How to Make 6 Figures As A Network Engineer? (11 Best Ways in 2024)
So you want to make six figures as a network engineer? Good for you! Being a network 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 network engineer - business ideas you can start to achieve such income. Keep reading to learn more!
1. Become a social media influencer ($57.4K/month)
Starting a social media influencer venture could significantly augment your income as a network engineer. By leveraging your technical expertise, you could position yourself as a thought leader in the IT and networking space, sharing insights, tutorials, and reviews on platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
Brands seeking to connect with tech-savvy audiences are constantly in search of credible voices to promote their products and services, and your in-depth knowledge could make you an appealing partner. Additionally, the ad revenue, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing deals that come with a sizable, engaged audience could help you achieve six-figure earnings.
Moreover, your unique perspective as a network engineer could differentiate you from other influencers, allowing you to build a loyal following and create multiple revenue streams through speaking engagements, online courses, and consultancy services.
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.
2. Start a youtube channel ($146K/month)
Starting a YouTube channel could be a lucrative way for you, as a network engineer, to supplement your income and potentially make six figures. By creating content that shares your expertise, such as tutorials, troubleshooting tips, or industry insights, you could attract a large audience of aspiring network engineers and tech enthusiasts.
Once you reach the minimum requirements of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months, you could join the YouTube Partner Program and start earning ad revenue. With dedication and consistent content creation, you could leverage YouTube’s established monetization system, popularity, and potential for additional revenue streams through sponsorships and affiliate marketing to create a successful side business or even a full-time venture.
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.
3. Start a career coaching business ($48.5K/month)
One way to supplement your income and potentially earn six figures as a network engineer is by starting a career coaching business. As a career coach, you could provide personalized guidance and strategy services to help clients advance in their careers, navigating professional transitions and growth opportunities.
By offering custom sessions on resume building, interview preparation, and workplace advancement goals, you could leverage your expertise to empower others while creating an additional revenue stream. With the flexibility of in-person or virtual meetings, you could build a diverse client base and set your own schedule, making it a harmonious side business or even a full-time venture if you have talents in speaking and human resources.
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.
4. Create an online course ($91.9K/month)
Creating an online course could significantly boost your income as a network engineer by allowing you to monetize your expertise and fill educational gaps in your field. By developing engaging video lessons and supplementary materials, you could provide valuable knowledge to students who are eager to learn about emerging networking technologies and methodologies.
Whether you set up your course to be self-paced or cohort-based, you could build a student base that offers passive income potential. For those who have a passion for information-sharing, launching an online course platform not only leverages your instructional talents but also requires relatively small startup costs, making it a lucrative entrepreneurial opportunity.
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.
5. Start an ecommerce store ($287K/month)
As a network engineer, you could significantly boost your income by starting an ecommerce store. Leveraging your technical skills, you could build a robust, efficient online platform to sell products or services, enjoying the advantages of lower overhead costs and the expanded reach of digital markets. Ecommerce offers increased flexibility, allowing you to manage it alongside your primary job and gradually scale it up.
Given the booming state of ecommerce, thanks to its convenience and efficiency, your store could tap into a growing consumer base who prefers online shopping. Setting up an ecommerce business involves creating a website, incorporating payment processing, and managing inventory—all tasks that align well with a network engineer’s technical expertise. This side venture could complement your main career, presenting a viable path to reaching or even surpassing the six-figure mark.
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.
6. Become an affiliate marketer ($55.3K/month)
Supplementing your income as a network engineer through affiliate marketing could significantly boost your earning potential. By promoting products or services from companies you believe in, you could earn commissions for every sale made through your referrals without needing to create or own the products yourself.
This business model is particularly advantageous because it requires minimal upfront investment and leverages your existing marketing skills to drive traffic and sales. As you grow your affiliate marketing business, you could gradually scale up your efforts, potentially creating a lucrative side income or even replacing your primary source of income.
For network engineers who are entrepreneurially minded, this could be a viable pathway to achieving a six-figure income, offering the flexibility to work on your terms and diversify your revenue streams.
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.
7. Start a podcast ($97.9K/month)
Starting a podcast could be a lucrative way to supplement your income as a network engineer and help you achieve six-figure earnings. By creating a podcast focused on network engineering topics, you have the opportunity to share your expertise, discuss industry trends, and provide valuable insights that can attract a dedicated audience. This audience could include other network engineers, aspiring professionals, and tech enthusiasts who are eager to learn from your experience.
With consistent, quality content, you could build a strong following and monetize your podcast through sponsorships, advertisements, and premium content. Additionally, your podcast could serve as a platform to promote your own consulting services, online courses, or technical workshops, further diversifying your income streams. This entrepreneurial approach leverages your existing knowledge and passion, turning your podcast into a potential revenue-generating business.
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.
8. Start a blog ($44.9K/month)
Starting a blog could help you make six figures as a network engineer by providing a platform to share your expertise, attract a dedicated following, and generate multiple streams of income. With blogs being rated as the 5th most trustworthy source of gathering online information, your insights as a professional network engineer could attract a sizable audience seeking reliable technical advice.
Given that 77% of internet users read blogs, you could monetize your traffic through ads, sponsored content, and affiliate marketing. Additionally, your blog could serve as a portfolio to attract consulting opportunities, speaking engagements, or paid webinars. With the potential to reach 409 million monthly viewers, the combination of a strategic content plan, a dedicated mailing list, and consistent posting could transform your blog into a lucrative business venture.
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 social media marketing agency ($116K/month)
Starting a social media marketing agency could be an effective way to supplement your income as a network engineer and put you on a path to making six figures. The advantage is that you don't need to commit a significant amount of time, thanks to the availability of automating social media marketing tools. By developing a robust social media marketing strategy and serving customers efficiently, you could create a steady stream of additional income without compromising your primary job responsibilities.
Moreover, creating a compelling agency portfolio will help market your services to target customers, expanding your business reach. This entrepreneurial venture allows you to leverage your technical skills in a new domain, providing an opportunity to diversify your income streams. Whether your goal is to clear your utility bills, finance further education, or save for a vacation, a social media marketing agency offers a viable path to achieving those financial goals.
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.
10. Start a freelance writing business ($65.5K/month)
Starting a freelance writing business could help you make six figures as a network engineer by providing a flexible way to supplement your income. You could leverage your specialized knowledge in network engineering to write high-value, technical content for industry blogs, white papers, and online publications. This not only allows you to work from home on your own schedule but also capitalizes on your existing expertise to command higher rates for your writing projects.
Entrepreneurial network engineers could find freelance writing particularly lucrative by writing about complex technical topics that are in high demand but often misunderstood by general content creators. By maintaining strong writing skills and staying updated with current writing tools and trends, you could build a steady stream of clients who appreciate the nuanced, insightful content you bring to the table. This additional revenue stream could be a significant step towards reaching six-figure earnings.
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. Digital products ($261K/month)
If you're a network engineer with an entrepreneurial mindset, creating digital products offers a lucrative way to supplement your income and move toward earning a six-figure salary. Digital products can range from educational courses, ebooks, and webinars to specialized software tools or mobile apps tailored to network engineering. By leveraging your expertise to create valuable digital content, you could attract a global audience interested in enhancing their network engineering skills or improving their existing infrastructure.
The beauty of digital products lies in their simplicity and scalability—you don't need to deal with physical inventory or shipping logistics. Once you've developed your product, it could generate passive income over time as it can be bought and downloaded multiple times by different customers. This creates an ongoing revenue stream that can significantly boost your earnings while allowing you to share your knowledge and contribute to the industry in a meaningful way.
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.
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.
