"How much can I make with vending machines?" It's the first question everyone asks. And the internet is full of wildly different answers—from "$100/month per machine" to "$10,000/month passive income!"
Let me give you the real numbers based on industry data and my own experience operating machines.
The Quick Answer
The realistic range: Most vending machine owners make between $75-200 profit per machine per month. With 10 machines, that's $750-2,000/month. With 20 machines, $1,500-4,000/month.
But these are averages. Your actual income depends heavily on location quality, product selection, and how well you manage costs.
Income by Number of Machines
Here's what you can realistically expect at different scales:
| Machines | Monthly Revenue | Monthly Profit | Annual Profit | Hours/Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | $1,500-3,000 | $375-1,000 | $4,500-12,000 | 3-8 |
| 6-10 | $3,000-6,000 | $750-2,000 | $9,000-24,000 | 8-15 |
| 11-20 | $6,000-12,000 | $1,500-4,000 | $18,000-48,000 | 15-25 |
| 21-50 | $12,000-30,000 | $3,000-10,000 | $36,000-120,000 | 25-40+ |
| 50+ | $30,000+ | $7,500-20,000+ | $90,000-240,000+ | Full-time + employees |
Key insight: Vending becomes a viable full-time income at around 20-30 machines. Below that, it's better suited as a side hustle or supplemental income.
What Affects Your Income?
1. Location Quality (Biggest Factor)
Location is 80% of your success. A machine in a busy factory with 200 employees will make 5-10x more than one in a small office with 20 people.
- High-traffic locations: $400-800/month revenue
- Medium-traffic locations: $200-400/month revenue
- Low-traffic locations: $50-200/month revenue
One excellent location is worth more than five mediocre ones.
2. Product Selection & Pricing
Stocking the right products at the right prices directly impacts revenue. Energy drinks and premium snacks have higher margins than basic chips and candy.
- Average snack margin: 40-50%
- Average drink margin: 45-55%
- Energy drink margin: 50-60%
3. Operating Costs
Your costs eat into revenue. The main expenses:
- Cost of goods: 40-50% of revenue
- Commission to location: 0-20% of revenue
- Card processing fees: 5-8% of card sales
- Gas/transportation: $15-40 per machine/month
- Repairs/maintenance: $10-30 per machine/month (averaged)
4. Machine Type
Different machines have different earning potential:
- Combo machines (snack + drink): Highest revenue, most versatile
- Drink-only machines: Good margins, high volume in right locations
- Snack-only machines: Lower volume, but lower machine cost
- Specialty (coffee, ice cream): Higher margins, but more maintenance
Real Example: My First Year
Here's what my first year actually looked like:
Year 1 Results (8 machines)
Total Revenue: $42,000
Cost of Goods: -$18,900 (45%)
Commissions: -$4,200 (10%)
Card Fees: -$1,680 (4%)
Gas & Transport: -$2,400
Repairs: -$1,200
Insurance: -$480
Misc Expenses: -$600
Net Profit: $12,540 (~$1,045/month)
That's about $130/machine/month profit. Not life-changing, but solid for a side business requiring 12-15 hours/week.
The "Passive Income" Myth
Let's address the elephant in the room: vending is NOT passive income. At least not at first.
You'll spend time:
- Finding and securing locations
- Buying and transporting inventory
- Servicing machines (restocking, collecting cash)
- Handling repairs and issues
- Managing finances and bookkeeping
It can become semi-passive once you have systems in place and possibly hire help. But expect to put in real work, especially in the first 1-2 years.
How to Maximize Your Income
- Be ruthless about locations. Don't settle for bad spots just to place a machine.
- Negotiate commissions. Start at 10%, only go higher for proven high-traffic spots.
- Optimize product mix. Track what sells and adjust. Cut slow movers.
- Use card readers. Cashless payments increase sales 20-35%.
- Cluster your routes. Minimize drive time between machines.
- Track everything. Know your numbers so you can improve them.
Is Vending Worth It?
Vending can be a great business if you go in with realistic expectations:
- As a side hustle: Yes, 5-10 machines can add $500-2,000/month with part-time hours
- As a full-time business: Yes, but you need 25+ machines to replace a typical salary
- As "passive income": No, not really—it requires ongoing work
- As a get-rich-quick scheme: Absolutely not
The operators who succeed treat it like a real business, track their numbers, and continuously optimize. The ones who fail expect easy money and give up when reality hits.
Track Your Vending Income
VendHub helps you track revenue, expenses, and profit per machine—so you always know exactly what you're making.
Bottom Line
Most vending machine owners make $75-200 profit per machine per month. Scale to 20+ machines and you're looking at a potential full-time income of $36,000-60,000+ annually.
It's not a get-rich-quick scheme, but it's a legitimate business with real profit potential for those willing to put in the work.