Coding is a great way to make money because it can provide a stable income for you as long as you have the skills and the drive to continue learning about it over time.
There are many ways to make money: basic coding, back-end coding, freelancing, being an employee, and more.
Create an App
Using a programming language to write an application that solves a particular problem is the most common way to make money coding. If you’re just getting started, here are some of the languages that I suggest starting with:
This isn’t all of them, but it’s probably enough for now. Any basic college-level programming class should teach you a few of these. I suggest starting with those because they’re easy enough to learn but powerful enough for you to build a fully-functional app.
Creating Android apps is something you can do as well if that’s what interests you specifically.
You could just copy the source code from an open-source program and compile it into a standalone app file you can give to anyone.
Freelancing
The second way to make money coding is by freelancing. This can be done in a few ways: you can find people who need code written for them, you can post your services on online marketplaces, or you can create and sell courses teaching people how to code.
Finding people who need code written is the most common way to start freelancing. You could search for people who need help with a project or even general coding work. Once you’ve found someone who needs help, offer them your services and negotiate a price you agree on.
Another way to find work as a freelancer is by posting your services on online marketplaces. There are a few of these that are specifically for freelancers. You can post your own project or hire other freelancers to do the work for you.
Teach Others To Code
You can also make money teaching other people how to code. This isn’t necessarily part of freelancing, but it’s possible if you’re good enough at coding that you can teach others about it, they’ll need to hire you either way.
You can create your own course on Teachable or Thinkific or add your course to a site like Udemy.
If you do this right, you’ll make more money teaching others how to code than you will by actually coding yourself!
You can create a Youtube Channel that qualifies you to become part of the Youtube Partner program. That way, you can make money from your subscribers by showing ads at the beginning of your videos.
Another route is to write tutorials on sites like TutorialsPoint, wikiHow, or any other site where you can post guides/tutorials about programming.
Become an Employee
Becoming an employee at a company that needs programmers is probably the least flexible of these three options and requires very specific skills and qualifications. If you do fit their qualifications, it can provide you with a great income and job security. This is the route I took after college because I was specifically interested in working for Google.
So, what should you do if you’re interested in getting started as a full-time coder?
First, learn how to code; this is a one-time investment in yourself, but it’s very important.
Once you have the coding skills, you have three possible routes to follow: freelancing, being an employee, or teaching others how to code. I recommend freelancing because it gives you flexibility and is easier to break into initially than finding a full-time job.
But if you want to work for a specific company, if the job will give you enough income, or if it’s something that interests you specifically, then either of those options can be good too.
Back-End Coding Work
You can make money doing back-end coding work. A web developer does these things: system administration, database management, network security, and software testing.
Check out Fiverr, or Upwork for offering your services on a site where people can hire you.
