Side Hustle Ideas for Engineers: How to Earn Some Extra Cash in 2023 (2024)

Do you have some spare time and a unique skillset that you’d like to turn into extra money? Engineer side hustles can help you pay off debt, take a dream vacation, or simply improve your current situation. Continue reading to find out how to start a side hustle and what jobs are the best side hustles for engineers.

What Is a Side Hustle?

A side hustle is a job you do in your spare time to supplement your income, whether your goal is to close the income gap or create a financial cushion.

While finding a side hustle job that pays well may seem difficult, the Internet is brimming with possibilities. There are so many side hustle ideas for engineers that it may be difficult to choose one. If you’re looking for a way to supplement your income as an engineer, this article on high-paying side hustle jobs will help.

How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Side Hustle

Many engineers generate extra income by doing something they enjoy as a hobby or are passionate about. When deciding on a side hustle, consider your engineering-related hobbies. Make a list of your favorite hobbies and interests, prioritize them according to your level of expertise, and turn them into a product or service.

If you have a background in the STEM field, you could try tutoring high school students, freelancing your engineering skills, or selling engineering designs and crafts. Conduct market research and put your side hustle ideas to the test to turn your engineering hobby into a profitable side hustle.

How to Side Hustle From Home

In the remote-first world, there are many online jobs that pay well that engineers can do to earn some extra cash. You can do minor engineering jobs, create online engineering courses, tutor people virtually, consult people and companies, suggest solutions to engineering problems, sell your engineering designs, and even sell crafts.

Engineering side hustle opportunities are virtually limitless. To turn your engineering hobbies into a side hustle, you must make a list of your STEM skills, research the market, test your side hustle ideas from home, and turn your most valuable engineering skills into a good secondary source of income.

How to Start a Side Hustle as an Engineer

Starting a side hustle while working full-time as an engineer can be difficult. But if you are motivated and willing to spend some of your spare time earning extra money, it can also be rewarding. These steps will help you get started with your engineering side hustle.

Identify Your True Passion

Choose an activity that you enjoy doing in your spare time. Consider your strengths. What is your area of expertise that you want to monetize? Finding something you enjoy and are good at is the first step toward success.

Find Your First Customer

Once you know what you want to do as a side hustle, try to find your first customer. Many businesses fail because their founders thought they had a brilliant idea, however, there was no market for it. Don’t spend too much time or money before putting your side hustle idea to the test. This will allow you to determine whether or not people are willing to pay for what you’re offering.

Build Your Network

If you have found your first customer, that’s awesome. Sometimes a single client can provide you with the extra revenue you require. The following step is to expand your client network. If one person requires your services, more people are also probably willing to pay for them. To attract more customers and expand your network, you can use various freelancing platforms.

Set Up Your Availability

Once you’ve found one or more clients willing to pay for your services, it’s critical to schedule your availability for side hustle tasks so that they don’t interfere with your job or other responsibilities. Examine your schedule, activities, and commitments to determine the best time for your side hustle gigs.

Find a Balance

Although a side hustle can provide you with financial freedom and career opportunities, it should not cause you to burn out or become exhausted. You should find a balance and prioritize your needs. The importance of routine and self-discipline cannot be overstated. Try working on your side hustle while relaxing and having fun.

Best Side Hustles for Engineers

Choosing the right side hustle for engineers from the many online opportunities can be difficult. We have compiled a list of top suggestions to help you discover the best side hustles for engineers to supplement your income in 2022.

Freelancing Engineering Projects

The most obvious side hustle for an engineer is to use their engineering skills to complete freelance engineer projects on platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, or Tasker. By taking on extra projects in your spare time, you can use the proficiency you have from your full-time job as an engineering professional to earn extra spending money.

Consult on Engineering Projects

Engineers can supplement their income by acting as a consultant for engineering projects. The average hourly pay for an engineering consultant is $62.54, according to Payscale. Consulting might not take up too much of your time if you have the knowledge and an interest in one area. Consulting work can include writing reports and directing project management on construction sites.

Doing Some CAD work

Computer-Aided Design, commonly known as CAD, uses software to create, revise, analyze, or optimize a design. Any company that wants to manufacture something must use CAD. It can be a very lucrative side hustle for engineers. According to Payscale, CAD Drafters are paid $19.54 per hour on average.

Tutoring Online

Tutoring online is another good side hustle for engineers. While tutors in the United States earn an average of $18.08 per hour, you can charge more depending on your expertise in engineering, especially for advanced subjects. Tutoring allows you to set your own schedule, which is ideal for juggling your full-time work as an engineer professional.

Building an Online Course

If you want to share your engineering knowledge but don’t want to teach young children, you can create an online course on one of the subjects from your engineering field. Once you have created your course, you can post it to online learning platforms like Udemy, Teachable, or Skillshare. The money users will pay for your course can become an excellent passive income source.

Suggesting Your Idea to Solve a Technical Problem

Engineers are known as problem solvers, innovators, and inventors. You can use your innovative engineering ideas to solve a specific technical challenge and be compensated financially for it. Engineers can win awards from innovation platforms like IdeaConnection if their solution to a specific technological problem is chosen.

Selling Your Engineering Designs and Craft

You can sell your engineering designs and crafts if you are a design engineer who is studying, researching, and developing ideas for new products and the systems used to make them. Create an account on Tindie to sell custom electronic parts. You can also make good money on Etsy selling woodcraft engineering and 3D-printed models.

Testing Apps

Becoming a part-time application tester is a great side hustle for people with technical skills. Testing doesn’t require any complex programming skills because you are testing apps as a typical user. According to Payscale, the average hourly pay for an app tester in the United States is $23.61. Companies hiring app testers include tech giants like Google, Userlytics, and Applause.

Working as a Technical Support Engineer

You may use your STEM skills to work part-time as a technical support engineer. These employees are typically in charge of answering inbound phone calls and emails from customers and fixing any technical issues they may encounter. The average hourly pay of a technical support engineer in the United States is $25.05, according to PayScale.

Creating an Engineering YouTube Channel

If you want to share your technical expertise and experience with others you can create your own instructional YouTube channel. To make money off your videos, you must apply for and be approved into the YouTube Partner Program. Alternatively, you may be eligible for the YouTube Shorts Fund incentives.

Side Hustle Apps You Can Use to Earn Extra Cash

You may use several side hustle applications when looking for side hustle ideas as an engineering professional. Depending on the type of engineering job you have, and the skill setside hustle you choose, you may find one of these applications useful for earning extra money as an engineer.

• Tasker. Tasker is a two-sided online platform designed specifically for engineers and people seeking engineers. Tasker matches engineering tasks with engineers who have the necessary skills and experience.
• IdeaConnection. This virtual innovation platform has over 20,000 professionals, thought leaders, scientists, and inventors from 180 countries that offer rewards for the best solutions to the problems being faced in top industries and projects today.
• Fiverr. Fiverr is a popular freelancing platform for engineers, digital nomads, and other remote freelancers. Here, you can emphasize your experience, skills, and knowledge, while completing gigs and freelance work posted on the platform.
• Upwork. In this online freelance marketplace, freelancers can find high-quality and reputable clients in which to complete one-off gigs or more long-term contracts and projects.
• Wyzant. Wyzant is an online platform for private engineering tutors with pay-as-you-go pricing. It attracts many tutors and students due to its wide range of features and is a rewarding and enjoyable platform in which to earn passive income.

What Is the Best Side Hustle for Engineers?

The best side hustles for engineers are ones that combine one’s interests and skills and have a high market demand. Making money from your engineering hobby or passion can be a great way to supplement your income or earn extra spending money.

Make the most of your engineering expertise and experience when selecting a side hustle. Freelancing your engineering skills and consulting on engineering projects can be rewarding both financially and for your career development. We recommend that you choose a side hustle related to your interests and skills.

Side Hustles for Engineers FAQ