So, you want to know if you can make money coding from home? Well, luckily for you, it is very easy to start making money coding from home. Even if you don’t have a degree in computer science or software engineering. How do I know? Well, because I don’t have either of those things and I still make a good yearly salary working from home!
In general, there are four different approaches you can take to make money coding without ever stepping foot in the office. In this article, I am going to break down each of these, how to get started and why they are beneficial.
So without further ado, let’s jump right into it!
1. Get A Remote Coding Job
There are many reasons why you should consider a remote coding job. With the technological advances we have today, more and more businesses are looking for coders who can work remotely. Especially since the pandemic hit in 2020.
Let me tell you, it’s easier than ever to start working remotely for a company and it’s the best way to start making a high salary immediately. Especially if you already have the skills and a portfolio or degree. You can check out my guide here to get a job as a web developer without a degree.
There are a lot of advantages to this approach. Obviously, working remotely means you can work from anywhere in the world, get paid well for your skills, and work with some of the best companies in the world with benefits.
However, issues can arise if you are looking for flexible hours or want to travel as you work. Personally, I value these two benefits a lot. I want to be able to work on my own schedule and be able to travel the world while I do it. In fact, I am writing this article right now from Medellin, Colombia although I am from Toronto, Canada. One of my favorite cities in the world by the way!
Although it is possible to work for a company, maintain your own work schedule and be able to travel, it is hard to do. If you value these things like I do, you might want to try one of the below suggestions.
2. Freelancing Coding
There are many reasons why you should pick up some freelance coding jobs. The primary reason is that you can be your own boss and set your own hours. You can work when you want and take time off when you want. You are also in control of how much work you take on, so you can easily manage your workload.
Not only that but working on freelance coding jobs means that you can choose the projects you work on. and pick and choose the clients you want to work with. In my day-to-day job, there have been many instances where I needed to work on projects I hated because I was ‘the best fit for the job’. As a freelancer, you don’t have that problem because you can pick and choose which projects you decide to work on. This allows you to specialize in the areas you are most interested in and have the most expertise in.
Lastly, freelance coding jobs can be very well paid. If you are good at what you do, you can command high rates for your services. This can lead to a very comfortable lifestyle, especially if you are able to find steady work. So, if you are looking for a way to be your own boss, set your own hours, and choose the projects you work on, then freelance coding jobs may be the perfect option for you.
But beware.
Freelancing isn’t all roses and daisies. Freelancing is a ton of hard work. Especially at the beginning. Not only that, but you have to deal with additional stress, such as not having a steady paycheck or knowing where your next job is coming from. Not to mention you need to be sociable or outgoing enough to talk to and have a relationship with your clients.
While freelancing can be a very lucrative career, it certainly is not for everyone. Especially not the stereotypical, anti-social programmer that just wants to code all day.
So, you know, keep that in mind!
3. Programming Tutor
Being a programming tutor would be a highly rewarding experience. As a tutor, you would have the opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise with others who are interested in learning programming. Through doing this, you would be able to help students improve their programming skills and better understand the concepts behind the topics you teach.
Not only this, but it’s a proven fact that teaching others helps you learn as well. So you will even be able to use this opportunity to better your own programming skills! What could be better than that?
The average salary for a programming tutor is around $53,000 a year. Not a bad chunk of change for spreading your knowledge! Not to mention that it’s easier than ever to do this online, so you don’t even need to have students show up at your house. A laptop with a webcam should be more than enough to suffice.
4. Build Software
There are many ways to earn money coding from home, but one way that is often overlooked is by building software. Although, it really shouldn’t be! I mean, it is what we do. While it may not be the easiest option, it can be a very lucrative one. There are many different types of software that people use every day, and if you can create something that is useful, you can make a lot of money.
There are many ways to monetize software, such as charging for it upfront, offering a freemium model, monthly payments, and making money through advertising. If you have the skills to build software, then you should definitely consider this option for earning money. It can be a very rewarding experience, both financially and personally. Not to mention, you can always add it to a portfolio to show future employers what you can do and use this as a stepping stone to doing option 1 mentioned above.
From my personal experience, it seems that building a piece of software with the SAAS (Software As A Service) model is the most lucrative way to make money coding a piece of software. This means you build something and charge a monthly amount for people to use it.
How To Make More Money With Software
A great example of software that does this is Mixed Analytics. This company allows you to easily use the API of other pieces of software and post it within a Google Sheet. There are many great APIs out there but people who can’t code don’t know how to use them. Mixed Analytics fixes this issue and charges a monthly fee to use the service.
P.S. I don’t have an affiliate with this company, I just think they have a great product that shows this example.
How To Make Easy Money With Software
In addition to this, the easiest way to make money off an app is with advertising. If you can get enough people hooked to your app, you can sign up for an ad network like Google Adsense and start receiving money automatically off your views. Pretty neat, right?
Summary
In conclusion, there are many ways to get a high-paying job in the coding industry working from home. If you want to be able to work from anywhere in the world, have a flexible schedule, and choose the projects you work on, then freelancing is the way to go. If you want to have a more stable career with an immediately higher salary, then working for a company might be the way to go. And if you want a less traditional route or a side project, then tutoring or building software is the way to go.
So that’s pretty much it! How to make money coding from home. In addition to working from home, check out my ways for making passive income programming as well.
Good luck, and as always, happy coding!