Nurses have a challenging job with long shifts and changing schedules.
However, with the right side hustle, nurses can supplement their income with a flexible gig that works around their availability.
The key for nurses is choosing side hustles with maximum flexibility that work around changing schedules. Online and virtual gigs allow nurses to use their skills while working from home. Nurses can supplement their income on their terms with this list of side hustles.
Here are 10 of the best side hustles for nurses looking to earn extra money
1. Freelance Writing
🚦Difficulty: Medium
💸 Cost to get started: NOTHING
💰Income Potential: $5k + per month
⏱ Time to Income: 3-6 months +
If you’re a nurse who enjoys writing and learning about new things in healthcare, then freelance medical writing can be a great side hustle for you.
As a nurse, you have insider knowledge of healthcare that is valuable to many companies and organizations. Pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, hospitals, insurance companies, and more all need medical writers to create content.
The benefit of freelance writing as a nurse is you can work flexible hours around your nursing shifts. Many projects can be done remotely so that you can write from home.
How much can you make freelance writing?
Rates for medical writing are often higher than in other industries since it requires specialized knowledge. It’s not uncommon for experienced medical writers to charge $50-100 per hour.
How to get started with freelance writing?
To get started, I’d recommend taking Elna Cains’s FREE 6-day email course to learn the basics of freelance writing.
Then, browse medical writing job boards like Mediabistro to find opportunities. Build up your portfolio by taking on small projects at first.
LinkedIn is also a great way to connect with companies looking for medical writers.
2. Babysitting
🚦Difficulty: Medium
💸 Cost to get started: NOTHING
💰Income Potential: $500 + per month
⏱ Time to Income: Immediate
As a nurse, you have an advantage in babysitting jobs.
Your medical knowledge and experience caring for patients of all ages make you an ideal sitter for families with medically complex children.
Many parents feel reassured about hiring a nurse to care for kids who require medications, breathing treatments, G-tube feedings, or other medical interventions. Even parents of healthy children often prefer to hire nurse babysitters.
How much can you make babysitting?
The pay for nursing babysitters is also higher than average. You can typically earn $15-25 per hour compared to the $10-15 for general babysitters.
The job itself can be relatively low-stress. Many babysitting gigs involve watching sleeping kids while parents are out at night. You may even be able to study or catch up on charts while kids are in bed.
Compared to the high-pressure hospital environment, babysitting offers a nice change of pace while allowing you to utilize your nursing skills. The extra income doesn’t hurt either.
How to get started with babysitting?
With the flexible babysitting schedule, picking up occasional jobs or gigs that work around your nursing shifts is easy.
Sites like Care.com make finding families looking to hire nurse babysitters in your area easy.
3. Dog Walking
🚦Difficulty: Medium
💰Income Potential: $1-2k per month
💸Cost to get started: $200
⏱ Time to Income: 1 month
As a nurse, a dog-walking side hustle allows you to get outdoors, move your body, and decompress from stressful hospital shifts. The flexible schedule also makes it easy to pick up dog-walking gigs around your nursing hours.
Interacting with happy, energetic dogs gives you an emotional boost, too. Their unconditional love and kisses are the perfect stress relief after dealing with challenging patients and families.
How much money can you make for dog walking?
The sky is the limit for how much you can earn walking dogs. Earnings depend on how much time you can commit to dog walking and how many clients you are willing and able to take on.
MuensterBuns from Reddit works an 8-5 full-time job and has been offering dog walking on the Rover app for over a year. They average around $1k monthly in 2023 alongside their regular full-time income.
Another good breakdown of earnings is offered by danilovesdoggos, who charges $25 for a 30-minute walk or drop-in visit, which they sometimes increase to $45 in inclement or sweltering weather. This is an excellent pay rate for a side hustle.
How to get started with dog walking
As with any side hustle, the biggest hurdle is beginning to onboard clients and get yourself and your business off the ground. Rover and Wag Walks can be good places to find local clients and build clientele. Word of mouth can then spread, and you can use client testimonials as a marketing tool to find other direct clients.
You do not need any experience, certificates, or qualifications to begin dog walking. It can pay to get a professional Dog Walker Certificate, such as this online course from IAP Career College.
4. Furniture Flipping
🚦Difficulty: Medium
💰Income Potential: $100 – $4k per month
💸Cost to get started: NOTHING
⏱ Time to Income: 1 month
If you’re a nurse who enjoys doing projects with your hands, flipping furniture provides a creative outlet outside your regular nursing job.
The flexible schedule allows you to refurbish pieces during your downtime on days off.
Use your creativity to paint, stain, or reupholster pieces, then sell them for profit. Nurses often have skills like attention to detail and patience that translate well to refurbishing furniture.
How much money can you make flipping furniture?
Due to the low startup costs, especially if you can source your furniture for free, the only outlay will be on tools and kits, such as lacquer and brushes, to spruce your items up. This means that everything else you make is raw profit.
Although many part-timers can easily make $100 to $300 monthly without too much time commitment, Reddit user MTallent11 does 10 to 20 hours a month and regularly earns between $1k and $1.5k.
Furniture flipping can become highly lucrative by turning it into a full-time business. Eden of Mint Notion explains how you can earn a five-figure monthly income by flipping furniture.
How to get started with flipping furniture
Once you’ve sourced your first pieces of furniture, renewed them to their former glory, and taken great photos, it’s time to sell them.
Listing on local Facebook groups or other classified sites such as Gumtree or Craigslist with photos, prices, and details on delivery or where to collect is a brilliant, free way to drum up interest in your furniture pieces and generate your first sales.
To learn more about how to flip furniture, this course from Flea Market Flipper is a significant investment to help you start and begin your furniture-flipping journey.
5. Pet Sitting
🚦Difficulty: Easy (if you love pets)
💸 Cost to get started: nothing
💰Income Potential: $100 per week
⏱ Time to Income: 1-2 months
For nurses who love animals, pet sitting provides a stress-relieving escape from the intensity of the hospital environment. Caring for pets allows you to focus on comfort, care, and affection versus high-pressure life-or-death situations.
The flexible schedule of pet-sitting gigs makes it easy to pick up jobs around your nursing shifts. Depending on your availability, you can do quick drop-in visits or extended stays at clients’ homes.
Veterinary knowledge from your nursing background is useful when pet-sitting animals with medical conditions or giving medications. Families feel at ease knowing a medically trained professional cares for their fur babies.
How much money can you make pet sitting?
Working as a pet sitter is not one of the best-paid side hustle gigs but one of the most flexible to work around your existing schedule and work commitments. Rates vary, depending on what you choose to do. For example, taking a dog for a walk while its owner is at home or popping in to feed a cat twice a day are less lucrative than caring for a pet full-time for a fortnight.
Reddit user Krentist69 earned $30 weekly walking a neighbor’s dog, which only took an hour and a half. This weekly rate is around $120 monthly and more than $1500 annually, which isn’t a bad earner for little time investment.
Meanwhile, MuesnterBuns shows what’s possible by committing more time to pet sitting, drop-ins, and walks by averaging $1000 monthly in 2023. This has been achieved by fitting in the pet drops around their usual 8 to 5 full-time job.
How to get started pet sitting
You do not need any qualifications or certifications to get started with pet sitting. The best way to earn your first $100 is by signing up with a pet-sitting site, such as Rover, which offers dog boarding, dog-sitting, and dog-walking opportunities, or Pawshake, which works with various pets.
Pet sitting is a brilliant, flexible way to earn additional income to supplement your full-time earnings while indulging your love of animals.
6. Teaching English Online
🚦Difficulty: Medium
💸 Cost to get started: nothing
💰Income Potential: $10 to $40 per hour
⏱ Time to Income: 1-2 months
As a nurse, your strong communication skills make you well-qualified to teach English.
You can provide valuable lessons tailored specifically to medical and healthcare terminology since many international nurses and healthcare professionals want to improve their medical English abilities.
The documentation and patient education you do daily have likely honed your English speaking and writing skills to a level that qualifies you to teach others effectively. The flexibility of online teaching allows you to schedule lessons outside of your nursing shifts as it fits your availability.
How much money can you make from Teaching English Online?
Making money from online teaching depends heavily on how much time you can dedicate. As a full-time hustle, it can be lucrative, while most platforms pay between $15 and $40 per hour, depending on the number of classes you teach and your expertise.
Reddit user hreddi used popular online platforms VIPKid and italki to earn between $2k to $2.5k monthly based on 30 hours a week back in 2020.
More recently, another Reddit user, el-maestro12345, earns between $144 and $360 per session, lasting 45 minutes and an hour. While they limited themselves to an hour or two per day, this illustrates the potential levels you can earn.
How to get started teaching English online
The best way to begin teaching online is to get onto the books of an agency or English tuition websites as a tutor. This way, you can earn regular money through sessions led by these companies, so you don’t have to source your clientele.
However, many of these companies require some qualification before you begin earning money teaching English online.
Look at the TEFL Academy, which offers Level 3 courses for just £149 ($180), leading to a recognized Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification after 120 hours of tuition.
Teaching English online as a foreign language is an excellent way of earning additional money, particularly if you have a certification or teaching qualification to unlock potential big bucks.
7. DoorDash
🚦Difficulty: Easy
💸 Cost to get Started: Low
💰Income Potential: $15-$25/hour
⏱ Time to Income: 1 week
DoorDash allows nurses to earn extra income in their spare time. As a DoorDash driver, you earn money by picking up restaurant food orders and delivering them to customers’ doors.
You get to set your hours and work whenever it is convenient for your schedule. The only requirements are having a reliable car, a driver’s license, auto insurance, and a smartphone.
How much money can you make with DoorDash?
The income potential averages $15-$25 per hour, according to DoorDash, but can vary based on your location, hours, and tips. The pros are choosing your flexible schedule, being your boss, and getting paid quickly via direct deposit. The cons are the driving involved and inconsistent tips. With just 10-15 spare hours per week, nurses can earn an extra $150-$300.
How to get started with DoorDash
Getting started is quick and easy. Submit a DoorDash driver application, complete an onboarding call and background check, download the app, set your availability, and start accepting orders. DoorDash allows nurses to turn downtime into earnings through an incredibly flexible, straightforward side hustle.
8. Medical Interpreter
🚦Difficulty: Medium
💸 Cost to get Started: Low
💰Income Potential: $25-$50 per hour
⏱ Time to Income: 1-2 months
As a nurse, you have extensive medical knowledge that makes you qualified to interpret complex health information between providers and patients accurately.
Many hospitals and clinics rely on medical interpreters to bridge language barriers with patients and often hire bilingual nurses as freelance interpreters.
It is emotionally rewarding to help non-English speakers navigate challenging healthcare experiences and improve health literacy. And you can specialize in your native language or languages you speak fluently.
How much money can you make as a medical interpreter?
The typical pay rates range from $25 – $50 per hour, depending on your language skills and healthcare experience. This is very profitable for part-time work.
How much money can you make as a medical interpreter?
First, research your state’s requirements. Some states require a medical interpreter certification, while others only recommend training. Complete a medical interpreter training program in multiple languages to learn medical terminology, ethics, protocols, etc…
Next, get experience by volunteering at local hospitals, clinics, and nonprofits that serve immigrant populations. Build a portfolio highlighting your interpreting experience, languages, and professionalism.
Finally, apply for part-time medical interpreter roles at healthcare systems and translator agencies. Market yourself to local providers as a qualified nurse who can accurately interpret during appointments, procedures, admissions, and more.
9. Administering Infusions
🚦Difficulty: Medium
💸 Cost to get Started: Low
💰Income Potential: $50-$100 per treatment
⏱ Time to Income: 1-2 months
Nurses are ideally suited for administering infusions as a lucrative side hustle. You know IV, phlebotomy, and pharmacology to provide safe and effective infusion therapy.
This involves administering intravenous medications or fluids like antibiotics, chemotherapy, pain management, hydration, iron, allergy treatments, and more.
Many clinics and pharmacies offer infusion services and hire nurses to handle treatments. You can get part-time work in these facilities or start your mobile infusion business with your existing skills.
How much can administering infusions make?
The pay rate is quite lucrative – often $50-70+ per hour, depending on your experience and certifications. This is a much higher hourly rate than bedside hospital nursing. It’s also a flexible gig that lets you set your schedule. Most infusion clinics are only open on weekdays so that you can pick up shifts around your regular work times.
How to get started administering infusions
To get started as an infusion nurse side hustle, first get certified in IV therapy, phlebotomy, and specific infusion medications through courses from reputable providers.
Next, research your state’s requirements for infusion nurses and obtain any necessary licenses. Then, look for local part-time infusion nurse jobs at clinics, hospitals, and doctor’s offices, or start your own mobile infusion business.
Be sure to market your services widely to local facilities and patients. With proper certification, licensing, and marketing, administering infusions can become a flexible and lucrative side hustle for nurses.
10. Administering Vaccines
🚦Difficulty: Medium
💸 Cost to get Started: Low
💰Income Potential: $30-$50 per hour
⏱ Time to Income: 1-2 months
Nurses are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the high demand for community vaccine administration. With your injection training and pharmacology knowledge, you can easily provide vaccine services as a lucrative and flexible side hustle.
Many pharmacies, public health departments, clinics, and physicians’ offices offer vaccines and hire nurses to administer them.
How much can you make administering vaccines?
Nurses can earn $30 to $50 per hour administering vaccines, depending on experience and location. Some employers may pay per vaccine instead of hourly. Administering just 10-20 vaccines per week, a nurse could earn an extra $300 to $1,000 weekly. Many clinics and pharmacies need weekend and evening staff, allowing you to work around your main nursing job.
How to get started administering vaccines
To get started, research your state’s requirements for RNs providing immunizations. Some states require an additional certification.
Once properly certified, market your vaccine administration services to healthcare providers and community organizations.
Highlight your clinical expertise in providing safe and effective immunization.
11. Basic Life Support (BLS) Instructor
🚦Difficulty: Medium
💸 Cost to get Started: Low
💰Income Potential: $50-$100 per hour
⏱ Time to Income: 2-3 months
Teaching Basic Life Support (BLS) is a great way for nurses to earn extra money while sharing their medical expertise. BLS covers the skills needed to respond to cardiac arrests and choking emergencies.
As a BLS Instructor, you teach courses to certify or recertify healthcare professionals and laypeople in BLS skills like CPR and using AEDs. Classes are offered through the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, hospitals, EMS services, and independent training centers.
How much can you make as a BLS instructor?
BLS Instructors can make $50-100 per hour, teaching 1-3 weekly classes. You set your schedule and rates.
How to get started as a BLS instructor
To become an instructor, you must have at least 2 years of experience in a healthcare profession. You then complete a BLS Instructor course to be credentialed and learn educational best practices. Some travel is required to teach courses at various facilities.
12. PRN Hospice or Home Health
🚦Difficulty: Medium
💸 Cost to get Started: Low
💰Income Potential: $40-$60 per hour
⏱ Time to Income: 1-2 months
Working PRN or part-time for a hospice or home health agency is an excellent side hustle for nurses. Your clinical skills are highly valued in these settings, allowing you to earn great income on a flexible schedule.
Hospice and home health agencies need experienced registered nurses to provide skilled nursing care during visits with patients in their homes. Typical duties include wound care, medication management, disease education, pain management, and more.
How much can you make as PRN or Home Health?
The benefits of PRN hospice and home health nursing are the high hourly pay, often $40-$60 per hour, the flexible scheduling where you choose your days and hours, the meaningful patient care centered around comfort and independence, and the autonomy to function with authority during visits.
How to get started with PRN Hospice or Home Health
Obtain PRN employment with local hospice organizations and home health agencies in your area to get started. Highlight your previous nursing expertise and passion for delivering compassionate community healthcare. With your clinical skills and empathy, PRN work in hospice and home health allows you to earn a great income on your terms while making a difference for patients.