How to Make 6 Figures As A Application Engineer? (11 Best Ways in 2024)
So you want to make six figures as a application engineer? Good for you! Being a application engineer is a highly respectable and well-paid profession, and there's no reason why you can't earn a high income if you put your mind to it.
In this blog post, we'll look at some of the best ways to make more money as a application engineer - business ideas you can start to achieve such income. Keep reading to learn more!
1. Start a podcast ($97.9K/month)
Starting a podcast could be a lucrative way to supplement your income or even build a full-fledged side business as an application engineer. By focusing on your niche expertise in application engineering, you could attract an audience interested in industry trends, coding tips, or software development best practices. This can build your personal brand, allowing you to monetize through sponsorships, advertisements, or even selling your own products and services.
Additionally, a well-executed podcast could open up opportunities for consulting gigs, speaking engagements, or collaborations with tech companies. As your audience grows, leveraging your platform to promote e-books, online courses, or paid tutorials could add significant revenue streams. With dedication and strategic promotion, your podcast could be a key contributor to reaching a six-figure income.
How much you can make: $400 — $1,020,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 2 hours/week
A successful podcast production company that grew from one client making $15/hour to a team of 10 contractors producing over 30 shows per week with revenue of over $10k/mo, primarily through referrals and with a focus on providing high personal touch and being picky about working only with clients who are a good fit.
2. Become a social media influencer ($57.4K/month)
Becoming a social media influencer could significantly supplement your income as an application engineer. With social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok being integral to daily routines, brands are actively seeking influencers who can connect with their target audience. Leveraging your expertise in application engineering, you could create content that showcases your skills, provides tutorials, or reviews tech products, thereby establishing your credibility within the tech industry.
Once you have built a substantial following, brands may approach you for collaborations, sponsored posts, and partnerships, enabling you to diversify your income streams. By consistently providing valuable and engaging content, you could grow your audience and increase your earning potential, potentially reaching a six-figure income. Choose a popular niche based on your interests and start creating relevant content to kickstart your journey as a social media influencer.
How much you can make: $2,500 — $166,666/month
How much does it cost to start: $800 (?)
How long does it take to build: 155 days (?)
How one mother built a profitable frugal motherhood, life, and travel blog from scratch, using Instagram, Pinterest, and paid sponsorships to grow from 0 to 18.5K followers and generate $1,500-$3,000 per month in less than two years.
3. Start an ecommerce store ($287K/month)
Starting an ecommerce store could be a compelling way for an application engineer to supplement their income or even make a full-time transition to entrepreneurship. With lower overhead costs and increased flexibility compared to traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, an ecommerce venture allows you to leverage your technical skills to build a robust online platform. Moreover, the booming ecommerce market offers a significant opportunity to reach a wider audience, meaning your potential for scaling up and hitting six figures is well within reach.
You could capitalize on current trends and consumer preferences for convenience by creating a seamless shopping experience on a platform that consumers can easily access from their computers, tablets, or smartphones. Setting up an ecommerce store involves setting up a website, integrating payment processing software, and managing inventory tracking—all tasks that align well with the skill set of an application engineer.
By utilizing your tech expertise, you could develop a user-friendly interface and efficient backend systems, giving you a competitive edge in the ecommerce landscape. This venture could not only provide you with supplemental income but also offer a pathway to significant financial growth, potentially making six figures as you navigate through the entrepreneurial landscape.
How much you can make: $350 — $13,500,000/month
How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Southern Elegance Candle Company, founded by D'Shawn Russell, started as a side hustle making around $200 per weekend at a local Farmers Market, but now averages approximately $20,000 per month in sales across their retail site, wholesale site, and Faire.
4. Digital products ($261K/month)
As an application engineer, supplementing your income with digital products could be an excellent avenue for making six figures. Digital products are top-rated and incredibly versatile, ranging from software-based solutions like apps or games to information-based offerings such as ebooks or courses. These products require minimal overhead; there is no inventory to manage, and they can be sold directly from your website.
Creating these products leverages your existing technical skills, allowing you to build something valuable without the need to hire additional help. For example, you could develop a niche software tool that solves specific problems for end-users, or design a specialized course that teaches others the intricacies of application engineering. With the right marketing and distribution strategy, the scalability of digital products offers limitless income potential.
Embracing this entrepreneurial path not only enhances your revenue streams but also diversifies your professional portfolio, demonstrating your ability to innovate and create value beyond your traditional role. Whether you choose to build an app, write a technical ebook, or even establish a membership site, the opportunities for growth and financial gain are abundant.
How much you can make: $10,417 — $1,766,666/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
FilterGrade is an eCommerce platform offering digital assets such as photo filters and video templates; attracting over 450,000 monthly users and generating approximately 30k a month, the founders worked hard to build a valuable marketplace for creators while focusing on digital marketing, partnerships, and content creation.
5. Become an affiliate marketer ($55.3K/month)
Starting an affiliate marketing venture could be a highly effective way to supplement your income as an application engineer and move closer to making six figures. As an affiliate marketer, you promote other companies' products or services and earn a commission on every sale made through your unique referral. This is a low-cost business idea, requiring minimal upfront investment since you don't need to create or own the products.
You could leverage your marketing skills to drive traffic and sales, particularly in tech-related niches that align with your expertise. Signing up for affiliate programs and earning commissions through your referrals could provide a substantial additional income stream. Given the flexibility and scalability of affiliate marketing, this side business has the potential to significantly boost your overall earnings while allowing you to maintain your primary career as an application engineer.
How much you can make: $18,000 — $83,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $100 (?)
How long does it take to build: 150 days (?)
This case study explores how Spencer Mecham founded Buildapreneur, an affiliate marketing business, and has made over half a million dollars in profit with no employees, relying solely on content marketing through platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
6. Start a career coaching business ($48.5K/month)
Starting a career coaching business could be an excellent way for you to supplement your income as an application engineer. As a career coach, you would provide personalized guidance, support, and strategic advice to help clients achieve their professional goals, such as resume building, interview preparation, and workplace advancement. By leveraging your industry knowledge and experience, you could offer specialized insight that sets you apart from coaches in other fields.
This entrepreneurial venture allows you to set up a flexible schedule with in-person or virtual meetings, giving you the freedom to balance it alongside your primary job. By building a solid client base, you could empower others to reach breakthroughs while monetizing your motivational and human resources expertise. Over time, this side business could evolve into a significant income stream, helping you achieve the coveted six-figure mark.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $235,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Wall Street Oasis, the largest online community focused on careers in finance, has over 100 million visitors during its 14-year history and is currently receiving over 2 million visits per month, offering interview courses and mentorship services, in addition to building and investing in a thriving online community.
7. Start a social media marketing agency ($116K/month)
Starting a social media marketing agency could be a lucrative side business for an application engineer looking to reach six figures. By leveraging your technical acumen and strategic thinking, you could develop effective social media marketing strategies that automate many processes using advanced tools, freeing up time for more clients. This opportunity is particularly appealing because it requires minimal initial investment and allows for flexibility, so you could manage it alongside your current job.
Creating a robust agency portfolio to market your services would be essential, showcasing your ability to optimize social media campaigns for various clients. Whether you aim to clear utility bills, finance your college education, or save for a vacation, this venture has the potential to supplement your primary income significantly, all while enhancing your skill set and broadening your career opportunities.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $500,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $7,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 30 hours/week
How David Tile turned a freelance writing gig into an $80k/month business, discussing lessons learned through managing growing demands and maintaining a remote team operation.
8. Start a blog ($44.9K/month)
Starting a blog could provide a lucrative supplemental income for application engineers, leveraging their expertise in the tech industry to reach a broader audience. With 77% of internet users reading blogs and blogs being the 5th most trustworthy source of online information, you could attract readers seeking high-quality technical insights, tutorials, and industry trends.
By consistently posting valuable content and creating an engaged mailing list, you could monetize your blog through ads, sponsored posts, and affiliate marketing. Blogging could potentially evolve into a full-time business, allowing you to work from anywhere while establishing yourself as a thought leader in the field of application engineering.
How much you can make: $100 — $650,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Learn how one couple created a successful personal finance blog, The Savvy Couple, that now makes over $20,000 per month and has sold thousands of digital workbooks and courses, by focusing on purposeful content and optimizing their ROI with efficient time management.
9. Start a youtube channel ($146K/month)
Starting a YouTube channel could be a lucrative side hustle for application engineers looking to supplement their income and potentially reach six figures. By sharing your expertise on topics like software development, coding best practices, and project management, you could attract a dedicated audience of fellow techies and aspiring engineers. With YouTube's established monetization system, achieving 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in a year would enable you to earn ad revenue.
Additionally, creating high-quality content could open doors to sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and selling merchandise or online courses. This not only diversifies your income streams but also helps position you as an industry thought leader. As your viewer base grows, you could leverage your channel's popularity to command higher rates for freelance projects or consulting work, further boosting your earnings.
How much you can make: $800 — $1,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $750 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Learn how this entrepreneurial couple made $5-7k a month by helping others find legitimate work from home jobs and creative ways to make money online through their blog and YouTube channel, as well as offering two flagship products designed to help beginner freelancers and new bloggers accelerate growth.
10. Start a freelance writing business ($65.5K/month)
Starting a freelance writing business could be an excellent way to supplement your income and potentially reach six figures as an application engineer. Given your technical background, you could specialize in writing about technology, software development, or other related topics, which are highly sought after and command higher rates.
Freelance writing offers the flexibility to work from home and set your own schedule, allowing you to balance it with your primary job. By leveraging your strong writing skills, meeting deadlines, and staying current with the latest writing tools and trends, you could attract high-paying clients and steadily increase your income.
Additionally, by being a self-starter and maintaining proper communication skills, you could establish a reputation for reliability and competence, leading to repeat business and referrals. This can create a steady stream of additional revenue, helping you on your path to a six-figure income.
How much you can make: $700 — $500,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 56 days (?)
How David Tile turned a freelance writing gig into an $80k/month business, discussing lessons learned through managing growing demands and maintaining a remote team operation.
11. Create an online course ($91.9K/month)
Starting an online course business presents a significant opportunity for application engineers to supplement their income and potentially reach six figures. By creating and selling digital classes on specialized skills or knowledge, you could fill educational gaps in areas where you have expertise. This could involve developing engaging video lessons and supplementary materials that cater to eager lifelong learners.
With flexibility around self-paced or cohort-based structures, you could build a student base that provides passive income potential. For those who enjoy information-sharing, launching an online course platform offers a lucrative way to monetize your instructional talents with minimal startup costs. This entrepreneurial route allows you to generate additional revenue while contributing to the education of others in your field.
How much you can make: $350 — $1,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 88 days (?)
Learn how one couple created a successful personal finance blog, The Savvy Couple, that now makes over $20,000 per month and has sold thousands of digital workbooks and courses, by focusing on purposeful content and optimizing their ROI with efficient time management.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
