IT Professionals Need to Try These Side Hustles

America has become a nation of hustlers. (Side hustlers, that is.) When polled at the beginning of the year, 24 percent of Americans said they planned to start a side hustle in 2021. That number was on top of the 34 percent of people in the United States who say they’ve already launched a side hustle venture. In other words, 58 percent of people surveyed have interest in adding a source of supplemental income to their day job.

When it comes to side hustles, people don’t typically think of IT professionals. It’s usually the creative types, like photographers and writers that are assumed to be side hustlers. But the reality is that anyone – yes, even an IT pro – can start a side hustle and win big.

The only question is, will you give it a shot?

Reasons to Pick Up a Side Hustle

At first thought, you might be hesitant to pursue a side hustle for any number of reasons. For example, you might see it as just another “thing” – a time-suck or a distraction. But before you write it off as such, consider the benefits that a side hustle offers:

• Easy to integrate. Not everyone has the sort of flexibility that you have. A truck driver or teacher can’t start a side hustle nearly as effortlessly as you can. You sit in an office with a computer within reach at all times. This gives you constant access to the internet, which is a side hustler’s playground.

• Increases your income. Tired of only making $60,000 per year? How much would your life change if you could add another $1,500 to $2,000 in monthly income? It would probably free you up to do a lot of the things you’ve had on your bucket list all of these years.

• Diversifies your income. You might have a safe job, but if the recent pandemic taught us anything, it’s that job security isn’t nearly as secure as we used to think it was. A side hustle gives you a diversified stream of income so that you’re no longer 100 percent dependent on your employer.

• Nurtures new skills. If you aren’t learning and growing, you’re actually becoming less and less valuable. Starting a side hustle forces you to acquire and nurture new skills. This makes you a more talented professional (both in your primary career and your personal life).

• Gives you greater control. When you have multiple streams of income, you have more control over your day-to-day life. You can take chances that you otherwise never would have. For example, you can ask your boss for a significant raise (knowing that you have something to fall back on if it doesn’t go well).

When you layer these benefits together, it becomes very clear that having a side hustle isn’t just about adding another responsibility to your plate. Instead, it’s about designing the sort of lifestyle you want to live.

5 Side Hustles Perfect for IT Pros

As an IT pro, you probably aren’t going to drive Uber. (It simply won’t work with your schedule.) And it’s unlikely that you’ll open up a massive eBay (News - Alert) shop selling antique furniture. (Taking that many trips to the post office would get you fired from your day job.) However, there are plenty of side hustles that do work for someone who is spending eight to 10 hours per day sitting in an office. Here are several:

1. IT Consultant

Take what you’re already doing for your employer and market yourself as an IT consultant for other small businesses and companies that may not have someone in your capacity in-house. You’ll obviously have to check with your contract to see what the non-compete language says, but there are usually ways to make this work.

1. Tech Support

It’s not the most exciting job in the world, but you may be able to offer freelance IT support to companies that use similar systems and products as you. This is something you can do in your downtime and pick up a few extra bucks. You’re not going to generate a six-figure income doing this, but it would be a pretty big win if you could earn enough money to fund your weekend adventures.

1. QA Tester

Quality assurance (QA) testing is very important for software and applications. As someone who is constantly using software and knows the lingo, you can get paid to test out different solutions and detect error codes or defects. It’s an easy job because all you have to do is poke around the interface and make notes. In some cases, you might even like the tools you’re using.

1. Course Creator

Take the knowledge you have about IT systems, technology, network interfaces, etc. and turn it into a course that you can sell online. There are dozens of e-learning platforms on the web that make it easy to monetize your knowledge. Best of all, once you create the course, it’s basically passive income.

1. Real Estate Agent

This might seem out of place on the list, but it’s actually one of the best opportunities around. Not only is it a high-demand job (particularly in a hot market such as this), but it’s extremely flexible. As much as 90 percent of a real estate agent’s job can be done sitting at a computer. Yes, you’ll need to show properties on occasion and visit your listings, but almost everything can be handled remotely. This includes real estate marketing, browsing the MLS for listings, fielding phone calls, putting in offers, reviewing contracts, etc.

Ready, Set, Hustle

The great thing about a side hustle is that you can run it at your pace. You don’t have to launch and immediately spend 35 hours working your side hustle in the first week. You can begin with an hour here and an hour there – eventually scaling up as your schedule allows.

The key is to get started. While 34 percent of people said they were interested in starting a side hustle in 2021, it’s likely that over half of these individuals will never take action. And when 2022 rolls around, they’ll be saying the same thing. Be different. Be a doer. That’s how you get incredible results!