In today’s digital world, coding skills are highly valued by employers. Many students are leveraging their coding skills to earn money while still studying in college. In this blog post, we will discuss some effective ways through which college students can earn money via coding.
Freelancing Websites
One of the easiest ways to earn money through coding as a student is by taking up freelance projects on websites like Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer. These platforms allow students to offer their coding services for web development, mobile app development, software development, and more. Students can create a profile highlighting their skills and experience and bid on relevant projects. This provides flexibility to work on projects around college schedules. Some popular coding skills in demand include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python, and more.
Build Websites/Apps for Local Businesses
Students can approach local small businesses like restaurants, salons, boutiques etc. in their city and offer to build basic websites or mobile apps for them at affordable prices. Having a live portfolio of past work helps to convince clients. Word-of-mouth is a great way to get more clients. Students can charge $20-50 per hour depending on their skills and experience. This allows earning money without any middlemen.
Become a Code Tutor
Many students offer private coding tutoring lessons to high school or other college students struggling with concepts. Websites like Wyzant and Tutor.com allow students to create a tutor profile and get matched with clients. Hourly tutoring rates usually range from $15-30 per hour depending on the subject. Tutoring provides flexible earning around class schedules. Popular topics include introductory programming, data structures, algorithms, and languages like Python, Java etc.
Develop Apps/Games for Contests and Challenges
There are many coding competitions and hackathons held regularly with cash prizes for the top submissions. For example, Major League Hacking hosts hackathons with up to $10,000 in prizes. Students can form teams to develop apps and games within time limits to compete for prizes. Even without winning, the experience of participating in such events looks great on resumes.
Sell Code Snippets/Tutorials Online
Students can create code snippets, mini-projects or step-by-step coding tutorials on topics like web development, data analysis etc. and sell them on platforms like Gumroad or have their own websites. Prices can start from $5-10 per download or course. This allows passive earning as codes are sold without much ongoing work. Topics should match popular skills and frameworks. Proper description and demonstration helps increase sales.
Work as a Software Developer Intern
Many companies offer paid internships for students to gain practical work experience. Students can search internship opportunities on company websites, job portals like LinkedIn and Indeed using keywords like “software intern”, “developer intern” etc. Interns are usually paid $15-25 per hour depending on skills and location. This provides hands-on learning while earning an income. Strong coding portfolio and projects help stand out among applicants.
Monetize Open Source Contributions
Students can contribute to open source projects on platforms like GitHub in their spare time to build up their profile. GitHub Sponsors allows open source maintainers to get paid for their work. Some companies also pay ‘bounties’ for fixes and features added to open source codebases they use. This allows earning passively by improving code while learning.
Conclusion
The above methods provide several flexible ways for college students to earn money through coding without disrupting their studies. With some hustle and the right online presence, coding skills can be monetized effectively while gaining valuable real-world experience. Choosing the right options based on available time, skills and interests can help students earn a decent side income through programming.