Ask what the number means
A “£100,000 job” claim might describe salary, revenue, bonuses or one unusually successful year. Location, seniority, hours and training costs affect comparisons. Trading gains are not a reliable salary, and a viral comment thread is not a representative earnings survey.
Use a source with a denominator
Official occupation data can provide pay distributions, typical education and work descriptions. US Bureau of Labor Statistics figures are US data, not promises about UK or Nigerian salaries. A median is the middle observation, not a starting wage or a guaranteed outcome.
Calculate the side-hustle contribution
An illustrative activity earns £600 in revenue and costs £250 in materials, £100 in platform charges and £50 in transport. £200 remains before tax and other costs. If it takes 20 hours, that is £10 per hour before those remaining deductions—not £30 per hour based on revenue.
Include the opportunity cost
Training, unpaid administration and time away from another job all belong in the comparison. Consider demand and downside as well as the best-case result. The goal is to assess a feasible path, not to present speculative trading or a single success story as easy income.