5 IT Side Hustles You Can Start This Weekend

Discussions about side hustles are everywhere. From becoming an Amazon affiliate to making artisanal beef jerky, people worldwide are using their 5-to-9 p.m. time and weekends to build extra income streams. Successes range from occasional beer money to six-figure salaries.

If you select the right side hustle, it's also a fantastic way to level up your 9-to-5 skills. Maybe you've been dabbling in Python or AWS, but your job doesn't give you the opportunity to use these skills. With enough experience and confidence, you can land freelance projects to gain valuable experience. 

If you're looking for ways to increase your income or brush up on your skills, here are five IT side hustles you can start. 

1. Start IT Consulting

Companies bring in consultants when they either lack the right expertise in-house or their in-house team encounters an obstacle. The obstacle might be implementing an app, cloud migrations, or another particularly hairy project.

If you have enough experience to bring to the table, you can make good money consulting. But, it's probably not going to start as a full-time gig. Consulting means you're self-employed, so you're only paid when you're working. That's why most people start consulting on the side and then drop their 9-to-5 when they have enough steady work.

Consulting is a hustle that people turn into full-time careers more than any other.

2. Teaching IT Skills

You have valuable IT skills; others may want to pay to learn those skills. The best way to do this is by creating an online course. You create the content (audio lectures, screen recordings, and slides), then host the class on education marketplaces like Udemy or Teachable. The site takes a cut of student payments, but runs all the backend stuff, like hosting the content processing payments. An online class can be the ultimate IT passive income earner.

Don't forget about in-person teaching opportunities as well. Evening and weekend classes scheduled at your local community college can complement the hours of your daytime job perfectly. 

3. Contracting with Local Small Businesses

Contracting is similar to consulting, but it's more stable. Typically, consultants parachute in to solve a problem, while businesses use contractors to outsource day-to-day operations.

Small businesses without IT staff always need help with IT operations. You can either sell hourly packages or operate on an on-call basis. Contracting is lucrative, but your availability is crucial — particularly if you still have a day job.

Imagine this scenario. You're at work. It's 10 a.m. You're in a meeting. Your phone starts buzzing off the table. A client's server went down at 10 a.m., and they're calling you in a panic. What happens if you're stuck at work until 5 p.m.? That's a real lose-lose.

After-hours scheduled maintenance can be lucrative and also increase your experience. To avoid on-call scenarios, manage expectations or have a subcontractor on standby.

4. Web and Mobile App Development

Every dev dreams of turning their pet project into a money-maker. There is literally no better way to learn new development skills than to build an app from start to finish. No pressure. No one is looking over your shoulder.

On the downside, there's no pressure and no one watching over your shoulder to make sure you get things done. It takes the right personality to start, finish, and market a product. If that's you, then web and mobile app development is the side hustle of dreams. Even if the end product gets zero traction, you have something for your portfolio.

Again, don't forget about freelancing for others. Freelance sites are a treasure trove for even newbie developers.

5. Freelance Cloud Consulting 

As more businesses migrate to the cloud, freelance cloud consulting is a highly in-demand side hustle. If you have experience with platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure, you can help companies design, implement, and optimize their cloud infrastructures.

This is an excellent way to gain experience while earning extra income. You can start small with a few clients, helping them with cloud architecture, migration, or cloud resource management. 

Freelancing also offers the flexibility to scale your business and work from anywhere. As cloud technologies continue to grow, there will always be demand for skilled professionals to help companies make the most of their cloud investments.

Before You Start IT Freelancing: Words of Warning

Side hustles always sound easy to manage in the beginning. What's another few hours of work each week, right? Here are a few considerations to keep out of trouble — and sane.

Check Company Policies 

Before starting any side work, IT or not, consider if your current employer is okay with it. Most of the time, companies don't care what you do after work. But make sure you don't have a non-compete clause buried in your terms of employment. They're more common than you think. Even if you didn't explicitly sign a non-compete agreement, non-compete clauses are binding. Getting terminated and sued isn't a great combo.

Should You Tell Your Boss? 

Some companies require approval from a supervisor for moonlighting. If so, then you should disclose your side hustle. We aren't lawyers, and this isn't legal advice. Decide for yourself if you want to disclose or keep quiet about what you do on your own time. Ultimately, be smart and careful about who you share your side hustles with.

Consider Your Strengths

Before you start, decide what kind of side work you want to do — and not do. Set those rules for yourself. It's easier to land good gigs with skills you are already strong in. Side hustles are a great way to learn new skills. There's also the danger of getting in over your head.

Think About Your Sanity

There are two things to consider here. First, your time. It may be fine at first to sink another 10 to 15 hours into a side gig. It's good for the money, but maybe not your sanity. This is particularly the case when you're doing the same thing at work and home. If you spend all day as an expert Linux admin, for example, do you really want to go home and do it more? Good for the money, not for new skills, and terrible for burnout.

Death and Taxes

As the saying goes, there are only two certain things in this life. Side hustle money is taxable. Do your research and make sure you set aside some of your side earnings for taxes. Self-employed income is generally taxed at a higher rate, so make sure you're setting aside enough to cover those taxes! 

The Labor of Leveling Up

A side hustle might not be for everyone. It's time-consuming and sometimes stressful. If your primary goal is increased income, a wise man once said: "The best side hustle is looking for a better paying full-time job." And the best way to get a better full-time job is to learn new skills.

Right now, the most in-demand IT skills are cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analysis, and software development. By gaining expertise in these areas, you can position yourself as a more competitive candidate for higher-paying positions—and land more IT freelance work. 

Whether you take on a side hustle or look for a new job, investing in certifications and training will open the door for new opportunities and a higher earning potential. Browse all the certification training available on CBT Nuggets. 

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