How to Make 6 Figures As A Research Specialist? (11 Best Ways in 2024)
So you want to make six figures as a research specialist? Good for you! Being a research specialist 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 research specialist - business ideas you can start to achieve such income. Keep reading to learn more!
1. Start a youtube channel ($146K/month)
Starting a YouTube channel could be an excellent way for research specialists to supplement their income and potentially make six figures. By sharing your expertise and unique insights through engaging content, you could attract a loyal audience interested in your niche. Once you reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours, you could join the YouTube Partner Program and begin monetizing your channel through ad revenue.
Additionally, you could create and sell specialized courses, offer consulting services, or promote affiliate products relevant to your field. With dedication and smart promotion strategies, you could build a significant following and develop new revenue streams, transforming your passion for research into a profitable side business. Capitalizing on YouTube's established monetization system and incredible popularity, you could turn your channel into a platform for financial growth and career advancement.
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.
2. Start a blog ($44.9K/month)
Starting a blog could be an excellent way for a research specialist to supplement their income, and possibly reach six figures. Given that 77% of internet users read blogs, you could leverage your expertise and insights to create valuable content that attracts a broad audience. Establishing your blog as a trustworthy source of information—considering blogs are rated as the 5th most trustworthy source online—could position you as a leading authority in your field.
By choosing a niche you are passionate about and developing a content strategy, you could transform your blog into a lucrative side hustle or even a full-time profession. The potential to reach millions, with approximately 409 million people viewing over 20 billion pages each month, means that your blog could generate significant traffic and revenue opportunities through ads, sponsored posts, or paid subscriptions. With dedication and a solid posting routine, this creative outlet could become a highly profitable venture, supplementing and potentially exceeding your current income as a research specialist.
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.
3. Start a social media marketing agency ($116K/month)
Starting a social media marketing agency could significantly supplement your income as a research specialist, helping you reach the six-figure mark. The flexibility of this venture allows you to clear necessary bills, finance higher education, or save for personal goals, such as vacations. By leveraging social media marketing tools, you could automate much of the work, minimizing the time commitment and enabling you to focus on your primary career.
To maximize your success, you could develop robust social media marketing strategies tailored to efficiently serve your clients. Building an impressive agency portfolio can also attract potential customers, showcasing your expertise and results. This venture aligns well with entrepreneurial individuals aiming to diversify their income streams while utilizing their existing analytical and strategic skills.
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.
4. Become a social media influencer ($57.4K/month)
Becoming a social media influencer could enable you to significantly bolster your income stream as a research specialist. By leveraging your expertise in your specific field, you could build credibility and attract a dedicated audience keen to learn from your insights on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or TikTok.
Brands are always on the lookout for authoritative voices to collaborate with in order to reach their target audience, and your specialized knowledge positions you perfectly for such partnerships. Through sponsored posts, brand deals, and affiliate marketing, you could generate a substantial supplementary income, bringing you one step closer to achieving six figures.
Furthermore, creating engaging content in your niche could open up avenues for passive income streams, such as online courses, eBooks, and webinars. Thus, combining your career as a research specialist with a focused and strategic social media presence could yield lucrative results.
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.
5. Start a podcast ($97.9K/month)
Starting a podcast could help you make six figures as a research specialist by leveraging your expertise and creating valuable, engaging content in your field. By choosing a niche within research that you are passionate about and that has a dedicated audience, you could attract listeners who are interested in the latest trends, methodologies, and insights.
With a modest initial investment in recording equipment and a hosting platform, you could produce high-quality episodes that showcase your knowledge and invite guest experts, further enhancing your credibility. Promoting your podcast through social media, online communities, and word of mouth could grow your audience, leading to opportunities for sponsorships and advertising deals, ultimately supplementing your income and paving the way for a prosperous side business.
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.
6. Start an ecommerce store ($287K/month)
Starting an ecommerce store could significantly boost your income as a research specialist by leveraging your analytical skills and expertise in niche markets. With the booming state of eCommerce due to its convenience and reach, you could set up an online platform to sell specialized products or services related to your field. The lower overhead costs and increased flexibility of an online business make it an attractive supplementary income source.
Moreover, the ability to reach a global audience means that your potential customer base is not limited by geographic constraints. By utilizing ecommerce tools such as website builders, payment processing software, and inventory tracking systems, you can efficiently manage your online store while still focusing on your primary career. This entrepreneurial venture could eventually provide a significant supplementary income, helping you to achieve the coveted six-figure salary.
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.
7. Become an affiliate marketer ($55.3K/month)
As a research specialist, you could leverage your analytical skills to excel as an affiliate marketer, supplementing your income and potentially reaching six figures. Engaging in affiliate marketing involves promoting other companies' products or services and earning a commission for every sale made through your unique referral links. Given your expertise in research, you'd be well-positioned to identify high-quality, marketable products and effectively target a niche audience.
Starting this venture requires minimal upfront investment, as you don’t need to create or own the products yourself. You could utilize your knowledge and insights to write compelling content, optimize your marketing strategies, and drive traffic to your affiliate links, thereby generating additional income. By investing time and effort into this side business, you could significantly enhance your earnings while continuing to grow in your primary research career.
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 freelance writing business ($65.5K/month)
Starting a freelance writing business could be an excellent strategy for supplementing your income and eventually making six figures as a research specialist. Given your existing expertise in conducting thorough research and writing detailed reports, you could effortlessly translate these skills into a lucrative freelance writing career. The flexibility to work from home and set your own schedule makes this a convenient side business that can fit around your primary job.
As a research specialist, you already possess critical qualities such as strong writing skills, the ability to meet deadlines, and staying on the cutting edge of industry trends. These attributes will be invaluable in producing high-quality content across various niches, which is often in high demand. By leveraging your ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and succinctly, you could establish yourself as a sought-after freelance writer, helping you to achieve a six-figure 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. Digital products ($261K/month)
Creating and selling digital products could be an excellent way for a research specialist to supplement their income and work towards making six figures. With expertise in research, you could develop information-based products such as e-books, online courses, or webinars focusing on your specific area of research. These products could cater to students, academics, or professionals looking to enhance their knowledge and skills.
Moreover, digital products are easy to create and distribute, making them a low-risk venture. You could also explore developing a membership site or a specialized online community where members pay for exclusive research insights, tutorials, and discussions. The potential to generate passive income while sharing your expertise makes digital products a lucrative option for entrepreneurial-minded research specialists aiming for higher earnings.
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.
10. Create an online course ($91.9K/month)
Creating an online course could significantly supplement your income as a research specialist by leveraging your expertise to fill educational gaps. By developing engaging video lessons and supplementary materials around specialized topics, you could attract a dedicated student base seeking to enhance their knowledge at their own pace.
With the flexibility of self-paced or cohort-based structures, this venture presents the opportunity for passive income and serves as a low-cost startup business. If you enjoy information-sharing and have an entrepreneurial mindset, launching an online course could be a lucrative way to monetize your instructional talents, making six-figure earnings a reachable goal.
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.
11. Start a career coaching business ($48.5K/month)
Starting a career coaching business could significantly boost your income as a research specialist by leveraging your deep industry knowledge and expertise. This entrepreneurial venture involves providing personalized guidance and strategy sessions to help clients navigate their professional journeys, including resume building, interview preparation, and achieving workplace advancement goals.
You could offer your services both in-person and virtually, catering to a diverse client base. By designing tailored coaching sessions that address each client’s unique aspirations and challenges, you empower them to achieve significant breakthroughs while creating a flexible schedule for yourself. This allows you to monetize your motivational skills and human resources insights, helping you to reach that six-figure income target.
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.
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.
