
Some of the most popular places to go for coding contests are Topcoder, CodeChef and CodeProject.
There are often three dominant areas of competition:
So why not enter a competition and try your luck?
Just like in boxing, you'll get paid for every victory.
And aside from a sweet cash injection for your bank account, competitions like Topcoder offer online programs where networking is key.
So not only can you compete and win big - you can especially learn from other top participants by seeing their code.
8. create online courses
Currently, there are actually more positions on the job market for programmers than there are professionals to fill them.
This results in an incredible demand for programmers and many who want to become one.
Therefore, you can make money not only from operational programming, but also from teaching programming languages.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of people in the world who want to learn what you already know!
And if you're a talented teacher and enjoy teaching other people, this could be an excellent side income for you.
You could potentially teach programming to anyone in the world. It's a huge market, and one that's very easy to access online - from the comfort of your own home - to boot.
Platforms like Udemy make it super easy for you to create courses and make money from them. All you have to do is create a high-quality course.
Udemy then takes care of the rest, such as marketing and payment.
9. write and sell e-books
If you see your strengths mainly in writing, an e-book could be a great alternative.
In doing so, you not only help potential readers of your book, but also reflect your own knowledge.
On-demand print providers such as Amazon also allow you to publish a book without large upfront costs.
Or you can publish it as a completely digital version without a print option.
10. create a SaaS (Software as a Service) product
You are a programmer. You build software. The idea here is very simple.
Instead of programming software for someone else to sell, you build software that you sell yourself.
This requires more than just your programming skills, as you also need to develop an eye for customer needs as well as business opportunities.
Building a software product that the market needs or that helps other people solve their problems can be enormously lucrative!
Beyond that, however, you'll also need to work on your marketing skills to adequately market the software as well.
All of these skills, while extremely important, are skills that the average programmer does not have, and you will have a huge advantage if you learn and use these skills.
However, this also means that not everyone who tries to develop their own software will automatically succeed at it.
In fact, the probability is pretty low. But if your product is successful, it can be very lucrative.
For example, you could design a cloud-based application such as a productivity tool that you might have longed for yourself.
11. build your reach through a blog.
The advantage of this method is that you can not only earn money, but also build a strong reputation in the programming community or community.
Marketing yourself as a programmer or software developer and having a strong online presence can be an extreme advantage, which will open some doors for you in terms of career that you wouldn't have otherwise.
In addition to building your personal brand, you'll most likely learn something yourself.
With a programming blog, you're teaching others about programming while improving yourself as a programmer. All while you're earning money at the same time. So it's a super "win-win" situation!
What's more, it's very cost-effective. You can start with Webflow or Wordpress for just a few Euros!
The most common variant is the classic permanent position. This offers you security and a steady income. There are, for example, marketplaces that keep you up to date if your dream job comes on the market.
On FiveTeams, for example, you can enter your desired salary and your LinkedIn profile and you will receive suitable job offers above your desired salary without any effort. Registration takes less than a minute.
2. work as a freelancer
One of the easiest ways to earn extra money is to work as a freelancer. You can offer this on marketplace platforms like Fiverr or UpWork, for example.
Services can come from a variety of categories, including programming, business, marketing, design, writing, translation, video, music, and more.
Whether you want to use your existing programming skills to earn money on the side or you have other skills you'd rather turn into cash, such marketplaces can be your front door into the world of freelancing.
By the way, you can not only earn money as a freelancer on such platforms, but you can also outsource some tasks that you would rather have someone else do, so you can use your precious time for something more valuable.
3. create a youtube channel
If you want more personal interaction with your audience and have a personable, friendly personality, you can start your own Youtube channel.
In doing so, you'll also practice public speaking, which can be very beneficial for you and your career.
So even if we were to completely disregard the potential income (which can be quite substantial), it's still worth starting a YouTube channel.
Personally, I think starting a YouTube channel is much more effective than just starting a blog.
Because with YouTube, you can build a much stronger relationship with your audience on a much deeper level than you could with a blog about programming.
Of course, the best strategy is to have both if time allows.
Now when it comes to monetization, making money on Youtube is not very different from making money with a blog.
You can make money with Youtube ads, affiliate links or selling your own products.
4. start a podcast
If you prefer talking about topics instead of being on camera, a purpose-built podcast format might be right for you.
Many people use podcasts to learn new content like software development on the go. That might be the right audience for you.
Streaming providers like Apple Music or Spotify offer you an easily accessible platform for this.
In addition, a podcast also holds the great potential to get into conversation with interesting personalities. Here you can find a list of our favorite digital podcasts.
The bigger your reach, the more likely the "big fish" in your niche will follow your call!
5. work on open source projects and receive donations.
Most people think of open source software as enthusiastic and generous developers who spend their days and nights creating and improving software for free.
In fact, "open source software" was synonymous with "free software" for several decades. Developing software with open code through group effort excluded the possibility for profit.
But today, there are ways to profit from creating open source software (OSS).
We have listed some opportunities for you below:
- Open SaaS
- Paid Support
- Dual Licensing
- Paid extra functionalities
Being able to teach people online is a great skill to have if you want to make some extra money.
Online teaching comes with great benefits for both the student and the teacher.
If you have a topic that you're passionate about and you have the knowledge, you could start offering 1-on-1 coaching sessions for more inexperienced developers.
This way you can put your knowledge to profitable use.
If you want to scale these sessions a bit and reach more people in the same amount of time, you can also offer group coaching sessions.
7. participate in paid programming challenges.
Programming contests are a great way to earn good money with your own programming skills.
Most contests offer substantial cash prizes for the winners.
Some of the most popular places to go for coding contests are Topcoder, CodeChef and CodeProject.
There are often three dominant areas of competition:
- Design
- Development
- Data Science/ Data Science
So why not enter a competition and try your luck?
Just like in boxing, you'll get paid for every victory.
And aside from a sweet cash injection for your bank account, competitions like Topcoder offer online programs where networking is key.
So not only can you compete and win big - you can especially learn from other top participants by seeing their code.
8. create online courses
Currently, there are actually more positions on the job market for programmers than there are professionals to fill them.
This results in an incredible demand for programmers and many who want to become one.
Therefore, you can make money not only from operational programming, but also from teaching programming languages.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of people in the world who want to learn what you already know!
And if you're a talented teacher and enjoy teaching other people, this could be an excellent side income for you.
You could potentially teach programming to anyone in the world. It's a huge market, and one that's very easy to access online - from the comfort of your own home - to boot.
Platforms like Udemy make it super easy for you to create courses and make money from them. All you have to do is create a high-quality course.
Udemy then takes care of the rest, such as marketing and payment.
9. write and sell e-books
If you see your strengths mainly in writing, an e-book could be a great alternative.
In doing so, you not only help potential readers of your book, but also reflect your own knowledge.
On-demand print providers such as Amazon also allow you to publish a book without large upfront costs.
Or you can publish it as a completely digital version without a print option.
10. create a SaaS (Software as a Service) product
You are a programmer. You build software. The idea here is very simple.
Instead of programming software for someone else to sell, you build software that you sell yourself.
This requires more than just your programming skills, as you also need to develop an eye for customer needs as well as business opportunities.
Building a software product that the market needs or that helps other people solve their problems can be enormously lucrative!
Beyond that, however, you'll also need to work on your marketing skills to adequately market the software as well.
All of these skills, while extremely important, are skills that the average programmer does not have, and you will have a huge advantage if you learn and use these skills.
However, this also means that not everyone who tries to develop their own software will automatically succeed at it.
In fact, the probability is pretty low. But if your product is successful, it can be very lucrative.
For example, you could design a cloud-based application such as a productivity tool that you might have longed for yourself.
11. build your reach through a blog.
The advantage of this method is that you can not only earn money, but also build a strong reputation in the programming community or community.
Marketing yourself as a programmer or software developer and having a strong online presence can be an extreme advantage, which will open some doors for you in terms of career that you wouldn't have otherwise.
In addition to building your personal brand, you'll most likely learn something yourself.
With a programming blog, you're teaching others about programming while improving yourself as a programmer. All while you're earning money at the same time. So it's a super "win-win" situation!
What's more, it's very cost-effective. You can start with Webflow or Wordpress for just a few Euros!