Do you want to make money on Amazon? The eCommerce marketplace has exploded in recent years and, according to the latest reports, this growth is expected to continue.
However, you should note that making money online isn’t easy. If you want to build an online business that generates a solid monthly revenue stream, you need to invest a lot of time and effort.
So… if you’re curious, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll show you the 14 best ways to make money on Amazon:
- Private Label Products
- Wholesale Goods
- Amazon Flex
- Kindle Direct Publishing
- Amazon Associates
- Amazon Alexa Skills
- Audiobook Creation Exchange
- Amazon Arbitrage
- Mechanical Turk Program
- Amazon Handmade
- Amazon Home Services
- Amazon Jobs
- Amazon CamperForce
- Merch on Demand
1. Private Label Products
The concept of private labeling is simple – you sell a modified version of an existing product under your brand name. Well-known examples of private label products are easy to find:
- Ikea: “Office Furniture”
- Heyday: “Consumer electronics”
Private label sellers look for top-selling products on Amazon and try to improve these products. Amazon is an excellent marketplace for private labeling because you can use Amazon’s FBA service to outsource storage, shipping, returns, customer service, and more.
To find suitable private label products, you should invest enough time in product research. Once you have found a product, you can search for suppliers on alibaba or AliExpress, and have it sent directly to an Amazon fulfillment center.
You can use an Amazon seller tool that can help you with product research, keyword research, marketing, and more. One of the best Amazon seller tools is Helium 10. Helium 10 offers a free plan or you can take advantage of our 20% discount code for 6 months of the paid version:
If you’re serious about selling on Amazon, check out Kevin King’s Freedom Ticket. This course usually costs $ 997. However, if you use Helium 10, you can access it for free.
Potential Earnings
The average product makes about $ 1,000 to $ 3,000 net profit per month. However, you can scale your business and make tens of thousands per month.
2. Wholesale Goods
Selling wholesale goods is similar to selling private label products on Amazon. However, there is one difference: You don’t sell your own branded products, but rather the products from other brands. Here are the pros and cons of selling wholesale:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| You don’t have to worry about manufacturing, branding, certificates, and so on. | The competition is higher. |
| This saves you a lot of time and allows you to focus on growing your business. | This business model is not as well scalable as selling private label products. |
You can find a wholesaler in various marketplaces. The best place to start looking for a wholesaler is alibaba or AliExpress.
Potential Earnings
As mentioned above, selling wholesale products on Amazon is not as scalable as selling private label products. However, you can still make $ 3,000 to $ 4,000 per month.
3. Amazon Flex
Amazon Flex gives you the ability to deliver Amazon packages as an independent contractor. Accordingly, Amazon Flex is a private delivery service that gives you the opportunity to earn some extra money.
The first step is to download the Amazon Flex app and set up an account. Then, you can search for delivery options that are convenient for you. The Amazon Flex app will show the available deliveries, the expected earnings, and the expected delivery time.
You can use the app to pick up packages at an Amazon location, navigate to the delivery destination and deliver the package. Amazon Flex pays you twice a week via direct deposit, and you can track your payments within the Flex app.
Amazon Flex sends payments on Tuesdays and Fridays to the bank account you specified when you signed up. If you complete a delivery that is eligible for tips, you will receive payment after all tips have cleared (approximately on to two days after delivery).
To be eligible, you must:
- Be 21 or older
- Have a valid U.S. driver’s license
- Have a mid-size or larger vehicle
- Live in a city where Flex operates
- Have an iPhone or Android smartphone
The benefits:
- Hourly wage of $18 -$25
- Flexible working time
- You’re your own boss
You can learn more about Amazon Flex here.
Potential Earnings
The hourly wage is $18 to $25. The shifts usually last five hours, and I’ve heard from several Flex employees that they get paid for all five hours even if they complete their deliveries in a shorter amount of time.
Specifically, you can earn between $90 and $125 by completing one shift per day. According to Amazon Flex, you can work seven days a week. Accordingly, you can make between $2,700 and $3,750 per month.
4. Kindle Direct Publishing
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) allows you to publish your own books on Amazon and then sell them through Amazon. You don’t need a publisher, and you don’t need to invest a huge amount of money.
You can even make money with KDP without writing a book. You can hire a professional author and buy the rights to their book. You can then sell a printed version of the book via Amazon. Amazon prints the book for you and ships it to your buyer.
In addition to Kindle Direct Publishing, there is the option to offer Audible audiobooks. So, you can create an audiobook out of an e-book and thereby attract more attention to your ebook. Later in this article, this option will be explained in more detail.
KDP – Step by Step:
- Register at Amazon KDP
- Write a book or hire an author
- Upload an ebook to Amazon KDP
- Create a cover
Of course, you should think carefully about what book you are going to write. The topic should be in high demand and have low competition so that your book will sell well.
Potential Earnings
Many authors make up to $40,000 per month. However, these authors are professionals, have hundreds of books published on Amazon, and regularly write new ones. If you are just starting, you can earn up to $1,500 to $2,000 per month.
5. Amazon Associates
Affiliate marketing is based on the concept that you refer a product and receive a commission for it. This is exactly how Amazon’s affiliate program, the Amazon Associates Program, works: You recommend a product and the customers buy this product through your recommendation.
For example, you can place links or banners on your website and redirect users to an Amazon product page. As soon as a customer buys a product through your link, you receive a commission for it.
You can sign up for the Amazon Associates Program here.
Earning Potential
Depending on the size of your audience, you can make between $500 and $50,000 per month.
6. Amazon Alexa Skills
Alexa is Amazon’s cloud-based voice assistant. Amazon offers a store for so-called Skills, which can be created by third-party developers. Skills are like apps for Alexa and offer additional features like controlling smart home devices, playing games, or communicating with a bank.
As a developer, you can program your own Alexa Skills and sell them in the Alexa Skill store. You can personally set the price for your skill. You get 70 % of the revenue when a customer buys your Alexa Skill; Amazon gets the remaining 30 %. You can sell your skill as a one-time purchase or as a subscription.
Potential Earnings
Potential earnings depend on how many customers you have. For example, Nick Schwab developed an Alexa Skill with 10,000 paying customers.
The average price of a premium skill subscription is $ 0.99 to $ 1.99, which would be $ 9,900 to $ 19,900 per month, if you have 10,000 paying customers.
7. Audiobook Creation Exchange
Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) makes it easy to produce and distribute your own digital audiobook. ACX has a large network of professional audiobook producers and provides access to actors and studios that can be rented for a fee.
You can then distribute your finished audiobook on Amazon via an integrated distribution option. Overall, you can earn up to 40% in royalties (see details below).
Potential Earnings
The profit margins on Amazon ACX are somewhat more complex and are structured as follows:
For production by a narrator with a one-time fee:
- 40% if you sell exclusively on Audible, Amazon & iTunes
- 25% without exclusive distribution (you can sell your audiobook anywhere)
- You need to pay the narrator a one-time fee
Production by a narrator without a one-time fee:
- 20% profit margin for you (the rest goes to your narrator)
Own production:
- 40% on exclusive sales on Audible, Amazon & iTunes
- 25% without exclusive distribution (you can sell your audiobook anywhere)
8. Amazon Arbitrage
Running an arbitrage business on Amazon means buying items and then reselling them for a higher price on Amazon. Basically, there are two types of arbitrage businesses on Amazon:
- Retail Arbitrage: Purchasing items in retail stores
- Online Arbitrage: Purchasing items through eCommerce
Amazon Arbitrage – Step by Step:
- Create an Amazon Seller account
- Download the Amazon Seller app
- Visit a local retail store like Walmart, Target, or Barnes & Noble or browse online marketplaces
- Use the Amazon Seller app to scan heavily discounted products
- Buy any product that will create at least a 10% profit after fees and shipping costs (more information on this later)
- List your products for sale on Amazon
You should always make sure to you buy products that can be sold for a profit. Basically, your profit margin should be at least 10 %. With Helium 10, you can check the profit margin of every Amazon product.
1. Register for a free Helium 10 account.
2. Download Helium 10’s Chrome Extension.
3. Search for a product you want to sell.
4. Check the profit margin.
5. Make sure that your profit margin is higher than 10 %.
Here’s a list of stores you can visit to search for products:
- Walmart
- Target
- Kmart
- Meijer
- Lowes
- Staples
- eBay
Here’s a detailed article on how to get started with Amazon Arbitrage on Amazon.
Potential Earnings
Unfortunately, retail arbitrage has become very competitive, and Amazon makes it hard to sell well-known brands. However, you can earn $100 to $2000 per month. OnlineSellingExperiment generated $2 million dollars in total revenue from retail arbitrage products in 2019.
9. Mechanical Turk Program
Amazon’s Mechanical Turk Program (MTurk) is a crowdsourcing platform that allows companies to outsource their processes and tasks to professional workers. This can include everything from simple data research to content creation. Amazon receives a fee of 20% to 45% of the amount requesters pay employees for their work on MTurk.
There are already freelance platforms, such as Fiverr or Upwork, where companies can buy services. With the Mechanical Turk Program, Amazon also jumped on this train and now offers its own crowdsourcing platform. To get started with MTurk, you can click here.
Potential Earnings
According to a survey, Mechanical Turk workers earn an average of $10.65 per hour. Basically, your earnings depend on the number of orders you complete and the time you invest.
10. Amazon Handmade
Are you a creative and talented artisan? Then, you have the opportunity to sell your handmade products via Amazon Handmade. To do this, you need to set up an Amazon seller account and then submit an application to join the Amazon Handmade community.
Handmade is especially suited for artisans in the following categories:
- Accessories
- Crafts
- Baby
- Beauty & Body Care
- Clothing
- Shoes & Handbags
- Household
- Garden & Home
- Jewelry & Watches
- Kitchen & Food
- Pet Supplies
- Sporting Goods
- Stationery & Party Supplies
- Toys
It’s free to join the community, create a store, and offer your products. When you sell a product, Amazon charges you a fee of 12 % of the purchase price.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| An artisanal application and audit process to ensure that Amazon is building a business for real needlework. | Amazon Handmade deducts a 15% referral fee on each sale. |
| Participation in Amazon Handmade, creating your store, and listing your products is free. | Application could be rejected. |
| Your profile has a custom URL so customers can easily find your store. | |
| You can promote your products through Amazon Advertising. |
Potential Earnings
The fees on Amazon are higher than the fees on eBay or Etsy. However, as an artisan, you can reach a much larger audience with Amazon Handmade than you can on eBay or Etsy. How much you can earn depends on the items you sell. Accordingly, no exact sum can be determined here.
11. Amazon Home Services
Amazon Home Services is a network of high-quality service providers. Whether you’re a gardener, a plumber, or a craftsman, Amazon Services connects you with people who need you.
You can offer as many services on the marketplace as you want. The important thing is that customers are willing to buy your services and pay your prices. Otherwise, you can’t earn money with Amazon Services.
Each service provider must be insured and have the required licenses. In addition, all service providers are subjected to a safety check. Customers can get information about the expected costs and a satisfaction guarantee through Amazon.
Potential Earnings
Of course, it depends on how many jobs you do. Basically, Amazon Home Services offers the possibility to earn a solid side income.
12. Amazon Jobs
Amazon employees pick, pack, store, and ship products for Amazon and its third-party sellers. Amazon also offers opportunities for students by providing internships and student jobs. In addition, Amazon regularly advertises job openings in other categories. You can check them out here.
Potential Earnings
Amazon has an average starting wage of $18 per hour. You can apply here to work in an Amazon department store.
13. CamperForce
Amazon founded CamperForce to offer travelers the opportunity to do a job from anywhere and make extra cash. Amazon CamperForce allows you to drive across the country, do a job at Amazon, earn money, and then drive to your next destination.
Amazon CamperForce offers great seasonal jobs at a growing number of Amazon warehouse locations across the United States. You can pick, pack, and ship customer orders in a high-tech and safe work environment. All you have to do is apply, reserve your own spot on the campsite, show up, and make money.
Potential Earnings
Amazon offers an hourly wage of up to $18.50, and Amazon also pays for your RV parking space. Amazon pays you once per week.
14. Merch on Demand
Amazon Merch on Demand is a print-on-demand service that prints your designs on t-shirts, sweatshirts, long sleeve shirts, hoodies, zip-up sweatshirts, tank tops, and pop sockets. You can make these designs yourself or check out these merch designs.
As a Merch on Demand content creator, Amazon handles the production, shipping, and customer service for you. You can sign up for Merch here. Here’s how Merch on Demand works:
- Submit your design to Amazon.
- Select a product (t-shirt, hoodie, etc.) on which the design should be printed.
- Set a price.
- Amazon approves your design (or not).
- Customers buy a product with your design.
- Amazon prints your design on a t-shirt, hoodie, etc., and sends it to the customer.
Potential Earnings
Amazon has set prices (that you can choose from) for each product. Depending on the price you choose, you will receive a royalty between 13% and 37%. You can check out all the prices and royalty fees here.
Conclusion – How to Make Money on Amazon
From becoming an Amazon seller to working as an Amazon representative, there are many ways to make money on Amazon. Which is be the best for you depends on your interests and goals.
If you want to build a business, I would say Amazon FBA is the best option for you. If you are an artisan, Amazon Handmade might right for you. There are many great opportunities on Amazon.
If there’s a way to make money on Amazon that we haven’t mentioned in this article, send us a message, and we will be happy to add it to the post!
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
It all depends on how you want to earn money on Amazon. In this article we have listed 14 different ways and mentioned the possible revenues.
There are no limits upwards. The average product brings about $1,000 to $3,000 net profit per month. Of course, you can scale your online business and earn tens of thousands of euros per month.
The Amazon Affiliate Program is based on the concept that you refer customers and receive a commission for it. For example, you can use links or banners to redirect users to an Amazon product detail page.
As soon as a customer buys a product through your link, you receive a commission proportionate to the sales price. The average sales commission is between 7% and 15%.
There is no general answer to this question. Also, it depends on which option you use to earn money on Amazon.
For example, if you want to sell private label products, it will certainly take longer than if you want to earn money as an Amazon representative.
However, according to a survey, Amazon sellers need an average of six months to build a profitable business.
FBA stands for Fulfillment by Amazon. With the FBA service, Amazon takes over the entire logistical order processing for you, i.e. storage, shipping, returns and customer service.
As soon as a customer orders your goods on Amazon, they are shipped by Amazon from an Amazon warehouse. You as a merchant only have to deliver your goods to an Amazon fulfillment center.
