Tech Side Hustles That Pay $50+ Per Hour: 11 High-Paying Digital Opportunities

Alright, real talk—I'm sick of seeing "side hustle" articles that suggest you drive for Uber to make $8 an hour after gas or spend your weekends doing surveys for pocket change. Like, come on. If you choose to dedicate your free time, please ensure it is meaningful.

Tech side hustles are where the actual money is, and I'm not talking about some fantasy where you need to be a coding wizard or have a computer science degree. I'm talking about real shit that regular people are doing right now to make $50, $75, or even $150 an hour.

I figured this out by accident three years ago. My neighbor Carol was in a panic because she couldn't figure out how to fix her broken website. I'd messed around with WordPress in college, but nothing serious. She was desperate, so I told her I'd take a look for $200.

Three hours later, her site was working, and I was sitting there thinking, "Wait, I just made more money this afternoon than I make in two days at my regular job."

That was the moment everything clicked. People are willing to pay exorbitant fees for tech support, primarily due to their fear of anything related to code or websites. Interestingly, the majority of the issues they require assistance with aren't overly complex.

Now I make about $2,400 a month doing WordPress stuff on weekends and evenings. My buddy Jake pulls in over $3,000 doing Shopify customizations. Another friend makes $1,800 just setting up email marketing funnels for small businesses.

None of us are tech geniuses. We just learned enough to solve problems that business owners will pay good money to make go away.

Are you ready to optimize your time for high-value work? Check out our complete side hustle guide for time management strategies.

Why Tech Work Pays So Much Better Than Everything Else

Before I get into specific opportunities, let me explain why tech stuff pays 3–5 times more than other side hustles.

You have complete control over supply and demand. Every single business needs tech help, but most people won't touch anything that looks remotely technical. They're all intimidated by it.

You're solving expensive problems. When someone's website goes down, they could be losing hundreds or thousands in sales every hour. They'll throw money at you to fix it fast.

Businesses pay way more than regular people. A restaurant owner will drop $100/hour for website help without thinking twice. That same person would probably haggle over paying $20/hour for house cleaning.

You're selling solutions, not just time. With most side hustles, you're trading hours for dollars. With tech work, you're fixing specific problems. Clients care about the result, not how long it takes you.

It's recurring. Once you help someone with their tech problems, they'll keep coming back for updates, maintenance, and new projects.

Here's what blew my mind: I fixed a small business website in two hours and charged $300. The owner was thrilled because their previous "tech guy" would have charged $800 and taken a week to get back to them.

You don't need to be the best. You just need to be available and competent.

What You Actually Need to Know (Spoiler: Not That Much)

The biggest lie about tech work is that you need years of training to make money. Complete bullshit.

What businesses actually need help with:

• Making their websites not look like they were built in 1995
• Setting up basic automation so they don't have to do everything manually
• Connecting their different software tools so they work together
• Fixing things when they break (which is constantly)
• Making their online stores actually work properly

Skills you can learn in 2–4 months for $50+ per hour:

• WordPress development and customization
• Basic web design using drag-and-drop tools
• Shopify store setup and customization
• Email marketing automation
• Simple database and CRM setup

Where I learned everything:

• YouTube offers a vast array of content available for free.
• Udemy courses are on sale for, like, $12.
• Just fucking around and figuring it out as I went

My actual learning timeline: Spent about two months watching YouTube tutorials while working my day job. Bought a $15 Udemy course on WordPress. This was practiced by building fake websites for made-up businesses. After about four months, I felt confident enough to charge real money.

The secret is picking one thing and getting decent at it, not trying to learn everything at once.

11 Tech Side Hustles That Actually Pay Well

Alright, let me break down what's actually working right now. I'm listing these by how easy they are to start and how much you can realistically make.

1. WordPress Stuff (My Main Thing)

WordPress runs like 40% of the internet, and most small business owners using it have no fucking clue what they're doing.

What people pay for:

• Making their websites not look terrible
• Adding features they can't figure out
• Fixing stuff when it breaks
• Making sites load faster
• Moving sites between hosts
• Adding online stores

My typical projects:

• Website redesign: $2,000-4,000
• Adding e-commerce: $800-1,500
• Emergency fixes: $150/hour (I charge more for urgent stuff)
• Monthly maintenance: $150/month per site

Last month I made $2,100 from about 26 hours of work. Most of it involved requests such as "please change this button to blue" or inquiries like "could you help with my contact form not working?" It's not exactly rocket science.

To get started, learn the basics of WordPress on YouTube, practice by building your own websites, and then offer to assist local businesses at a low cost to create a portfolio.

2. Shopify Store Setup

E-commerce is exploding, and every business wants to sell online, but most have no idea how to set up a professional-looking store.

What you're doing:

• Complete store setup and design
• Making their products look appealing
• Setting up payments and shipping
• Installing apps and integrations
• Training them how to use everything

Real example: My friend Jake charges $3,000–$5,000 for a complete Shopify setup. Usually takes him 15-20 hours of work, so he's making $150-300 per hour on those projects.

Why it pays so well: A shitty online store directly costs businesses money. They'll pay premium rates for someone who can make it look professional and actually work.

Learning curve: Shopify has great tutorials, and you can get good enough to charge money within 2-3 months of focused practice.

3. No-Code App Building

Businesses need custom solutions but don't want to pay $50,000 for traditional app development. No-code platforms let you build functional stuff without writing code.

What you're building:

• Customer management systems
• Inventory tracking tools
• Internal workflow apps
• Simple mobile apps
• Database solutions

Platforms to learn:

• Bubble: I primarily use it for web apps.
• Zapier: For connecting different tools
• Airtable: For database stuff
• Webflow: For fancy websites

Real project: Built a simple inventory system for a restaurant using Airtable. The task took me 6 hours, and I charged $800 for it. They were paying $150/month for software that didn't work as well.

4. Marketing Automation Setup

Small businesses understand the importance of email marketing and social media automation, but they may need guidance on how to implement it effectively.

What they need:

• Email sequences that run automatically
• Social media posts scheduled in advance
• Lead magnets that capture customer info
• Systems that nurture leads into sales

Tools you'll work with:

• ConvertKit and Mailchimp for email stuff
• Buffer and Hootsuite for social media
• Zapier is for connecting everything together.

Why this pays: Marketing automation directly makes businesses money. They'll pay excellent rates for systems that generate leads and sales automatically.

My friend's setup: Sarah makes about $1,800/month setting up email funnels for online course creators. She charges $2,000–$4,000 per complete funnel setup.

5. Website Speed Optimization

Slow websites lose businesses serious money. Site speed is technical enough that most people won't touch it, so it pays premium rates.

What you're doing:

• Optimizing images and files
• The code is being cleaned up.
• Setting up caching systems
• Configuring servers properly
• Making mobile sites load faster

Why businesses pay big money: A one-second improvement in load time can increase sales by 7%. They'll pay thousands for improvements that directly impact their revenue.

How I price this: I Usually charge per project ($800–$3,000) instead of hourly, because the value is in the results.

6. Database and CRM setup

Every business has data problems, and off-the-shelf solutions usually don't fit exactly what they need.

What you're building:

• Customer databases
• Inventory systems
• Project tracking tools
• Employee management systems
• Custom reporting dashboards

Tools for non-coders:

• Airtable: For advanced database stuff
• Notion: For complex workflow systems
• Google Sheets: With fancy formulas
• Zapier: For connecting everything

Real project: Built a client tracking system for a consulting firm. The project took 10 hours to complete, and the cost was $1,400. They ditched a $250/month software subscription that didn't work the way they needed.

7. E-commerce Platform Migration

Businesses outgrow their current platforms or find better solutions, but migrating everything is complex and scary for them.

Common moves:

• Shopify to WooCommerce
• WooCommerce to Shopify
• From old, crap platforms to modern ones
• Custom solutions to standard platforms

What's involved:

• Moving all product data
• Transferring customer information
• Preserving order history
• Setting up URL redirects
• Recreating the design
• Testing everything thoroughly

Why it pays well: Businesses can't afford to lose data or have their store break. They'll pay a premium for someone who can handle it smoothly.

Pricing: Most migration work is project-based ($3,000-12,000), depending on how complex the store is.

8. API Integration and Automation

Businesses use tons of different software, and getting them to talk to each other usually requires custom work.

Common projects:

• Connecting CRM to email marketing
• Linking e-commerce to accounting software
• Integrating project management with time tracking
• Connecting payment systems to inventory

Tools to start with:

• Zapier: For simple connections
• Integromat: For complex stuff
• Basic API knowledge for custom solutions

Why businesses pay big: Manual data entry costs them hours every week. Automation that saves 10 hours of work weekly is easily worth $2,000+ to set up.

9. Technical SEO Audits

Most businesses know they need SEO help, but technical SEO is specialized enough to command premium rates.

What you're analyzing:

• Site structure problems
• Page speed issues
• Mobile responsiveness
• Code that's hurting rankings
• Internal linking mess
• Duplicate content issues

Tools you'll use:

• Google Search Console
• Screaming Frog (paid tool but worth it)
• Various speed testing tools

How I price this: A Comprehensive audit for $2,000-4,000, then $100-150/hour to fix the problems I find.

Real example: Did a technical audit for a law firm, found 19 issues killing their rankings. Charged $3,200 for the audit and fixes. Their traffic doubled within three months.

10. No-Code Mobile App Development

Every business wants a mobile app, but traditional development costs $30,000+. No-code platforms make it possible for way less money.

Platforms to learn:

• Bubble: For complex apps
• Adalo: For simple mobile apps
• Glide: For apps based on spreadsheets

Types of apps that work:

• Business directories
• Event apps
• Simple e-commerce apps
• Internal business tools
• Customer loyalty programs

Pricing: Most app projects are $4,000-20,000 depending on complexity, plus monthly maintenance.

Learning time: Plan for 4-6 months to get good enough to charge professional rates.

11. Tech Consulting

Once you know multiple tech areas, you can charge premium rates for strategic advice.

What they need advice on:

• Which platforms to use
• Technology budgets
• System planning
• Digital strategy
• Security questions

Why it pays the most: Strategic advice affects major business decisions. Companies pay a premium for expertise that helps them avoid expensive mistakes.

How to get there: Start solving tactical problems, then gradually move into strategic work as you build relationships.

Finding Clients Who Actually Pay Well

Having skills means nothing if you can't find people willing to pay for them.

Start with people you know. Tell everyone what you're doing. Small businesses are everywhere—someone you know owns one or knows someone who does.

We provide local outreach that works. Walk around town and look for businesses with terrible websites. Please email them detailing the specific issues you observed and your suggestions for resolving them.

Facebook groups are gold. Join groups for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Answer questions helpfully and mention your services when it's relevant.

Content marketing. Write blog posts or make videos showing how to solve common problems. Positions you as an expert and attracts clients.

My first client strategy: I offered free website audits to local businesses. I identified issues, provided thorough reports, and approximately 25% of the companies hired me to address the issues I identified.

The key: Lead with value, not with sales pitches. Help first, sell second.

Pricing So You Actually Make Money

Most people undercharge because they don't understand what their work is worth.

Hourly vs. project pricing:

• Hourly: Good for ongoing work
• Project: Usually more profitable once you know what you're doing

How I set rates:

• Started at $40/hour (too low)
• Raised to $60 after two months
• Now charge $85/hour for most stuff.
• $150/hour for emergency fixes
• $2,500-5,000 for complete website projects

Value-based pricing: Charge based on what your work is worth to them, not how long it takes you. If your automation saves them $2,000/month, you can charge $5,000 to set it up.

Confidence matters: Clients judge quality by price. Charging premium rates makes people trust your expertise more.

Tools and Shit You Actually Need

Essential stuff:

• Decent computer (you probably have this)
• Text editor for code (VS Code is free)
• Local development setup (free)
• Basic design software (Figma is free)

Learning resources:

• YouTube: Everything is on there for free.
• Udemy: Good courses for $10-20 each
• Official documentation: Usually the best resource

Business tools:

• Invoicing: Wave is free.
• Time tracking: Toggl works fine.
• Basic hosting: $15-20/month

Total startup cost: Under $50/month for everything.

Mistakes That Will Screw You

Trying to learn everything at once. Pick one area and get good at it first.

Undercharging because you're new. Clients don't care about your experience level—they care about results.

Not setting boundaries. Be specific about what's included and what costs extra.

Perfectionism. Good enough that works beats perfect that never gets finished.

Not backing up stuff. Always back up websites before making changes. One fuckup can cost you everything.

Letting scope creep kill you. Clients will ask for "just one more thing" constantly. Have a process for handling extra requests.

Scaling Beyond Trading Hours for Dollars

Once you're making $60+ per hour consistently:

Raise rates regularly. Every 6 months for new clients, yearly for existing ones.

Move to project pricing. $4,000 for a website usually works out better than $75/hour.

Create packages. WordPress setup, Shopify launch, etc. at fixed prices.

Hire help. Once you have more work than you can handle, bring in other people and mark up their work.

Build recurring income. Maintenance plans create predictable monthly revenue.

My current split: About 60% project work, 40% hourly. Plus maintenance contracts that bring in $1,800/month automatically.

Your Next 30 Days

Week 1: Pick one skill from this list and start learning through free resources.

Week 2: Build your first practice project—a website, automation, or whatever.

Week 3: Find someone who needs help (friend, family, or local business) and do a small project for cheap or free.

Week 4: Get your first paying client and complete your first paid project.

Goal: Prove to yourself you can get paid for tech work. Everything gets easier after that first project.

The Real Talk About Tech Side Hustles

Look, I'm not going to bullshit you and say this is easy money. You have to learn stuff, deal with difficult clients sometimes, and handle the stress of being responsible for other people's websites and systems.

But here's what I know: tech work pays way better than almost any other side hustle, the demand is huge, and the skills aren't as hard to learn as people think.

You don't need to be a genius or have a computer science degree. You just need to know enough to solve problems that business owners will pay good money to make go away.

The people making $75-150/hour doing this stuff aren't special. They just learned skills that are in high demand and had the balls to charge what their work is worth.

Your homework:

1. Pick one tech skill that sounds intriguing.
2. Spend 10 hours this week learning the basics.
3. Find three local businesses that need this type of help.
4. Build one practice project to prove you can do it.

The difference between making $12/hour doing gig work and making $85/hour fixing websites is about 3-4 months of focused learning.

The opportunities are there. The money is there. The question is whether you'll actually do something about it.

Ready to make time for high-value work? Check out our guides on time management for side hustlers and scaling to $1,000+ monthly.