How to Make 6 Figures As A Firmware Engineer? (11 Best Ways in 2024)
So you want to make six figures as a firmware engineer? Good for you! Being a firmware engineer 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 firmware engineer - business ideas you can start to achieve such income. Keep reading to learn more!
1. Start a social media marketing agency ($386K/month)
Starting a social media marketing agency could be a highly effective method to supplement your income and help you achieve the six-figure mark as a firmware engineer. With the advantage of automating many processes using social media marketing tools, you wouldn't need to invest an overwhelming amount of time. Instead, developing an efficient marketing strategy and a strong agency portfolio can enable you to attract and serve customers effectively.
Such an entrepreneurial endeavor allows you the flexibility to balance your primary engineering role while generating additional revenue streams. Whether your goal is to clear utility bills, finance a college education, or save for a vacation, a social media marketing agency could offer a lucrative and manageable side business. As you grow your client base and refine your services, this venture has the potential to significantly boost your overall income.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $4,166,667/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 75 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.
2. Become a social media influencer ($57.4K/month)
As a firmware engineer, you could harness the power of social media to become an influencer and substantially increase your income. By sharing your expertise and insights on platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, or TikTok, you could build a dedicated audience interested in technology and firmware development. This following could attract brands seeking to promote their products to a tech-savvy audience, leading to lucrative sponsorships and collaboration opportunities.
You could create content such as tutorials, reviews of the latest firmware tools, or industry news, positioning yourself as an authority in your niche. With an effective strategy and consistent engagement, you could leverage these opportunities to supplement your main income stream, making it possible to reach six figures with combined earnings. This side venture not only offers financial benefits but also enhances your professional reputation, opening doors to further job opportunities and career advancements.
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.
3. Start a career coaching business ($48.5K/month)
Starting a career coaching business could help you make six figures as a firmware engineer by tapping into your wealth of industry knowledge and leveraging it to guide others in their professional journeys. By offering tailored resume building, interview preparation, and workplace advancement strategies, you could empower clients to achieve their goals while earning extra income.
Positioning yourself as an expert, you could conduct custom sessions both in-person and virtually, giving you flexibility and the chance to reach a broader audience. With a talent for speaking and a knack for human resources, this side business could allow you to monetize your motivational skills and set your schedule on your terms.
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.
4. Start an ecommerce store ($287K/month)
Start an eCommerce Store
As a firmware engineer, you could leverage your technical skills to start an ecommerce store, providing a supplementary income stream that has the potential to grow into a six-figure business. The significant advantages of an ecommerce business include lower overhead costs and the ability to reach a global audience, thanks to the convenience and efficiency of online shopping.
With the booming growth of ecommerce, consumers are more inclined to purchase products from the comfort of their homes on platforms that offer a seamless shopping experience. To get started, you would need to set up a website, integrate payment processing software, and manage inventory with shopping cart solutions. This venture could greatly benefit from your technical aptitude, making it a lucrative side business or even a primary source of income if scaled effectively.
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.
5. Create an online course ($82.8K/month)
Starting an online course could be a lucrative way to supplement your income as a firmware engineer. By leveraging your specialized expertise, you could create compelling digital classes that fill educational gaps and cater to eager learners seeking to expand their skill sets.
With the flexibility to offer self-paced or cohort-based structures, you would have the potential to generate passive income while enjoying the satisfaction of sharing your knowledge. The low startup costs make it an attractive entrepreneurial venture, allowing you to monetize your instructional talents and expand your earning potential significantly.
How much you can make: $275 — $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.
6. Start a youtube channel ($146K/month)
Starting a YouTube channel could help you supplement your income and even reach six figures by sharing your expertise as a firmware engineer. With YouTube's established monetization system and its massive user base, you could capitalize on your specialized knowledge by creating educational content, tutorials, and industry insights.
By achieving a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months, you could join the YouTube Partner Program and start earning revenue through ads, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing. Using proven strategies to promote your channel and engage with your audience could greatly expand your reach and income potential.
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.
7. Digital products ($242K/month)
Starting a digital product could be an excellent way for firmware engineers to boost their income and potentially make six figures. Digital products, such as software tools, educational courses, or ebooks, leverage your existing technical skills and knowledge, allowing you to reach a wide audience without the need for physical inventory. Given the popularity and demand for digital products, they offer a scalable business model where you could earn substantial passive income.
Creating digital products is particularly advantageous because they’re relatively easy to develop and distribute. With your expertise in firmware, you could create specialized software tools that solve niche problems, write comprehensive guides, or develop online courses to teach aspiring engineers. Since digital products can be sold directly online, you could monetize your skills effectively, reaching global markets and significantly supplementing your income.
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.
8. Start a freelance writing business ($62.6K/month)
One way to supplement your income and potentially reach six figures as a firmware engineer is by starting a freelance writing business. Given your technical background, you could leverage your expertise to write high-quality, niche content for tech blogs, industry publications, or even educational platforms. This specialized knowledge can command higher rates, making this a lucrative side business.
Freelance writing offers flexibility; you can work on projects during your off-hours, from home, and at your own pace. To succeed, you'll need strong writing skills and the ability to meet deadlines, ensuring that your work remains consistent and valuable to your clients. By staying up-to-date with the latest writing tools and trends, as well as fostering good communication skills, you could build a steady stream of clients, significantly boosting your annual income.
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.
9. Become an affiliate marketer ($55.3K/month)
As a firmware engineer, supplementing your income through affiliate marketing could be a viable pathway to achieving six figures. An affiliate marketer business involves promoting other companies' products or services and earning a commission for every sale made through your referral.
Given your technical background, you could focus on promoting products and services within the tech industry, leveraging your expertise to build credibility and trust with your audience. This business model requires minimal upfront investment and does not necessitate creating or owning the products yourself, making it an accessible option for those looking to start a business on a budget.
By strategically choosing affiliate programs and using your marketing skills to drive traffic and sales, you have the potential to generate significant additional income.
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.
10. Start a podcast ($97.9K/month)
Starting a podcast could be a lucrative way to supplement your income as a firmware engineer. By choosing a niche related to your field—such as discussing the latest advancements in firmware, interviewing industry experts, or offering troubleshooting tips—you could attract a dedicated audience that’s eager to learn from your expertise. This audience growth could, in turn, draw sponsors or advertisers interested in reaching your specialized listener base, providing a steady revenue stream.
With basic recording equipment and a budget-friendly hosting platform, the initial investment can be minimal. Promoting your podcast through social media and online communities will help you build an audience, giving you the potential to monetize through sponsorship deals, affiliate marketing, or even premium content. Coupled with your day job, this could help you reach that six-figure income goal.
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.
11. Start a blog ($44.9K/month)
Starting a blog could be a lucrative way for a firmware engineer to supplement their income and potentially reach six figures. Given that blogs have been rated as the 5th most trustworthy source of online information and attract 77% of internet users, your blog could become a credible and popular resource for others in your field. By sharing your expertise, insights, and experiences, you could build a loyal audience who turn to you for valuable content.
Moreover, with approximately 409 million people viewing more than 20 billion pages each month, there is a vast audience for you to tap into. Monetizing your blog through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and digital products like e-books or online courses related to firmware development could create multiple income streams. As your blog grows, it could even become a full-time business, providing financial freedom and flexibility.
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.
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.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
