How to Make 6 Figures As A Ethical Hacker? (11 Best Ways in 2024)
So you want to make six figures as a ethical hacker? Good for you! Being a ethical hacker is a highly respectable and well-paid profession, and there's no reason why you can't earn a high income if you put your mind to it.
In this blog post, we'll look at some of the best ways to make more money as a ethical hacker - business ideas you can start to achieve such income. Keep reading to learn more!
1. Start an ecommerce store ($287K/month)
Starting an ecommerce store could be a lucrative way to supplement your income as an ethical hacker. You could leverage your technical skills to set up and secure an online platform where you sell specialized products or services. This side business could provide a significant income stream, particularly given the booming eCommerce market driven by its convenience and efficiency for consumers.
Furthermore, the lower overhead costs and broader reach of an online business could make it easier for you to manage alongside your ethical hacking career. You could develop and market cybersecurity products, software, or even educational materials to a wide audience from the comfort of your own home. By optimizing and securing your ecommerce site, you could create a sustainable business model that potentially leads to six-figure earnings.
How much you can make: $350 — $13,500,000/month
How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Southern Elegance Candle Company, founded by D'Shawn Russell, started as a side hustle making around $200 per weekend at a local Farmers Market, but now averages approximately $20,000 per month in sales across their retail site, wholesale site, and Faire.
2. Start a youtube channel ($146K/month)
Starting a YouTube channel could significantly boost your income as an ethical hacker by utilizing the platform’s established monetization system. With ample success stories in the tech niche, you could create engaging content related to cybersecurity tips, ethical hacking tutorials, or industry news. This not only positions you as an authority in the field but also attracts a dedicated audience, creating multiple revenue streams through ad revenue, sponsored content, and affiliate marketing.
Additionally, achieving the milestones required to join the YouTube Partner Program—1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months—could help you start earning extra money fairly quickly. By leveraging YouTube's incredible popularity, you could turn content creation into a lucrative side business or even a main source of income, contributing significantly toward achieving a six-figure salary.
How much you can make: $800 — $1,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $750 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Learn how this entrepreneurial couple made $5-7k a month by helping others find legitimate work from home jobs and creative ways to make money online through their blog and YouTube channel, as well as offering two flagship products designed to help beginner freelancers and new bloggers accelerate growth.
3. Start a podcast ($97.9K/month)
Starting a podcast could be a lucrative side hustle or even a full-time venture that supplements your income as an ethical hacker. By creating content centered on cybersecurity, ethical hacking techniques, and relevant industry trends, you could attract a dedicated audience eager for expert insights. This not only establishes you as an authority in your field but also opens up opportunities for sponsorships, advertising, and even premium content subscriptions.
To start, select a niche within ethical hacking that you're passionate about and resonates with listeners. Invest in basic recording equipment such as a quality microphone and headphones, and use a free or affordable hosting platform to publish your episodes. Promoting your podcast through social media and hacking communities can help build an audience, potentially drawing in sponsors and advertisers who are interested in reaching your specialized listener base.
By engaging your audience with valuable content and leveraging your expertise, you could significantly boost your income and edge closer to making six figures as an ethical hacker.
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.
4. Start a blog ($44.9K/month)
Starting a blog could significantly supplement your income as an ethical hacker by allowing you to share your expertise with a vast audience. With 77% of internet users reading blogs, you have the potential to tap into a massive reader base who could benefit from your insights on cybersecurity, ethical hacking techniques, and industry trends.
As you build a reputation as a trusted source (blogs are the 5th most trustworthy source of online information), you could attract sponsorship deals, affiliate marketing opportunities, or even paid memberships for exclusive content. Additionally, this venture opens doors to other income streams such as offering online courses, selling e-books, or consulting services, potentially enabling you to achieve a six-figure income.
How much you can make: $100 — $650,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Learn how one couple created a successful personal finance blog, The Savvy Couple, that now makes over $20,000 per month and has sold thousands of digital workbooks and courses, by focusing on purposeful content and optimizing their ROI with efficient time management.
5. Start a social media marketing agency ($116K/month)
Starting a social media marketing agency could be an excellent way to supplement your income and reach six figures as an ethical hacker. By investing some time in developing effective social media marketing strategies and utilizing automation tools, you could clear your utility bills, finance your education, or save for a vacation without overcommitting your schedule.
With your existing technical skills, you could easily create a compelling agency portfolio to attract potential clients who need efficient and reliable marketing services. The additional income stream from this side business could significantly boost your overall earnings, helping you to achieve your financial goals faster.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $500,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $7,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 30 hours/week
How David Tile turned a freelance writing gig into an $80k/month business, discussing lessons learned through managing growing demands and maintaining a remote team operation.
6. Become a social media influencer ($57.4K/month)
One way you could supplement your income and work towards making six figures as an ethical hacker is by becoming a social media influencer. With the growing importance of social media in daily routines, brands are eager to connect with their target audience through platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. By establishing yourself as a credible authority in cybersecurity and sharing valuable insights, you could build a vast and engaged audience.
Engaging this audience through educational and captivating content related to ethical hacking could attract sponsorships and partnerships with cybersecurity brands. These brands are keen to leverage influencers' reach to promote their products and services, offering you an additional stream of income. Additionally, creating a loyal follower base opens up possibilities for selling your own courses, eBooks, and consulting services, further boosting your earnings.
How much you can make: $2,500 — $166,666/month
How much does it cost to start: $800 (?)
How long does it take to build: 155 days (?)
How one mother built a profitable frugal motherhood, life, and travel blog from scratch, using Instagram, Pinterest, and paid sponsorships to grow from 0 to 18.5K followers and generate $1,500-$3,000 per month in less than two years.
7. Become an affiliate marketer ($55.3K/month)
Starting an affiliate marketer business could significantly supplement your income as an ethical hacker, enabling you to make six figures. As an ethical hacker, you have a niche expertise that aligns well with cybersecurity products and services; promoting these as an affiliate could be a very lucrative side business that capitalizes on your existing knowledge. With minimal upfront investment, you could sign up for various affiliate programs relevant to cybersecurity, use your marketing skills to drive traffic, and earn commissions for every successful sale through your unique tracking links.
Using your insight into the needs and challenges in the tech industry, you could effectively market software, hardware, or online courses to your network. Leveraging your professional credibility and technical expertise could make your recommendations more trustworthy, thereby increasing your conversion rates and income. This low-cost, scalable business model offers a practical way to diversify your income streams without significantly disrupting your primary career as an ethical hacker.
How much you can make: $18,000 — $83,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $100 (?)
How long does it take to build: 150 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.
8. Start a career coaching business ($48.5K/month)
Starting a career coaching business could significantly supplement your income and help you achieve six figures as an ethical hacker. By leveraging your expertise in cybersecurity, you could provide specialized guidance to aspiring ethical hackers, helping them land their first roles or advance in their careers. Custom sessions on resume building, interview preparation, and career advancement tailored to the cybersecurity field could make your services highly sought after.
The flexibility of offering virtual or in-person meetings allows you to maintain your primary job while growing your coaching business on the side. Additionally, your speaking talents and motivational skills could enable you to monetize your knowledge and create a schedule that suits your lifestyle. Empowering others to succeed in their cybersecurity careers not only diversifies your income stream but also positions you as an influential figure in the industry.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $235,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Wall Street Oasis, the largest online community focused on careers in finance, has over 100 million visitors during its 14-year history and is currently receiving over 2 million visits per month, offering interview courses and mentorship services, in addition to building and investing in a thriving online community.
9. Create an online course ($91.9K/month)
Creating an online course could be a significant way to supplement your income and potentially reach a six-figure salary as an ethical hacker. By identifying educational gaps in cybersecurity, you could develop engaging video lessons and supplementary materials to teach specialized skills to a subscribed student base. This entrepreneurial approach allows you to monetize your instructional talents while serving eager learners looking to enhance their knowledge in emerging subjects.
With flexible structures like self-paced or cohort-based courses, building a solid student base provides a substantial passive income potential. For those who enjoy sharing information, launching an online course platform can be a low-cost yet highly lucrative venture, tapping into the increasing demand for convenient access to quality cybersecurity education.
How much you can make: $350 — $1,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 88 days (?)
Learn how one couple created a successful personal finance blog, The Savvy Couple, that now makes over $20,000 per month and has sold thousands of digital workbooks and courses, by focusing on purposeful content and optimizing their ROI with efficient time management.
10. Digital products ($261K/month)
Creating and selling digital products could substantially boost your income as an ethical hacker. You could develop software tools that assist with cybersecurity tasks, write an ebook sharing your expertise, or create an online course teaching ethical hacking principles to aspiring professionals. These products are not only easy to create but also provide a scalable way to reach a global audience without the need for inventory management.
Additionally, launching a membership site or an exclusive community could allow you to offer ongoing value through regular updates, special content, or personalized advice. These digital products are highly sought after because they leverage your existing skills and knowledge, allowing you to create a sustainable income stream. By diversifying your income sources with digital products, you could be well on your way to making six figures as an ethical hacker.
How much you can make: $10,417 — $1,766,666/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
FilterGrade is an eCommerce platform offering digital assets such as photo filters and video templates; attracting over 450,000 monthly users and generating approximately 30k a month, the founders worked hard to build a valuable marketplace for creators while focusing on digital marketing, partnerships, and content creation.
11. Start a freelance writing business ($65.5K/month)
As an ethical hacker, starting a freelance writing business could provide a lucrative side income and elevate you toward achieving a six-figure salary. Given the increasing demand for cybersecurity content, your expertise uniquely positions you to write authoritative articles, guides, and whitepapers on hacking, data protection, and emerging security threats. This would allow you to not only supplement your income but also establish yourself as a thought leader in the cybersecurity field.
Freelance writing offers the flexibility to define your own schedule, allowing you to work from home, at any time. Your strong writing skills, ability to meet deadlines, and self-starter attitude will be key in securing high-paying clients. Staying up-to-date with current writing tools and trends will further enhance your ability to produce compelling, high-quality content.
How much you can make: $700 — $500,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 56 days (?)
How David Tile turned a freelance writing gig into an $80k/month business, discussing lessons learned through managing growing demands and maintaining a remote team operation.
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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.
