Here's my realistic assessment of whether passive income is actually achievable on a middle-class income.

True passive income — money that requires essentially no time after the initial setup — exists primarily in financial form: dividends, interest, and capital gains distributions from a portfolio.

At a 2% dividend yield on a $500,000 portfolio, you earn $10,000/year in dividends with zero additional work. At $250,000, you earn $5,000/year. These are real numbers but they require significant capital to reach.

Every other 'passive income' source I know of — rental property, courses, content, licensing — involves genuine ongoing time. The time may be less than a full-time job, but it's not zero. 'Low-active income' is a more accurate description.

The honest path to significant passive income: build a large investment portfolio. Everything else is a business, which is fine, but it's a business, not passive income.