Investing in the Stock Market Could Turn Your $10,000 Into $281,000. Here's How.

Investing in the stock market is one of the easiest and most effective ways to generate long-term wealth, and it's easier than you may think to make a lot of money.

You don't need to be a stock market expert or have thousands of dollars per month to invest. By taking advantage of compound earnings, you can potentially turn $10,000 into $281,000 or more with next to no effort. Here's how.

Choosing the right investments

The investments you own will directly affect the returns you're able to earn as well as the growth you'll experience over time.

Short-term investments can sometimes see explosive returns, but they're also less likely to experience consistent earnings over time. Long-term investments may earn lower returns year to year, but there's a better chance they'll see continued growth over the long haul.

If you want a low-maintenance investment that can help you earn a significant amount of money with minimal risk, an S&P 500 exchange-traded fund (ETF) may be the perfect option.

An S&P 500 ETF -- such as the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO -0.07%), for instance -- is a fund that includes the same stocks as the S&P 500 index , and it aims to replicate its performance.

The S&P 500 has faced countless recessions, bear markets, crashes, and corrections over the decades, and it's managed to survive all of them so far. No matter what the future holds, an S&P 500 ETF is extremely likely to recover, making this one of the safest investments out there.

This investment also provides instant diversification, as it contains roughly 500 stocks from major corporations across a wide variety of industries. Some of the largest holdings include stocks like Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft, and by investing in an S&P 500 ETF, you'll own a stake in all 500 of these companies.

Maximizing your returns

The S&P 500 ETF is not just a safer option; it can also help you make a lot of money over time.

Historically, the index itself has earned an average rate of return of around 10% per year, which means all the annual ups and downs have averaged out to around 10% per year over time.

If you were to invest $10,000 right now and made no additional contributions, that money would grow into more than $281,000 over 35 years, assuming you're earning 10% average annual returns.

To really supercharge your savings, though, you can invest just a little each month on top of your initial investment. Say, for instance, you invest $10,000 now, but you also contribute $200 per month while still earning a 10% average annual return. Here's approximately how much you'd have over time, depending on how many years you invest:

Source: Author's calculations via Investor.gov

The more you're able to invest each month and the longer you give your money to grow, the more you can potentially earn.

Investing in the stock market is a fantastic way to generate wealth, but it's best to start sooner rather than later. By choosing the right investments and giving your money decades to grow, you could build a portfolio worth hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.