A Ford Mechanic Started Answering Car Questions Online for $500 a Month — Now He Makes $170,500 a Year
3 min read · RealCase summary
Chris Pyle was working as a transmission technician at Ford Motor, earning $75,000 a year, when he signed up in October 2006 to answer car-repair questions on JustAnswer, an online expert Q&A site. He made $500 his first month and about $1,000 in each of the next two.
He kept at it alongside his job for six years. By 2012 the online income had passed his Ford salary, so he quit to do it full time. 'For six years, my paycheck was very consistent working here,' he told CNBC Make It, explaining that adding hours reliably meant a bigger check.
In 2023 the 45-year-old from Dickson County, Tennessee, made $170,500 on the platform, an average of about $14,200 a month, with summers his busiest season. The pace is demanding — he works 8 to 10 hours a day, seven days a week — but the money paid for 34 acres of land ($130,000), an RV, and a second home under construction. His goal is to scale back to about 30 hours a week once the house is done.
Key takeaways
- ›Earned $500 in his first month on JustAnswer in October 2006
- ›Quit a $75,000-a-year Ford job in 2012 once the side income was bigger
- ›$170,500 in 2023 — about $14,200 a month
- ›Bought 34 acres for $130,000 and is building a home with the earnings
Original source
Read the original (CNBC Make It via NBC New York)
Next story →
A Medical Student Flipped Thrift-Store Clothes on Poshmark — $117,000 in Sales Paid for Her House
More Side Hustle stories
A Chef Borrowed a Camera and Learned From YouTube — His Food Photography Brought In $133,900 Last Year
Winnipeg chef Sean Audet started food photography in 2018 with a borrowed camera and Fiverr gigs, earning $8,403 that year and $133,900 (USD) in 2022, now charging $1,000 to $17,500 per shoot.
A Part-Time Nurse Spent $40 on Eucalyptus — Her Etsy Shop Now Brings In Over $121,000 a Year
New Jersey endoscopy nurse Megan Walsh turned a $40 pound of eucalyptus into an Etsy wall-decor shop that grew from $78,400 in 2021 to more than $121,400 in 2023, netting her about $60,000 a year.
On a $40,000 Salary, Dog Walking and Freelance Writing Helped Her Pay Off $102,170 in Six Years
Mandy Velez graduated in 2013 with $75,591 in student loans; by stacking dog walking, cat sitting, babysitting and freelance writing on a $40,000 starting salary, she paid off $102,170 including interest by 2019.