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You can definitely earn money on Amazon if you work for it. It stands to reason though, that the harder you work, the more money you can make and vice versa. The good news is, Amazon offers insane flexibility. I’ll help you find a way to earn money on Amazon that fits your lifestyle.
If you’re looking for ways to earn Free Amazon credits (a few free dollars here and there for trading in old devices, or choosing no rush shipping, for example), I’ve also got you covered there. But this article is about the ways you can use Amazon as a side gig or a full-time job.
Let’s go!
1. Earn $18 – 25 per hour delivering Amazon packages in your community through Amazon Flex.
Amazon Flex is a good way to supplement your income. You’ll select a time block of 3 – 6 hours to make Amazon deliveries in your area. Next, you’ll pick up the packages at an Amazon delivery station near you and drop them off on a route. You can also sign up for 2 – 4 hour time blocks to make Amazon Fresh or Prime Now deliveries.
The guaranteed wage is $15 – 19 per hour, depending on your location — you keep any tips you receive. If you want a little extra cash but you don’t want a part-time job, this is for you.
2. Earn money from home with Amazon Mechanical Turk.
Set up an Amazon Mechanical Turk account using your Amazon profile, and start completing short tasks or surveys for extra cash.
You may think it’s not worth it when you see the small value of each task ($0.10 to a few bucks), but it can add up.
One of my stay-at-home friends is on a tight budget, but she sets aside 30 minutes every day to do Mechanical Turk. She earns about $30 per month of extra money and gets to treat herself to coffee or other small things her family budget doesn’t allow.
3. Earn up to 10% sales commission with Amazon Associates.
If you have a website or a blog, join Amazon Associates and start using affiliate links to advertise Amazon products that you love on your site. You’ll receive 2 – 10% commission on purchases your readers make.
You can also earn bounties, which are flat cash rates for certain items, listed on the Amazon Associates commissions website.
4. Sell your crafts, art, or handiwork on Amazon Handmade.
Have a talent for making 100% handmade items? Apply to sell them on Amazon Handmade.
As the artist, you’ll be charged a 15% commission fee (or $1 minimum) on each sale. Perks include access to Amazon’s traffic, discounted shipping, and fraud protection. If you’re a high-volume seller (40 or more units per month), you can pay $39.99 per month instead of the per unit commission fee.
TIP: Love crafting but hate the idea of storing or shipping your orders to customers? For an extra 8 – 15% fee, you can join Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and have Amazon take care of it all!
5. Look for items on clearance and flip them for a profit.
Anyone can sell up to 40 (new or used) items per month in categories like shoes, toys, electronics, or handbags. You’d be an “Individual Seller.” The idea is similar to Handmade, but applies if you want to flip children’s toys, nursery bedding, or Air Jordans for a profit.
You’d hunt for insanely low prices on items and turn around and sell them on Amazon for a markup (closer to what their regular price would be).
You’ll be charged a commission (of at least $1) on each sale, plus additional costs. You’ll either need to handle your own orders, or pay Amazon the FBA fee to handle it.
6. Or sell your own private label products.
Private label products are all around us. Walmart’s Great Value, Target’s Threshold, Amazon’s AmazonBasics are all examples of private labels. They’re essentially what we call “generics.”
You can create your own private label products and sell them on Amazon using FBA. To do this, look for small, lightweight or uncomplicated items that you can buy directly from a manufacturer and then apply your own label to, and sell. It can be anything from beauty products to small kitchen bowls. Your imagination is the only limit.
Design or have someone design labels and logos for your products and, voila!
TIP: If you need help coming up with ideas or learning how it all works, consider paying for a few months of Jungle Scout (up to $49.99 per month) to learn the ropes. It’s an all-in-one service that helps you learn how to create and sell private label products on Amazon. Cancel Jungle Scout once you have the knowledge you need.
7. Self-publish eBooks through Kindle Direct Publishing for a 70% royalty rate.
Writers, after your story is done, consider self-publishing through KDP. No waiting around for a traditional publisher to decide your story is good. You know it is. So, put it on Amazon and start selling!
One thing to note — when you go to price your eBook, you’ll make the most money if you set it at $2.99 to $9.99 (70% royalty or commission on sales). Your commission is cut in half (down to 35%) for eBooks priced outside that range. So, pricing your book at $0.99 is actually a bad idea — you’ll only get 35% royalty. Price it at $2.99 even if you think that’s too much! The reality is that people are used to paying a lot more than that for an eBook.
Amazon even provides eBook cover options, so your book could be available for purchase within 24 – 48 hours!
8. Hit the road and become a seasonal Amazon CamperForce worker.
Seen the Oscar-winning movie Nomadland yet? The protagonist shows up every winter to work in an Amazon distribution center while living out of her RV. (That’s not a spoiler if you haven’t seen it.)
Amazon CamperForce is seasonal, temporary work that offers full- or part-time benefits. You’d also receive $120 a week that goes toward your RV Campground fees. Not everyone has this flexibility, but it might be a great way to be a nomad and make some money doing it.
