Are you an engineer looking for ways to supplement your income? Look no further. We contacted Stephanie Slocum, a long-time industry veteran (and the founder of a career-coaching company for women in engineering), and asked her about the best side hustles for engineers of all stripes. Here’s what she told us.
Why you should consider starting a side hustle as an engineer
Before diving into our list, it’s worth exploring why many engineers pick up side hustles. We were curious to get Slocum’s thoughts on this, as engineers generally have fairly high salaries. In a sense, it’s surprising that a significant number of them are interested in taking on extra work.
Slocum told us that engineers often start side hustles for one of these reasons:
- Overwork and burnout: Slocum said that engineering is “notorious for very long hours and burning people out.” She also noted that most engineers are independent-minded and greatly value free time and financial freedom. Consequently, many start side gigs in the hopes that they’ll eventually be able to convert them into full-time jobs and work for themselves instead of someone else.
- Desire for a creative outlet: Engineering can be a fulfilling job, but it isn’t always a creatively satisfying one. If you have an artistic hobby, such as photography or making music, it makes perfect sense to see if you can get paid for it.
- High living expenses: As Slocum pointed out, although engineers are usually paid well, many of the best jobs in the field require living in very expensive areas. In her words, even a high salary “still doesn’t go far in places like Silicon Valley, especially if you have student loan debt.”
We’ve listed gigs that fit people in all of those situations. Without further ado, let’s dive in and explore the best side hustles for engineers.
01.Freelance engineering work
Earning potential: $30–$130+ per hour
What it is and how it works: Sometimes, companies need engineering solutions, but they aren’t willing or able to hire anyone on a permanent, full-time basis. That’s where you come in.
As an engineer, you can offer many different types of services. For example, you could evaluate engineering drawings for compliance, or develop product prototypes or software. Whatever engineering work you do for your day job, you can also provide it as a freelancer—provided you have the proper permits and certifications (more on that below).
Why you should consider it:This is arguably the most obvious side hustle on our list. If you’re skilled and credentialed engineer who needs extra cash, why not just take on more work in your area of expertise?
As a bonus, you’ll almost certainly earn more for your side jobs (on an hourly basis) than you make at your main job. Freelance work pays more because it doesn’t come with the extra benefits that you get with full-time employment, such as health insurance. When you take on extra gigs while also being traditionally employed, all of that extra money goes straight into your pocket.
How to get started: You can look for work by putting out feelers on your professional network or registering on a freelancing site and applying for jobs straight away. You can find gigs on all of the following platforms:
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- Freelancer
- FlexJobs (a very useful job board that specializes in remote and part-time work)
Special considerations: Whatever gigs you take on, be sure to check that you have the proper licenses to do them. As you probably already know, you need a Professional Engineer (PE) license to do many kinds of engineering work, and other, more specialized licenses may also be necessary, depending on your specialty.
Moreover, even if you are fully licensed, you may have other constraints on what kind of work you’re allowed to do. For instance, you may need to follow specific ethical guidelines and avoid conflicts of interest with your main job. If you skirt these rules, you risk losing your license.
The laws on this differ from state to state and field to field, so do your homework before applying for jobs to ensure that you stay legally in the clear.
02.AutoCAD and engineering modeling work
Earning potential: $25–$150+ per hour
What it is and how it works: Many businesses need engineers to create 2D and 3D models, drawings, and plans. You’re probably familiar with at least one of the software suites used for this. The biggest names in this space include:
- AutoCAD
- Microstation
- Revit
- SolidWorks
Often, companies don’t require enough modeling work to pay for the licenses for those tools (or for full-time designers to use them). Again, that’s where you come in—you can hire yourself out to companies that need someone to create the occasional design on a freelance basis.
Why you should consider it:This is a very common side gig for engineers. It takes advantage of skills you’ve spent years building, is usually well-paid, and can be done remotely, allowing you to maintain control over your schedule and location.
How to get started: According to Slocum, if you want to land a job like this, a portfolio of your past work is “definitely required,” especially if you’re applying for gigs at companies where you aren’t a known quantity. Put a portfolio together and set your rates according to your experience.
Of course, it’ll give you a leg up if you apply for work at companies where you area known quantity. Slocum told us she knows several people who picked this side hustle up when they were laid off or changed jobs, then were contacted by one of their previous employers with an offer to do freelance modeling work. There’s no reason you can’t flip the script and contact businesses proactively to offer your services.
Special considerations: Be aware that this isn’t a zero-cost side hustle. Slocum told us that licenses for engineering software are getting more and more expensive, and that “most engineering organizations explicitly prohibit the use of their software licenses for side hustles,” adding that doing so “can and has gotten people fired.”
The upshot is that you’ll probably need to spring for your own copy of the requisite modeling software, which will be a significant financial hit. Unfortunately, there’s no way around that. Sometimes, you have to spend money to make money.
03.Consulting services
Earning potential: Varies/case-by-case (often $75–$200+ per hour, but highly negotiable)
What it is and how it works:An engineering consultant is anyone who contracts with companies and helps them with engineering-related problems. These may be technical in nature (e.g., evaluating the structural integrity and longevity of a particular product), or strategic and managerial (helping an engineering team optimize its workflow).
Why you should consider it: Consulting is one of the highest-paid side hustles on this list. If you’re a knowledgeable engineer with a substantial track record in your field, there are a lot of companies out there that will pay very good money for your expertise.
How to get started: If you want to set up shop as an independent consultant, look for work on freelance job boards like Upwork or by leaning on your network.
Alternatively, you can work on a part-time basis for a consulting firm (also known as a consultancy). This will give you less freedom and control over your schedule, but you won’t have to find and pitch clients yourself.
If you decide to work for a consultancy, there are four particularly large and prominent companies that dominate this space, known as the “Big Four”: EY, Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC (these are mainly known as accounting firms, but they also hire consultants in many different fields). Keep an eye out for job posts from them and other consultancies on all of these websites:
04.Coaching
Earning potential: $130+ per hour
What it is and how it works:If you have a fair amount of career or life experience, there are people who may be willing to pay you to share it with them.
You can advise and guide people on how to handle any aspect of their lives, whether it’s something career- or finance-related or even a relationship issue. In many cases, you can do this remotely (via Zoom call).
Why you should consider it:Slocum told us she has several engineering colleagues who have started successful coaching side hustles and eventually converted them into fully fledged businesses.
“The easiest place to get started here is typically resume and interview coaching,” she said, noting that this is especially true if you’ve gone through the hiring process at highly desirable businesses (such as FAANG companies, i.e., Meta/Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Alphabet/Google).
Slocum listed the benefits of coaching as a side hustle:
- It’s highly flexible (you can do it on weekends and evenings, and you can “take as many or as few clients as your work schedule allows”)
- It requires minimal investment (all you need is a way to accept payments, such as PayPal, and a Zoom account)
To succeed, you’ll obviously need to be something of a people person, but if you are, this can be a fulfilling (and lucrative) job with a lot of long-term potential.
How to get started:If you’re serious about coaching, create a website that advertises your services. Be sure to add testimonials from your clients as soon as you have some.
You can advertise yourself on professional directories for coaches, such as:
Here again, don’t underestimate the value of your network. Some of your best clients might be people you already know.
05.Freelance technical writing
Earning potential: $40–$80 per hour, or $0.15–$1.50 per word
What it is and how it works:Many companies are in desperate need of people who can confidently write from a technical standpoint. The pieces you could find yourself working on as a freelancer include:
- Articles for scientific journals
- Manuals
- Policies and SOPs
- Business plans
- White papers
- Case studies
- Corporate reports
- Blog posts on technical subjects
Why you should considerit:Many engineers are more used to numbers and models than words, but there’s decent money to be made by writing, particularly if you’re willing to write about your chosen specialty (e.g., mechanical engineering, biochemical engineering, etc.). Slocum told us that “Technical writing in your area of expertise can pay well, assuming you can find clients.”
Honing your written communication skills can also give you a leg up in your main career. Slocum, who teaches an engineering and business writing course, said that becoming a strong writer set her apart from her colleagues. (Interestingly, she also told us that downplayed her skills in the beginning, because one of her first managers told her it was “odd for an engineer to like writing”—a common stereotype, but one that obviously isn’t true for everybody.)
How to get started:Many freelance writers get their starts on the marketplaces that we’ve already mentioned, such as Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer. There are also quite a few dedicated freelance writing job boards that you can hunt for work on.
You should also consider approaching clients directly. This is usually how you get the best rates as an independent writer, since you won’t be competing with beginning writers for work (something that drives rates down on most freelancing websites), and you won’t have to pay a cut of your earnings to the platform you’re using.
It’s possible you’ve already met a few potential clients in the course of your engineering career. Try giving some of your past contacts a ring and see if any are in the market for technical writing services.
06.Prompt engineering or AI development
Earning potential: $35–$80+ per hour
What it is and how it works:AI is everywhere right now, and it’s not going away any time soon. This has made it harder for certain professionals to find jobs, but it’s also created opportunities for people with the right skills.
If you have a background in software engineering or computer science, you could become an AI developer. This will require knowledge of a language that’s commonly used in AI (Python has the biggest presence here), as well as its major machine learning libraries (for Python, that’s probably TensorFlow).
Alternatively, you could become a prompt engineer—someone who writes inputs, known as “prompts,” for large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. This requires a separate set of skills; you don’t necessarily need to be a wizard at coding, but you’ll still need a thorough understanding of what makes LLMs tick.
Why you should considerit:Again, AI is only going to get more and more prevalent over time. Getting into the field now, while it’s still taking off, is a career move that will pay dividends later.
As a bonus, this type of work is also quite well-paid. Slocum singled out prompt engineering as being a particular money-maker right now.
How to get started:This is a big field, and not one that you can just dive straight into with no preparation. Both types of work require specialized skills:
- AI development: If you’re interested in contributing code to AI products, you’ll need some preexisting familiarity with the requisite languages. If you don’t already have that, look up AI-focused courses or boot camps, then sharpen your skills by collaborating on machine learning projects on sites like GitHub.
- Prompt engineering: There are several sites that offer free and paid resources on how to learn prompt engineering. Learn Prompting is a decent place to start. Of course, should also spend time playing around with ChatGPT and other AI models on your own. The best way to learn is through practice.
Once you’re ready to take on paid work, look for it on the job boards we listed above, such as Upwork, Fiverr, and FlexJobs.
You can also hunt for work on Guru, which is a higher-end freelance marketplace that generally features more specialized gigs.
07.Ethical hacking / penetration testing
Earning potential: $50–$65 per hour
What it is and how it works: This is another one for the software engineers out there. As more and more businesses move online and cybercrime rises, companies need to make sure their sites are secure.
Ethical hackers perform what’s known as “penetration testing” to determine whether a given website or network has any known vulnerabilities. If it does, they offer advice on how to fix them.
Why you should consider it:Penetration testing is reasonably well-paid work, and it can be very rewarding. You get the thrill and intellectual challenge of defeating security systems, along with the satisfaction of knowing you’re on the side of the angels.
This side hustle can also be done from virtually anywhere, and you can take it as far as you want. If you like it enough, you can even turn it into your new career.
How to get started:Look for gigs on the freelancing websites we listed above, as well as on infosec-jobs.com (a cybersecurity job board).
In addition to sending out your resume, build your reputation by:
- Contributing to open source projects on GitHub
- Making high-quality posts on websites where programmers congregate, such as StackExchange
- Hanging out in Reddit communities and Discord servers where people discuss ethical hacking (start with this list of hacker hiring Discords)
Ethical hacking is a field where your digital footprint and reputation matter just as much as your formal qualifications, so don’t neglect them. Plenty of people have been hired—or rejected!—based on their contributions on websites like Reddit.
08.Website testing
Earning potential: $30–$70 per hour
What it is and how it works: There are companies that are dedicated to providing website and app testing services. They’re always in need of new testers, both with and without technical experience.
As a tester, you’ll play around on various websites, experimenting with their features and seeing if you can get anything to break. You’ll then submit your feedback to the company in question, often via an online form.
Why you should consider it: This is an easy and low-stress job, and it’s one you’re more than qualified to do. You can do it remotely, on an as-needed basis, and from the comfort of your home, which makes it a great option if you’re juggling it with other responsibilities (such as childcare).
How to get started:There are more than a few platforms that feature website testing jobs. Start by looking for work on these sites:
09.App design and development
Earning potential: Varies (often $60–$80 per hour as a freelancer)
What it is and how it works: Nowadays, there’s an app for everything … or is there?
If you’ve ever looked for an app and found it hadn’t been made yet, maybe it’s time for you to take matters into your own hands. You can develop anything you believe there’s an unfilled niche for.
Why you should consider it:This is a challenging side hustle to get going, since it often involves creating a project from scratch. However, it has one of the highest ceilings of any of the entries on this list. If you have a good idea and your app really takes off, there’s practically no limit to how much you can earn.
How to get started:You can get access to the Apple Developer Program (to make iOS apps) for $99 per year. The Google Play Console (for Android development) costs just $25 as a one-time fee.
Note that if creating your own app sounds too ambitious, you can also partner up with someone else who’s already working on an app or just join an existing development project. You can also hire yourself out as a freelancer—there are always people on sites like Upwork looking for skilled app developers.
10.3D printing
Earning potential: Varies
What it is and how it works: If you’re looking for a creative side hustle that will allow you to create something out of nothing, how about using those engineering skills for 3D printing? You can create designs for new products, print them, and then sell your creations online.
You can also consider combining this side hustle with some of the others on this list, especially content creation, which we’ll talk about toward the bottom of this article. When you work on a particularly exciting project, you can record the process and turn it into a tutorial (or just make an ASMR-style 3D printing video—the choice is yours).
Why you should considerit: In addition to being somewhat trendy, 3D printers are just plain fun. You almost certainly have the technical skills to operate them, and if you happen to own one—or you’re interested in getting one—you might as well earn some cash from it.
How to get started:The first step is to decide what you’re going to print and sell. Think about your own interests and what you’d be excited to make. Are you into board games? 3D puzzles? Jewelry and earrings? You can print and sell anything that there’s a market for and that will sustain your interest.
Once you’ve settled on a niche, create custom models for your products. You can sell them on online marketplaces, such as:
Alternatively, you can create your own e-commerce store with a platform like Shopify.
Special considerations: This hustle isn’t free of cost. At minimum, you’ll need to buy a printer that’s suitable for large volumes of professional work, which will set you back at least $1,500–$2,500. Filaments will be an ongoing expense.
As an alternative to simply eating these upfront costs, Slocum pointed out to us that you could “pre-sell your wares to cover the cost of building your stuff.” However, she stressed that this requires sales skills that the “vast majority of engineers do not have.”
11.Computer and electronics repair
Earning potential: $10–$70 per hour
What it is and how it works: If tinkering with gadgets appeals to you, you could earn money by repairing broken electronics, such as cell phones, tablets, computers, or game consoles.
You can focus on fixing hardware issues (e.g., replacing broken batteries or screens), software issues (upgrading firmware, removing spyware or viruses, etc.), or both.
Why you should considerit:If you’re an electrical or software engineer, this type of work is probably right up your alley. It doesn’t have the highest pay of the side hustles on this list, but it doesn’t have the lowest, either, and again, if you genuinely enjoy playing with gadgets, it could be a lot of fun.
How to get started: The easiest way to get into this hustle is to look for a local repair shop that needs an extra hand. This is more likely than you might think, since many shops get more requests than they can manage.
When you find one, you can make an agreement with them to call you when they need help or when there’s a more complicated or specialized repair service you could provide for them.
If you prefer, you could also set up an independent operation and offer your services on a platform like Neighbor, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist.
12.Drone operation
Earning potential: Varies
What it is and how it works:Although they’re fun to operate, drones aren’t just toys. They’re useful tools, and there are a lot of ways you can use them to make money.
In particular, there are many opportunities in drone photography and videography. You can make money by shooting aerial photos or videos for:
- Couples (for weddings)
- Musicians (for music videos)
- Real estate companies
- Hotels and resorts
- Stock photography sites
- YouTubers
In addition to photography, you can also look into structural and building inspections, parcel delivery, search and rescue training, precision agriculture, and aerial mapping.
Slocum recommended using drones to perform construction surveys, noting that this is particularly suitable for engineers with preexisting relationships with construction companies (structural and architectural engineers often form relationships with contractors in the course of their work, and have a leg up when it comes to marketing to them).
Why you should considerit:It’s a bit of a stereotype that engineers love gadgets. If you happen to fit that stereotype, this side hustle could offer a great way to disconnect from your day job while also having a little fun.
How to get started:If you want to start a drone photography side hustle, your first step should be assembling a portfolio that clients can use to gauge your skills and expertise.
Once you’ve put together something impressive, you can find gigs on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, on traditional employment sites like Indeed, or by reaching out to past engineering clients.
Special considerations: This will require an upfront investment if you don’t have your own drone yet. You may also need special licensure, depending on what kind of drone-related side hustle you’re looking to get into.
“If it’s personal photography and personal property out in the middle of nowhere, you’re good,” Slocum said. “If you are in a populated area or anywhere near a restricted area, more and more locations are requiring permits or drone licenses.”
Because the laws regulating this vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, your best bet is to conduct an online search to see what kind of certifications, permits, or licenses you’ll need in your area.
If you get stuck, reach out to the closest Small Business Administration office. Tell them you’re considering starting a drone-related business and ask them if they can point you toward the relevant laws.
13.Renting out your property
Earning potential: Varies
What it is and how itworks:You can earn passive income on the side by renting out something you own. There are two routes you can take:
- Renting tools or gadgets: Continuing the theme of playing with expensive toys, if you have a lot of equipment lying around that you don’t use on a daily basis, you might be able to make some extra cash by listing it for rent on sites like Loanables, Fat Llama, and FriendWithA.
- Renting a spare room or house:As you probably already know, you can also make money by leasing out your property on a short-term basis with sites like Airbnb and Vrbo.
Why you should considerit:Slocum told us that this was a relatively common side hustle among engineers.
“I have a number of engineering peers who bought places to rent out ten years ago … with the goal of replacing their salaries so they could retire early,” she said. She went on to say that they either began by renting out a spare room via Airbnb or Vrbo, or by living with their parents “until they could buy that first rental property.”
She noted that because engineers have relatively high salaries, this side hustle is more accessible to them than it is to most people, with the caveat that its feasibility depends on what the housing market in your area happens to be doing at the moment.
How to get started:If you just want to rent out a few odds and ends (e.g., a camera, sports equipment, etc.), you can simply go ahead and do it.
If you want to list a short-term rental on Airbnb or Vrbo, you’ll have to do more work. The first step is to acquire a suitable property, if you don’t have one already. After that, check out the links below for our in-depth guides on how to get started on platforms like Airbnb.
This side hustle takes a fair amount of effort to get going, but as Slocum said, once you do, it can easily provide enough income to replace your day job.
Special considerations:This is another side hustle that may require special licensure. Some jurisdictions (particularly in California, where many engineering jobs are based) require Airbnb hosts to obtain permits, and a few have placed further limits on short-term rentals or even banned them outright in certain zones. Make sure you check your local laws before you commit.
If you find that hosting an Airbnb is impractical in your neighborhood, don’t despair. You may still be able to earn money from your unused space by subletting it on a more permanent basis, or by using the platform StoreAtMyHouse to let people stash their things there for a fee.
14.Flipping products
Earning potential: Varies
What it is and how it works: Do you have an eye for quality products? Are you good at fixing things? How about using those skills to refurbish and resell used items?
Whether you feel like getting your hands dirty and completely transforming a piece of furniture or you’d rather use your skills to fix electronics that everyone else thought was a lost cause, this can be a rewarding side hustle.
In a lot of ways, it’s a lot like the repair side hustle we mentioned above, the difference being that you’ll answer only to yourself (and, ultimately, to your customers).
Why you should considerit:This is a good fit for tinkerers with an entrepreneurial streak. You can flip anything from electronics and appliances to larger pieces of furniture—anything that you find for sale that you think you could touch up and sell for a profit.
How to get started:Look for hidden gems in thrift stores, at garage sales, and on sites like eBay.
You can sell your refurbished products on many of the sites we’ve already mentioned (including Etsy and, again, eBay). There are also several specialized sites that are devoted to one particular class of secondhand products, such as Decluttr, which purchases used electronics.
15.Blogging
Earning potential: Varies depending on the popularity of your content
What it is and how it works:This side hustle is exactly what it sounds like: starting a blog about engineering. You can create any type of content you like, whether that means instructional guides aimed at novice engineers, commentary on the state of the industry, or just stories from your job.
Why you should consider it:If you’re an engineer who’s looking for a creative outlet, this side hustle could be a lot of fun. As a content creator, you have no hard deadlines or demanding clients to please, and you can write about whatever you find interesting.
That said, blogging is intensively competitive. It’s possible to make money with it, but mostblogs aren’t profitable. Slocum commented that she “knows lots of bloggers in the engineering community,” and said that none of them make a significant amount of money through ad revenue or other direct methods of content monetization.
However, she did comment that some of them earn money through “backend offerings” (e.g., offering courses or consultations). That brings us to one of the other advantages of content creation: you can pair it with one of the other side hustles on this list and use your content as a marketing tool.
How to get started:This side hustle has essentially no barrier to entry, so all you have to do is get to writing. You host a blog by using one of these services:
Alternatively, if you want a little more control than those platforms give you, you can install blogging software on a service like DigitalOcean. This option is best for engineers with a background in software.
Again, when it comes to picking a topic to write about, the choice is up to you. Slocum told us she’s noticed that AI and climate change are two particularly hot topics right now, and if your work intersects with those, you might be able to gain some traction. That said, don’t force it—write about things you’re interested in and genuinely have something to say about.
On a semi-related note, Slocum also commented that she rarely reads other engineering blogs, largely because they tend to be poorly written. That underscores another important point: for your content to take off, you need to make it compelling. This is a very flexible side hustle, but not an easy one, and you need to put real effort into it for it to be worthwhile.
16.More ideas
As a professional engineer, choosing a related side hustle is a safe choice, but there are also good reasons to pick other ideas beyond your profession.
