Side hustles to make money online are more accessible than ever, offering opportunities to earn an extra $2,000, $3,000, or even $100K per year with the right strategy.
In this guide, I’ll show you five side hustles that could easily make you $100,000 in the next year. Even if they don’t, they’ll give you an extra $2,000–$3,000 a month. The best part? It takes absolutely zero money to get started with any of these hustles. Many of these have the potential to grow to $10,000, $20,000, or even $50,000 a month if you take them seriously.
Let’s dive in.
1. TikTok and YouTube Video Editor
Becoming a TikTok or YouTube video editor for high-impact content is one of the easiest and fastest ways to earn online. Many content creators either edit their own videos or have sloppy editing.
For example, I was still editing my own videos in 2018 and 2019 while making seven figures a year. I often recorded long takes because I didn’t have an editor, which affected my video retention and ranking. Hiring a skilled editor could have added hundreds of thousands in revenue.
Even creators making $10,000 a month will happily pay $800–$1,500 per month for someone to edit 4–5 videos, as long as there’s a clear ROI.
How to Get Started:
Learn basic editing skills through Skillshare or YouTube tutorials.
Start with TikTok videos or YouTube Shorts.
Approach creators with tangible results and examples.
In just a week, you can become proficient in TikTok or Shorts editing. Sit-down YouTube videos may take 6–8 weeks to master. With a few clients, you can earn $3,000–$5,000 a month working remotely from anywhere.
2. Discord Moderator
Discord moderators are in massive demand. Whether for gaming communities, NFT projects, or business communities, moderators are needed to manage chats and maintain community engagement.
Tasks include:
Removing spam or inappropriate messages
Engaging the community with greetings and questions
Keeping the conversation lively
Potential Income:
$500–$2,000 per month per Discord server
Managing multiple servers can generate $3,000+ a month
Option to start a Discord moderation agency and hire moderators under you
Hiring moderators in countries with lower costs of living, like South Africa, Brazil, or Eastern Europe, and charging clients in the US or Europe allows you to scale your business with high profit margins.
3. Remote Sales Closer
Many online businesses, especially in coaching, education, and mastermind programs, need sales reps to close clients. As a remote sales closer, you can:
Work from anywhere
Earn commissions (10–20% per sale is common)
Avoid product delivery or business management
How to Succeed:
Start by shadowing or training under a company
Offer partial commissions during the training period
Build confidence and improve closing percentages
This role can eventually generate $10,000–$30,000 per month for skilled closers, depending on your activity and niche.
4. Online Boutique Marketing Agency
Starting an online boutique marketing agency is highly scalable and profitable. I started my agency while in high school and by 17, I was making $20,000–$25,000 per month in profit.
How It Works:
Use contractor arbitrage: hire contractors globally to deliver services (SEO, email marketing, ads, content creation)
Charge Western clients 3–5x what you pay the contractor
Outsource all service delivery while you focus on sales and operations
Example:
Contractor in Romania or Brazil: $500/month per client
Client in the US/UK: $1,500–$2,500/month
Profit per client: $1,000–$2,000
With a reliable team, you can scale your agency to $50k–$100k per month profit while working fewer hours.
5. Building a YouTube Channel
Building a YouTube channel is a long-term strategy with a significant payoff. The most important consideration is your monetization strategy:
Sell products, services, or software
Offer coaching, courses, or mastermind programs
Use subscriptions or Patreon
Tips for Success:
Follow existing successful formats and add your unique spin
Focus on niches you are knowledgeable or passionate about
Be consistent and patient; growth takes 3–6 months
YouTube provides ongoing passive income once your channel is established.
Key Takeaways
There is literally no reason why you shouldn’t be making an extra few thousand dollars a month online. Start small, get creative, and leverage these opportunities:
TikTok & YouTube editing
Discord moderation
Remote sales closing
Online boutique marketing agency
Building a YouTube channel
With effort and persistence, you can grow any of these into a six-figure income.
FAQs
Q1: Can I start these side hustles with zero experience?
Yes. Beginner-friendly guides and free tutorials exist for video editing, Discord moderation, and sales.
Q2: How fast can I earn money?
Some side hustles like video editing and Discord moderation can generate income in 1–2 weeks. Agencies and YouTube channels take longer.
Q3: Do I need to invest money?
No, all five side hustles can be started without upfront costs.
Q4: Which side hustle scales the fastest?
An online boutique marketing agency has the highest scalability and profit potential.
