How to Make 6 Figures As A Platform Engineer? (11 Best Ways in 2024)
So you want to make six figures as a platform engineer? Good for you! Being a platform 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 platform engineer - business ideas you can start to achieve such income. Keep reading to learn more!
1. Become a social media influencer ($57.4K/month)
As a platform engineer, you could leverage your expertise and industry knowledge to become a social media influencer, significantly supplementing your income. By creating informative and engaging content on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or LinkedIn, you could establish yourself as a thought leader in the tech community. Brands often seek influencers with credible industry backgrounds to promote their products, providing lucrative partnership opportunities.
Furthermore, by focusing on popular niches relevant to your field, such as cloud computing, DevOps, or cybersecurity, you could attract a substantial and dedicated following. This audience could be highly valuable for tech companies looking to market their tools and services, opening doors for sponsorships and affiliate marketing. Engaging with your audience through tutorials, reviews, and insightful discussions could organically grow your influence and income potential, offering a pathway to reach six figures.
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.
2. Start a podcast ($97.9K/month)
Starting a podcast could significantly supplement your income as a platform engineer by leveraging your expertise and passion into engaging audio content. By focusing on niche topics such as cutting-edge technologies, platform engineering best practices, or career growth strategies, you could attract a dedicated audience of tech enthusiasts and professionals.
With basic recording equipment and a strategic promotion plan, your podcast could not only establish you as an industry thought leader but also create opportunities for sponsorships and advertisements. This additional revenue stream, while initially modest, has the potential to grow substantially, bringing you closer to a six-figure income.
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.
3. Start a blog ($44.9K/month)
Starting a blog could significantly supplement your income as a platform engineer, potentially helping you reach the six-figure mark. By sharing your expertise and unique insights into the field, you could attract a broad audience, given that 77% of internet users read blogs and blogs have been rated as the 5th most trustworthy source of online information.
With around 409 million people viewing more than 20 billion pages each month, the opportunities for monetization are vast. You could generate revenue through methods like affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, or offering exclusive tutorials and courses. Moreover, blogging as a creative outlet could also establish you as a thought leader in platform engineering, potentially opening doors to consulting gigs and other business ventures.
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.
4. Start a social media marketing agency ($116K/month)
Starting a social media marketing agency could be a lucrative side business or even a primary income source for a platform engineer aiming to make six figures. By leveraging your technical expertise, you could effectively use automation tools to streamline social media marketing processes, minimizing the time commitment required. Your analytical skills could also help you develop efficient marketing strategies that deliver results for your clients.
Setting up a professional agency portfolio could attract more customers who are willing to pay a premium for your services. This additional income could help you clear bills, finance education, or save for vacations without impacting your day job. With dedication and strategic planning, your social media marketing agency could be the key to unlocking a significant stream of supplemental income.
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.
5. Digital products ($261K/month)
As a platform engineer, you could supplement your income or even start a side business by creating and selling digital products. Whether it’s developing an app, writing an ebook on best practices in platform engineering, or designing an online course on cloud infrastructure, the opportunities are vast and varied.
Digital products are highly rated for their ease of creation and distribution. You could leverage your technical expertise to create software-based products or monetize your knowledge through information products such as ebooks or courses. With no physical inventory to manage, you could sell these products directly from your website, making the entire process seamless and scalable.
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.
6. Start a youtube channel ($146K/month)
Starting a YouTube channel could provide you with a dynamic avenue to supplement your income and potentially reach six figures as a platform engineer. By sharing your expertise through tutorials, deep dives into complex problems, or showcasing innovative projects, you could attract a significant following from peers and aspiring engineers alike.
YouTube's established monetization system, requiring a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months, can serve as a practical goal to work toward. Leveraging the platform’s popularity and its partner program, you could earn revenue through ads, sponsored content, and possibly direct partnerships with tech companies, turning your passion for content creation into a lucrative side business.
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. Start a career coaching business ($48.5K/month)
Starting a career coaching business could significantly supplement your income as a platform engineer, pushing you towards six-figure earnings. By leveraging your industry expertise, you could provide personalized guidance, support, and strategic services to help clients navigate professional transitions and grow in their careers.
You could offer tailored sessions focusing on resume building, interview preparation, and workplace advancement, addressing specific aspirations and challenges faced by each client. With the flexibility of in-person or virtual meetings, you could build a robust client base, empowering professionals to achieve breakthroughs through your specialized advice and accountability.
This entrepreneurial venture could allow you to monetize your motivational skills and human resources expertise while setting your own schedule, making it a lucrative side business or even a main business avenue.
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.
8. Create an online course ($91.9K/month)
Creating an online course could significantly boost your income as a platform engineer by leveraging your specialized skills and industry knowledge. As an entrepreneurial course creator, you could identify educational gaps within your field and produce engaging video lessons and supplementary materials that cater to those needs. This approach not only helps you share your expertise but also generates passive income as more students enroll and complete your courses.
Whether you choose a self-paced or cohort-based structure, building a student base offers the potential for steady revenue streams. By offering your instructional talents to eager lifelong learners seeking convenient access to emerging subjects, you could monetize your knowledge with relatively small startup costs. This could be a lucrative way to reach a six-figure income while enjoying the flexibility and rewards of teaching.
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.
9. Start an ecommerce store ($287K/month)
As a platform engineer, you could supplement your income and potentially reach six figures by starting an eCommerce store. With lower overhead costs and the flexibility to operate remotely, an eCommerce business allows you to leverage your technical skills for website setup, payment processing, and inventory management. Additionally, eCommerce's booming popularity increases your potential reach to a wider audience, providing more opportunities for significant revenue streams.
By setting up a well-optimized online store, you could tap into the lucrative market of consumers who prefer the convenience and efficiency of shopping online. Utilizing your expertise in platforms and technology, you could create a seamless and appealing shopping experience, which in turn could lead to higher sales and profitability.
Starting an eCommerce business is particularly advantageous because it allows you to work on it part-time alongside your current job, gradually scaling it up as you see more success. This side hustle could eventually evolve into an entirely new revenue stream, helping you achieve your financial goals more swiftly.
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.
10. Become an affiliate marketer ($55.3K/month)
Starting an affiliate marketing business could significantly supplement your income as a platform engineer, potentially helping you reach the six-figure mark. By leveraging your existing technical skills and knowledge, you could effectively market niche products that resonate with your audience, earning commissions on sales generated through your unique referral links.
The beauty of affiliate marketing is that it requires minimal upfront investment; you don't need to create or manage the products yourself. Additionally, your expertise in platforms and technology could give you an edge in creating compelling content and strategically driving traffic. This low-cost, high-potential business model allows you to focus on marketing and scaling, providing a viable path for entrepreneurial engineers aspiring to increase their earnings.
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.
11. Start a freelance writing business ($65.5K/month)
Supplement Your Income with Freelance Writing
Starting a freelance writing business could be an excellent way for you, as a platform engineer, to supplement your income and move closer to earning six figures. Given the flexibility of freelance writing, you could define your own work schedule, allowing you to manage side projects without conflicting with your primary job responsibilities. This freedom enables you to work from home, take on writing assignments during downtimes, or utilize weekends for extra income.
Leveraging your technical expertise, you could specialize in creating well-informed, high-quality content for tech blogs, white papers, and industry publications. Strong writing skills, the ability to meet deadlines, and staying on the cutting edge are essential to maximize your earnings. Additionally, being a self-starter and effectively communicating with clients will help you secure higher-paying gigs, aligning with your entrepreneurial mindset.
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.
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.
