Passive Income Ideas For Noc Engineers [2024]

Updated: September 21st, 2024

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

We put together a few of the best passive income ideas you can start as a NOC 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 NOC engineer.

Here's the full list:

1. Make passive income with a podcast ($97.9K/month)

As a NOC engineer, starting a podcast could be a great way to supplement your income or even create a stream of passive income. You could focus your podcast on subjects related to network operations, like tips on managing network issues, interviews with experts in the field, or discussions about the latest technology trends.

All you'd need is some basic recording equipment like a microphone and headphones, and a topic you're passionate about that has an audience. By promoting your podcast through social media and online communities, you could build a loyal following. Over time, this could open up opportunities for sponsorships and advertising revenue, helping you earn extra income in your spare time.

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

How I Started A Successful Podcast Production Company

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.

Read by 19,203 founders

2. Make passive income with an email marketing tool ($992K/month)

As a NOC engineer, you could create an email marketing tool to make extra money and build passive income. Given your technical background, you might find it easy to develop and manage such a software application. An email marketing tool helps businesses automate their email campaigns, attracting more leads and increasing sales – a service that many companies are willing to pay for.

The global email marketing tool market is projected to reach $2.53 billion by 2028, showing it's a booming industry with many opportunities. Starting an email marketing tool can be as simple as acquiring a domain and hosting account. From there, you could build a tool that is valuable to entrepreneurs, startups, and other professionals, securing a steady stream of passive income from subscriptions or usage fees.

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 (?)

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 14,151 founders

3. Make passive income with a social media automation business ($139K/month)

As a NOC engineer, you could leverage your technical skills to start a social media automation business, providing valuable services like scheduling posts, automating interactions, and analyzing data for clients. By developing or integrating software solutions, you could help small businesses and influencers save time and enhance their social media presence, ultimately driving engagement and growth effortlessly.

With the increasing demand for consistent and strategic social media engagement, there's a significant market for automation services. You could stay updated on social media trends and build relationships with clients to offer tailored solutions, making this a potentially lucrative and fulfilling side venture.

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 15,250 founders

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

As a NOC engineer, leveraging your technical expertise to create an AI writing tool could be a promising way to generate passive income. Given your familiarity with managing and optimizing networks, you already have a solid foundation in understanding system efficiencies and troubleshooting, which are crucial skills for developing reliable software solutions. This tool could help businesses, bloggers, and students generate content quickly and accurately, fulfilling the rising demand for high-quality writing with less time and effort.

Integrating AI into content creation, you could build an automated solution that minimizes errors and boosts productivity for your users, making their lives easier. You won't just be supplementing your income; you'll be creating a tool that has the potential to revolutionize writing processes globally.

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 6,768 founders

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

If you're a NOC engineer, venturing into an AI-based business solution could be a great way to supplement your income and embrace entrepreneurial opportunities. With your background in network operations and system monitoring, you already have a solid foundation in managing technology. You could build on this by developing AI solutions that optimize business processes, such as improving customer service, automating inventory management, or refining data analysis.

AI solutions can significantly enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and help businesses make smarter decisions. Since many AI tools come with user-friendly platforms and strong support systems, you don’t need deep AI expertise to get started. As the demand for AI solutions grows, this field offers promising possibilities to tap into a rising market and innovate within your current expertise.

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 21,998 founders

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

As a NOC engineer, you could leverage your technical expertise and analytical skills by starting a cold email service business. This venture involves crafting and sending targeted email campaigns for companies looking to reach new clients directly. Your understanding of tech tools would come in handy when using email marketing software to track metrics like open rates and conversions.

You could start small by focusing on lead generation for local businesses and gradually expand as your success stories build up. Over time, as your strategies prove effective, you could attract larger clients and scale your business. Combining your ability to analyze client needs with a knack for strategic communication, this could be a rewarding way to supplement your income.

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 13,716 founders

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

Creating a mobile app could be an interesting way for you to make some extra income on the side. As a NOC engineer, you're already familiar with how technology works and the importance of seamless user experiences. This background could help you plan and develop an app that meets real user needs, whether it's a productivity tool, a game, or something else entirely.

Even if you're not a coding expert, you could hire a skilled developer to turn your vision into reality. It's important to design an engaging interface and thoroughly test your app to ensure it works as intended. Marketing the app is another crucial step, as effective promotion could help you attract users and generate downloads.

With mobile apps being a central part of daily life, there's considerable potential for earning passive income if your app becomes popular. If you have a unique idea that could solve a problem or provide entertainment, developing a mobile app could be a rewarding entrepreneurial venture.

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 11,017 founders

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

As a NOC engineer, you could leverage your technical expertise to develop a lead generation tool. This tool would help businesses automate the process of finding new clients, freeing up their time to focus on converting these leads into customers.

By integrating with websites, social media, and other digital platforms, your tool could capture valuable data like email addresses and phone numbers. Given the high demand for effective lead generation, this tool could become a profitable venture, allowing you to earn passive income.

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 8,923 founders

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

As a NOC engineer, you likely have a strong understanding of network systems and troubleshooting. This expertise can translate into creating great WordPress plugins that address specific network-related issues or enhance the performance of websites. Using your technical skills, you could develop solutions that could help other website owners optimize their site’s performance, manage security, or improve uptime monitoring.

If you have found a particular issue that WordPress websites face and have a solution for it, developing this solution into a plugin could be a profitable endeavor. You could sell these plugins on platforms like CodeCanyon or even through your own website.

By focusing on a unique need or problem, your plugin could attract website owners who are willing to pay for effective solutions. This way, you could create a passive income stream while still leveraging your core technical 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 18,985 founders

10. Make passive income with a YouTube channel ($72.1K/month)

Starting a YouTube channel could be an exciting way for you as a NOC engineer to share your technical expertise or even your hobbies while earning extra income. You might create videos that offer troubleshooting tips, explain complex network problems in simple terms, or provide behind-the-scenes looks at your daily tasks. This could not only help others in your field but also position you as an authority in your industry.

The potential income streams include ad revenue, sponsorships, and merchandise sales, making it financially rewarding if you can build a following. While it does require consistent effort to produce and promote high-quality videos, your technical skills give you a head start in understanding the equipment and software needed. If you're willing to invest the time, this could be a fun and lucrative side hustle.

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 (?)

How A Young Entrepreneur From Nigeria Started A Profitable Blog

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.

Read by 12,324 founders

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

As a NOC engineer, you could supplement your income by starting a niche website. This involves selecting a specialized topic that you're passionate about and knowledgeable in, such as the latest networking technologies or troubleshooting tips. By creating useful and compelling content, you could attract a dedicated audience.

Monetizing this website can be straightforward; you could use affiliate marketing, ad placements, or even sell digital products like eBooks and courses. Investing your time in research, content creation, and SEO could eventually turn this website into a reliable source of passive income. If you're driven and have a specific interest, a niche website could be a rewarding project that aligns well with your technical skills.

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 3,620 founders

12. Make passive income with an affiliate marketing business ($77.5K/month)

As a NOC engineer, starting an affiliate marketing business could be a practical way to supplement your income without needing extensive extra effort. You could promote other companies' products and services online, earning a commission for each sale made through your referral links. Given your analytical skills and familiarity with technology, setting up and managing an affiliate marketing website or blog could be relatively straightforward.

For instance, you could partner with an eCommerce store or a manufacturer to market their products. By choosing brands and products that resonate with your interests or expertise, you could attract a targeted audience who are more likely to make purchases. With time and consistent effort, this extra stream of income could become a significant source of passive income.

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 (?)

My Affiliate Marketing Business Earns $500K/Year Profit [No Employees]

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.

Read by 24,637 founders

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

Starting a niche blog could be a great way for you as a NOC engineer to supplement your income while sharing your specialized knowledge. If you identify a niche that intersects with your expertise, such as network operations trends, cybersecurity tips, or case studies on network issues and solutions, you could not only provide valuable insights to an audience but also engage with a passionate community.

By creating unique and informative content—like how-to guides, system reviews, and industry news—you could attract followers and build a steady readership. Monetizing your blog could come from providing affiliate links to relevant tools and software, collaborating with industry brands, and even speaking at technical events.

Your passion for the topic and the ability to consistently engage with your followers would be crucial in making your blog a reliable source of passive income while complementing your career as a NOC engineer.

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 78,275 founders

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

As a NOC engineer, you could explore creating an online survey tool as a side hustle to supplement your income. Given your technical background, developing a survey tool with features like a survey builder, data collection, and reporting could be an exciting project that leverages your existing skills. This can be handy for businesses aiming to gather customer feedback in a cost-effective and convenient manner.

You could take inspiration from popular tools like Typeform, which has shown significant growth by helping businesses understand their customers better. With the increasing demand for data collection, launching an online survey platform could provide a steady stream of passive income as businesses are always in need of reliable ways to gather insights. Additionally, your expertise would give you a head start in maintaining and improving the platform, potentially leading to even greater financial rewards.

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 12,019 founders

meet the author
Pat Walls