Studying easy methods to make 6 figures ($100,000) a 12 months is a standard purpose for a lot of — and why wouldn’t or not it’s?
The six determine quantity is a milestone that might put your earnings effectively past the median family earnings in the US, and doubtlessly afford you with a extra snug way of life.
However how do you get there – particularly in case you’re making nowhere close to this quantity now?
Methods to earn 6 figures a 12 months:
There are various methods you may get to incomes six figures a 12 months. The 2 commonest methods are:
- Getting a job that makes six figures a 12 months
- Beginning a aspect hustle and scaling it so that you’re finally making six figures a 12 months
- A mix of the 2 above methods
None of those choices are straightforward, and they’ll doubtless contain sacrifices and sweat fairness. However leveling up your full time job and scaling a aspect hustle are precisely what we focus on at IWT. The next techniques have labored for 1000’s of our college students efficiently, and with effort and time, you can be in your solution to incomes 100k in a 12 months.
What Does a Six-Determine Earnings Really Look Like?
You could make at the least $100,000 a 12 months in order for you a six-figure earnings. Which means making at the least:
- $8,333.33 a month, or
- $2,083.33 every week, or
- $416.66 every workday, or
- $52 an hour.
Breaking down your bigger purpose into smaller increments will enable you perceive what it should take to get the place you need to go. Are you able to land a full-time job that pays $52 an hour? Or are you able to freelance for that quantity?
It’s essential to determine the place you are actually in comparison with these benchmarks if you wish to attain your purpose of 100k/12 months.
How you can make $100,000 a 12 months in 5 steps:
Let’s get began.
Step 1: Arrange your monetary basis for six figures
When you have got a purpose as bold as “I need to earn a six-figure earnings,” it’s straightforward to lose sight of the actually essential issues in your life.
I’m speaking in regards to the fundamentals: meals, water, shelter, and so on.
That is the “Tripod of Stability” — the entire foundational, large points of your life that you simply hold ultra-stable so you’ll be able to take dangers in different areas.
“I’m a proponent of a part of the Tripod of Stability,” says Naveen Dittakavi, founding father of NextVacay.com. “When you have a day job, it is advisable to make sure that it’s secure. It’s a must to carve a capability to work in your aspect hustle whereas doing nice work at your day job.”
He continues, “I lived at residence for six years. My mother and father have been actually cool and helped me get by whereas I constructed out my enterprise.”
Naveen not too long ago scaled his hustle in order that he’ll be taking away roughly $1 million this 12 months (so you already know he is aware of his stuff).
By caring for your large issues — your property, automobile, relationships, meals — you’ll be capable to take dangers in areas like your aspect enterprise. As Ramit says, when you have got your bases lined, you’re probably not taking dangers in any respect.
Your Tripod of Stability doesn’t essentially imply that you simply’re freed from sacrifices although. If you wish to commit your self to creating six figures a 12 months, you’re going to have to vary a few of your habits and beliefs.
“I sacrificed quite a bit to construct my enterprise,” Naveen remembers. “In any case, dwelling at residence along with your mother and father for six years means you’re going to be single for six years — BUT it gave me what I needed out of my life.”
Motion step: Establish your Tripod of Stability
Write down the three foremost “legs” of your Tripod of Stability. These are the issues that, if they continue to be fixed, would mean you can climate dramatic adjustments in different areas in your life. It could possibly be issues like:
- Your own home
- Your automobile
- Your job
- Your partner or associate
- Your financial savings account
As soon as you already know what makes up your Tripod of Stability, you’ll be able to be sure to have these areas safe so you can begin taking dangers in areas like beginning a aspect hustle.
Step 2: Earn extra money in your profession
Should you’re trying to construct a six-figure earnings on freelancing along with your aspect hustle alone, you’ll be able to skip this step.
If having a job is among the legs to your Tripod of Stability, although, you’re going to need to maximize your wage as a lot as attainable.
Why? The extra you earn, the nearer you’ll get to your first six-figure 12 months. There’s no higher manner to do this than to barter your wage.
Take a look at this chart that exhibits how a lot a $5,000 enhance in wage can add up through the years:
Not solely is it a BIG win, nevertheless it additionally units you squarely on the street to incomes extra after only one dialog along with your boss.
And step one to do that is definitely easy — however many individuals nonetheless overlook it: Do good work.
“Firstly, it’s important to ship nice outcomes,” says IWT reader and six-figure earner Enoch Ko. “With out outcomes, no quantity of networking or relationship constructing can get you [to six figures]. That mentioned, it’s important to construct good relationships at work together with delivering nice outcomes.”
“Outcomes and relationships go hand-in-hand,” he continues. “As soon as I had confirmed myself to be a Prime Performer, greater wage was only a matter of time — having common wage discussions with my managers and skip-level managers, figuring out timing with the company planning cycles, and so on.”
When you show your self to be a useful asset to your organization, start to construct two of crucial instruments at your disposal: your community and your observations. Enoch made such an influence he finally moved on to a different position that he was referred to by … his present supervisor.
“It was via constructing good, trusting relationships via delivering nice outcomes that helped,” he says.
One factor that may have a HUGE influence on wage negotiations is exhibiting you’ll be able to add even extra worth sooner or later.
An effective way to do that is just by asking questions of your supervisor:
- What’s one thing that you simply wish to enhance inside the firm — and the way can I assist?
- What traits do you worth probably the most in a brand new rent?
- How can I assist along with your most essential purpose this quarter?
Not solely will this present that you’ve initiative nevertheless it additionally offers you perception into precisely the type of speaking factors that may grand slam your wage negotiation.
One of many largest fears of job seekers is just not realizing what to say in an interview. Discover Your Dream Job consists of word-for-word scripts and breakdowns with actual hiring managers with the intention to nail your subsequent negotiation. Click on right here to study extra.
Motion step: Put together to your wage negotiation
Take a look at our assets all about easy methods to put together to your wage negotiations. A couple of nice locations to start out:
Step 3: Discover a aspect hustle thought
That is the primary barrier holding individuals again from creating their aspect hustle.
In any case, you’re searching for one thing that’s worthwhile and that you simply’re enthusiastic about.
And the Venn diagram between these two issues typically looks like two separate circles.
Fortunately, you have already got worthwhile abilities already. That’s what Christina Nicholson of Media Maven realized when she left her job after years of expertise as a tv information reporter and began working for a PR company.
“Like many individuals, I didn’t have an important boss,” Christina remembers, “and extra consideration was paid to the hours I used to be sitting in entrance of my desk within the workplace as an alternative of the standard of labor I used to be executing.”
That every one modified when sooner or later a shopper got here in to pay his retainer and Christina found that it was greater than what she made in a single month.
“That’s once I realized I may do all of the work AND hold all the cash,” she says. “I didn’t have to work for somebody who prompted me pointless stress. I didn’t have to get trip accredited or be on the receiving finish of an perspective once I wanted to go away the workplace early as a result of I had a sick little one.”
She continues, “I may additionally do different issues, like host native and nationwide TV segments on a contract foundation.”
So she started to construct out Media Maven, her hustle to assist different companies get a deal with on their PR. “After beginning my enterprise,” she remembers, “I noticed what was attainable and it motivated me, much more, to study extra about entrepreneurship and take issues to the following degree.”
That’s not the one manner yow will discover a worthwhile freelancing thought both. In case you are at a loss for the place to start out, try the 30 confirmed enterprise concepts within the PDF beneath. As you scan the record, take into consideration the way you may apply these concepts to your present abilities and hobbies.
Click on right here to obtain your very personal PDF of the 30 confirmed enterprise concepts.
For now, simply select one enterprise thought. It’s okay, you’ll be able to all the time change it later. For now, we’re going to simply attempt one out and attempt to discover a shopper with it.
Step 4: Get your first shopper
In an effort to begin incomes cash, it is advisable to discover the individuals who will provide you with cash to your concepts.
However the query is … how? The place do you discover these individuals?
Naveen’s tactic? Providing mouthwatering worth.
“I used to be actually concerned in numerous entrepreneurial aspirational teams,” he explains. “So entrepreneurs would cling on the market and I’d discover methods I may add worth. I wasn’t making an attempt to pitch or shut offers. I’d simply say that I had a pc science diploma and, ‘I will help you make clear your imaginative and prescient and perceive what it takes to construct it out.’”
“I’ve all the time been useful,” Naveen continues. “I began to seek out that being useful to different individuals builds belief and can end in gross sales. I used to be able the place there was restricted expertise to execute tech initiatives and there wasn’t lots of people to assist aspiring entrepreneurs.”
By doing this, Naveen did two essential issues on the subject of discovering shoppers:
- He went to the place the shoppers lived. By going to precisely the place his goal market frolicked, he was in a position to construct a community of potential shoppers and other people he may assist.
- He provided superb worth. Naveen acknowledged a chance to point out his potential shoppers that he was the person to assist them. This value-add helped him achieve his first few shoppers.
You are able to do the identical factor.
Ask your self:
- Who’s my shopper?
- The place do they go once they need to search for an answer to their issues?
- The place are they ALREADY searching for options to their issues?
- How are you going to join them to your service?
At this level, you’re additionally going to need to area of interest down your goal market to be able to actually tailor your companies and attract prospects. So take into consideration who’s an instance of a shopper who may need to purchase your product.
A couple of inquiries to jump-start your analysis:
- How previous are they?
- The place do they dwell?
- What are their pursuits?
- How a lot do they make?
- What books do they learn?
Utilizing this info, discover out what your shoppers want by going to the locations they go.
For instance:
- In search of bodily or therapeutic massage therapists inside 50 miles of your own home? Yelp ought to get you began simply.
- If you wish to do giant canine grooming and sitting, effectively there’s most likely an area pet retailer or canine park close to you the place house owners are all congregating simply ready so that you can provide them an answer.
Listed here are a couple of strategies of another nice websites freelancers can use to seek out enterprise on-line:
When you discover a potential shopper, you’re going to need to attain out to them and pitch your companies.
Constructing a enterprise, together with a contract enterprise, could be difficult. In Earnable, we’ve damaged down your entire course of. It’s been confirmed over 15+ years, 50+ industries, and 42,000+ paying prospects. It’s a whole system — you get all the precise methods, frameworks, hands-on ways, real-world examples, mindsets, done-for-you templates, word-for-word scripts, and hard-won breakthroughs to start out and develop your individual enterprise. Click on right here to study extra.
Motion step: Discover a shopper and e-mail them (with scripts)
Discover your shopper utilizing the knowledge I’ve outlined above. Let’s say you’re a video editor trying to choose up some aspect work. Right here’s a helpful script you can use (simply exchange the “video editor”–particular stuff along with your talent):
CLIENT’S NAME,
I noticed your submit on X and visited your web site. I seen that you simply’ve not too long ago began utilizing movies too.
I’ve been doing video modifying for 3 years and I’d like to supply that can assist you edit your movies and get them optimized for the net.
That will make them look extra skilled and cargo quicker, which is essential to your readers. And also you’d unencumber time that you can use to create new content material.
We will focus on the small print, after all, however first I needed to see if that is one thing you may be enthusiastic about.
If that’s the case, would it not be okay if I despatched you a couple of concepts on easy methods to assist?
Greatest,
Joe Instance
A couple of takeaways:
- There’s zero fats within the pitch. Each phrase counts and is required to assist actually promote the advantages of working with you.
- Don’t point out fee. There’s nothing that may kill a possible shopper’s curiosity in you greater than pushing costs on them earlier than they’re prepared.
- Stress the advantages. This e-mail exhibits the shopper why it will be of their greatest curiosity to purchase from you within the third paragraph.
When you get a shopper utilizing this e-mail, congrats! You simply secured your first shopper — nevertheless it doesn’t finish there. You could truly do the work for them, and which means frequently including worth.
“Being tremendous conscious of how one can assist individuals and the way they understand you and recognizing that cash will come in case you’re valued by your viewers helps most,” Naveen explains.
Step 5: Spend money on your funds AND your self
Investments can take all shapes and kinds. Let’s stroll via three areas the place you can begin to speculate on the subject of constructing out your six-figure life.
Funding #1: Private finance
That is IWT’s bread and butter. We’ve got in depth assets on the subject of private finance. It’s additionally a vital leg anybody ought to have on their Tripod of Stability.
The simplest solution to get began guaranteeing your private funds are so as is by automating your funds.
That is our system of sending your paycheck the place it must go every month (utilities, hire, cellular phone invoice, and so on.) so that you don’t have to fret about it.
“Being financially conservative, I’ve additionally automated my money stream in order that I mechanically have financial savings and investments,” Enoch says. “I take pleasure in not having to consider financial savings and investments. I take pleasure in with the ability to spend cash with out worrying whether or not I’d have sufficient money to pay for the extremely cyclical quarterly gasoline invoice or bimonthly electrical energy invoice once they come.”
“Automation is extremely essential,” Naveen says. “On the time I used to be drawing a wage from my day job, it was useful to place my belief in a system that made sense and would work out in the long run. On the time, I used to be placing money away in my ING Direct account and my sub-savings accounts. I used to be in a position to see that quantity enhance and I noticed it labored very well.”
Automating your funds solely takes one to 2 hours on the most, however when you set it up, you don’t have to fret about it once more. It’s undoubtedly a key a part of easy methods to make $100,000 a 12 months.
AND it’ll prevent 1000’s of {dollars} over your lifetime.
Funding #2: Your aspect hustle
If you wish to know easy methods to make $100,000 a 12 months, you’re going to need to hustle exhausting. Which means you’re going to succeed in a degree in your aspect hustle the place you’re going to need to put again some cash into it if you wish to develop.
That would take the type of hiring workers, shopping for an internet site area, or getting a mentor / coach as was Christina’s case.
“It sounds cliche, however working smarter as an alternative of working more durable is how I reached six figures,” Christina explains. “How do you’re employed smarter? You encompass your self with people who find themselves smarter than you and have already achieved what you’re working for.”
So she employed a enterprise coach and located somebody to assist her construct out her enterprise.
“I actually did my homework,” she says. “I employed somebody with a workforce of individuals, all of which have been profitable entrepreneurs incomes at the least a number of six figures, lots of their shoppers have been incomes at the least a number of six figures, and the teaching workforce had a really excessive retention charge, which informed me they have to do one thing proper!”
That’s only one instance although. Yow will discover some ways to place a refund into your enterprise to assist it develop.
One nice solution to make investments is to hunt out mentorship or buy a product or a ebook — which brings us to …
Funding #3: Your self
Presumably the perfect funding you can make that may put you on a path to make 100k a 12 months is placing cash in growing your self each career-wise and on a private degree.
“My largest funding is self-care,” Bonnie says. “The very first thing on the calendar every month is Pilates, pole health, massages, day spa visits, {couples} remedy, fast getaways to Desert Sizzling Springs, and so forth. If I’m not my greatest self, I’ve obtained nothing to deliver my shoppers. It’s simply silly essential, as investments go.”
LOVE IT.
Who cares if this looks like a luxurious? Who cares if individuals may scoff on the thought of getting a therapeutic massage? What issues is that YOU need it and that YOU are prepared to work for it.
The easiest way to get began is to start investing in your self. That is one thing individuals not often take into consideration once they begin studying easy methods to make $100,000 a 12 months.
And one factor that you will see quite common with individuals who haven’t taken the time to spend money on themselves and find out how these things works, is they are going to create what’s known as ranges of abstraction.
Somewhat than simply going on to what they need, they are going to create all these completely different ranges of abstraction — like making a Fb web page or a weblog — that make them really feel good, however that truly don’t require them to do the exhausting work.
So, they’ll spend six, 9, twelve months doing one thing irritating after which hand over as a result of they by no means frolicked shopping for a pair good books or shopping for a course.
Incessantly Requested Questions About How To Make 6 Figures
Is it exhausting to make 6 figures?
Constructing as much as or incomes 6 figures is just not straightforward. It would take exhausting work to have the ability to earn that a lot or purchase that a lot wealth. The easiest way to get to $100,000 is by continually rising your internet value and abilities.
What jobs make 7 figures a 12 months?
Right here’s an inventory of jobs that make 7 figures:
- Enterprise Homeowners
- Docs and Different Medical Professionals
- CEOs and Different C-Suite Executives
- Salesmen
- Buyers
- Bankers
- Company Legal professionals
- Actors and Actresses
- Skilled Athletes
- Youtubers and Influencers
At what age ought to I be making 6 figures?
Normally, individuals don’t earn 6 figures till they’re of their 30s. Nevertheless, there isn’t a particular timeline for this and everyone seems to be completely different. Employees in America are normally anticipated to be making 6 figures or extra by the point they’re 30 due to their expertise. There are after all outliers and exceptions to this rule.