If you’re a nurse looking to bring in additional income, you’re not alone. According to one survey, 50% of nurses in the US have a side hustle. For many workers, picking up even a small side gig can make a significant difference in their budget and savings. Plus, you can expand your skills and explore different fields. It’s a win-win.
Whether you’re looking for extra hours in patient care or hoping to apply your nursing skills to a different line of work, here are some of the best side hustles for registered nurses to explore.
1. Adjunct nursing instructor
Adjunct nursing teachers lead intro-level classes at nursing colleges—typically on a semester-by-semester basis. Teaching nursing students can be incredibly rewarding and a great way to give back to the nursing community. The average pay for adjunct nursing instructors is $40/hour. To become an adjunct instructor, reach out to local nursing schools or online programs to see if they have any open positions.
2. Camp nurse
Camp nurses serve as on-site health care professionals for all kinds of seasonal gatherings—from recreational summer camps for kids to business retreats for adults—and provide basic medical care for injured or sick campers. Enjoy being a nurse in a beautiful, fun, and nurturing environment. On average, you can earn $39/hour as a camp nurse. Submit your résumé online to organizations like American Summer Camps, the Alliance for Camp Health, or Camp Nurse Jobs to get started.
3. Child care worker
Your nursing credentials in life-saving procedures like CPR, first aid, and the Heimlich maneuver make you a standout candidate for babysitting and nannying. Working with children is fun and can be very rewarding. The average hourly rate for child care workers is $16/hour. Offer your services to friends and family or sign up for organizations like Sittercity and Care.com to advertise to parents in your area.
4. Clinical research nurse
Clinical research trials typically need trained health care professionals to help coordinate between researchers and volunteer patients. In clinical research nurse jobs, you may recruit and onboard patients, administer treatment, conduct in-person focus groups, collect and organize data, or oversee compliance with local and federal regulations. You can make $44/hour on average as a clinical research nurse. Look for job boards at health care facilities where you’ve worked to see what clinical trials are being done in your area.
5. Nurse consultant
With your experience as a registered nurse, you have valuable insights about best practices in the health care industry and the nursing field. Many teams seek medical expertise to improve their operations. Health care organizations, colleges and universities, and even screenwriters on medical-based films and TV shows can all benefit from a nurse’s expertise. You can expect to earn an average of $44/hour as a nurse consultant. Advertise your services on places like LinkedIn to get started.
6. CPR/first aid instructor
Many workplaces and organizations require their employees to receive CPR certification or training in first aid, creating many opportunities for you to teach. The classes are usually only an hour or two and often follow the same curriculum each time. Expect to make between $37/hour on average as a CPR/first aid instructor. Advertise your services to local businesses to get started.
7. Health coach
Health coaches work one on one with clients to help them set and achieve personal health goals. Being a registered nurse gives you a major advantage as a health coach. Health coaches enjoy flexibility and can set their own hourly rate. On average, health coaches make $20/hour, though total earnings can vary widely depending on how you market yourself. Complete a health coaching certification to boost your services and start advertising online.
8. Health writer
If you have a knack for writing, use your nursing background to position yourself as a freelance writer for health websites, blogs, journals, magazines, or social media pages. You can also serve as a subject matter expert—a medical professional who reviews health-related content written by others to verify its accuracy. Freelance health writers make an average of $39/hour. Look into online job boards, Slack groups, or communities for freelance writers to get started.
9. Home care nurse
Many nurses provide health care services to patients outside of a hospital context, administering care and assisting with daily life. In-home patient care is especially common among elderly people, people with long-term illnesses, and people with disabilities. You can expect to make around $36/hour as a home care nurse. Join an organization like the Home Care Association of America or the National Association for Home Care and Hospice to get started.
10. Immunization nurse
Immunization nurses administer routine vaccinations to patients, offering their services part-time in hospitals, clinics, or pharmacies. You can pick up more hours during spikes like flu season, where vaccination spots see significant walk-in traffic. Immunization nurses make an average hourly rate of $39. Apply for a role as a vaccination nurse online at sites like Vivian to get started.
11. Medical transcriber
Many businesses employ transcribers to turn audio or video into written documents. With your nursing education, you are uniquely capable of decoding medical terminology, jargon, and acronyms in healthcare recordings and medical records. Medical transcribers make an average hourly pay of approximately $21. Apply to be an in-house medical transcriptionist for a hospital, build a website advertising your services as a freelance transcriber, or apply to a medical transcription firm to get started.
12. Medical survey taker
For an especially flexible schedule that lets you work from the comfort of your couch, consider answering paid medical surveys. Survey websites like ZoomRx and MedSurvey want survey takers with experience as healthcare providers. Taking surveys allows you to earn a little bit of extra money without leaving home. Rates seem to range quite a bit, with some sources quoting $1 to $6/minute for computer surveys. Sign up on a platform that offers medical surveys to get started.
13. Per diem nurse
Per diem nurses (meaning “by the day” nurses) are supplemental staff who pick up shifts at hospitals, often on short notice to respond to higher patient traffic. Per diem nurses typically receive a higher wage than permanent nurses, making it a great way to make some extra cash. The average hourly salary for per diem nurses is $33/hour. Talk to fellow nurses and supervisors at hospitals in your area, or register with a per diem staffing agency like Nursefinders to become a per diem nurse.
14. Telehealth nurse
Telehealth nurses use video conferencing to assess and assist patients remotely, often working with patients in the healthcare system who live far from the hospital or who struggle to afford in-person appointments. Telehealth nurses have the highest average take-home pay of any other nursing side hustle on this list, making it an excellent option as a nursing side job. Telehealth nurses can earn higher wages per hour, with the average take home at $89/hour nationally. Look for telehealth positions at any previous hospitals you’ve worked at, or apply to telehealth-specific positions at online specialty clinics to become a telehealth nurse.
15. Nursing tutor
Become a nursing tutor to help future nurses prepare for and pass the exam. You can set your own rates and hours as a nursing tutor, inspire and guide new nurses looking to go into the field, and keep your own knowledge up to date. The average hourly rate for nursing tutors in the US is $20/hour. Advertise your skills at local nursing colleges or online to provide one-on-one or group tutoring services.
In conclusion, there are plenty of side hustles for nurses to explore, whether you’re looking for extra income, a change of pace, or a way to expand your skills. From teaching and consulting to writing and caregiving, there are opportunities to put your nursing experience to work in a variety of settings. Consider your interests, skills, and availability to find the perfect fit for your side hustle as a nurse.
