I we In this article, we’ll be going over the seven fastest tech skills to learn to make 10K a month. We’ll start with the skill that has the lowest earning potential at first and will end with the highest. Although all of these skills could end up making you millions, the skill you pick can depend on your current situation and free time. If you’re working a full-time job, some skills here could be a perfect side hustle, and if you have lots of free time, there are some options for you too.
1. UX and UI Design
This skill is about making websites and apps easy to use and nice to look at. It’s great for people who like design and want to make things better for users. You design how digital products look and work, make prototypes, talk to users, and keep improving based on what people say. It’s a mix of being creative and solving problems, which can be really fun.
Let’s talk money: new UX and UI designers can make around $50,000 a year. Don’t worry, that’s just the start. As you get better and build your portfolio, you can start making a six-figure salary.
To get started in UX and UI design, you need to learn design tools like Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD. You also need to know how to research what users want and make prototypes. The good news is it doesn’t cost too much to start—you’re looking at about $500 to $2,000 for software and online courses.
The fastest way to make 10K a month with this skill is by helping small businesses with their designs. Many companies need help making their websites and apps better, and that’s where you come in. You can start by redesigning websites for local shops or creating app designs for new startups.
To take things to the next level, you need to give yourself a bird’s eye view over the business. Imagine you are a bird flying over the world, with a great perspective of everything that’s going on at the ground level. Now imagine your business making 10K a month, and you’re overseeing everything that’s going on—that’s the agency model.
Your business is UI and UX design, a service where clients pay you for projects. With the bird’s eye view, you take yourself out of the daily work and hire contractors who complete the projects for you. The key is they are contractors, so they only get paid on a per-project basis. If there are no projects, they don’t get paid, saving you during slow times.
This agency model gives you leverage. Now you’ve created something where it’s not just you alone working 5-6 hours a day for $10,000 a month. You’ll be paying three to four contractors up to $3,000-$4,000 a month to complete the work. Suddenly you’re netting $6,000 a month, and it takes no actual work or free time for you to generate that income. Instead, your focus shifts to getting more clients and businesses that need your service, and when you get those, you just hire more contractors on a pay-per-project model. Boom—that’s a million-dollar business.
For inspiration, look at Joe Gebbia, who helped start Airbnb. He used his UX design skills to change how people travel. Airbnb’s easy-to-use website was a game-changer, making it simple for anyone to list or book places to stay all over the world. Remember, it isn’t just about making things look good—it’s about making things easy and fun for people to use.
2. Mobile App Development
While making cool designs is important, the next step is turning those designs into real apps on phones. Mobile app development is all about making apps for iPhones and Android phones. If you ever thought, “I wish there was an app for that,” this might be for you.
You’ll be writing code for apps, designing how they look, and making sure they work well on different phones. It’s a mix of tech skills and creativity that can be really rewarding.
When it comes to money, new mobile app developers can make between $60,000 to $70,000 a year. But that’s just the beginning—as you get better or make more successful apps, you can earn more.
To start, you’ll need to learn programming languages for mobile phones. For iPhones, that’s Swift or Objective-C; for Android, it’s Kotlin or Java. You also need to learn about the mobile SDKs (Software Development Kits) and how to design for phones.
It doesn’t cost much to start—about $1,000 for a decent computer, software, and online courses. But here’s a tip: start with free tutorials like YouTube and the official guides. That’s how I started learning mobile app development.
For ideas, you could make a game, a tool to help people be more productive, or an app that solves a specific problem. The great thing is that once your app is out there, it can keep making you money forever.
Look at Nick—he taught himself to code as a teenager and made an app called Summly. At just 17 years old, he sold the app to Yahoo for $30 million. That’s just one of thousands of examples of how much potential there is in this field.
3. Full Stack Development
This tech skill lets you build entire digital systems. Full stack development is about knowing how to work on all parts of a website or an app. It’s great for people who like to see a project through from start to finish.
As a full stack developer, you’ll work on all layers of a web app. On the front end, you’ll create what users see and interact with. On the back end, you’ll build the application and database that makes everything work behind the scenes. It’s like being the architect, builder, and interior designer of a digital house.
Mid-level full stack developers can make between $70,000 to $120,000 a year. But don’t let those numbers limit you—with experience and the right skills, many full stack developers earn well over $150,000.
To become a full stack developer, you need to learn quite a few technologies. For front end, that’s HTML and JavaScript, along with tools like React or Vue.js. For back end, you need to know languages like Python, plus understand databases and how to manage servers.
It sounds like a lot, but remember you don’t have to learn it all at once. It also doesn’t cost much to start—literally, you can get an online course on Udemy for $10 and get some development tools. You do need a PC, and that’s what I did when I first started out.
I started building websites for local businesses for free. It was a great way to learn and build a portfolio. Then I used the good reviews from those businesses to get paying clients.
Many small businesses need custom websites but can’t afford it or just don’t need a full-time developer. That’s where you can come in. You could start by building online stores or web tools for specific industries.
Just look at Mark Zuckerberg—he built the first version of Facebook as a full stack developer. I’m not saying you’ll create the next big social media site, but it shows how powerful these skills can be.
I remember working as a full stack developer myself. One project that stands out was an online store that I built for a local business. The challenge was making it easy to use while ensuring the backend could handle lots of users and sales simultaneously. It taught me how important it is to think about performance and growth from the start.
4. DevOps
As you get better, build more skills and experience, your projects will get bigger, more complex, and you’ll make more money. But you’ll start to see the need for better ways to develop and launch new products and services, which brings us to DevOps.
DevOps is all about making the process of developing and running software smoother. It’s ideal for people who like to make things more efficient. As a DevOps engineer, you’ll work on making the whole process of building, launching, and maintaining software better. This includes automating how code is tested and launched, managing cloud systems, and helping development and operation teams work better together.
Mid-level DevOps engineers can make between $80,000 to $130,000 a year. Experienced DevOps engineers, especially those who know a lot about cloud systems, can easily earn over $200,000 a year.
To get started in DevOps, you need to learn a variety of tools and technologies. This includes cloud platforms like AWS, infrastructure code tools like Terraform, and container technologies like Docker. You also need to be good with scripting languages and understand CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment).
It can cost between $1,000 to $2,000 to get started with DevOps for certifications and online courses. But don’t just rely on courses—set up your own projects and try out different tools. That’s how I really got to understand DevOps practices.
A great way to make money with DevOps skills is by helping startups and small tech companies. Many businesses struggle with making their development processes better and more streamlined, and that’s where you can help. You could help companies set up their entire CI/CD pipelines, move them to the cloud, or help them start using containers.
5. IT Consultant
While DevOps makes development better, businesses often need help with their overall strategy, which takes us to IT consulting. Imagine it as looking at the bigger picture. It’s perfect for people who understand a lot about technology and are great at explaining technical things in simple terms.
As an IT consultant, you’ll help businesses use technology to solve their problems. This could involve suggesting software solutions, designing IT systems, creating technology strategies, or even managing IT projects. It’s about being the bridge between the business world and the tech world.
IT consultants can make anywhere between $70,000 to $150,000 a year depending on their experience, the industry, and the clients. As you build your reputation and client base, you could potentially earn way more, especially if you focus on a high-demand area like cybersecurity or cloud engineering.
You will need broad IT knowledge, good project management skills, and the ability to explain complex ideas simply. You should know about various software systems, understand IT infrastructure, and keep up with the latest tech trends like AI. People skills like communication, problem-solving, and business understanding are just as important as the technical skills in this role.
To start as an IT consultant, there’s not really a specific course—you just need to put yourself out there, work with businesses, or get a job in a consultancy. What I learned is who you know is really important in consulting. Go to industry events, join professional groups, and never stop learning about new technologies.
You can make money fast by offering your services to businesses who need tech advice but can’t afford a full-time IT department. You could offer services like creating IT strategies, overseeing system setups, or checking how well a company’s technology is working.
Did you know that Satya Nadella actually started as an IT consultant before becoming Microsoft’s CEO? I’m not saying you’ll become a Microsoft CEO, but you can clearly see the opportunities for growth in this field.
6. Cloud Engineering
Cloud engineering involves designing, setting up, and managing cloud systems. It’s perfect for people who like working with the latest technology and solving complex problems.
A cloud engineer’s role is to help businesses move their computer systems and information to the internet instead of keeping everything on local computers. They create the special internet spaces (often referred to as “the cloud”) where a company can store and use its data and programs.
An important part of their role is keeping the company’s information safe from hackers and accidents. They set up security measures to protect sensitive data and create backup plans for emergencies so if something goes wrong, the company doesn’t lose important information.
Another key responsibility is watching the budget. They make sure that the company isn’t spending too much on these internet services, which can get expensive if not managed properly. By using internet-based systems, cloud engineers can help companies work faster and grow more easily without needing to buy lots of new computers in physical storage (called data centers).
Experienced cloud engineers can make between $90,000 to $160,000 a year. With the right skills and experience, especially in areas like multi-cloud systems or cloud security, you can make well over $250,000 a year.
To become a cloud engineer, you will need to master cloud platforms—I recommend AWS because they are the industry leader. You also need to understand networking, security, virtualization, and tools like Terraform for setting up infrastructure. You will also need some knowledge of containerization.
To start as a cloud engineer, it costs around $1,000 to $2,000 for certifications and online courses. But here’s a pro tip: many cloud providers offer free tiers—use these to start and build your knowledge.
A great business for cloud engineers is helping companies who want to move to the cloud but don’t have the in-house expertise. That’s exactly what my company does—it’s a cloud security consultancy. We help businesses design their cloud systems, move their applications, or reduce their cloud spend.
7. Cybersecurity
The final tech skill that can make you 10K a month (and one that’s been in the news recently for the wrong reasons thanks to CrowdStrike) is cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is all about protecting systems, networks, and applications from digital attacks. It’s ideal for people who like solving puzzles and staying one step ahead of the bad guys.
Your job could involve putting in place security measures, watching for threats, responding to incidents, checking for vulnerabilities, and teaching employees about security best practices. It’s about being the guardian of an organization’s digital assets.
Experienced cybersecurity professionals can make between $90,000 to $180,000 a year. With the right skills and experience, especially in niche areas like cloud security or IoT security, you can easily earn over $200,000 a year. There’s a huge demand for cybersecurity experts, which drives up the salaries.
To get into cybersecurity, you need to learn about networking, security, ethical hacking techniques, and security frameworks. You should know how to use various security tools, understand common ways hackers try to get in, and keep up with the latest threats and defense strategies. You also need to know how to program and write scripts because that is really important.
There are many courses available, with a similar startup cost of $1,000 to $2,000 for certifications and training programs. But don’t just rely on certifications—set up your own labs, practice ethical hacking, and take part in bug bounty programs. That’s how you really learn cybersecurity.
Once you’ve picked up your skills, you can improve them by offering consulting. Many businesses know they need better security but don’t know where to start, and that’s where you come in. You could offer services like security checks, testing for vulnerabilities, planning for security incidents, or training employees about security.
For inspiration, look at Kevin Mitnick’s story—he went from being a convicted criminal to a respected cybersecurity consultant and author. His story is quite interesting, so I recommend looking into it if you want to learn about someone who turned their life around and used their cybersecurity consulting firm as a vehicle for success.
So there you have it—the seven fastest tech skills that can earn you $10,000 a month or more. None of them are easy (because I never said these are the easiest tech skills to learn), but they are the fastest to learn. Sometimes the fastest route is actually the slowest route, but you want to focus on learning these skills right.
Honestly, this tech world is completely untapped. A lot of people from the outside just think it’s really difficult, but it’s not. I have friends making over seven figures a month through these business models.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGx9tU4Xx24
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