14 Passive Income Ideas For Integration Engineers [2024]

Updated: September 9th, 2024

Interested in earning passive income as a integration engineer in 2024?

We put together a few of the best passive income ideas you can start as a integration engineer today. These will help you increase your quality of life by bringing in more income for yourself or your business.

For each income idea, we’ll show you real-world examples, revenue expectations for each idea, plus some things you might need to know before you start your passive income journey as a integration engineer.

Here's the full list:

1. Make passive income with an email marketing tool ($249K/month)

As an integration engineer, starting an email marketing tool could be an excellent way to earn passive income by leveraging your technical skills. Given your background, you possess the capabilities to create and manage complex software systems, which makes developing automated email campaigns a practical venture. By using your expertise, you could design a tool that automates email marketing processes for various businesses, helping them reach potential customers efficiently.

The email marketing industry is booming, projected to reach $2.53 billion by 2028. With your understanding of integration and automation, you could build a robust email marketing tool that integrates seamlessly with other platforms. This could appeal to entrepreneurs and businesses looking for efficient ways to manage their email campaigns, ultimately creating a steady stream of passive income for you.

How much you can make: $120 — $2,083,333/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 170 days (?)

I Built A SEO Tool That's Completely Free For Users [From Lebanon]

H-supertools founder Hasan developed a set of free SEO and digital marketing tools generating $2k per month in profit using Google Adsense, affiliate marketing, selling ad spaces, and email, plans to launch a membership option, and has attained over 80k registered users and 300k monthly visits in less than two years.

Read by 13,990 founders

2. Make passive income with a lead generation tool ($108K/month)

As an integration engineer, you could leverage your technical skills to develop a lead generation tool that automates the tedious process of finding new clients for businesses. By integrating with various digital platforms such as websites and social media channels, your tool could gather valuable customer information like email addresses, phone numbers, and interests, thus helping businesses focus more on converting leads rather than searching for them.

Given the high demand for streamlined marketing and customer acquisition, your expertise in integration could make this tool particularly effective and marketable. This venture could not only supplement your current income but also serve as a stable source of passive earnings as businesses will consistently need efficient ways to grow their customer base.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $400,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $600 (?)

How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)

How I Created A $5M/Year LinkedIn Marketing Automation Tool

Dux-Soup is a LinkedIn automation tool that helps business owners and sales & marketing professionals generate more leads, increase efficiency, and save time; with over 70,000 users and revenue of nearly $5 million, it offers automated top-of-the-funnel LinkedIn outreach activities, targeted LinkedIn campaigns and multi-touch & personalized LinkedIn drip campaigns for lead generation.

Read by 8,878 founders

3. Make passive income with a mobile app ($70.3K/month)

As an integration engineer, creating a mobile app could be a practical way to start earning passive income. Given your technical background, you likely have the skills needed to understand the basics of app development or the aptitude to manage a team that can bring your vision to life. Whether it’s a productivity tool that leverages your expertise or a game that taps into a popular trend, the possibilities are extensive.

Building a mobile app involves planning, designing, and testing, which are tasks you might already be familiar with from your day-to-day work. The challenge and excitement of seeing your app attract users and gain downloads could bring both professional satisfaction and financial rewards. If you have an idea that could solve a common problem or present an engaging experience, the world of mobile apps offers significant revenue potential and entrepreneurial growth for you.

How much you can make: $1 — $500,000/month

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

We Started A $6M/Year Bachelorette Party App

BACH, an app that plans and books bachelorette parties, has grown from $0 to >$1M net revenue run rate in less than 6 months, gained over 100,000 users in their first 60 days, and has over 40,000 parties using the app this month.

Read by 10,944 founders

4. Make passive income with an ai based business solution ($55.8K/month)

As an integration engineer, you could start an AI-based business solution to help companies streamline their operations and make more informed decisions. By leveraging artificial intelligence, you could enhance efficiency in various business processes like customer service, inventory management, and data analysis. This will not only reduce costs but also allow for more targeted and personalized marketing strategies.

Given your background, you already have the skills needed to seamlessly integrate these AI solutions into existing systems. The demand for AI is skyrocketing, providing a fertile ground for innovative solutions. With user-friendly platforms available, even if you’re new to AI, you could still make a significant impact and supplement your income through this venture.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $120,000/month

How long does it take to build: 125 days (?)

How We Launched A $120K/Month Audiobook Publishing Course

Mikkelsen Twins grew an online education company from scratch with over 800 students, making over 6-figures in profit every month thanks to their successful program, Audiobook Income Academy 2.0.

Read by 21,931 founders

5. Make passive income with a wordpress plugin business ($33.4K/month)

As an integration engineer, you could leverage your technical skills to create and sell WordPress plugins. Given your expertise in integrating systems, you might identify specific problems or inefficiencies within the WordPress ecosystem that your plugin could solve. This could provide a steady stream of passive income as users purchase and install your plugins.

Creating a plugin that addresses a niche need or improves existing functionalities could attract a significant audience. You could list your plugins on popular platforms like CodeCanyon, or even sell them directly through your own website or blog.

By focusing on delivering real solutions and maintaining high-quality standards, your plugins could gain positive reviews and increased sales. This side project could become a valuable source of supplementary income, while also allowing you to explore and develop your entrepreneurial skills.

How much you can make: $120 — $120,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

How I Coded A Website Plugin Making $600 Per Month

Wheely Sales CEO Josh created a lucky wheel popup that has grown revenue from $0 to $600/month in just 4 months since getting started and has attracted over 1.1 million users to his customers’ websites, all while proving that when it comes to creating a product, competition is validation.

Read by 18,927 founders

6. Make passive income with an online survey tool ($304K/month)

As an integration engineer, you could turn your expertise in system design and automation into a passive income stream by developing an online survey tool. Since businesses increasingly rely on data to understand customer behavior and improve services, creating a survey tool could leverage your technical skills while addressing a growing market need. By automating data collection and reporting, your background in integration could help you build a tool that is both user-friendly and efficient.

You could focus on developing features like a survey builder, robust data collection capabilities, and easy-to-understand reporting systems, similar to popular tools like Typeform. Given that Typeform’s annual recurring revenue reached $70 million in 2021, the market potential for such tools is significant. This side hustle could offer a fulfilling way to utilize your skills in a new domain while creating a steady stream of passive income.

How much you can make: $40 — $1,600,000/month

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

On Starting A $160K/Month CRM & Automations Company After A US Air Force Career

GreenRope, a self-funded CRM and marketing automation platform with over 1,000 customers in 20 countries, was built organically and focused on creating a positive, customer-centric culture without outside investment, with an all-in-one interface solving challenges in managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations.

Read by 11,985 founders

7. Make passive income with a niche website ($107K/month)

As an integration engineer, starting a niche website could be a great way to supplement your income. You could leverage your expertise in system integrations and technical skill sets to build a site that offers valuable insights, tutorials, and resources for others in the field.

You could create content focused on best practices, troubleshooting common issues, and emerging technologies in integration engineering. Over time, your website could attract a dedicated audience, providing opportunities for monetization through affiliate marketing, ad placements, or selling specialized digital products. By sharing your knowledge and passion, you could turn a niche website into a rewarding passive income stream.

How much you can make: $400 — $250,000/month

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

How I Leveraged My LinkedIn Network To Create A $1.8M/Year Procurement Conference

DPW (Digital Procurement World) is a fast-growing conference and community in procurement that has more than tripled in revenue since launching in 2019, capping out the year at €1.8 million, with 95% of their growth coming from inbound traffic leveraging LinkedIn and applying social selling techniques.

Read by 3,578 founders

8. Make passive income with an online course sales business ($85K/month)

As an integration engineer, you could leverage your specialized skills and experience to create an online course tailored to others in your field or those interested in entering it. Your knowledge of systems integration, software tools, and best practices can serve as the foundation for valuable course content that could help others advance their careers. This could include tutorials on different integration platforms, troubleshooting methods, or optimizing system performance.

By creating and selling online courses, you could supplement your income while sharing your expertise with a broader audience. You would need to identify your target audience, develop the course material, and select an online learning platform to host and sell your course. Given the substantial growth expected in the e-learning market, launching an online course grants you the opportunity to earn passive income by capitalizing on your existing skills and knowledge.

How much you can make: $100 — $300,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

I Make $120K/Year With My Print On Demand T-Shirt Side Hustle

A multipreneur shares how she built a successful print on demand side hustle, generating $120,000 per year through multiple brands spread over various platforms.

Read by 11,969 founders

9. Make passive income with an AI writing tool ($255K/month)

As an integration engineer, you could leverage your technical skills and understanding of systems to develop and implement an AI writing tool. This tool would use artificial intelligence to generate accurate and engaging content, simplifying content creation for businesses, bloggers, and students. By creating this automated tool, you could offer a solution that delivers error-free, high-quality writing efficiently.

Imagine developing a product that reduces the workload for writers and enhances productivity, making it a valuable resource in a world with an ever-increasing demand for content. Given your expertise in integrating systems, you could build a seamless and intuitive platform, providing users with a streamlined writing experience. This side venture not only taps into the potential of AI technology but also presents a promising opportunity for generating passive income.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $1,000,000/month

How long does it take to build: 52 days (?)

I Built A Simple AI Writing Tool That Makes $60K/Year

Rytr, a new AI writing assistant developed by a startup platform and business incubator, has become a market leader, serving over 300,000 customers across the world and doing seven figures in ARR.

Read by 6,604 founders

10. Make passive income with a social media automation business ($148K/month)

As an integration engineer, you could leverage your technical skills to develop or refine tools that help schedule posts, automate interactions, and analyze social media data. This could allow you to create a social media automation business, where you manage accounts effortlessly and drive engagement and growth for your clients.

You'd provide services to small businesses and influencers who need help saving time and boosting their online presence. This growing demand for better social media management could offer you a steady stream of passive income while using your expertise in software solutions and keeping up with the latest social media trends.

By tailoring your services to meet your clients' specific needs, you could build strong relationships and generate consistent revenue from these automation services.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $400,000/month

How long does it take to build: 50 days (?)

How I Bootstrapped A Social Media Automation Tool To $2MM/Year

MeetEdgar, a bootstrapped social media automation tool founded in 2014 by Laura Roeder, has grown to $4 million in annual recurring revenue and more than 5,000 customers, with a team size of two dozen, achieved through content marketing, social media marketing, and organic search.

Read by 15,149 founders

11. Make passive income with a cold email service business ($170K/month)

As an integration engineer, you could leverage your technical skills and strategic mindset to start a cold email service business. This involves crafting and sending targeted email campaigns to help businesses reach new clients directly. Your familiarity with software tools will be invaluable for tracking metrics like open rates and conversions, ensuring efficient and effective campaigns.

With your background in analyzing client needs and researching target audiences, you could create compelling, data-driven email content. Plus, the potential for scaling this business is significant. You could start small, targeting local businesses needing lead generation, and expand as your client base and success stories grow.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $450,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $200 (?)

How long does it take to build: 35 days (?)

How I Launched A $200K/Month Gmail Mail Merge Tool

GMass, an email marketing platform that allows users to send cold emails and email marketing campaigns with Gmail, has attracted over 500,000 user signups, including major tech companies like Uber, LinkedIn, and Google, and now generates over $200K in monthly recurring revenue through a successful content marketing strategy and focused ad spend.

Read by 13,521 founders

12. Make passive income with a food photographer

As an integration engineer, starting a food photography side business might be a good fit because it allows you to leverage your attention to detail and technical skills in a creative format. You could use your problem-solving abilities to master the technical aspects of photography, such as lighting and editing, ensuring high-quality images that appeal to potential clients.

The food and beverage industry is increasingly reliant on high-quality images for their online marketing, and a food photography venture could tap into this demand. You could begin by using your analytical skills to research the best equipment and build a portfolio, then use your project management experience to market your services effectively. With dedication, this side hustle has the potential to provide a steady stream of passive income as you grow your client base and establish your reputation.

How much you can make: $11,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 15 days (?)

I Left My Tenured Position To Start An $11K/Month Photography Studio

This case study follows the journey of Sean Audet, who built an award-winning commercial photography studio specializing in food and product photography, growing it from a part-time experiment to a full-time career that brings in around $11,000 a month, emphasizing the importance of taking risks and embracing new opportunities for aspiring founders in building and growing their own business.

Read by 1,302 founders

13. Make passive income with a niche blog ($31.5K/month)

As an integration engineer, starting a niche blog could be an excellent way to supplement your income by sharing what you know with a broader audience. Whether you're passionate about simplifying complex technical processes, exploring the latest integration tools, or providing how-to guides on common industry challenges, your expertise can attract a dedicated following.

By identifying an underserved niche within the tech community, such as integration strategies for specific software or tips for managing large-scale projects, you could create unique and informative content. This might include articles, detailed tutorials, product reviews, or even interviews with industry leaders.

Monetizing your blog could involve offering affiliate links, collaborating with relevant tech brands, or even creating a YouTube channel to expand your reach. With regular updates and engagement with your readers, you may find a substantial audience that values your insights, turning your blog into a reliable source of extra income.

How much you can make: $100 — $650,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $650 (?)

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

How I Turned A Crappy Idea Into A $3M/Year Business

Starter Story grew to 1.4 million monthly visitors and millions in annual revenue by sharing the stories of entrepreneurs. Pat breaks down the early days and how he grew the business into something that changed his life.

Read by 76,852 founders

14. Make passive income with a sales automation platform ($171K/month)

As an integration engineer, you could leverage your skills to develop a sales automation platform that helps businesses streamline their sales tasks. This platform could automate processes like lead generation, follow-ups, and customer data management, freeing up valuable time for sales teams to focus on closing deals. Your expertise in software development and systems integration puts you in a strong position to design a tool that enhances efficiency and reduces errors for your clients.

This venture taps into the growing demand for digital solutions that improve business operations, making it a smart move in today’s market. Given your technical background, you could create a platform that not only meets the needs of sales teams but also integrates seamlessly with other business systems. By doing so, you could build a passive income stream while helping companies save time and boost their sales performance.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $1,666,667/month

How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 105 days (?)

On Starting A $160K/Month CRM & Automations Company After A US Air Force Career

GreenRope, a self-funded CRM and marketing automation platform with over 1,000 customers in 20 countries, was built organically and focused on creating a positive, customer-centric culture without outside investment, with an all-in-one interface solving challenges in managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations.

Read by 11,985 founders

meet the author
Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.