Top Paid Open Source Programs To Apply To in 2025(updated)

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Open-source software is software that is made available to the public. Anyone with the correct technical skills can contribute. Programmers can access open-source code, and even no-code folks can make contributions to it.

Open-source software gives anyone the opportunity to contribute their knowledge. Beginners in tech wanting to get real-life experience can also contribute to open source to learn and get the exposure they need.

There are some programs that use this open-source model, where people could contribute to open source and get paid for it. This article will highlight some of the notable open-source programs that pay people to take part in them.

So, if you want to improve your tech experience while also earning a living in the new year, look no further. This article would be valuable to you.

The top paid open-source programs, in no particular order, are:

Google Summer Of Code

This is an open-source program organized by Google where students and non-students take part in open source by building either short-term or long-term projects.
The organizations that are interested submit their projects to Google, and the participants write their proposals to the organizations and reach out to mentors. The organizations are the ones who select the participants, and Google makes the payment. Applications open in December. Google pays a minimum of $1500 for short-term projects, $3000 for long-term projects, and a maximum of $3300 for short-term projects and $6600 for long-term projects, depending on the location of the participants.

Google Season Of Docs

This is an open-source program organized by Google for technical writers. It follows the same pattern as the Google Summer of Code. Qualified participants write for organizations. Google pays a minimum of $3000 for projects. Applications begin around March, and the program runs until the end of the year.

Outreachy

Outreachy is an open-source program that promotes diversity and inclusion. Outreachy aims to support people who are underrepresented in their community. Their programs include data science, cloud computing, documentation, community management, marketing, and so on. The program is open to students and non-students. The program runs twice a year, from May to August and from December to March. Outreachy pays a participant $7000.

Linux Foundation Mentorship Program (LFX)

This program follows the GSOC model, where participants apply to work on projects with organizations. Accepted applicants (mentees) are matched with mentors to guide them as they work on the projects. The program runs in three terms:

Spring: March 1 to May 31.
Summer: June 1 to August 31.
Fall: September 1 to November 30.

Some projects may allow part-time participation, lasting 6 months instead of 3. Payments range from $3,000 to $6,600, depending on the mentee's location.

Major League Hacking (MLH) Fellowship

This is a paid 3-months internship in three tech fields: software engineering, site reliability engineering, and Web3 engineering. Participants gain hands-on software engineering experience and network with other members.
To be eligible, applicants must have participated in an MLH Hackathon or a Global Hack Week event. The program runs yearly in the Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons. Payments are based on individual needs. Interested applicants should apply early.

Linux Foundation Networking (LFN) Mentorship Program

This is a program organized by the Linux Foundation for all aspiring Linux developers. The selected participants get to partake in an open-source project by working on Linux projects. They gain experience and mentorship. Linux pays them for their efforts. Linux pays an unspecified fee to the participants, depending on their location.

Summer Of Bitcoin

This program allows students worldwide to work on Bitcoin projects in development and design. Applications open in February, followed by a bootcamp where selected applicants learn about Bitcoin and take a test. Proposal submissions start in April, and the main program begins in May.

Participants receive a stipend in Bitcoin (BTC). Students who perform well are offered internships or full-time roles.

FOSSASIA Internship

This internship is open to participants in Asia, including students and non-students. It is designed for active members of the FOSSASIA community who are passionate about contributing to and improving open-source projects.

The program lasts 2 to 6 months, with no fixed application timeline. As of now, applications are open. Interns receive a stipend, but the amount is not disclosed.

AsyncAPI Mentorship Program

The AsyncAPI community runs this program to help new contributors get started with open source and support active contributors in becoming maintainers. Participants are mentored as they work on open-source projects and are paid for their contributions.

Mentees are paired with mentors, and the program lasts 4–6 months. Payment is $1,500 per project. There is no fixed application timeline. To stay informed, interested individuals should join the AsyncAPI Slack channel.

Open-Source Promotion Plan (OSPP)

OSPP is organized by the Open-Source Software Supply Chain Promotion Plan of the Institute of Software at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is open to college students worldwide.

Organizations first apply to participate, and then students can apply to work on projects under mentorship. Student applications are open from April 30 to June 4. Payments range from $1,000 to $1,700.

RubyMe Mentorship Program

This paid mentorship program is designed to help new Ruby developers start contributing to open-source Ruby projects. Mentees are paired with mentors for three months to work on projects in their chosen fields.

Participants are paid $75 per hour. There is no specific application timeline. Interested individuals are encouraged to subscribe to the program's newsletter for updates.

Conclusion

The major goal of open-source is to make free contributions, but if there is an opportunity to support yourself financially while doing it, then it is even better. You can apply to these programs if you think you can do it. You will never know where it will take you tomorrow. It is always important to put yourself out there by utilizing every opportunity. I wish you the best of luck and thank you for reading.