IT Hustle: 11 Technical Side Hustle Ideas for Women

Side Hustle Ideas for Women

If you read my post of the top 10 reasons why you should start an IT side gig, you are probably wondering about good IT side hustle jobs you can pursue. In this post, I will share 11 technical side hustle ideas for women.

This post is for you if:

  • You want to increase your income with side hustles,
  • You are interested in IT or already have IT experience, or
  • You want to learn about IT job areas that you can pursue as a side hustle

Information Technology (IT)  is a broad field. And when you are looking to start or progress your IT career, the options can get pretty confusing. I ask that you review the list below and note down the areas you find interesting. That activity should help you begin to think through how to pursue jobs in that area. I will be putting up a post soon on how to identify the right IT career for you soon.

Technical Side Hustle Ideas

Below is a list of 11 job areas that are great for technical side hustles. Don’t stop reading at the list as I have detailed information on each job area below.

  1. Application Development
  2. Web Design and / or Development
  3. Project Management
  4. IT Audit and Compliance
  5. Configuration / QA Testing
  6. User Experience Testing
  7. Helpdesk / Technical Support
  8. Online STEM Tutor
  9. IT Contracting In Your Current IT Field
  10. Online Sales of Technical Digital Products
  11. Technical Course Creation
Information Technology Knowledge

Side Hustle Idea #1: Application/Software Development

When looking for side hustles that offer flexibility and a good salary, application/software development is a great option.

Application/software development is on this list of high salary jobs in IT career paths that do not need technology degrees.  If you are already an application developer, you can look into finding other side hustle contract jobs in this area. If your current job is demanding, I suggest that you apply for a position that may be a level lower than your current level. This will help you better manage both jobs.

If you are new to the software development field, that’s ok. You can get some training in a specific coding language or software to begin. Some software development jobs do not even require any coding. After you have completed the necessary training requirements, you can start applying for jobs based on your acquired skills. 

Apart from the salary, another benefit of software development jobs is that they typically allow remote work. This makes it an excellent fit for women, especially moms, that need work flexibility.

Salary: The median annual salary for software developers is $107,510. The contract pay rates go up to $90/hour.

Side Hustle Ideas for Women – Summary: This is an excellent option for a technical side hustle ideas for women because it allows remote work and offers a great salary. While you need to gain technical skills to work in this field, there are many places to learn how to code online for free to get started.

Side Hustle Idea #2: Website Designer / Developer

Millions of existing websites need people to redesign and update them regularly.  Many more companies need new websites. So, when looking for in-demand side hustles, offer flexible work options, and a good salary, website design and development should not be overlooked.

There is a difference between a website designer and a website developer. A website designer is responsible for designing a website’s look and feel without actually building the website. A website developer is responsible for building and creating a functional website for users to visit.

If you are already a web designer/developer, you can look for other side hustle contract jobs in this area. You can choose to freelance and only accept jobs that work with your current job or schedule.

If you are new to the web design/development field, you can learn to code for free online as a starting point. After you have learned the basics, then start applying for jobs based on your new skills. 

One of the benefits of website development jobs is that they offer remote work. This makes it an excellent fit for women that need work flexibility. Since you can also learn coding online for free, the barrier to learning is low.

Salary: The median annual salary for web developers is $73,760. The contract pay rates go up to $75/hour. If you choose to freelance, your rates can be higher.

Side Hustle Ideas for Women – Summary: This is another great technical side hustle idea for women in technology because it also has a relatively low barrier to entry, allows remote work, and offers a great salary. You can learn how to code online for free to get started.

Side Hustle Idea #3: IT Project Management

Are you the spreadsheet queen? Maybe you turn every task into a project and have a way of keeping people accountable for their work.

Project management may be for you if you’re a very organized person and can successfully manage tasks, time, and people. Project Management is not to be ignored when looking for a technical side hustle that pays well and has a relatively low barrier to entry. 

Project Management is in the post about high salary IT career path jobs that do not need a technical degree.  This is important because not requiring a technical degree removes barriers to starting a job in this field.

A benefit of this job area is that project management work can be done remotely; I have worked remotely successfully for many years. This is an excellent benefit for those that need work flexibility for their side hustle.

Salary: The average annual salary for Project Managers is $114,900 The contract pay rates go up to $80/hour.

Summary: This is a great technical side hustle for women because it offers a high salary, allows for remote work, has a low barrier to entry, and is a great way to learn more about IT.  You can also check out this detailed post on the Project Management career path.

Side Hustle Idea #4: IT Audit and Compliance

A technical side hustle in IT Audit may be for you if you are analytical, like working with people, and don’t think ‘audit’ is a bad word.

I started my IT career in one of the Big-4 accounting firms doing IT Audit. Working in this field started me on a great career path that I still love and enjoy today. 

IT Audit season is cyclical in nature and many consulting firms typically look for temporary auditors during their busy season. I’m an IT Auditor and this is something I have done previously that paid me quite well.

IT Audit is in the post about IT career path jobs for women in technology.  It also does not require a technical degree to get started as noted in this post. This is important because not requiring a technical degree makes it easier to start a job in this field.

One benefit of this job area is that the work can be done remotely; I have worked remotely successfully for many years. This is an excellent benefit for those that need work flexibility for their side hustle.

Salary: The average annual salary for Project Managers is $93,446The contract pay rates go up to $80/hour.

Side Hustle Ideas for Women – Summary: This is a great technical side hustle for women because it offers a high salary, allows for remote work, has a low barrier to entry, and is a great way to work in large consulting firms.  You can also check out this detailed post on the IT Audit career path. You can take this course that I created on Udemy to get learn more about IT audits.

Side Hustle Idea #5: Configuration / QA Testing

When new systems/websites are developed, testers are needed to validate if the functionality configuration is working. Testing is an in-demand job area as more systems are developed. So, this is a great technical side hustle for new and experienced IT professionals.

The great thing about this job is that it does not require any coding skills as you are just testing functionality. In fact, most of the tests are automated, and you just need to run them and document the results.  

Another benefit is that QA testing can be performed remotely, which is ideal for a side hustle. You also get to work very closely with the technical team and can learn more about IT from them.

Salary: The contract pay rates go up to $65/hour.

Side Hustle Ideas for Women – Summary: This is one of the technical side hustle ideas for women that really works because it allows you to start without having lots of IT skills and allows remote working. You can start a side hustle in this area after taking a few courses.

Side Hustle Idea #6: User Experience Testing

User experience testing is the process of testing system functionality from the perspective of the user. This is similar to QA testing with the difference that QA testing is focused on configuration functionality, not user experience.

This job also does not require any coding skills as you are just testing system usability. In fact, most of the test steps are documented already and you simply need to complete them and document the results.  This is a great technical side hustle for new and experienced IT professionals that do not want to code.

Another benefit is that User Experience testing can also be performed remotely, which is ideal for any side hustle.

Salary: The contract pay rates go up to $70/hour.

Side Hustle Ideas for Women – Summary: This is a great technical side hustle option for women because it has a low barrier to entry, offers a great pay rate, and allows remote work. You can take learn more about user experience testing by taking online courses.

Side Hustle Ideas for Women

Side Hustle Idea #7: IT Support/Helpdesk

Another great technical side hustle is IT Support/Helpdesk. This is a great technical side hustle idea because it allows you to start at an entry-level with a low barrier to entry. Then as you acquire more skills, you can get more advanced jobs with a salary increase.

This job is typically in tiers based on the complexity of the problem being reported. The lower-level tiers usually handle less complicated problems, while the higher-level tiers handle more complicated problems.

An interesting thing to note is that this job previously had to be in a call center. However, the 2020 pandemic has caused many employers to realize that the work can be done remotely.

Salary: The median annual salary for software developers is $54,760. The contract pay rates go up to $25/hour.

Side Hustle Ideas for Women – Summary: This is another great technical side hustle for women because it allows for remote work and allows people to start at an entry-level and work their way up. This means you can start a job in this area after taking a few courses.

Side Hustle Idea #8: Online STEM Tutor

Teach others what you know. If you already have in-demand IT skills, then you can get a technical side hustle as a STEM Tutor. Many college students need tutors to help them with assignments, which means there is a market for your skillset.

You can set your schedule by only accepting tutoring jobs that work with your schedule. You can also tutor online, which adds a lot of flexibility to your side hustle. The good thing is that you’ll be making an additional income while helping others.

Salary: The contract pay rates go up to $80/hour.

Side Hustle Ideas for Women – Summary: This is a great technical side hustle for women because it offers a flexible work arrangement. The income potential is also good, based on how much you choose to work.

Side Hustle Idea #9: IT Contracting In Your Current Job Field

This is such an underrated technical side hustle that I wish most people knew about. If you already have IT skills, then you can simply get a contract job on the side in the same field! I know so many people that do this and make an amazing income.

Are you already a developer, project manager, QA Tester, Helpdesk Support, IT Audit professional? Many companies are looking to hire contractors in any of these areas. This presents the perfect opportunity for you to use your current skillset to gain more income.

Salary: Because this is based on your current job/skillset, it will be your current job area’s going rate.

Side Hustle Ideas for Women – Summary: This is a great technical side hustle for women who have extra time to devote to a second job that is similar to what they currently do. Many of these jobs are currently remote and can be performed simultaneously with proper time management.

Side Hustle Idea #10: Online Sales of Technical Digital Products

Another excellent technical side hustle option is selling digital products online. You may be wondering what sales has to do with IT, but you will be surprised.

Think about these potential options.

If you are an experienced website developer, you can create and sell website design templates. If your experience is in application development, you can create and sell apps. Or, you can create and sell software as a software developer.

You get the picture.

You can leverage your skills to develop digital technology products that others are willing to buy. The great thing is that this job is based on your schedule and availability. Regarding income, you can charge as much as you think your product is worth (after some market research of course).

Salary: Because this is based on the product you are developing, it will vary based on your digital product.

Side Hustle Ideas for Women – Summary: This is a really good technical side hustle for women as it leverages your current skillset, offers work flexibility, and has a high growth potential.

Side Hustle Idea #11: IT Education Content Creator/Instructor

Again, teach what you know.

If you are already skilled in a specific IT area, you can choose to become a content creator. As an IT Education content creator/instructor, you can share information on what you know in any IT field. The information can be packaged into a course and sold to an audience that will benefit from that information and is willing to buy. 

This is a side hustle that I have done for several years. One way I’m doing this is via this blog. On this blog, I provide information on different technology niches to women. I also have online digital courses where I teach IT Audit concepts to students.  

You can also create and offer technology courses in an area where you are knowledgeable.

This is a side hustle that you can perform remotely and since it is your business, the work hours are up to you!

Salary: This is unlimited and based on how much work and effort you put into your course creation business.  The sky is your limit!

Side Hustle Ideas for Women – Summary: This is a great technical side hustle for women as it leverages your current skillset, offers work flexibility, and has a high growth potential.

Task Management

Where You Can Find Technical Side Gigs

So, where can you go to find one of these technical side hustle ideas for women? Here are some sites where you can search for jobs in IT. Each one has it’s own appeal, so check them out and search for jobs that may interest you.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

That’s all folks! The list of 11 IT side hustle ideas for women. I hope you found the list enlightening. Which job on the list ‘speaks’ to you? As always, feel free to ask me any question below.

You can also check out these other posts related to IT career path jobs.

Share with friends!

2 thoughts on “IT Hustle: 11 Technical Side Hustle Ideas for Women

  1. Great posts with lots of ideas that got me thinking.

    1. Thanks Abimbola. Glad you found it helpful.

Comments are closed.