How to Make $80,000 a Year Working from Home with Online Courses

Want to make $80,000 a year working from home? It’s not a fantasy. Thousands of people are doing it right now-not by luck, but by building real skills and selling them online. The key? Online courses. Not just taking them. Creating and selling them.

Stop Taking Courses, Start Selling Them

Most people think making money from online courses means signing up for Udemy or Teachable and hoping someone buys their class. That’s not how the top earners do it. They don’t wait for platforms to send them traffic. They build their own audience first.

Think about it: if you’re teaching something people actually need-like how to fix a broken website, how to write better emails for business, or how to manage ADHD while working remotely-you’re not just selling a course. You’re solving a daily pain point. And people will pay for that.

In 2025, the average course creator who makes $80k a year isn’t teaching calculus or yoga. They’re teaching niche skills with high demand: Excel automation for small business owners, TikTok ad copy for local dentists, or how to set up a not-for-profit online store. These aren’t flashy topics. But they’re urgent. And they pay.

Choose a Niche That Pays

Here’s the truth: the more specific your niche, the more you can charge. Trying to teach "how to use Photoshop"? You’re competing with free YouTube videos. Teaching "how to edit product photos for Etsy sellers using Photoshop"? Now you’ve got a real market.

Look at these real examples from 2025:

• A former retail manager in Ohio created a course on "How to Turn Your Garage Into a Shopify Store"-now makes $12,000/month.
• A single mom in Wellington taught "Quick Bookkeeping for Freelancers Using Google Sheets"-she hit $85k last year.
• A retired electrician in Texas teaches "Home Wiring for Smart Homes"-his course sells for $497 and he gets 200 sales a month.

Notice the pattern? Each one solves a problem for a specific group of people. Not "everyone who wants to learn"-but "people who are stuck doing X".

Ask yourself: Who is struggling right now with something you’ve already figured out? That’s your audience. That’s your course.

Build an Audience Before You Build the Course

Most people make the mistake of spending months creating a course, then posting it online and wondering why no one buys it. That’s like building a restaurant, then not telling anyone it exists.

The smart way? Start sharing free value before you even write a single lesson.

Here’s how:

1. Start a LinkedIn or Instagram page focused on your niche. Post one tip a day for 30 days.
2. Answer 10 questions in Facebook groups where your ideal customers hang out.
3. Write a free 5-page PDF guide and give it away in exchange for emails.

Within 60 days, you’ll have a list of 500-1,000 people who already trust you. That’s your launch audience.

When you finally release your course, you won’t be shouting into the void. You’ll be talking to people who already know you, like you, and are ready to buy.

Price It Right-Don’t Undercharge

If you’re selling a $20 course hoping to make $80k, you need 4,000 sales. That’s nearly impossible without a massive ad budget.

But if you sell a $797 course? You only need 101 sales. That’s doable.

Here’s how top earners price:

• $197-$297: Entry-level course with 5-8 lessons. Good for beginners.
• $497-$797: Premium course with templates, live Q&As, and a private community.
• $1,500+: High-ticket coaching bundle with 1:1 sessions and ongoing support.

People don’t mind paying more if they know they’ll get results. And if you show them before-and-after stories-"I went from $2k/month to $15k/month after this course"-they’ll pay without hesitation.

Use What You Already Know

You don’t need a degree. You don’t need to be an expert in the traditional sense. You just need to have solved a problem better than most people around you.

Maybe you:

• Figured out how to automate your client invoicing using Notion.
• Learned how to write sales emails that actually get replies.
• Got your small business listed on Google Maps without paying for ads.

That’s enough. That’s your course.

Record a 15-minute video of you explaining how you did it. Add a downloadable checklist. Upload it to Gumroad or Podia. That’s your first product. Now repeat.

Scale with Multiple Courses and Passive Income

One course won’t get you to $80k unless it’s a home run. But three solid courses? That’s a business.

After you make your first $10k, reinvest it into:

• Creating a second course for a related audience (e.g., if your first was for freelancers, your second could be for small agencies).
• Running a simple ad campaign on Meta or LinkedIn to reach more people.
• Hiring a VA to handle customer emails and course access.

Some creators add subscription tiers: $29/month for access to new templates, live sessions, or monthly updates. That turns a one-time sale into recurring revenue.

One creator in Australia went from $0 to $92k in 11 months by launching three courses, adding a membership, and running targeted ads. She didn’t have a website. She didn’t have a team. She just knew how to solve a problem-and taught it clearly.

Tools You Actually Need

You don’t need fancy software. Here’s what works in 2026:

• Recording: Loom or iPhone camera (no need for expensive mics).
• Hosting: Gumroad (easy), Podia (better branding), or Teachable (more features).
• Email: MailerLite (free up to 1,000 subscribers).
• Payments: Stripe or PayPal-no need for complex gateways.
• Graphics: Canva for thumbnails and PDFs.

That’s it. You can start for under $50/month. No need for developers, no need for a team. Just you, your knowledge, and a plan.

Real Numbers: How It Breaks Down

Here’s what $80k a year looks like in practice:

• Course #1: $497 x 120 sales = $59,640
• Course #2: $297 x 50 sales = $14,850
• Membership: $49/month x 200 subscribers = $11,760/year
• Total: $86,250

That’s not magic. That’s math. And it’s repeatable.

You don’t need 10,000 followers. You don’t need viral content. You just need to help 170 people solve a real problem-and charge them fairly.

Start Today. Don’t Wait for Perfect.

The biggest blocker? Waiting. Waiting to feel "ready." Waiting to have "more experience." Waiting for the "right time."

There is no perfect time. There’s only now.

Open your laptop. Write down one thing you’ve figured out that others are struggling with. Record yourself explaining it in 10 minutes. Upload it. Sell it. Then do it again.

That’s how people make $80k working from home-with online courses. Not by luck. Not by luck. By showing up, solving problems, and charging for it.