How To Make 100k A Month – 9 Realistic Ideas To Try
If you're reading this post, you want to make $100,000 a month and are wondering if it's possible.
Earning this amount of monthly income is no small feat. After all, $100,000 a month equals $1.2 million a year! And this is more money per month than most of the world makes per year.
However, I firmly believe that this sort of monthly income is possible if you know how to make money online or use various side hustle ideas.
So in this post, I'm covering how to make 100k a month and covering a variety of online, passive, and in-person hustles you can use to make this dream a reality.
How To Make 100K A Month
1. Start A Blog
In my opinion, one of the most realistic ways to make 100k a month is to start a blog.
Blogging is how I make most of my income these days. I started it back in college, and after five years, WebMonkey made $272,000 in 2022.
As of late, the blog has had periods where it makes $50,000 a month, so I'm over halfway to the goal of $100k per month. And all of this was possible without hiring people, spending a lot of money, and by learning as I went.
My YouTube video covers how I make money blogging and the steps I took to get here.
But in a nutshell, most of my blog's income comes from affiliate marketing and Mediavine display ads. This combination currently makes $1,000 a day or even more depending on traffic, and it's a nice stream of autopilot cash at this point.
I like blogging because it's possible to build an audience over time by learning SEO and creating great content.
Plus, blogs can monetize in so many ways! For example, you can also make money by selling digital products, sponsorships, offering coaching, email marketing, and more.
And you don't need to spend a fortune to get started either. I started my blog with SiteGround hosting for less than $5 per month, and that's the host I used to scale past 50,000 monthly visitors and to get my business up and running.
2. Ecommerce
Like blogging, another way you can potentially make $100k a month is to start some type of online business or ecommerce business.
I've tried numerous ecommerce hustles in the past. And the advantage of them is that they're often low-cost side hustles to start but still have immense scaling potential if you find the right products to sell.
Examples of some popular online business ideas you can try include:
- Selling print on demand products on Etsy or other marketplaces
- Starting your own brand and launching a Shopify store
- Dropshipping (you can do this with a Shopify store and by finding products with Spocket)
- Drop-servicing
- Amazon FBA
- Doing online retail arbitrage
- Starting an advertising agency that helps other business owners
- Starting a social media management business
- Selling digital products, like online courses or eBooks
My YouTube video shares even more popular online business ideas you can test out that have this type of income potential.
And again, a lot of these ideas don't require a lot of startup cash. Plus, finding the right trend or product to sell can skyrocket sales quickly.
I mean, I know people making 10k a month by selling stickers on Etsy, or people making 100k a month selling courses. So, you really have endless opportunities if you get creative.
3. Real Estate Rentals
If you have some starting cash, another way to potentially make 100k a month is to get into the real estate rental game.
Making money by renting out spare rooms or entire units isn't anything new. And between Airbnb, house-hacking, or just buying rental units outright and becoming a landlord, you have plenty of options for getting started.
One of my friends even makes money by flipping houses. And while it's not 100k a month income yet, he already has two rental properties and is working on a third now.
This video from UpFlip shares a story about an Airbnb business owner who makes about $3 million per year by operating several Airbnbs in popular tourist destinations.
Of course, it takes a long time and consistent reinvesting to grow this type of real estate portfolio. But it is a way to build real assets that generate cash flow, and $100k a month is possible.
Pro Tip: Start investing in income-generating rental units with just $100 by using crowdfunding platforms like Arrived!
Arrived lets beginner U.S. investors get into the real estate market by buying shares of rental properties. So, this is another way to diversify your income and to invest for income.
4. Start A Service Based Business
Another way you can potentially earn $100k a month is to start some type of service-based business.
I also like this idea because the math is easy to work backwards from. For example, if you can generate $500 per month, per customer you sign up, you need 200 customers to reach $100k per month; a much easier idea to conceptualize!
Several high-paying service based businesses you can consider starting include:
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Car detailing, wrapping, or cleaning
- Dog grooming
- Landscaping
- Mobile mechanic
- Pet grooming and sitting
- Plumbers
- Professional cleaner
- Tour guide / tour company
- Window washing
These are some of the highest-paying services out there. But even less lucrative service-based businesses can scale to $100k a month with enough clients.
Now, you'll likely have to hire help at some point to continue scaling, so margins aren't as high with this business model.
But I've met plenty of business owners, especially plumbers and landscapers, who own a business and run small teams and make excellent income per month.
👉 Pro Tip: Get 3 free classes from Bookkeepers.com to learn how to launch a massively profitable bookkeeping business!
5. Create A Side Hustle Stack
If you're still wondering how to make 100k a month, you can always try creating some type of side hustle stack.
A side hustle stack involves combining two or more side hustles to increase your income. And this is actually how I increased my wealth in a short amount of time when I was in school and after graduating.
For me, my first income source was my day job at a digital marketing agency. The gig paid about $50,000 a year between commission and my salary.
But I also had several digital side hustles. Firstly, I was making money with freelance writing before and after work. I was also blogging, using passive income apps, and investing on the side.
In my YouTube video, I share some of the strategies I used to create multiple income streams in a short period of time.
Of course, it's going to take a lot of stacking to reach $100k per month. But I think this is how most people can begin scaling income. And one idea takes off, like blogging did for me, you can pivot and put more resources into scaling.
6. Make Money On YouTube
Making money on YouTube is another potential path you can take to make $100,000 dollars a month. And it's also a fun side hustle idea that's perfect for creative types.
Now, it can take a while to become monetized on YouTube. And scaling your channel in terms of views and subscribers takes time.
For me, I began my channel in 2020. It's since grown to 23,000 subscribers at the time of writing and makes $50 dollars a day in YouTube Adsense revenue.
This is very far off the 100k a month goal. But unlike blogging, a single viral YouTube video can change someone's life and entire channel.
Plus, YouTube income is immensely scalable. Some of the top YouTubers in the world like Mr. Beast and PewDiePie make hundreds of millions of dollars. And plenty more YouTubers earn six or seven-figures a year.
And you can always branch into other forms of making money with social media as a YouTuber.
Starting a podcast is one example, or just getting into influencer marketing. And you can also create and sell your own products to your subscribers.
7. Create A SaaS Product
If you're a skilled programmer and developer, you can always try making money with some type of software-as-a-service (SaaS) product.
SaaS products are appealing because most companies charge a monthly subscription. So, with enough customer growth and a low enough churn rate, you can eventually reach and surpass $100,000 a month.
The difficult part is, of course, creating software that actually solves a problem. But if you can accomplish this and get enough customer testimonials and add real value, marketing shouldn't be impossible.
This video from Jordan Welch covers how he makes $90,000+ per month with his SaaS business and the steps you can take to get there.
Again, this is way easier said than done. But I think the SaaS market is much more scalable than hustles like creating mobile apps or building websites for people.
And, you can learn pretty much any skill, including programming and coding, for free on the internet. Platforms like Skillshare also have awesome SaaS-specific courses you can check out that are very affordable.
8. Create Passive Income Streams
If you want to make money overnight, then building multiple passive income streams should be up your alley.
And like the side hustle stacking method, I think it's possible to seriously boost your income by leveraging passive income. And, theoretically, with enough money you can make $100,000 a month by making your money work for you.
Several passive income ideas I love and suggest checking out include:
- Automating an online business or service-based business
- Investing in real estate with companies like Arrived
- Investing in fixed-income investments like bonds and CDs
- Investing in dividend stocks and ETFs
- Using micro-investing apps like Acorns
- Using a high-yield savings account (you can use ones like Current to earn 4% APY and it has a $50 bonus for new members)
- Earning passive income by selling internet bandwidth with companies like Honeygain
- Investing in a franchise
With a few of these methods and consistent effort, building up your monthly income is possible. Plus, the power of time and compound interest is on your side!
Extra Reading – How To Invest $10 For Daily Income.
9. Try Geo-Arbitrage
One last way to make $100,000 a month, while a bit out-of-the box, is to leverage geo-arbitrage.
Geo-arbitrage involves living somewhere that your own currency has immense purchasing power. So, it can essentially get you a 100k a month quality of life without actually earning that much.
This is what many digital nomads, myself included, are doing. Personally, I've spent time living in places like Colombia, Mexico, and South Africa where my $USD currency goes a long way.
Critics of this strategy often say things like nomads are exploiting local economies, driving up rental properties, and skirting taxes.
To these people, I say: spending money within local economies, tipping generously, and fostering a tourism industry countries actually want are good things. Also, chill out and live a little, dude.
I'm going to continue traveling, making money with my laptop as I go. And this is perhaps the fastest way many people can feel like they earn 100k a month.
Extra Reading – How To Earn Money Online As A Beginner.
What Jobs Pay 100K A Month?
In my opinion, the most realistic ways to make $100,000 a month involve using side hustles and business ideas that I outlined above.
However, you can also find salary data on websites like Indeed or the Bureau of Labor Statistic about some high-paying jobs. And, there are some jobs that pay $100k a month if you have the right skills, including:
- CEO
- Some kinds of lawyers
- Some niche surgeons
- High-end sales jobs
- Excellent real estate agents
- Fund managers
- Actors
However, I don't think most of these jobs are easy to obtain for most people. And this is why I stick to hustles and entrepreneurship.
Tips For Scaling Your Income
Now that you know how to make $100k a month, I want to share some tips that I've found helpful over the last few years while trying to build wealth.
- Set Smaller Goals: Making $100,000 is a massive goal. So, start out with smaller goals, like $3,000 a month or $5,000 a month, and then scale over time as you reach these milestones.
- Focus On What Works: People often do more of what they like and not necessarily what's working. Focus on what's generating income, and listen to what the market is signaling.
- Set A Schedule: Staying disciplined is important if you want to build your income over time. I try to stick to a schedule for my main income stream as well as new projects I'm working on.
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide on how to make 100k a month helps you work towards this massive, exciting income goal.
I'm still on my way there. But I will say, reaching something like $20,000 a month took years. But scaling from $20k to $50k in monthly income didn't take nearly as long. And with $100,000 on the horizon, I think this is honestly how it works.
So, pick one or more ideas, put your head down, and hustle. And you don't have to do it alone either; a couple's side hustle or working with a business partner is always on the table.
Thanks for reading, and best of luck!
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