Before talking about side hustles, I think you can rephrase your question as "How can I increase my income", not "how can I make money on the side". The reason

Before talking about side hustles, I think you can rephrase your question as "How can I increase my income", not "how can I make money on the side". The reason you should focus on that is that's likely the lowest hanging fruit in this situation. Focus on improving your salary, and then once you've done that, then think about side hustles if you want to. It's awesome that you have a job during this economic time, but 70k a year in NYC isn't enough to be comfortable and is likely not reflective of what you're contributing. There are lots of other posts on HN and elsewhere on improving your compensation so I would suggest looking around at those. How long have you been a developer? My guess is your market salary is at least 100% higher than what you're currently receiving, especially from looking through your post history it's clear you have initiative and drive. Like others are saying here it sounds like you're being taken advantage of--don't make the mistake of sticking around at a company where being compensated/rewarded for your hard work feels like pulling teeth--not saying that's the case but it's something to think about. I would check out HN who is hiring and apply there. Going to your current employer and asking for a 100% raise might be something you would only consider once you have another offer on the table. Don't be bashful about going after another offer--depending on how young you are and when you take into account compound interest you can be freeing decades of your life up later in life. And keep in mind applying to jobs can be competitive in this market--but nobody ever asks about the jobs you didn't get later on.