Never have I thought that being a graphic designer could be a side job, but it turns out that there are several ways to make extra money as a designer. From freelance work to teaching online courses, these jobs can help you earn extra cash while you continue to create beautiful designs for clients and projects.
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Freelance
Freelance work is the act of working on a project or job that you are not directly employed by. You will earn money for your services, but it’s not full-time employment.
The pros and cons of freelance design include the following:
It’s flexible: If you have a day job and want to do some freelance work on the side, this can be an option for you because it doesn’t require as much commitment as other jobs would.
However, if your schedule gets too busy and needs to change every week or two, then that could become tricky depending on how much time per week, month, etc. you have available during those times, so make sure before taking this path (if at all).
The pay rate varies greatly depending upon which type(s) people choose when searching through sites like Elance, etc., but generally speaking, most designers earn anywhere from $30 to $100 per hour depending on experience levels.
Become an adjunct professor
If you have a degree in graphic design and have taught at the college level for at least five years, then this may be the perfect side job for you. If not, don’t fret! There are still many ways to monetize your skills as a designer.
You can become an adjunct professor at an online university or even teach part-time classes at local community colleges. In both cases, these positions will allow you to earn money while pursuing your passion for graphic design, and they won’t require any specialized training or certification as other teaching positions do.
Digital Ebooks
If you have a passion for writing and want to share your knowledge with the world, then digital ebooks are an excellent way to do so. Digital ebooks are essentially self-publishing tools that allow writers to create their own books on the web, sell them online, and receive royalties from the sale of each book.
You can write your ebook yourself through Microsoft Word or any other software program like Adobe InDesign if you’re familiar with those programs. It’s also possible to hire someone else who specializes in creating digital copies of books so that they’ll be ready when you publish them in their finished form!
The only thing left up for debate is what kind of content should go into these books. The answer is entirely dependent on the type of person who wants something like this published — whether they’re looking for graphic design knowledge or just plain old advice on how to best use their skill set within an industry; but either way, whether it’s directly related to fashion design (like mine) or something entirely different.
Virtual Assistant
If you have a passion for graphic design but don’t have the time or money to pay for an education, consider becoming a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants work remotely from their home offices. They assist business owners by taking care of administrative tasks and performing research on behalf of the client.
The skills needed to be successful as a virtual assistant include excellent communication skills and the ability to multitask effectively. It’s also important that you are available during normal business hours (and can commit to those hours) because clients usually need your help right away!
As long as your services are free (or just above minimum wage), it’s possible that you could make upwards of $10 per hour while working part-time from home!
Create game artwork
You can design game artwork from home.
If you’re a graphic designer who likes to play video games, then this is the perfect side job for you! You can get paid to design the artwork for different video games and make some extra money at the same time.
The best part is that it’s easy: all you need to do is use graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop (or other similar programs) and then create an image from scratch using their tools.
This will give your work more character than if someone else were doing the same thing just because they had access to those programs in their office—and could take advantage of their skillset without having any training whatsoever!
Work as a technical writer
Technical writing is a valuable skill that can help you land a good job in the tech world. You’ll be an expert at explaining complicated topics, such as software and websites, to people who don’t have a technical background.
The types of technical writing jobs you can do include:
- Create manuals for products (like cell phones and printers).
- Write software documentation (like how-to guides or user guides). This includes any kind of instruction for people who are using your product, whether it’s something like an app on their phone or an appliance in their house! If someone buys one of your products but doesn’t know what they’re supposed to do with it, first off, you’d write this guide so that person won’t get stuck!
What skills are needed? You should have good grammar skills and be able to express yourself clearly; this means knowing how words work together—whether they sound like they mean one thing but actually mean another (“I’m sorry”) versus “I am sorry,” which sounds more formal but isn’t necessarily correct (unless used sarcastically).
You also need excellent organization skills because there’s no room for sloppy writing when trying to not only explain things clearly but also keep track of them!

Online teaching and e-courses
Online teaching is another great way to make extra money as a graphic designer. You can teach about any topic and make money from your own courses or from selling other people’s courses.
Online teaching sites like Udemy allow you to create your own course, which means that thousands of people will be able to purchase it for free! This is a great way for graphic designers who are looking for ways to earn some extra cash on the side while they work full-time in the industry.
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Conclusion
I hope that this list of side jobs for graphic designers has been helpful to you. If you’re looking for more ways to earn some extra money, try searching the internet for “graphic design freelance opportunities” or “graphic design teaching gigs.” You might be surprised at all the options out there!
Your resume should be a testament to the hard work you’ve put into your career so far, and it should showcase what makes you stand out from the crowd. Take some time to review your resume in order to make sure that all of your relevant skills are listed and highlighted correctly—you never know when an employer will be looking for someone with just those qualifications!
If you need help with your resume, we have a team of experts who can help you with the layout and design of your document. We’re here to make sure that your resume is as professional and polished as possible.