How To Make Money on Amazon: 17 Best Ways

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Many know Amazon as the retail giant that seems to sell everything. What people may not know is that Amazon offers many other ways to make some extra cash. According to Oberlo, nearly two million sellers actively use the massive online marketplace. Sellers don’t even need to have their own products to bring in income.

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Amazon offers simple and realistic money-making opportunities ranging from seasonal work, side gigs, remote work, and ways to utilize special skills. If you’re looking for a job change or a side hustle for extra cash, here are 17 ideas on how to make money on Amazon.

1. Fulfillment by Amazon

Sellers can use Amazon FBA to outsource the fulfillment of their sales. The process — recommended for high-volume sellers rather than those selling individual or handmade items — is straightforward. The seller sources items to offer for sale, often through wholesalers like Alibaba. These items can then be privately labeled with the seller’s branding. The seller then ships the products to an Amazon fulfillment center and lists the products on Amazon. When an item is sold, it is shipped by Amazon directly to the buyer. 

Amazon charges $39.99 per month for a Professional Selling Account, and sellers using Amazon FBA pay additional storage and fulfillment fees. Despite this, there is good potential to make money through this program for sellers who can strike the right balance between their wholesale costs and fees and their upcharge on the retail price. 

2. Retail Arbitrage

Arbitrage involves buying a product from a retail store and selling it on Amazon at a markup. Sellers might purchase these products from a retailer such as Walmart or look to an online site such as eBay for products.

Some might describe retail arbitrage as a form of Amazon FBA selling. However, it differs from standard online selling as it involves selling products with one-time availability. Moreover, given that anyone can sell this way, price competition could leave sellers with negligible profit margins. The key to successful retail arbitrage is knowing the market value of popular products and buying them for resale when they’re on sale or at a deep discount.

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3. Wholesale via Business-to-Business Sales

The Amazon Business program helps sellers reach business-to-business customers. To sell through Amazon Business, sellers have to register a Professional Selling Account. Once they’re signed up, sellers can create a business profile and list products, specifically targeting their business and products to the most suitable demographics. Sellers with diversity credentials or quality certifications can add those to their profile, allowing them to reach businesses specifically trying to buy from sellers with their preferred credentials. 

This program works for both high-volume and small business sellers, offering quantity discounts and access to a virtual dashboard that gives insight into what products are selling best and to what type of buyer base. Business sellers who sign up for Amazon Business Prime (starting at $69 per month) receive additional benefits like cash back on a Business Prime credit card, free one-day business delivery and member-only deals and offers. 

4. Sell Used Goods

Under limited circumstances, Amazon allows people to sell used electronics that they no longer use. Sellers can list eligible products and receive payment.

This does not apply to every product, and sellers will receive an Amazon gift card instead of cash. However, for those willing to sell under these conditions, it provides an opportunity to trade in unwanted merchandise for credit toward new purchases.

5. Publish a Book

If you have any skill with words, publishing a book through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing can be an easy and low-effort route to a passive income stream. 

Authors in the KDP program can list an electronic version of their book on Amazon in less than five minutes, and newly listed books are available to Kindle users in less than 48 hours. Amazon does not charge the author to list a book, and author royalties for Kindle sales can be as high as 70%. Through KDP, authors can maximize potential sales by using CreateSpace to make a physical copy of their book or ACX to make an audiobook. One drawback is that Amazon does not handle any marketing, so authors have to cultivate a reader base on their own. 

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6. Sell Under Amazon Private Brands

Amazon can help those who want to launch a private-label brand. Through Amazon Accelerator, sellers can receive support, help with marketing, and an avenue by which they can test products and receive feedback from customers. In exchange, entrepreneurs agree to market their products exclusively with Amazon.

Entrepreneurs have launched a wide variety of products on Amazon Accelerator. Makers of electronics, furniture, clothing, snacks and other products all utilize the service.

7. Sell Handmade Products

One of the smart ways to earn money online is by selling artisan products through Amazon Handmade. Sellers from over 80 countries utilize Amazon Handmade to sell handcrafted goods.

Prospective entrepreneurs are audited in a process to verify the authenticity of the products. Once approved, Amazon allows entrepreneurs to create a shop and list products at no charge. Sellers also receive a custom URL to make it easy for interested buyers to find a specific online shop. Amazon deducts a 15% referral fee for each sale made, but the remaining revenue goes to the artisan.

8. Sell Custom Merchandise

Sellers of custom merchandise also have a home on Amazon. Thanks to Merch by Amazon, customers can create, market, and sell branded merchandise such as T-shirts, mugs, or keychains.

The seller simply has to provide the artwork. After they choose the product type and color, Amazon takes care of production, sales, shipping, and the Amazon product page. Sellers can also promote their products on blogs, social media or apps, and they receive a royalty for any items that sell.

9. Write Reviews

Those who have built a reputation as trusted reviewers may want to consider Amazon Vine. Amazon invites reviewers to become Vine Voices based on a reviewer rank and the rating of the quality and helpfulness of their reviews.

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Moreover, Vine Voices may express their views freely. So long as the review meets Amazon’s posting guidelines, the company will not edit a reviewer’s posting. Although Vine Voices do not receive cash, Amazon provides Vine reviewers with free products from vendors.

10. Becoming an Influencer

Social media can become another potential source of income through Amazon Influencers. Though this is an affiliate program, participants should not confuse this with Amazon Associates. It differs because Amazon Influencers use qualified social media accounts and their own Amazon storefront that showcases product recommendations. Influencers receive a commission on every product they sell.

To qualify, one must obtain a YouTubeTwitterInstagram, or Facebook account and apply. Amazon bases acceptance on the number of followers and other various engagement metrics.

11. Affiliate Marketing

Through Amazon Associates, content creators, influencers, or anyone with a large enough audience can earn up to 10% commission on sales made through the affiliate link on their platform. To be considered for Amazon Associates, creators must regularly publish original content on their own website. Affiliate marketers must also comply with Amazon’s mobile application policy and be active on an approved social media website. 

Prospective affiliate marketers must generate at least three sales within the first 180 days before their application is reviewed. Commission rates vary based on the specific program and the product category of the item. 

12. Sell Professional Services

Amazon Home Services serves Amazon customers who need help with new products. Home Services provides a “white glove” service that helps customers with the assembly or installation of specific products and other customer service-related needs. Home theater services and appliance installation are examples of the services provided.

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Amazon Home Services sometimes closes this service to new applicants. However, interested providers can apply on Amazon’s Professional Services website when positions become available.

13. Crowdsourcing

Amazon allows for crowdsourcing through Mechanical Turk, sometimes known as MTurk. MTurk enables businesses to outsource tasks to a virtual workforce. This allows businesses to hand off assignments on a pay-per-task model.

The companies themselves decide the pay rate, and the work often involves repetitive tasks such as data entry, data validation, surveys, research, and content moderation. However, it can serve as a source of extra money allowing workers to perform on their schedule.

14. Delivery Driver for Amazon

People may also earn money from Amazon by working directly for the company. One way is to become a delivery driver through Amazon Flex. Through Flex, drivers make Amazon deliveries on their schedule. They choose blocks of time on the Amazon Flex app and can adjust work times based on availability.

Those 21 and older who have a valid driver’s license, a smartphone such as Android or iPhone, a mid-size or large vehicle, and live in a city where Flex operates can become Flex drivers. Flex drivers earn between $18 and $25 per hour in most cases.

15. Work for Amazon Remotely

Amazon will pay you to work from home serving as a Customer Service Associate. These associates come from 130 locations in over 40 countries, supporting customers while working from home.

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Associates serve customers in 16 languages, and they help customers with services such as tracking packages, returns, assisting delivery drivers or supporting devices such as the Echo or Fire TV. Associates interact via phone, chat, mobile chat, email or Alexa, so they do not have to worry about a dress code.

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16. Work in an Amazon Warehouse

In 2020, Amazon had nearly $470 billion in sales. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Amazon’s fulfillment and distribution centers need help. There, workers help find, pack and ship goods for Amazon customers.

While this lacks the flexibility of other Amazon-related income sources, the 22% sales growth the company experienced in 2021 should ensure that demand for workers will continue to grow. Salaries start at $15 per hour, and the job benefits can include healthcare coverage and parental leave.

17. Seasonal Work for Those Who Live in RVs

Since sales levels vary, particularly around the holidays, Amazon also needs seasonal workers. To this end, Amazon created CamperForce, seasonal work for those who live in RVs and travel the country.

During such assignments, Amazon will include 401(k) coverage, 90 days of medical and prescription coverage, overtime pay and completion bonuses for those who stay until the end of the assignment. Amazon even offers provisions to cover campground expenses.

Takeaway

If you’re looking for ways to make money on Amazon, you’ll be happy to know there are many options that all depend on your work preferences and schedule. Regardless of what option resonates most, you’ll be part of a large and growing network of customers who trust and rely on Amazon.

Monica White and Cynthia Bowman contributed to the reporting for this article.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.

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