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Edited by Gary Dudak
You can do just about anything online, including making money, whether it’s as a side hustle or as a full-time job. But how do you start? The same way they should start a ‘real’ job: with a confident attitude, smart negotiation tactics and a set of sharply honed skills.
And what kind of skills exactly? Much of what you need IRL may apply, but if you’re venturing into a new business or diving into freelancing, you’ll need to diversify and expand your skillset. Here are 11 of the best skills you should learn make money online.
Web development
One of the best skills you can learn if you want to make money online is web development/design because it is in high demand and you can generate income in numerous ways.
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The good news is that you can learn web development at your own pace through online courses, bootcamps, or self-study. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a freelancer web developer is $83,681 per year. You can also try taking on side projects if you already have a full-time job.
Adobe Illustrator
“I believe learning Adobe Illustrator for graphic design work is a great way to start making money online,” says Bill Zimmerman, CEO of Spotlightr. “This is useful because literally anyone who runs a website, or builds their site, or does anything online like advertising, YouTube videos, etc., is going to have to do some design work at some point. And this isn’t a skill you can learn in a few days. It does take some dedication, but it’s easy to achieve.”
According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for someone working with Adobe Illustrator is $29 per hour. However, you can earn up to $96,000 or more depending on what types of roles you take on.
Photography
“You can find numerous free online courses and YouTube videos to help you develop this skill,” says Kevin Mercier, entrepreneur and professional photographer at kevmrc.com. “You can use these courses to learn more about light, exposure, color, tone and timing. This will help you take more creative, interesting and striking photos. You can sell almost any photo online, from street photography to food and animal photos.”
Mercier recommends trying Alamy first before selling your stock photos. On average, photos on Alamy sell for around $75 each, but they can cost anywhere from $17 to $416 depending on what they are used for.
According to Indeed, the average hourly rate for photography is $21.13, but how much you earn depends on how you generate income. You can increase your income by focusing on special events such as weddings and conferences.
Audio editing for podcasts
“Podcasts have gone from a niche phenomenon for the tech-savvy to a popular phenomenon worth tens of millions of dollars,” said Matthew Dailly, CEO of Tiger Financial. “Many people have expressed a desire to start their podcasts with that money; however, most people lack the knowledge needed to edit audio themselves, which is why you end up here. You can take someone else’s audio and polish it so that their listeners don’t leave critical comments. The fact that podcast listeners often express dissatisfaction with the sound quality means that there is always a need for your services.”
According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly rate for podcast editors is $32, and pay varies depending on the projects you take on.
Voice modulation
“Voice Modulation skills are one of the most rewarding skills you can learn to make money online,” says Layla Acharya, the owner of EdWize. “Some of the untapped markets that need to be explored are voice-over artists, narrators, etc. Voice-over artists are needed for audiobook recording, storytelling, videos, etc. There are many jobs available on online portals that mainly require this skill.”
According to ZipRecruiter, you could earn an average of $48 per hour as a voice actor.
Virtual assistance
If you want to provide general assistance or monetize your organizational skills, you can find roles as a virtual assistant. This feature allows you to provide clients with administrative services ranging from emails to organizing events.
Based on data from Indeed, the average hourly rate for a virtual assistant is $27.21.
Social media marketing
Social media marketing is a huge role that allows you to monetize your skills on a specific platform or a variety of social media channels. As a social media marketer, you can also plan and manage a brand’s strategy across channels. As more people turn to social media, opportunities arise in this area.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for a social media manager is $64,845 per year or about $31 per hour.
Affiliate marketing
“Affiliate marketing is a useful skill because it allows you to monetize your website or blog traffic,” says Drew Mann, founder of Drew’s Review. “If you have a website or blog with a large audience, affiliate marketing can be a great way to generate income from that traffic. Additionally, affiliate marketing is useful because it allows you to promote products and services that you believe in and use yourself. This builds trust with your audience and can help increase sales of the products or services you promote.”
Mann added that the amount of money you can make with affiliate marketing varies depending on the program you choose, the products you promote and the amount of traffic you generate; “However, some affiliate marketers make thousands of dollars per month.”
According to ZipRecruiter, you can make over $82,000 annually with affiliate marketing. However, your income will depend greatly on your promotional opportunities.
Merchandise from Amazon
“If you have a knack for freelance graphic design and illustration, Merch by Amazon could be a perfect fit for you,” said Joshua Rich, CEO and founder of Bullseye Locations. “You can easily design merchandise, such as hoodies, T-shirts and pop sockets, and leave it to Amazon to print and deliver the orders. This can potentially help you make $4-$500 in just a few months.”
Amazon self-publishing
“This is one of Amazon’s print-on-demand services,” Rich said. “All you need to do is get your hands on a few market research tools, conduct your research, and plan the right product. Free online tutorials can help you extensively throughout the process, and you can hire freelancers to write, edit, and proofread the self-published book. Amazon itself will take care of the printing and delivery process, and you can easily make up to a thousand dollars in a few months.”
Publishing.com stated that earnings can range from $500 to $10,000 annually. The amount you can earn depends on how many books you self-publish and how well they do.
Freelance advice
“Finally, if you have significant experience in any type of business, you can offer an online consulting service on freelancing platforms as the field is relevant to your field,” Rich said. Based on research from ZipRecruiter, you can earn around $48 per hour as a freelance consultant, and the salary you bring in depends on the clients you can land.
Martin Dasko contributed reporting for this article.
This item was supplied by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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