How to make $50,000 of passive income in 2026

The Australian share market is a great place to generate passive income. But how would you go about pulling in a massive $50,000 a year?

Well, it depends firstly on how much capital you already have behind you to support your endeavours.

The quick way

If you are lucky enough to already be sitting on significant capital, you could make this a reality very quickly.

For example, with a target dividend yield of 5% across a portfolio of ASX shares, you would need a $1 million investment to generate the $50,000 of passive income.

Shares such as APA Group (ASX: APA), Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1), and Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) could be worthy candidates for this portfolio.

But very few people have that sort of balance to play with. So, this route is unlikely to be possible for the average investor. But don’t worry, because there is another way. You just need patience.

The slow and steady way

The most reliable way to reach a $1 million income-producing portfolio is to spend years prioritising growth with ASX shares, not income.

This means owning a mix of quality ASX shares, blue chips, and ETFs, reinvesting dividends, and letting compounding do the heavy lifting.

This stage is where many investors go wrong. Reinvesting dividends can feel counterintuitive when income is the goal, but putting them back into the market in the early and middle stages dramatically accelerates the end result.

A portfolio compounding at around 10% per annum doesn’t just grow steadily, it snowballs. The later years often do more work than the first decade combined.

A passive income plan

To build a $1 million ASX share portfolio with an average 10% per annum total return, you would need to consistently invest $1,000 a month for 23 years.

That might sound like a long time, but the end goal certainly would be worth it. The key is to be patient and disciplined.

Once you have grown your portfolio to the $1 million mark, it is time to switch your focus from growth to income.

As mentioned at the start, transitioning your portfolio so that it averages a dividend yield of 5%, would result in passive income of $50,000 a year.

Foolish takeaway

Making $50,000 of passive income isn’t about finding a magic stock or chasing yield. It is about years of patient compounding, followed by a careful transition to income-producing assets. Build the engine first. Then let it pay you.

The post How to make $50,000 of passive income in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• $5,000 to spare? I’d buy these 5 ASX 200 shares before the end of 2025

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Accent Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa Group and Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.