Sundas Khalid: From Google Employee to Successful Content Creator
In 2024, Sundas Khalid made a remarkable income, earning $292,000 at Google while also racking up $302,000 from her content creation efforts. Spending only four to five hours a week on her side hustle, Khalid has proven that it is possible to balance a full-time job and a thriving business.
At her job in Seattle, Sundas is a principal analytics lead, focusing on search and advertising. A mother of two and in her 30s, she shared insights about her financial journey in an article published by Business Insider in October 2025.
While her content creation revenue was impressive, it’s essential to understand that this figure represents gross income before deducting her expenses, which include salaries for a virtual assistant and video editors, as well as the cost of equipment. Although she did not disclose her net earnings, when you combine her salary and revenue, the total comes to approximately $594,000.
Career Growth at Google
Sundas’s professional journey has seen significant growth. She started her career as a data engineer at Amazon in 2014, earning around $77,000 in her first year. In the years following, her salary increased substantially. By 2016, she was promoted to a higher role, earning $127,000, and then climbed to the position of data scientist with a salary of $232,000 by 2018, tripling her initial pay in just three years.
Her move to Google in December 2019 came after receiving job offers from both Google and Microsoft. She used the competing offer from Microsoft, which was higher than her previous salary, to negotiate her pay at Google.
Content Creation Journey
Sundas’s journey into content creation began back in 2016 while she was still at Amazon. Initially, she shared her professional experiences on Instagram to connect with other women in tech. However, the real boost came when Instagram introduced Reels in 2020, prompting her to create educational videos aimed at helping others break into the tech industry.
Though she started posting for personal fulfillment and wasn’t initially focused on earnings, brands soon began reaching out for partnerships. In fact, she estimated that around 90% of her content revenue comes from brand collaborations.
In 2023, she expanded her team by hiring a virtual assistant and part-time video editors, allowing her to focus more on content creation and scriptwriting outside her regular work hours. This balance appears to have paid off, with her content earning more than her Google salary.
With a growing audience of over 878,000 followers across various platforms, Sundas’s story highlights how a side hustle can flourish alongside a traditional job, inspiring many to explore their passions while maintaining their careers.
Inspiring Side Hustle Stories
Sundas isn’t alone in her entrepreneurial journey. Many individuals have successfully built side businesses while working full-time. For instance, Scott Goodfriend transitioned from a job at Meta to run a food tour business in New York, while Tanveer Singh evolved from freelance writing at a penny a word to earning $5,000 a month through his craft.
These stories serve as motivation for others who wish to explore their interests and create additional income streams, proving that dedication and creativity can lead to remarkable success.
