7 AI Courses To Make Up To $5,000/Month Outside Of Your Job

The average U.S. worker’s salary hovers at $62,000. That’s barely enough to survive.

But AI-powered freelancers are using technology to work smarter and double their income, even in less than a year.

If you learn how to apply the right skills and tools, you can generate real traction and build an entirely new side job that acts as supplementary and even passive income.

In this article, you’ll discover AI courses that teach practical, hands-on technical AI skills that you can learn in 30-60 minutes a day, and start making money from clients in 30-90 days.

But before we get into the courses, these are some of the AI skills that are in high demand by employers, according to Coursera:

What AI Skills Pay The Most Money Right Now?

1. GenAI
2. Applied machine learning
3. PyTorch (machine learning library)
4. Computer vision
5. Reinforcement learning
6. Machine learning
7. Prompt engineering

So, whether you’re looking for a job as a full-time employee, or you’re looking for projects as a freelancer, these are the skills that will pay you the most.

In this article, you’ll discover the AI courses that teach a few of these highly monetizable skills, so you can land clients as a freelancer and make extra money on top of your job through providing in-demand services.

7 AI Courses To Make Money Outside Of Your Job

1. Certified Prompt Engineer, by Blockchain Council

• Use this course to master prompt engineering skills that you can apply to side hustle or freelance projects you work on; you can also offer prompt engineering services
• Difficulty level: Suitable for intermediate-to-advanced professionals with tech knowledge

2. Microsoft GitHub AI for Beginners Course

• Use this course to learn AI fundamentals so you can apply it to use cases such as starting an AI consulting business, or using it to improve your workflows within your freelance business
• Difficulty level: Suitable for beginners

3. IBM Introduction to Neural Networks and PyTorch, Coursera

• Use this course to build AI programs and applications, which you can monetize by selling, monetizing in-app, or offering app-building and AI tool-building/integrations as a service
• Difficulty level: Suitable for intermediate-level professionals

4. Build a Machine Learning Model, Codecademy Skill-path

• Use this course to create machine learning models for specific projects and use cases, as a service that you can offer on Upwork or Fiverr
• Difficulty level: Suitable for beginners

5. Applied Machine Learning in Python, University of Michigan

• Use this course to build machine learning models and get into the more technical side of AI consulting services
• Difficulty level: Suitable for intermediate-level professionals

6. Udacity’s Computer Vision nanodegree program

• Use this course to offer data annotation specialist services, create and sell custom solutions for medium-sized businesses, and build apps that utilize computer vision, on behalf of creators or companies
• Difficulty level: Suitable for advanced tech professionals

7. Introduction to Generative AI, Google Cloud

• Use this course to kickstart your journey into AI-powered business ideas
• Difficulty level: Suitable for beginners

For some of these courses, you can still study even if you’re a complete beginner. Others require an intermediate level of knowledge and relevant skill, so are perfect if you already have a tech background.

What’s The Fastest Way To Make Money Through AI Courses?

To turn your certificate of completion into extra income outside of your job, these are the action steps you need to take immediately:

1. Build your portfolio as you learn.
2. Document your progress–the practice projects that you are working on, as well as any extra projects you take on outside of your course. Take note of metrics, such as before and after, wins and results. Build in public. Share your learning journey on social media, especially on LinkedIn.
3. Use these three ChatGPT prompts (from this recent Forbes article) to help you ideate, develop, and launch, a high-value offer for clients:

• ChatGPT Prompt #1: You’re a business coach. Based on [current trends within your niche based on your research] suggest three to five easily scalable passive income ideas. The ideas must solve problems or pain points such as [name the pain points] for [name the target audience], and have high profit margins with minimal ongoing maintenance.
• ChatGPT Prompt #2: You are an operations manager working on the project of developing [your passive income solution]. Your mission is to outline an easy-to-follow step-by-step workflow, including listing tools and resources to automate delivery and fulfilment for [name your passive income solution], keeping the customer experience in view and ensuring their expectations are met and exceeded.
• ChatGPT Prompt #3: You are now my marketing manager, with a strong track record of successfully delivering and executing high-profile, high-growth marketing campaigns online. Create a personal branding plan that frames me as a business entity, not just an individual freelancer. The plan should span over the next six months and include growth strategies with a focus on organic reach and sustainable lead generation, while enabling me to achieve my target of [income target]

How Much Can You Earn Per Month With AI Skills?

AI courses aren’t a magic wand. But through completing them and ensuring they’re aligned with your personal, business, and career goals, you can significantly boost your income over time.

Here are some realistic earnings goals for you, for the short-term:

• Within 30 days-goal: Land your first $500 mini project
• Within 60 days-goal: Secure a $1,000 retainer or sell packages that total $1,000/month
• Within 90 days-goal: Build a consistent pipeline of $3,000/month

Can You Learn AI Skills For Free?

Yes, you can learn AI skills for free, on platforms like:

• Simplilearn (for a selection of courses)
• LinkedIn Learning (if you already have a Premium account all courses are accessible for free)
• Codecademy (for a selection of courses)
• Great Learning

Are Paid AI Courses Worth It?

The short answer is yes. If you want in-depth value, paid courses far surpass free AI certificates and courses. What makes paying for an AI course worth it, is when you have:

• A credible certificate at the end
• AI skills taught by a reputable company (think Microsoft, Google, Coursera)
• In-depth project work (like what you get on Codecademy’s paid courses)

Do I Need A Tech Background To Make Money With AI?

You don’t need to be a coder or software developer to make money with AI. You can make money through projects and freelance jobs that do not directly involve coding, such as AI consulting (which pays as much as $150,000 per project), or integrating AI into your workflow in marketing, training, coaching, etc., to optimize quality, efficiency, and speed of delivery.

Right now, here’s what you can do:

• Choose one course from the list above
• Block out 30-60 minutes daily (or as much as reasonably possible) to study and practice
• Take immediate action to apply what you’re learning to solve real-world scenarios
• Figure out what real clients and companies need
• Develop a solution using AI, to answer their pain point

If you’re ready to get hired and paid consistently, outside of your 9-5, in this economy, you need to stop waiting for the perfect moment. The perfect moment is just an excuse to remain comfortable where you are.

Go ahead, challenge yourself, learn a new AI skill, just like thousands of others are doing right now. If you don’t catch up, these very professionals will be way ahead of you and making more money than you thought was possible, in a year from now. Build your leverage now.