Passive Income Ideas For User Researchers [2024]
Interested in earning passive income as a user researcher in 2024?
We put together a few of the best passive income ideas you can start as a user researcher today. These will help you increase your quality of life by bringing in more income for yourself or your business.
For each income idea, we’ll show you real-world examples, revenue expectations for each idea, plus some things you might need to know before you start your passive income journey as a user researcher.
Here's the full list:
1. Make passive income with an online survey tool ($304K/month)
If you're a user researcher, starting an online survey tool could be a great way to supplement your income without straying far from your area of expertise. This business idea leverages your skills in designing surveys and collecting valuable customer feedback, which are crucial for businesses looking to make informed decisions. By developing a tool that makes data collection easy and efficient, you could create a steady stream of passive income.
Typeform, for example, has shown how profitable this can be, achieving over $70 million in annual recurring revenue. The growing demand for online survey tools highlights the potential for success in this area. Plus, as someone already familiar with data and user feedback, you'd have a head start in understanding what features are most needed in a survey tool.
How much you can make: $40 — $1,600,000/month
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
GreenRope, a self-funded CRM and marketing automation platform with over 1,000 customers in 20 countries, was built organically and focused on creating a positive, customer-centric culture without outside investment, with an all-in-one interface solving challenges in managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations.
2. Make passive income with an online course sales business ($85K/month)
If you're a user researcher, you could use your expertise to create an online course that teaches others about user research methods and techniques. Your professional knowledge is valuable, and there are many people who would love to learn from your experience. Creating detailed, easy-to-follow courses can attract a wide audience, including aspiring researchers, product managers, or UX designers.
Starting an online course business is a great way to share your passion and knowledge while generating passive income. Once you put in the initial effort to create and launch the course, it can continue to sell with minimal ongoing work. With the e-learning market growing rapidly, there's a significant opportunity to reach learners worldwide and supplement your income.
How much you can make: $100 — $300,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
A multipreneur shares how she built a successful print on demand side hustle, generating $120,000 per year through multiple brands spread over various platforms.
3. Make passive income with a niche blog ($31.5K/month)
As a user researcher, starting a niche blog could be a great way to share your expertise and insights on user research or related topics. You could write about the latest trends in user experience, share methodologies, provide how-to guides on conducting user research, and review the best tools for the job. Such content is valuable and can attract a dedicated readership.
In terms of monetization, you could offer affiliate links to the tools and software you review, collaborate with relevant UX and design brands, or even grow a YouTube channel where you share in-depth tutorials and interviews with industry experts. With consistent effort, your blog could eventually become a recognized resource within the user research community, providing you with passive income opportunities while boosting your professional reputation.
To succeed, focus on creating engaging and informative content and regularly interact with your readers to keep them coming back. Passion for your niche and a genuine commitment to sharing valuable information could make your blog stand out and generate income over time.
How much you can make: $100 — $650,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $650 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Starter Story grew to 1.4 million monthly visitors and millions in annual revenue by sharing the stories of entrepreneurs. Pat breaks down the early days and how he grew the business into something that changed his life.
4. Make passive income with a niche website ($107K/month)
As a user researcher, you could supplement your income by starting a niche website focused on UX research. By sharing your insights, methods, and case studies, you can create valuable content for an audience that looks for expert advice and best practices in the field. This specialized topic will attract a dedicated audience interested in user research, offering both creative freedom and potential revenue.
Monetizing your niche website could be done through affiliate marketing, ad placements, or selling digital products like e-books or online courses about user research techniques. Over time, as your site gains more traffic and loyal followers, it could become a reliable source of passive income. If you're passionate about user research and willing to invest time in creating compelling content, this could be a rewarding venture.
How much you can make: $400 — $250,000/month
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
DPW (Digital Procurement World) is a fast-growing conference and community in procurement that has more than tripled in revenue since launching in 2019, capping out the year at €1.8 million, with 95% of their growth coming from inbound traffic leveraging LinkedIn and applying social selling techniques.
5. Make passive income with a YouTube channel ($72.1K/month)
As a user researcher, starting a YouTube channel could be a great way to share your knowledge and insights while earning extra money. You could create video content that explores various user research methods, shares case studies, or discusses industry trends. This type of educational content can attract a sizable audience of budding user researchers or professionals looking to hone their skills.
Moreover, your expertise could set your channel apart as a credible source of information, potentially leading to revenue from ads, sponsorships, and even merchandise. Engaging with your audience by answering questions and offering tips can not only build a loyal following but also further establish your authority in the field.
While it will require consistent effort in planning, producing, and marketing your videos, the potential financial rewards and professional satisfaction could make it a valuable side hustle.
How much you can make: $2,000 — $333,333/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,250 (?)
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
This case study follows the journey of a young entrepreneur from Nigeria who started a profitable blog generating a monthly revenue of $1,500+ through sales of advertising space, sponsored posts, and information products, and shares his strategies for success including a Twitter growth challenge and guest post pitches.
6. Make passive income with a podcast ($97.9K/month)
Starting a podcast could be a great way for a user researcher to supplement their income. In this format, you could share your insights and experiences in the field, providing valuable information to both new and seasoned researchers. Discussing trends, tools, and methodologies that you use daily would attract an audience interested in learning and improving their research skills.
By building a loyal listener base, you could potentially attract sponsors or advertisers related to user research tools and services. This, in turn, could bring in extra money without requiring a large initial investment. Basic equipment like a microphone and headphones, along with an affordable hosting platform, would be the primary costs, making it feasible to start on a budget.
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.
7. Make passive income with an AI writing tool ($255K/month)
As a user researcher, you could harness your understanding of human behavior and user needs to develop an AI writing tool that caters specifically to user-friendly content creation. By using your skills to gather insights and feedback, you could design an intuitive and efficient AI tool that simplifies the writing process for various audiences, such as businesses, bloggers, and students. This tool could produce accurate and engaging content, making it easier for users to generate high-quality materials quickly.
Your experience in studying user interactions would be invaluable in creating a tool that is not only effective but also enjoyable to use. By ensuring the AI tool is intuitive and meets the needs of its users, you could carve out a niche in the growing market for automated content creation. This venture could open up a new revenue stream while allowing you to leverage your research expertise in a novel and impactful way.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $1,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 52 days (?)
Rytr, a new AI writing assistant developed by a startup platform and business incubator, has become a market leader, serving over 300,000 customers across the world and doing seven figures in ARR.
8. Make passive income with a wordpress plugin business ($33.4K/month)
As a user researcher, you could leverage your insights and experience to create WordPress plugins that address specific needs or pain points you've identified during your research. By targeting prevalent issues that users face while using WordPress, you could develop plugins that offer valuable solutions, making them attractive and useful to a broad audience.
Selling these plugins could provide a steady passive income stream. You could list your plugins on popular platforms like CodeCanyon, or promote and sell them through your blog or a dedicated plugin website. This approach allows you to capitalize on your existing knowledge and user-centered mindset, translating your research skills into a profitable side business.
How much you can make: $120 — $120,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Wheely Sales CEO Josh created a lucky wheel popup that has grown revenue from $0 to $600/month in just 4 months since getting started and has attracted over 1.1 million users to his customers’ websites, all while proving that when it comes to creating a product, competition is validation.
9. Make passive income with a lead generation tool ($108K/month)
Starting a lead generation tool could be a great way to supplement your income as a user researcher. Your expertise in understanding user behavior and needs can help you design a tool that effectively identifies and captures potential customer leads for businesses. Imagine creating software that automates the tedious task of finding new clients, allowing companies to focus more on converting these leads into actual customers.
You could integrate your tool with websites, social media channels, and other digital interfaces to collect valuable data like email addresses, phone numbers, and customer interests. Given the high demand for efficient marketing solutions, a well-designed lead generation tool could attract a significant user base. As businesses look to streamline their marketing efforts, your tech-savvy approach and understanding of user needs will be invaluable.
Entrepreneurial-minded user researchers like you are well-equipped to break into this market, combining your research skills with a lucrative business idea. Developing a lead generation tool taps into a growing need and offers you a scalable way to earn passive income.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $400,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $600 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Dux-Soup is a LinkedIn automation tool that helps business owners and sales & marketing professionals generate more leads, increase efficiency, and save time; with over 70,000 users and revenue of nearly $5 million, it offers automated top-of-the-funnel LinkedIn outreach activities, targeted LinkedIn campaigns and multi-touch & personalized LinkedIn drip campaigns for lead generation.
10. Make passive income with a social media automation business ($148K/month)
If you're a user researcher with a penchant for understanding behavior and trends, starting a social media automation business could be a smart move. By leveraging your analytical skills, you could create tools and services to schedule posts, automate interactions, and analyze social media data, helping clients improve their online presence without the daily grind.
Your expertise in understanding user needs and behaviors is valuable for developing services tailored to different clients, whether they are small businesses or influencers. This venture allows you to use your skill set in a new way, while tapping into the growing demand for consistent and effective social media engagement.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $400,000/month
How long does it take to build: 50 days (?)
MeetEdgar, a bootstrapped social media automation tool founded in 2014 by Laura Roeder, has grown to $4 million in annual recurring revenue and more than 5,000 customers, with a team size of two dozen, achieved through content marketing, social media marketing, and organic search.
11. Make passive income with a golf course maintenance business
As a user researcher, you could supplement your income by starting a golf course maintenance business. This venture might feel like a breath of fresh air compared to your usual tasks, giving you a chance to engage with the outdoors and physical work. In this business, you'd be responsible for tasks like repairing club assets, mowing turf, and eliminating debris to keep the golf course in top shape.
You might find it rewarding to see the immediate impact of your work on the playing conditions, much like how you see the impact of your research on product design. To get started, you'd need a solid business plan and some competitor research, which aligns well with the skills you already have as a researcher. Investing in an existing golf course maintenance business or a franchise can reduce some of the risks and provide a clearer path forward.
How much you can make: $3,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $250 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Golf course software startup Live Tourney saw $18k in revenue, with $3k MRR after launching in 2023, focusing on a simple web-based live leaderboard solution for golf events and targeting customer growth through cold calls and innovative recruitment strategies.
12. Make passive income with an ai based business solution ($55.8K/month)
As a user researcher, you could tap into the rapidly growing market for AI-based business solutions by leveraging your expertise in understanding user needs and behaviors. For example, you could integrate AI tools that automate repetitive tasks or provide valuable customer insights, thereby enhancing business efficiency and reducing costs. Your deep knowledge of user experience can also help in designing user-friendly AI applications that solve real problems, making data-driven decisions more accessible to businesses.
Moreover, since many AI platform providers offer user-friendly interfaces, you don’t need a tech background to get started. The demand for AI solutions is skyrocketing, and businesses are keen to gain a competitive edge through efficiency and innovation. This could be a strategic move that allows you to innovate while supplementing your income, making it an excellent opportunity for anyone in the user research field.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $120,000/month
How long does it take to build: 125 days (?)
Mikkelsen Twins grew an online education company from scratch with over 800 students, making over 6-figures in profit every month thanks to their successful program, Audiobook Income Academy 2.0.
13. Make passive income with an affiliate marketing business ($77.5K/month)
As a user researcher, you could supplement your income through affiliate marketing by leveraging your expertise in understanding user needs and behaviours. By identifying products and services that resonate with your audience, you can create content that genuinely adds value while promoting these products. Your insights into what users find helpful can guide you in choosing the right affiliates to partner with, making your recommendations more authentic and effective.
For instance, imagine partnering with an eCommerce store that sells usability testing tools or research kits. By sharing your reviews and experiences through blogs, social media, or niche forums, you could earn commissions on the sales generated from your referrals. This way, your knowledge and skills can translate into a steady stream of passive income without disrupting your primary career.
How much you can make: $500 — $773,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $700 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 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.
14. Make passive income with a health and wellness app ($108K/month)
Starting a health and wellness app could be a great way for you as a user researcher to make passive income. Imagine an app that helps users achieve their health and wellness goals, providing personalized fitness routines, nutrition plans, mental well-being exercises, and progress tracking. Your skills in understanding user needs and behaviors could guide you to create an app that truly resonates with your target audience.
By launching this app, you would be creating a platform that not only reminds users to drink water but also guides them through yoga practices and tailored meal plans. Think of it as a virtual coach in your pocket, offering expert advice whenever needed. Your experience in market research could help you identify exactly what users want, making this app not only useful but also highly engaging.
Building this app involves collaboration with health experts, app development, and effective marketing strategies. The potential benefits include positively impacting lives and tapping into a growing market, making it a rewarding venture. If you're passionate about health and technology, this could be your path to making a meaningful contribution while building a thriving business.
How much you can make: $600 — $300,000/month
How long does it take to build: 200 days (?)
Founder and CEO of SelfDecode, Joe Cohen, explains how his company helps people discover personalized diet, supplement, and lifestyle recommendations based on DNA and lab tests; generating about $2.7 million in revenue over the past year and raising $8 million in a crowdfunding campaign, SelfDecode provides personalized health recommendations prioritized on unique genetic variants, marking the future of healthcare.
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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.
