8 Side Hustles for UX Designers In 2024 ($150+/hr)
Last Updated on February 20, 2024 by John Cirelly
Looking to earn more from your awesome design skills? Below are eight legit side hustles for UX designers, specifically selected for their relevance and how much they pay.
1. Design For Clients on Toptal
For UX designers seeking premium side hustles, freelancing on Toptal presents a lucrative opportunity. Toptal is renowned for its high standards, admitting only the top 3% of freelance talent into its network.
This exclusivity means that once you’re in, you can expect to engage with global companies on impactful projects. Earnings on Toptal significantly outpace those on more general freelance platforms, with UX designers often commanding rates ranging from $50 to $150 per hour, depending on the complexity of the project and their experience level.
Getting started on Toptal requires a rigorous screening process, including a portfolio review, technical tests, and live skill evaluations. However, the effort is well worth it, as being a part of Toptal’s network not only boosts your earning potential but also puts you contact with large companies looking for continuous work.
For UX designers committed to their craft and looking for side hustles for professionals, Toptal offers a path to meaningful, well-compensated work without the need to search through less rewarding gigs.
2. Create a UX Design Course
Creating a UX design course is an exceptional way to share your expertise while generating income. For UX designers, it’s a chance to distill years of experience into lessons that can help others grow in the field. By designing a comprehensive course, you can expect to earn anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month, depending on the platform you choose, the price of your course, and how effectively you market it.
Platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, and Coursera are great places to host your course. They offer built-in audiences and marketing tools, but they take a portion of the earnings. Another route is to self-host your course on your website using tools like Teachable or Kajabi, which gives you more control over pricing and marketing, potentially increasing your profit margins.
To get started, outline a curriculum that addresses a gap in the current market or focuses on a niche aspect of UX design. High-quality video content, interactive assignments, and comprehensive resources will make your course stand out. Promotion through social media, UX design forums, and email marketing can help attract students. With a well-crafted course, your earnings will reflect the value you provide to your students, making it a fulfilling side hustle for professionals in the UX field.
3. Sell UX Design Templates
Selling UX design templates is a smart strategy for generating passive income. For UX designers, this side hustle involves creating and selling customizable templates that other designers or businesses can use to accelerate their projects. This can range from website wireframes to app interfaces, offering a wide spectrum for creativity and utility. Designers can expect to earn from $10 to several hundred dollars per template, depending on the complexity and demand.
Platforms like ThemeForest, Creative Market, and Etsy are popular marketplaces for selling design templates. These platforms handle the marketing and distribution, allowing you to focus on creating high-quality templates. However, they do take a commission on sales, which is something to consider when setting your prices.
To get started, identify common pain points or needs within the UX community that your templates can solve. Design a range of templates that cater to different aspects of UX design, ensuring they are adaptable and user-friendly.
Once your templates are ready, create compelling listings for them on your chosen platforms, including detailed descriptions and previews. By offering valuable, time-saving solutions to other designers, selling UX design templates can become a profitable side hustle for professionals looking to monetize their skills.
4. Start a UX Drop Service Agency
Starting a UX drop service agency offers a unique twist on traditional freelancing, focusing on acting as an intermediary between clients and freelance UX designers. This model allows you to take on client projects and then outsource the work to other freelancers, earning a profit margin in the process. For those with a strong network and project management skills, this side hustle can generate significant income, with profits ranging from 10% to 50% of the project’s total cost, depending on your pricing strategy and the rates negotiated with freelancers.
To begin, you’ll need to establish a brand and create a portfolio showcasing the types of projects you can manage. Networking is key to success in dropservicing; building relationships with both potential clients and skilled freelancers is essential. Platforms like Behance, and Dribbble are great for connecting with both groups.
Once you’ve set up your agency, marketing your services to potential clients can involve a mix of content marketing, paid advertising, and leveraging your professional network. As you start to secure projects, carefully select freelancers who not only have the skills to deliver high-quality work but also align with your work ethic and business values. By effectively managing these projects and ensuring client satisfaction, starting a UX drop service agency can be a lucrative and scalable side hustle for professionals with the right blend of skills and connections.
6. Start a UX Design Newsletter
Launching a UX design newsletter is an excellent way for UX designers to inspire others in the field while establishing themselves as thought leaders. This side hustle offers a platform to share insights, trends, industry news, and personal projects with a community of like-minded professionals and enthusiasts. Depending on your audience size and engagement rates, monetization through sponsorships, ads, and exclusive content can generate monthly earnings from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
To get started, choose a newsletter platform like Mailchimp or ConvertKit, which simplifies the process of designing, sending, and tracking your newsletters. Focus on creating content that adds value—whether it’s tutorials, case studies, design tips, or industry analysis. Building your subscriber base can begin with your existing network and expand through social media promotion, collaborations with other designers, and by offering exclusive content to subscribers.
Monetization strategies for a UX design newsletter include affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and subscription models for premium content. Engaging content and a growing subscriber base are key to attracting potential sponsors and advertisers. By consistently delivering valuable insights and fostering a community around your newsletter, starting a newsletter side hustle becomes not just a revenue stream but also a powerful tool for personal brand building within the UX industry.
7. Start a UX Design YouTube Channel
Starting a UX design YouTube channel is an engaging way to connect with potential clients, students, or fellow designers. This platform allows you to showcase your design process, share tutorials, review design tools, and discuss industry trends. For UX designers, this can be a dynamic side hustle, with earnings potential from ad revenue, sponsorships, and even funneling viewers toward your own courses or services. YouTubers can earn anywhere from a few dollars to several thousand dollars per month, depending on the size and engagement of their audience.
To launch your channel, you’ll need to create content that stands out and provides value to your viewers. This might include step-by-step design tutorials, critiques of popular designs, or insights into the UX design process. High-quality video production and clear, concise delivery will help attract and retain viewers.
Growing your channel requires consistent content creation and engagement with your audience through comments and social media. SEO strategies, like using relevant keywords in your video titles and descriptions, can also increase your visibility on YouTube. Monetization through YouTube’s Partner Program, affiliate marketing, and direct sponsorships can turn your channel into a profitable side hustle for introverts and extroverts alike, allowing you to earn money while sharing your passion for UX design.
8. Start a UX Design Podcast
Podcasts offer a platform to dive deep into UX topics, interview industry leaders, and discuss the latest trends and challenges in design. For UX designers, this can be a rewarding way to connect with a wider audience, establish authority in the field, and potentially monetize through sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and listener donations. Earnings can vary widely, from a modest monthly income to thousands of dollars per episode, depending on the podcast’s reach and monetization strategy.
Starting a podcast requires minimal equipment—a good-quality microphone, audio editing software, and a quiet space to record. Platforms like Streamyard make it easy to record and edit episodes, even including video options if you choose to expand your content to platforms like YouTube. Focus on creating engaging and informative content that resonates with your target audience. This could include solo episodes where you share your expertise, guest interviews, or Q&A sessions with listeners.
Growing your podcast audience involves promoting your episodes on social media, leveraging SEO by including relevant keywords in your episode titles and descriptions, and engaging with your listeners through comments or a dedicated podcast website. Monetization opportunities, such as securing sponsors or offering premium content for a fee, become more accessible as your listener base grows.
Wrapping Up
From high-paying freelance work on Toptal, to selling digital templates, there are a ton of different ways UX designers can earn extra in their spare time. If you have a favorite side hustle as a designer, be sure to let me know in the comments below.
