10 Best Side Hustles for Coders in The UK 2024

Coding is a very useful skill that appears in almost every corner of the online world. Therefore, there are numerous opportunities for talented coders to make extra money in 2024.

Starting a programming side hustle is a great way to improve your skills, enhance your CV, increase your streams of income, and to earn extra cash that could help you to beat the cost of living. With so many coding side hustles available, there isn’t any reason not to start making more income as a coder in the UK.

In this article, we will take a look at the best side hustles for coders to try this year. To be transparent, we are not coders ourselves. However, we have spent time researching each side hustle in depth to discover which ones work. Keep reading to find out the best ways to increase your income as a programmer in 2024.

After researching various side hustle opportunities, we came across 9 promising options that have low start costs, can easily fit around a full-time job, and can even turn into passive streams of income over time.

1. Freelance web development: One of the best-paying side hustles for coders that could be turned into a small business. use your skills to build web applications for clients in your spare time.

2. Create and sell an online coding course: Help other people learn the art of coding with a digital product that could turn into passive income. This side hustle is free to start and requires very little maintenance once you have set it up.

3. Online tutoring: Teach students virtually and earn a steady stream of income for doing so. Online tutoring is a rewarding way to earn extra cash that looks great on your CV.

4. Start an educational YouTube channel: Make videos to educate people about coding and programming. You could monetize your content through affiliate marketing or sponsorships.

5. Become a freelance technical writer: A flexible side hustle idea that is perfect for busy professionals who want to work for just a few hours each week. Technical writing can be well-paid and is a great way to increase your authority as a coder.

6. Create and sell custom themes on Etsy: Sell downloadable custom themes on Etsy to generate passive income. This is a great option for coders who are looking for a more creative side hustle.

7. Sell coding guides on Amazon KDP: Self-publish your own eBooks and earn money every time that you make a sale. This is a relatively easy side hustle for coders who have good writing skills.

8. Become a bug hunter on Bugcrowd: The best side hustle for coders who want to make money quickly. Sign up to Bugcrowd and get paid for finding bugs in code.

9. Freelance data analysis: Use your skills to help companies make sense of data. You can use platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork to find opportunities.

In the next section, we will offer a bit more insight into each of the side hustles mentioned above. We will take a look at what each side hustle involves, why they are suitable for coders and how you can start.

1. Freelance web development

Freelance web development is one of the best-paying side hustle ideas that we found. On Fiverr, freelancers can charge anything from £60 for a basic service and the highest rate that we found was £2,196 for the development of a web application, software and website.

Freelance web development involves working with clients to deliver websites according to their brief. You will use your coding skills to develop the website from scratch and communicate with the client throughout the process to ensure that you are hitting the mark.

To become a freelance web developer, you will need to equip yourself with the required software and tools. Clients will expect you to use the best software and for you to have all of the skills needed to complete the project.

If you don’t already have the software that is required, this could be a fairly expensive side hustle to start. However, most coders will already have access to tools that are used for web development tasks.

The easiest way to start this side hustle is to list your services on platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork. These are the two largest freelance marketplaces that are used by companies to outsource a variety of tasks.

2. Create and sell an online coding course

In 2024, the importance of knowing how to code is stronger than ever. As a result, a rising number of people are looking for online courses that can teach them the basics, and even help them to reach expert status.

As a professional coder, you could use your experience to create your own online course and sell it on a marketplace such as Coursea. Online courses are digital products that provide lessons and resources to help students learn and improve their skills.

Online courses are a great way of making extra money in 2024 because they are free to create and can turn into a passive income stream.

Once you have created the course, listed it and invested in marketing, it is possible to make sales whilst you sleep.

However, not all online courses will be successful. To earn money from an online course, you will need to invest in marketing and create a product that offers genuine value. This means providing more than what can already be found on Google.

In regards to promotion, email marketing is an effective method that is used by many course creators to encourage customers.

You can start selling your own coding course today by creating the product using free tools and listing it for sale on an online marketplace.

3. Online tutoring

Online coding tutors can earn a generous hourly rate in the UK which makes it an excellent side hustle to consider. the average hourly rate charged by a coding tutor is £50 per hour but this can vary depending on your experience and the level of coding that you teach.

Online tutoring involves delivering live lessons to students over video conferencing software. It has become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional tutoring because it offers flexibility and the opportunity to fit in more students.

Not only is it well paid but becoming an online tutor is a great way to improve your CV. Tutoring shows that you have a lot of knowledge as well as great communication skills.

Before becoming an online tutor, it is a good idea to wrap your head around tutoring best practices, current curriculum, and different teaching strategies. Customers expect tutors to be able to deliver effective lessons that drive results.

When you feel ready, sign up to an online tutoring platform such as Tutorful or Superprof. These sites will find students for you and connect you based on best fit.

4. Start an educational YouTube channel

Starting a faceless YouTube channel is a fun way to monetize your coding skills. You could create educational videos about different coding topics to help people with their problems and to improve their skills.

As we mentioned above, you do not need to show your face to start a successful YouTube channel in 2024. Therefore, this is an excellent side hustle idea for anyone.

To create videos without showing your face, you could use animations, voiceovers, and on-screen text. You could also use screen recordings to demonstrate different processes. Of course, showing your face is great to and often helps to increase trust amongst your viewers.

You can earn money from your channel through ads, affiliate marketing, and even sponsored content. It will take a while for your channel to reach the point where it can be monetized. During the initial stages of building your channel, focus on creating content that you enjoy to keep your motivation up.

As well as generating an extra stream of income, starting a YouTube channel is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge as a coder. This could help you to land future jobs or freelance opportunities.

5. Freelance technical writing

Technical writing involves writing in-depth articles about complicated topics that require expertise. This could include topics in the medical niche, the engineering niche or in the programming and coding niche.

A lot of software companies hire freelance technical writers to create content for their brand. As a coder, you probably already have the knowledge that is required to pen informative and accurate content in your industry.

Freelance technical writing is a good side hustle to consider because it has very low start-up costs and can be done from anywhere in the world. This makes it a great side hustle for travelers.

Before applying to jobs or advertising your services, it is a good idea to build a portfolio of writing examples. This should include a mixture of content that shows your range as a writer.

The next step is to promote your side hustle. Sign up to platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork to start attracting clients. It is also a good idea to reach out to companies via LinkedIn.

6. Create and sell custom website themes on Etsy

For people who can’t code, creating a custom website theme can be a very tricky task. Therefore, there is a high demand for ready-made custom themes on Etsy and other online marketplaces.

As a coder, you could use your skills to develop custom themes and sell them to website owners through the platform. This is a great side hustle if you’re looking for something creative.

Custom themes sell for a range of prices depending on what each download contains. After buying the theme, buyers will be able to use your themes for their own websites and customize them further if needed.

Before submitting your templates onto the Etsy store, make sure to read through the platforms seller guidelines.

You will also need to set up an Etsy shop, which takes less than 30 minutes and is completely free.

Then, upload your custom templates to your Etsy store as downloadable files. Optimize your listings with keywords and use Etsy marketing tools to increase traffic.

7. Sell coding books on Amazon KDP

Selling eBooks on amazon comes with several benefits for coders.

Firstly, it is a great way to create a passive income stream that helps you to become more financially free. Secondly, writing a book is an impressive achievement that will increase your authoritativeness within the coding industry.

At first, the though of writing a book may sound overwhelming. However, it can be made simpler by dividing the book into sections, outsourcing tasks to freelancers and asking other experts for their input.

The best way to sell your book is through Amazon KDP. KDP is a self-publishing platform that allows anyone to list their book for sale on the Amazon store. You can choose to upload your book as either a paperback or an eBook.

Once listed and approved by KDP, your book will be available to buy on Amazon.

Of course, there is no guarantee that you will make any sales and you may need to use marketing to promote your book. Consider sharing your book on social media, building a sales funnel or even using email marketing to drive traffic to your Amazon listing.

8. Become a bug hunter on Bugcrowd

Bugcrowd is a popular cybersecurity provider that outsources tasks to talented ‘hackers’. Hackers work freelance to hunt bugs and offer solutions as part of the platforms security services.

Becoming a hacker on the platform requires technical knowledge and experience which makes it a great option for professional coders.

Bug hunters are paid generously through the platform however, the work load can be inconsistent.

Nevertheless, this is a great way for coders to make extra money quickly in 2024.

Anyone can sign up to the platform for free. However, the work that you are given will depend on your individual skills and experience. Hackers can pick and choose the work that they complete, offering flexibility.

9. Freelance data analysis

Data analysts collect and interpret data sets to answer questions, provide helpful insights and draw conclusions.

As a coder, you probably already have a good understanding of data and could use your skills to provide freelancer analysis services to companies and other individuals.

Freelance data analysts work on their own terms and this side hustle can easily fit around other commitments. This makes it a good side hustle for students, busy professionals or parents.

To attract clients, you will need to be able to prove your skills as an analyst. One way to do this is to offer your services for free in return for positive testimonials. You could also take an online qualification to improve your resume and demonstrate your expertise.

After building up some experience, list your services on a freelance platform such as Fiverr or Upwork. You could also create a LinkedIn post to increase your exposure and chances of getting clients.

Conclusion

There are plenty of ways that coders can make extra income in 2024. In this article, we have covered the top 10 side hustles that pay well, are easy to start and offer flexibility.

After trying and testing several side hustle options, we found matched betting to be the best option for coders who want to make money quickly. However, other options on our list may be better suited to your skills and expertize.

A lot of the side hustles that we have mentioned require persistence and patience. You may not make money straight away but it is very possible to make a steady stream of income over time.

Before deciding on a side hustle, check out our list of 40+ passive side hustles to make sure that you find the best option for you.