Amazon remains one of the most powerful platforms for making money in 2026—whether you want to build a scalable e-commerce business or generate passive income. Amazon amassed $638B in sales in 2024, growing the revenue by 11% compared to 2023.
Wondering how to make money on Amazon?
There are many great ways to do it, so to help you find the best method for you, we will explore 10 proven ways to make money on Amazon.
1. Sell Your Own Private Label Products (Amazon FBA)
One of the most lucrative ways to make money on Amazon is by creating and selling private-label products through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). Around 54% of all Amazon sellers run their business using the private label method. Private label is the process of manufacturing a pre-existing item, putting your branding and logos on it, and selling it to consumers.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) ships and delivers your product to the customer’s doorstep.
How Much Can You Earn?
Most Amazon sellers make at least $1,000 per month in sales, and big sellers can make up to $100,000 each month in sales. 40% of Amazon sellers make $1,000 to $25,000/month, which could mean $12,000 to $300,000 in annual sales.
Private-label FBA businesses offer very high profit potential because you control your cost of goods, branding, and pricing. On average, experienced sellers aim for a 20%–40% net margin after accounting for Amazon fees, storage costs, and advertising expenses.
Why It’s Powerful
- Prime eligibility boosts conversion.
- You can build a long-term, scalable brand.
- Brand Registry protects your IP and gives access to enhanced marketing features like A+ Content, Sponsored Brands, and Brand Analytics.
2. Publish Your Own Books on Kindle (Amazon KDP)
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) allows authors and creators to self-publish e-books and paperbacks directly on Amazon. The only catch is that you have to write something prolific to find success. The key to success is to become a reputable publisher that the audience trusts. It’s a passive income machine once the initial writing and formatting work is done.
In addition to writing, you can create “Low- or medium-content books.” This means creating journals, colouring books, word-search books, planners, and more.
How Much Can You Earn?
Like any selling method on Amazon, the potential for sales is endless. We have heard many authors making as much as $40,000. But it’s ot common, however, $200 to $1,000 is also good enough because it is a very passive way to earn money on Amazon.
Why It’s Attractive
- Very low upfront cost.
- You retain creative control.
- Evergreen potential: once published, your book can continue to earn for years.
3. Sell Wholesale Goods on Amazon
With the wholesale model, you buy established, branded products in bulk from distributors or manufacturers and resell them on Amazon. It is similar to private label, but you don’t have to create branding, and you benefit from the existing demand for the product.
This is one of the most popular ways to make money on Amazon.
How Much Can You Earn?
Reselling wholesale products on Amazon is fairly popular, with 25% of sellers using the wholesale method. Among those, 25% of sellers make $5,000 or more in monthly sales, and 34% of those sellers have profit margins of 20%.
Remember, it is more competitive than private label because you are often competing with bigger wholesalers and sometimes the actual brand. Moreover, the profit depends on the acquisition cost. If you buy the goods for a low price, the profits will be higher.
Why It Makes Sense
- Lower risk: you’re dealing with proven products.
- Faster turnaround: no time needed to build a brand.
- Easier to scale: you can expand SKUs quickly if your supplier relationships are strong.
4. Become an Amazon Affiliate (Amazon Associates)
If you have a blog, website, or social media presence, Amazon Associates (affiliate marketing) is a way to earn commissions by referring customers to Amazon. You generate special links, and when someone makes a purchase, you earn a percentage.
This method gives you the potential to reach thousands of people who may be interested in the products you’re promoting, giving you more chances to earn hefty affiliate commissions.
It is an excellent method, as you leverage your existing reach to generate profits.
How Much Can You Earn?
Affiliates can earn anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to 10s of thousands per month. The commission percentages are often lower and vary depending on the category. The rate typically lies between 3-5% depending on your conversion rates and the volume you receive from sharing these links.
The main factor to earn good money is to have a wide audience. If you have that, you can make good money.
Challenges & Trends
- Commission cuts: Amazon reduced rates in April 2025 across many categories.
- Cookie window remains short (24 hours), so you need consistent traffic and engaging content.
Why It’s Still Worth It
- Very low startup cost.
- Ideal for content creators: bloggers, YouTubers, TikTokers.
- You can earn on entire carts, not just the specific product you linked.
5. Become an Amazon Influencer
Another brand of Amazon Associates Program is their Amazon Influencer Program, where you have your own dedicated storefront on Amazon with products you love and recommend. It is a powerful way to monetize your YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and other social platforms.
The is fairly popular among social media influencers, and the best part is you don’t need a massive following to get approved. Only a couple of hundred followers can get you approved.
You can apply to the program with your social media accounts. If you are applying with Instagram or Facebook, make sure you have a business or creator account.
How Much Can You Earn?
The earning potential is similar to the Amazon Affiliate program. Influencers can earn anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars per month to thousands. But the commission rate can be better; they typically range from 1% per sale
Why It’s Attractive
- Seamless integration with social platforms
- Ability to curate a personal storefront
- High engagement and trust from your audience
6. Flip Store-Bought Products (Retail Arbitrage)
Retail arbitrage means buying discounted products from local stores (clearance racks, outlet malls, etc.) and reselling them on Amazon for a profit. It is the third most popular way to sell products on Amazon, with 25% of sellers using this business model.
For retail arbitrage, you can go to retail stores like Walmart, Target, Barnes and Noble.
How Much Can You Earn?
Retail arbitrage can be competitive and difficult to scale, but it is a fast and low-cost way to start making money on Amazon. In fact 21% of Amazon sellers fo $5,000 or more per month in sales, with 25% having margins over 20%.
This model asks for patience, because you will have to look for sale days like Black Fridays and Christmas discounts to get the best deals.
Why It Works
- Low barrier to entry
- Quick turnover if you find the right deals
- No need to develop or manufacture products
7. Flip Online Retail Products (Online Arbitrage)
Similar to retail arbitrage, online arbitrage involves sourcing products from other e-commerce websites (outlets, flash sales, liquidation) and reselling them on Amazon. With retail arbitrage, you’re limited to physical stores in your area, but with online arbitrage, the possibilities for purchasing inventory are endless.
How Much Can You Earn?
The amount you can make with online arbitrage really depends on how much effort you put into your business. With that being said, 19% of online arbitrage sellers do between $5,000 and $10,000/month in sales.
Just like retail arbitrage, you have to be patient and look for profitable deals to earn a good.
Why It’s Powerful
- No need to physically visit stores
- Scalable with the right tools (reprice bots, sourcing software)
- Great for part-time sellers or side hustlers
8. Sell Handcrafted Products on Amazon Handmade
If you make artisanal crafts, jewelry, decor, or art, the Amazon Handmade program lets you sell directly to Amazon’s millions of customers. The method asks for specific skills and much more effort to stay on top, as you will be producing them yourself.
In addition to being a quality sales platform, Amazon Handmade also gives a massive exposure to your brand and products.
How Much Can You Earn?
63% of handmade artisans earn over $1,000 per month in sales. The earning potential is excellent with Amazon Handmade. Moreover, even after the Amazon fee, sellers can earn over 20% in profits.
Why It’s Valuable
- You’re building a brand on a trusted marketplace
- Access to Amazon’s Prime customers
- Supports creative, handcrafted entrepreneurship
9. Sell Shirts, Hats, Mugs & More via Amazon Merch on Demand
If you have a unique design or a clear idea and don’t want to spend money to create hundreds of them, then Amazon Merch is for you. The service allows you to upload designs into the Amazon database, and then those designs can appear on shirts, tote bags, mugs, hats, and more.
When a sale is made, Amazon takes care of everything from printing the design to shipping.
How Much Can You Earn?
Royalties are typically paid depending on the product’s price. You can earn anywhere between 13% to 37% per sale. You can see Amazon’s full list of Merch Royalties on the Amazon resource page.
Why It’s Great
- No upfront cost or inventory risk.
- Scalable: one design can be listed across multiple products.
- Ideal for designers, artists, and content creators.
10. Sell Items Without Owning Inventory (Dropshipping)
Dropshipping on Amazon means listing products you don’t physically hold. When someone orders, you forward the order to a supplier who ships directly to the customer.
This is the best way to earn money when you don’t have any investment but want to earn money through Amazon. You simply list the product for sale, and once a customer places an order, you buy the product from your supplier at a lower price and have them ship it to the customer.
You, as a seller, earn money without touching or seeing the product.
How Much Can You Earn?
The trick here is to find a reliable and low-priced supplier. Without one, it could be difficult to consistently make good profits.
If you have a good supply of products, then the earning potential is very good. 25% of dropshippers on Amazon do about $1,000-$5,000 in sales per month with 16-20% profit margins.
Why It Can Work (With Caution)
- Very low startup cost
- No inventory risk
- Flexible sourcing and catalog expansion
However, Amazon has strict policies around dropshipping, so it’s essential to follow their rules. Mistakes can lead to account suspension.
Conclusion
So, here are the 10 best ways to make money on Amazon.
If you are serious about building a sizeable side income or a full-time business on Amazon.
Meliora Marketing specializes in helping Amazon sellers, creators, and influencers grow their revenue sustainably. Whether you’re just starting or looking to scale, our team can support you with deep expertise in scaling Amazon stores.
Book a free strategy call with us today to explore which model suits you best—and how we can help you execute it at scale.