26 YouTube Side Hustles to Earn $10K+ Per Month

YouTube presents possibly the most accessible business model for generating real income online. With over 2 billion monthly viewers, it provides unprecedented access to colossal audiences in virtually every niche imaginable.

Better yet, you don’t even need to show your face or deal with the pressures of being “internet famous.”

With the right game plan, anyone can leverage YouTube to earn $10,000+ per month working from home.

In fact, research by Influencer Marketing Hub shows:

• Top 3% of YouTubers are earning over $28k monthly
• Top 1% earn over $138k monthly
• Top 0.1% (the highest tier) easily clear $1.5+ million yearly

But most importantly – hundreds of thousands of “regular” creators are building full-time incomes as well across more average view counts.

So whether you want to earn a few hundred bucks on the side or replace your full salary over time, YouTube offers lucrative possibilities.

In this post, we’ll unpack 26 real-world side hustle models perfect for starting your money-making journey on YouTube right from home.

Just How Much Can You Make on YouTube?

Before diving into specific ideas, let’s ground this conversation around real YouTube income metrics so you understand the true profit potential.

Below data comes from leading social media firms tracking payout benchmarks across millions of channels:

CPM Rates

• TrueView in-stream ads: $25-$35 per 1,000 views
• Display and discovery ads: $10-$20 per 1,000 views
• YouTube Premium: $0.10 per view

Additional Earnings

• Channel Memberships: $1.99-$49.99 per member
• Super Chats: $1-$500+ per chat
• Super Stickers: $1-$50 per sticker
• Merchandise Shelf: $10-$45 profit per item sold
• Affiliate Commissions: 4-70% per referral sale
• Sponsored Videos: $100 to $20K+ per integration
• Physical/Digital Product Sales: 25-50% profit margin per unit sold

As you can see, income earning potential scales directly alongside viewership size.

That means the key comes down to consistently publishing content optimized for growth. Then overlaying multiple income streams onto your channel through merchandising, memberships, promotions, tipping, and beyond.

Let‘s explore some of the most popular niches succeeding on YouTube currently:

Gaming Channels

The gaming industry expects to reach $321 billion per year by 2026 thanks to record growth across PC, console, and mobile games.

This presents lucrative opportunities for gamers on YouTube across streaming, tutorials, esports, gaming news, reviews, entertainment, and beyond.

Currently over 40,000 channels claim over 100,000 subscribers thanks entirely to gaming content. But the profitability spans all channel sizes driving full-time incomes for tens of thousands playing games:

CDN Solutions estimates average earnings for gamers based on views:

• 100k Views Per Month = $2,000+
• 500k Views Per Month = $10,000+
• 5 million Views Per Month = $100,000+

In one extreme example, gaming entertainment ensemble Dude Perfect signed a $20 million exclusivity deal thanks to an engaged following of 57 million subscribers.

Essentially, monetizing a gaming channel comes down to attracting viewership around enjoyable content plus optimizing multiple income streams into your ecosystem.

If you already game daily, amplifying your skills or adventures on YouTube is an easy way to profit from home doing what you love most.

Affiliate Marketers

Affiliate marketing allows creators to earn commission promoting products they know and trust across content.

Top programs offer anywhere from 10-70% lifetime payout per referred conversion with leading brands like:

• Amazon Associates
• Walmart Affiliate
• Target Affiliate
• Best Buy Affiliate

In 2021, Amazon’s affiliate program alone paid out over $9 billion globally to partners:

• Top partners earn 8-9%+ conversion rates promoting curated products
• Average order value clocks in around $85
• Top partners generate $5k+ monthly at 4-6% conversion rates

One case study from popular budgeting YouTuber The Financial Diet reveals:

• 425k YouTube Subscribers
• Monthly video views averaging 500k
• $3k+ in monthly Amazon commissions
• $1k+ monthly from other affiliate partnerships
• On track to drive nearly $60k/year thanks exclusively to affiliate promotions and Amazon links

Essentially affiliateship allows monetization without inventory or shipping leveraging YouTube’s visibility to convert viewers into buyers.

Amazon alone attracts over 197 million monthly visitors presenting a prime vehicle for profiting from product promotions as an influencer.

Selling Merch

YouTube Merch Shelves allow creators to design and sell swag like shirts, mugs, and other accessories directly through branded storefronts on their channels.

There’s no upfront inventory costs or manufacturing risk. YouTube handles production plus shipping all merchandise orders. After sales come in, they issue monthly profit checks to creators.

Right now YouTube pockets about 35% in fees leaving creators to earn approximately $14 profit on average for most merch items sold.

However top channels easily sell thousands of merch units monthly thanks to promotion across millions of video views.

Business Insider profiled a top finance YouTuber Graham Stephan who reveals:

• 3.8 million YouTube Subscribers
• 648k Instagram Followers
• $130k in YouTube ad revenue
• $100k+ per year in YouTube merch sales
• Generates $1k+ profit daily thanks largely to viral merchandising

Essentially creators design merch fans want to wear then leverage loyal viewership across social platforms to drive recurring sales month to month.

Lower risk plus high perceived value makes merchandising hugely popular for monetizing audiences without relying solely on ads.

Selling Services

YouTube delivers a prime venue for freelancers to locate clients thanks to targeted visibility around valuable skills.

Whether you offer video editing, graphic design, writing services, research, virtual assistance, coaching, consulting, programming, animation, data entry, lead generation, administrative support, or more, showcase your abilities to earn.

Top freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr reveal:

• High-level freelancers easily clear $100-$500+ per hour of billable time
• Average freelancers charge $30-$100 per hour across most mainstream professional services

And platforms like Wyzant connecting tutors with students show similar earning potential:

• In-person tutors clear $40 per hour on average
• Online tutors average $25 per hour
• Top-rated Pro tutors charge $100+ per session

Essentially freelancers leverage niche skills and peer trust to command lucrative rates helping students achieve goals or assisting businesses complete critical tasks.

YouTube provides free advertising to locate clients without expensive paid ads or complicated funnel costs.

Launching Online Courses

The global elearning market currently generates over $350 billion in annual revenue as learners gravitate toward convenient, self-paced online education platforms.

YouTube attracts millions searching for specialized knowledge daily – making it a prime source for student leads.

Popular course platforms reveal creator earnings potential:

Udemy

• Top instructors have earned $20+ million teaching online
• Average earners can net $1k-$3k monthly at 10+ hours of effort weekly

Podia

• Customer averages across 30k+ creators:
  • 24 courses per creator
  • $3,667 average yearly income
  • Top earners crossing $100k+ yearly

Essentially qualified creators monetize expertise around high-demand skills that are teachable to others over the internet. Students learn valuable capabilities to advance careers, earning instructors passive income long-term with some upfront effort establishing curriculum.

YouTube delivers audiences actively seeking to skill up daily – making it a natural lead source.

Offering Virtual Coaching

The global coaching market expects to surpass $17 billion over the next 4 years thanks to rising remote capabilities increasing coaching accessibility.

Virtual coaches guide clients to success across health, fitness, nutrition, mindset, lifestyle design, career strategy, relationships, professional development, and much more.

Packages span 1-on-1 services along with small group workshops or masterminds covering themes clients demand most:

• Health + nutrition
• Building confidence
• Strengthening relationships
• Finding purpose
• Achieving fitness goals
• Advancing careers
• Building online businesses

And platforms like CoachHub reveal market rates amongst qualified experts:

• Health/fitness coaching: $60-$150 per session
• Executive career coaching: $300+ per session
• Small group coaching: $97+ per month

Essentially knowledgeable coaches earn incomes helping clients achieve transformative breakthroughs through accountability, planning, progress tracking, and motivation across prized skills or subject mastery.

YouTube offers free advertising plus instant social proof showcasing exactly how you can shortcut client results. This drives conversions into high-ticket offers far more affordably than traditional paid traffic.

With endless real-world business models thriving on YouTube right now, the biggest question becomes how does the average person start earning real income themselves?

Here’s the step-by-step blueprint:

Choose Your Niche

Select specialized knowledge, memorable experiences, or specific skills you can transform into value for target viewers in areas like:

• Gaming streams
• Affiliate recommendations
• Educational tutorials
• Product service reviews
• Freelance portfolio demos
• Coaching program invites
• Inspiring keynotes
• Industry thought leadership
• Behind-the-scenes creator stories
• Comedy sketches or commentary

Zero-in on micro-niches underserved with unique perspectives only you can provide consistently over long-term horizons.

Set Up Your Channel

Register a Google account to launch your branded YouTube presence across:

• Banner images
• Profile picture
• About section details
• Initial video uploads

Use channel key words across all properties to optimize visibility within YouTube search results as you start publishing more content.

Structure Playlists

Organize your channel using specific playlists around each content theme or series to make previous videos easily discoverable for new viewers.

For example create playlists like:

• Welcome Series
• Most Popular Videos
• Affiliate Product Reviews
• Software Tutorials
• Case Study Interviews

Playlists organize your channel while showcasing top content likely to retain audiences.

Create Value Driven Content

Publish new videos consistently showcasing your niche, knowledge, skills, or experiences in action across formats like:

• Educational tutorials
• Case studies
• Client testimonials
• Industry commentary
• Quick tips or tricks
• Q+As
• Reaction commentary
• Behind the scenes
• Video blogs
• Live streams
• Video reactions
• Events or speeches

Whatever you teach or share, ensure information solves problems, answers questions, saves money, saves time, entertains viewers, inspires audiences, or improves lives in some meaningful way.

Promote Your Content

Share videos across social channels like Instagram, Facebook Groups, Linkedin, Twitter, Pinterest, and niche communities to drive external viewership momentum to your YouTube ecosystem.

Promo videos natively within YouTube as suggested content alongside other popular producers to gain visibility.

Engage With Audiences

Respond to all comments, questions, or feedback to build loyal followings wanting to support your future videos over the long haul through:

• Poll responses
• Giveaways
• Q+As
• Live streams
• Direct messaging
• Video invitations

Building personal connections cultivates returning viewership critical for monetization.

Enable Multiple Income Streams

Activate and promote diverse income streams simultaneously to maximize earning from every viewer reached through:

• Ad placements
• Affiliate links
• Sponsorships
• Merch shelves
• Member perks
• Virtual services
• Online course invites
• Coaching offers
• Donations
• Product showcases

Top YouTubers generate 7 figures yearly stacking income streams versus relying exclusively on video ads.

Measure Analytics

Track real-time analytics through YouTube Studio assessing performance benchmarks like:

• Subscriber growth
• Click through rates
• Audience retention
• Traffic sources
• Playlists popularity
• Top videos

Optimize best performers based on actual viewer response using data to fuel smarter content investments long-term.

As high speed internet reaches worldwide audiences, YouTube sits poised to remain the internet’s top video platform attracting endless viewers just keen to be informed, inspired, entertained or connected.

But beyond viewership sits actual opportunity driving real income for everyday creators starting from scratch around passions or skills amplified online.

The barriers are simply starting then persevering until enough audience momentum meets readily available income stream tools inherently built by the platform.

So choose your niche. Setup your channel. Then gradually cultivate, promote and monetize high value content week after week toward the income goals you seek over quarterly horizons.

With consistency and commitment, lucrative earnings await anyone able to build loyal followings they can ultimately serve through virtual capabilities right from home.