How to Make 6 Figures As A Cloud Engineer? (11 Best Ways in 2024)
So you want to make six figures as a cloud engineer? Good for you! Being a cloud 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 cloud 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 as a cloud engineer, especially if you focus on topics related to your field. Cloud technology is a rapidly evolving sector, and sharing your expertise through a podcast could attract a sizable audience of tech enthusiasts, professionals, and businesses looking to stay updated.
With minimal upfront investment needed, such as a microphone, headphones, and basic hosting services, you could create engaging, informative content that could draw sponsors and advertisers over time. Building a loyal listener base through effective promotion on social media and tech forums could further open up avenues for monetization, helping you reach that six-figure income goal.
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. Start an ecommerce store ($287K/month)
Starting an eCommerce store could be a great way for you to make six figures as a cloud engineer, leveraging your technical skills and entrepreneurial spirit. With lower overhead costs and the ability to reach a wider audience, an online store could provide a significant income boost while offering the flexibility to work around your existing job.
The convenience and efficiency of eCommerce are driving its current boom, making it an opportune time to enter the market. By setting up a website, utilizing payment processing software, and managing inventory through shopping cart tools, you could create a side business that aligns with your cloud engineering expertise, ultimately helping you achieve your financial goals.
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.
3. Become an affiliate marketer ($55.3K/month)
Starting an affiliate marketing business could be a lucrative way to supplement your income as a cloud engineer and pave the road towards making six figures. By promoting products or services that align with your technical expertise and industry knowledge, you could leverage your existing skills to drive traffic and generate sales, earning commissions for each successful referral. This business model requires minimal upfront investment, making it particularly accessible for those who might already be working full-time, like yourself.
By signing up for affiliate programs in your niche, you'd receive unique tracking links to monitor sales from your marketing efforts, and you'll get paid for each sale you help generate. This kind of side venture could significantly boost your income, and with effective strategies and dedication, it might even become a primary source of revenue. Given your technical background, you could also use cloud-based tools to optimize your affiliate marketing campaigns, further enhancing your earning potential.
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.
4. Become a social media influencer ($57.4K/month)
As a cloud engineer, you could supplement your income significantly by leveraging your technical expertise to become a social media influencer. By sharing insights, tutorials, and industry updates on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or LinkedIn, you can build a substantial following of like-minded professionals and tech enthusiasts.
Brands eager to tap into the tech-savvy audience might offer you sponsorships, paid collaborations, and product endorsement deals. Given the importance of social media in marketing strategies, these opportunities could provide a substantial side income, potentially even leading to a six-figure earnings if managed effectively.
Additionally, by establishing yourself as an influential voice in the cloud engineering field, you could create online courses or eBooks, further monetizing your specialized knowledge. Engaging consistently with your audience and offering genuine value through your content may open up lucrative revenue streams and enhance your professional brand.
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.
5. Start a social media marketing agency ($116K/month)
Starting a social media marketing agency could be a lucrative side business that complements your career as a cloud engineer and helps you reach a six-figure income. With the flexibility of social media marketing tools, you could automate many tasks, allowing you to balance your primary job with this entrepreneurial venture. By developing a robust social media strategy, you could efficiently serve various clients without needing to commit extensive time.
Moreover, creating an agency portfolio would help you market your services effectively to potential customers. This additional income stream could help you clear your utility bills, finance educational pursuits, or save for vacations. Given your technical background, leveraging analytics and data-driven strategies in your social media marketing could set you apart in a competitive market, maximizing efficiency and profitability.
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.
6. Digital products ($261K/month)
Creating digital products could be an excellent way to supplement your income and potentially reach a six-figure salary as a cloud engineer. Digital products, whether software-based like a cloud management tool or information-based like an in-depth course on cloud architecture, offer limitless possibilities. You have the expertise to create high-value products that address specific pain points within the industry.
Moreover, digital products are incredibly easy to create and distribute. With minimal overhead—no physical inventory to worry about—you could launch a product and start selling it from your website almost immediately. This not only opens up additional streams of revenue but also positions you as an authority in your field, further enhancing your career prospects.
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.
7. Start a youtube channel ($146K/month)
Starting a YouTube channel could provide a lucrative side business opportunity for cloud engineers looking to make six figures. By creating high-quality content that showcases your expertise in cloud technologies, you could attract a substantial following and eventually monetize your channel. This could be achieved through YouTube's established monetization system, advertisements, sponsored content, and merchandise sales.
Numerous success stories highlight the potential of YouTube as a significant revenue stream, especially for tech-savvy professionals. Furthermore, after joining the YouTube Partner Program, you could start earning from ad revenue once you reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past year. If you enjoy content creation and teaching others about cloud engineering, harnessing YouTube's popularity could help you build a successful side business and potentially supplement your income to reach six figures.
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.
8. Start a career coaching business ($48.5K/month)
Starting a career coaching business could serve as a rewarding side venture to boost your income as a cloud engineer, potentially helping you reach the six-figure mark. By leveraging your expertise in cloud computing, you could offer personalized guidance and strategic advice to clients navigating their career paths in technology. You could assist with resume building, interview preparation, and workplace advancement goals, all tailored to your clients' aspirations and career transitions.
The flexibility of offering both in-person and virtual sessions allows you to build a client base while fitting coaching into your existing schedule. This opportunity is especially appealing if you possess natural motivational abilities and are comfortable speaking and offering advice, letting you monetize these talents effectively. Empowering professional breakthroughs in your clients not only enhances your income but also creates a fulfilling way to share your success.
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.
9. Start a blog ($44.9K/month)
Starting a blog could help you make six figures as a cloud engineer by leveraging your expertise to build a reputable online presence and attract a large audience. As blogs are rated as the 5th most trustworthy source of information, your technical knowledge and insights could draw in significant traffic, with 77% of internet users reading blogs. This high level of engagement provides opportunities for monetization through advertisements, sponsored posts, and affiliate marketing.
Additionally, a well-curated blog could serve as a platform for offering premium content, online courses, or consulting services to fellow engineers and businesses. By positioning yourself as a thought leader in cloud engineering, you could unlock streams of income that allow you to work independently and creatively from anywhere. With around 409 million people viewing more than 20 billion pages monthly, the potential reach and profitability of a successful blog are substantial.
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.
10. Create an online course ($91.9K/month)
Creating an online course could be a lucrative way to supplement your income as a cloud engineer and help you reach six figures. By identifying educational gaps in cloud computing and developing engaging video lessons and supplementary materials, you could tap into the growing demand for specialized technical knowledge. This approach allows you to share your expertise with a broader audience, including other aspiring cloud engineers, making the most out of your instructional talents.
The flexibility of self-paced or cohort-based structures means you could cater to various learning preferences, attracting a diverse student base. With relatively low startup costs, an online course platform offers a scalable passive income stream, allowing you to earn money even while focusing on your primary job role. This entrepreneurial venture not only enhances your financial prospects but also positions you as a thought leader in the cloud engineering community.
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.
11. Start a freelance writing business ($65.5K/month)
Starting a freelance writing business could be a strategic way to supplement your income and help you reach six figures as a cloud engineer. With your technical expertise, you could carve out a niche in cloud computing and technology-related content, offering your services to tech blogs, industry publications, and companies needing technical documentation or educational materials on cloud architecture and practices.
Freelance writing offers the flexibility to work from home and set your own schedule, allowing you to balance it alongside your full-time job. Strong writing skills, the ability to meet deadlines, and staying updated with current trends and tools are essential personal qualities that can enhance your credibility and earning potential. By leveraging your specialized knowledge and entrepreneurial mindset, you could attract well-paying clients and build a reputation that creates additional revenue streams.
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.
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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.
