Passive Income Ideas For It Consultants [2024]
Interested in earning passive income as a IT consultant in 2024?
We put together a few of the best passive income ideas you can start as a IT consultant 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 IT consultant.
Here's the full list:
1. Make passive income with a podcast ($97.9K/month)
As an IT consultant, starting a podcast could be a fantastic way to share your expertise and connect with an audience interested in technology. You could discuss topics related to your field, like cybersecurity, software development trends, or IT best practices, making your podcast both educational and engaging. By positioning yourself as a knowledgeable voice in the industry, you could attract a dedicated listener base.
To get started, choose a specific niche within IT that you’re passionate about and that has a potential audience. You'll need some basic recording equipment like a microphone and headphones, and find an affordable platform to publish your episodes. As your podcast grows, you could earn passive income through sponsorships or advertisements, supplementing your consulting income while expanding your professional reach.
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.
2. Make passive income with an email marketing tool ($992K/month)
As an IT consultant, venturing into the world of email marketing tools could open up a new stream of passive income for you. Since creating, managing, and automating email campaigns requires technical skills, your background could be instrumental in developing a user-friendly application that meets the needs of businesses. The market for email marketing tools is booming, with projections showing it could reach $2.53 billion by 2028.
By leveraging your existing technical knowledge, you could design a tool that helps entrepreneurs and small businesses reach more customers and generate leads more efficiently. Setting up an email marketing tool involves buying a domain and hosting account, but your expertise could help streamline the process and create additional features that would attract users. This not only supplements your income but also diversifies your business portfolio, making it a promising entrepreneurial endeavor.
How much you can make: $120 — $20,833,333/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
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.
3. Make passive income with a social media automation business ($139K/month)
As an IT consultant, you could capitalize on your tech expertise by starting a social media automation business. This involves creating tools and services that help clients, such as small businesses and influencers, schedule posts, automate interactions, and analyze data across various social media platforms. By offering these services, you'd be saving your clients a significant amount of time while also enhancing their online presence.
Given the growing need for consistent and strategic social media engagement, there's a strong demand for automation solutions. Your background in technology would help you develop or integrate effective software solutions, keep up with the latest social media trends, and build strong relationships with your clients. This could enable you to supplement your income while leveraging your existing skills in a new and potentially lucrative field.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $400,000/month
How long does it take to build: 50 days (?)
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.
4. Make passive income with an AI writing tool ($255K/month)
As an IT consultant, you could explore creating an AI writing tool to supplement your income. Leveraging your technical expertise, you could develop a digital platform powered by artificial intelligence that assists in content creation for businesses, bloggers, and students. This tool would generate accurate and engaging content, making the writing process quicker and more efficient.
Imagine offering a solution that automates content creation, saving writers valuable time and reducing errors. By tapping into the demand for constant, high-quality content, you could establish a business that not only meets current needs but also embraces future technological advancements. This venture could become a significant passive income stream while helping you make a mark in the evolving digital landscape.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $1,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 52 days (?)
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.
5. Make passive income with an ai based business solution ($55.8K/month)
As an IT consultant, you could supplement your income by starting an AI-based business solution. This involves leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline various business processes like customer service, inventory management, and data analysis. By integrating AI, companies can enhance their efficiency, cut costs, and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
You could help businesses automate repetitive tasks, gain valuable customer insights, and predict market trends. Many AI platform providers offer user-friendly interfaces and strong support systems, so you don't need to be an AI expert to get started. Given the rising demand for AI solutions, this could be a strategic way to tap into a growing market and provide additional value to your clients.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $120,000/month
How long does it take to build: 125 days (?)
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.
6. Make passive income with a mobile app ($70.3K/month)
As an IT consultant, you could supplement your income by turning your tech expertise into a mobile app. You might have unique insights into a problem that businesses commonly face or identify a gap in the market that you could address with a custom solution. With your technical skills, you could either develop the app yourself or hire a skilled developer to bring your vision to life.
Creating a successful mobile app involves planning the user experience, designing engaging interfaces, and ensuring the app functions smoothly with thorough testing. Once developed, marketing your app effectively is crucial to attract users and achieve downloads, which could lead to a steady stream of passive income. Given the pervasive use of smartphones, there’s a vast audience ready to embrace new, innovative apps, making this a promising venture for tech-savvy professionals like you.
How much you can make: $1 — $500,000/month
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
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.
7. Make passive income with a lead generation tool ($108K/month)
As an IT consultant, you could leverage your technical expertise to develop a lead generation tool that helps businesses find potential customers more efficiently. This tool can automate the tedious process of collecting customer information, freeing up businesses to focus on turning those leads into actual sales. By integrating with various digital platforms like websites and social media, your tool could gather valuable data such as email addresses and interests, simplifying the lead acquisition process.
The demand for effective lead generation solutions is growing, as more businesses are looking to streamline their marketing efforts. Your background in IT consultancy makes you well-suited to create a robust and user-friendly application that captures and organizes leads. By offering this service, you could tap into a lucrative market while generating a passive income stream.
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 (?)
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.
8. Make passive income with a wordpress plugin business ($33.4K/month)
As an IT consultant, starting a WordPress plugin business could be a great way to earn extra income by leveraging your technical skills. WordPress plugins are essential for running successful websites, and your expertise could help solve specific problems that website owners face.
By developing and selling plugins that address particular needs, you could create a steady stream of passive income. You could market and sell your plugins on platforms like CodeCanyon, your blog, or a dedicated website for your products.
Not only does this provide a new revenue stream, but it also allows you to utilize your existing knowledge in a productive way. Creating a solution that others can use repeatedly means you earn money even while focusing on your primary consulting work.
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
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.
9. Make passive income with an affiliate marketing business ($77.5K/month)
Starting an affiliate marketing business could be a smart move for you as an IT consultant. By leveraging your tech expertise and online presence, you could promote products and services related to your field, such as software tools, cybersecurity solutions, or IT training programs. This way, you can earn commissions on each sale made through your referrals.
To get started, you could begin by identifying products and brands that resonate with your professional experience and interests. Partnering with reputable eCommerce stores or manufacturers in the tech industry could help you build credibility and trust with your audience. Over time, this could grow into a steady stream of passive income, supplementing your primary income from IT consulting.
How much you can make: $500 — $773,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $700 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 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. Make passive income with a niche blog ($31.5K/month)
As an IT consultant, starting a niche blog could be a smart way to make extra money by sharing your specialized knowledge with a wider audience. You could focus on topics that you are already familiar with, such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, or software development. By creating helpful tutorials, product reviews, or industry news, you can attract readers who value your insights.
Moreover, by strategically incorporating affiliate links to relevant tools or software, you could earn commissions on sales generated through your blog. Collaborating with tech brands and speaking at industry events are additional ways to increase your blog’s visibility and monetize your expertise. By nurturing a passionate community around your blog, you could turn your side hustle into a steady source of passive 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 (?)
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.
11. Make passive income with a niche website ($107K/month)
As an IT consultant, starting a niche website could allow you to supplement your income by leveraging both your expertise and your passion for specific subjects within the tech industry. Given your in-depth knowledge, you could create valuable content targeting a dedicated audience who shares a similar interest, such as cybersecurity tips, software development best practices, or emerging technologies. This focused content can attract a loyal readership, setting the stage for various monetization opportunities.
Creating a niche website involves research and content creation, but the effort can pay off. Potential revenue streams could include affiliate marketing, where you earn commissions by recommending products or services, placing ads on your site, or even selling your own digital products like e-books or courses. By investing some initial time and effort into content and SEO, your niche website could grow into a reliable source of passive income while allowing you to explore your entrepreneurial mindset.
How much you can make: $400 — $250,000/month
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
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.
12. Make passive income with a YouTube channel ($72.1K/month)
As an IT consultant, starting a YouTube channel could be a great way to share your technical knowledge and possibly increase your income. You could create videos that offer solutions to common IT problems, provide software tutorials, or review the latest tech gadgets. This format allows you to showcase your expertise to a global audience while generating revenue through ads, sponsorships, and merchandise.
The initial investment requires time and effort to produce high-quality content consistently, but the potential rewards can be substantial. Over time, your channel could attract a sizable audience interested in your specialized insights, which may also lead to additional consulting opportunities. If you're willing to commit to regular content production and engage with your viewers, a YouTube channel could be a fruitful extension of your professional skills.
How much you can make: $2,000 — $333,333/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,250 (?)
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
This case study follows the journey of a young entrepreneur from Nigeria who started a profitable blog generating a monthly revenue of $1,500+ through sales of advertising space, sponsored posts, and information products, and shares his strategies for success including a Twitter growth challenge and guest post pitches.
13. Make passive income with a laser cut coasters business
As an IT consultant, starting a laser cut coasters business could be a smart way to earn extra money on the side. Using your technical skills, you could create detailed and custom designs with precision, something that laser cutting technology facilitates efficiently. It's also a great way to explore a different type of creativity, merging your problem-solving abilities with artistic endeavors.
Additionally, the lower cost of production with laser cutting means you could maximize your profits while offering personalized, high-quality products. With minimal upfront investment, you could easily sell your coasters online or at local markets. Such a venture not only diversifies your income but also offers a fulfilling way to engage in a hobby that earns you money.
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.
