Are you looking for extra work outside of your regular nursing gig?
If your answer is yes, you’re in luck – there are several side jobs that are perfect for registered nurses.
Whether you’re exploring new career options, wanting to earn extra money, or like to stay busy, we’ve got you covered.
Here are the ten best side jobs for nurses to make extra money.
Best Side Jobs for Nurses
1. Part-Time Telehealth Job
2. Medical Transcriptionist
3. Freelance Writer
4. Part-Time Caregiver
5. Health Coach
6. First Aid Instructor
7. Nursing Student Tutor
8. Work at a Flu Clinic
9. Create and Sell Nurse Merch
1. Part-Time Telehealth Job
This is one of the best side jobs for nurses you should try.
We live in an era where many people would rather chat with a healthcare provider via text or video than go to an office.
And when it comes to minor illnesses and injuries, who can blame them?
With the rise in virtual healthcare comes the need for telehealth workers. And luckily, if you’re interested in a gig like this, your chances of finding a job are pretty decent.
As a telehealth nurse, your duties would include determining a patient’s level of need, giving basic illness and injury care advice, assisting a doctor, and referring patients to specialists.
Here are some of the top companies that hire telehealth nurses to work from home:
According to Salary.com, the average wage for a registered nurse is $37 per hour.
The potential downside to telehealth jobs is that they aren’t flexible positions. Instead, these jobs require you to work a set schedule.
On the bright side, you can find part-time positions, these jobs pay well, and many are work from home.
2. Medical Transcriptionist
Medical transcriptionists listen to medical-related audio and type what they hear into a special computer program.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this job pays $16.96 per hour on average.
To get this job, you need postsecondary education, knowledge of medical terminology, and the ability to type fast and accurately.
While not absolutely necessary, you can increase your chance of finding a job by obtaining the Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) or Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) certification.
Mainly, hospitals and doctors’ offices employ medical transcriptionists. The best places to find these jobs are on regular job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter.
3. Freelance Writer
If you consider yourself a good writer, you can earn a decent income and have a flexible schedule by becoming a freelance writer.
If you’re not familiar, freelance writers create content for various online publications – this includes blog posts, email newsletters, social media content, and more.
As a nurse, you have hands-on experience in the medical world and established authority. Which means companies want to hire you. Businesses in the health and wellness sector pay top dollar to their writers and are primarily interested in writers with healthcare credentials.
There are a couple of ways to go about finding writing jobs – the first is looking on job boards.
Here are a few writing job boards worth checking out:
- Pro Blogger Job Board
- Facebook Writing Group Job Boards
- Blogging Pro
The other way of getting jobs is to reach out and find your own clients. This works best if you already have a network built-up but is effective even if you’re a total beginner.
If you’re a beginner, you’ll need to make a list of companies you’d like to write for. From there, reach out to each company individually and send an email introducing yourself and your services.
As you tweak your strategy, you’ll eventually learn the type of client most likely to hire you and can repeat the process as much as you need.
Here’s how to find freelance writing clients.
4. Part-Time Caregiver
If you’d rather spend your talents on another person instead of an online job, consider becoming a part-time caregiver.
You can get a part-time job working in a nursing home or rehab center. Alternatively, you can offer private services directly to families. You can work with the elderly, kids with disabilities, or adults who just need a helping hand.
To find these jobs, look on traditional job boards or Facebook. You can also post your openings to your Facebook page and let clients come to you.
The very, very unfortunate side of being a caregiver is that even though it’s some of the most important work in the world, it’s low-paying. According to PayScale, the average salary of an in-home caregiver is $13.01 per hour.
5. Health Coach
Do you have it all together when it comes to health and wellness? If your answer is yes, and you like helping others, you can become a health coach.
Health coaches can generalize, providing nutrition and exercise plans for clients, or specialize in coaching individuals with specific ailments.
Aside from providing nutrition and exercise plans, health coaches need to encourage their clients and answer questions as they arise.
According to Salary.com, the average yearly salary for a health coach is about $61,000. But of course, if you’re working as a full-time nurse and doing health coaching on the side, you’re likely to make less.
As far as finding work goes, you’ll need to market yourself to find clients.
You can also sign up to be a coach with a company like Carenet or Noom, but you’ll make less than you would working with private clients.
6. First Aid Instructor
If you’re a nurse, you can also become a first aid instructor.
You can get started by taking an instructor training course with RedCross. After receiving your certification, you’ll be able to teach first aid in schools, workplaces, and more.
Aside from RedCross, there are other credible programs like the American Heart Association, Emergency First Response, and Outdoor Action.
As a First Aid Instructor, you can work a reasonably flexible schedule. Expect to make a little over $36 per hour.
7. Nursing Student Tutor
If you were great at school and love teaching, consider becoming a tutor for nursing students.
As long as you’re a registered nurse yourself, you shouldn’t have any problem gaining employment or finding students to tutor.
Here’s how to find a job as a nursing tutor:
Find Your Own Clients – If you know a lot of nursing students or where they hang out, you can advertise tutoring services. You can offer group tutoring or one-on-one sessions.
Contact Your College – Many colleges hire tutors and supplemental instructors. Depending on your school, you may need to be a student, but that’s not always the case.
Work for a Tutoring Company – You can find tutoring companies both online and in-person to work for. Look on traditional job boards like Indeed or ZipRecruiter for openings.
8. Work at a Flu Clinic
Doctor’s offices and pharmacies are often overwhelmed during flu season. Not only is this the time when everyone is coming in to get a flu shot, but it’s also peak illness season.
As a nurse, you make extra money by working at flu clinics and administering vaccinations.
To find these jobs look on local job boards. You can also reach out to any contacts you have or directly to pharmacies to see what positions they’re trying to fill.
9. Create and Sell Nurse Merch
If you have a crafty side, unleash it and sell gear specific to nurses.
Chances are that as a nurse, you’ve had plenty of on-brand shirts, mugs, and bags targeting you via Facebook ads. While you don’t necessarily have to use ads, you can create your own Etsy shop selling shirts or other custom merchandise.
This will work best if you already have the gear to make the merch. If you do, start creating designs and market them to the nurses you know.
It can take several months for your business to take off, but if you’re consistent and come up with winning design concepts, you can create a great source of income for yourself.
You can also create your own blog to attract customers to your store.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a nurse, there are plenty of great high-paying side jobs for nurses that you can do. Try telehealth or a freelance writing position if you’re looking for the most money.
If you prefer flexibility over everything else, becoming a freelance writer, first aid instructor, or merch creator are all excellent options.
And finally, if you want a side hustle that is not medical-related, check out our list of the 97 top side gigs of the year.
