Top Side Hustles for Nurses Looking to Earn Extra Money for 2025

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

The nursing profession can be rewarding yet challenging in many ways. Nurses in the United States (US) deal with being understaffed, underpaid, and under stress daily, which are major reasons behind some leaving the field for different jobs. Fortunately for patients, many nurses remain passionate about the profession and, instead, look for other avenues to relieve stress and earn more, such as side hustles for nurses.

To help the backbone of healthcare in their search for profitable part-time jobs, I created this in-depth guide to side hustles for nurses. Explore available part-time jobs in healthcare and other industries, feasible business ideas, and the potential income provided by these ventures. You can also check out how you can start your side-hustle journey, as well as the benefits and risks of entering the entrepreneurial world.

Key Things You Should Know about Side Hustles for Nurses

In May 2024, licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) in the US had a median annual wage of $62,340. Meanwhile, registered nurses (RNs) had $93,600 [US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2025].
While the median annual wages of LPNs, LVNs, and RNs across the US is more than that of all US occupations ($49,500), nurse’s salary may still be insufficient, depending on several factors, including employment location, personal lifestyle, and familial circumstances.
Nurses can find side hustles in several industries, including healthcare, wellness and fitness, education, publishing, and business.

Which side hustles can nurses pursue in the healthcare industry? Side Hustles
Aside from the healthcare industry, what other industries may provide side hustles for nurses? Aside from the healthcare industry, what other industries may provide side hustles for nurses?
What side hustles for nurses are available in industries other than healthcare? Other Industries
What are the best online side hustles for nurses who work night shifts? Gigs for Night-shift Nurses
How much income can be generated through side hustles for nurses? Income Potential
What small business ideas are best for nurses who want to be entrepreneurs? Business Ideas for Nurses
Why should nurses pursue side hustles? Why should nurses pursue side hustles?
What are the risks and benefits of entrepreneurial side hustles for nurses? What are the risks and benefits of entrepreneurial side hustles for nurses?
Are nurses allowed to have side hustles outside of their hospital jobs? Are nurses allowed to have side hustles outside of their hospital jobs?
How can nurses start their side-hustle journeys? How can nurses start their side-hustle journeys?
Other Things You Should Know about Side Hustles for Nurses Other Things You Should Know about Side Hustles for Nurses

Which side hustles can nurses pursue in the healthcare industry?

Nurses can leverage their years of clinical experience and expertise to book side gigs within the healthcare field. The following roles are good options and can also complement advanced career paths, including jobs for MSN MBA nurses:

Nurse Consultant: Nurse consulting can provide you with high earning potential and is often considered one of the best non-bedside nursing jobs. As a nurse consultant, you may review medical records and give out advice on patient care practices. You may also be given the opportunity to assist with legal cases.
Medical Transcriptionist: Nurses may be equipped to work as medical transcriptionists due to their familiarity with medical terminology. This side hustle enables them to convert physicians’ recordings into accurate documentation.
Medical Writer: With their background in patient care and health education, nurses can thrive as medical writers. They can contribute to blogs, journals, or patient education materials.

Aside from the healthcare industry, what other industries may provide side hustles for nurses?

Nurses can explore side-hustle options outside of the healthcare industry. Many find profitable opportunities in other fields that provide flexibility and fresh experiences that are still relevant to their expertise. The following industries are three options:

Wellness and Fitness: With their health expertise and an additional background in fitness, nurses can thrive as health coaches or personal trainers. They can also explore nutrition jobs. These roles enable them to guide clients toward healthier lifestyles while earning extra income.
Education: Nurses can enter the education sector as tutors in subject areas that they are skilled in, such as anatomy, physiology, or test preparation. They can also create online courses to help aspiring healthcare professionals.
Publishing: Nurses with strong writing skills can explore freelance opportunities in health publishing. They can create articles, guides, or patient-education materials for blogs, magazines, and digital platforms.
Business: Entrepreneurial nurses can launch small businesses, such as wellness product lines or consulting services. These ventures allow creativity, independence, and the potential for long-term financial growth.

What side hustles for nurses are available in industries other than healthcare?

Nurses can leverage their skills and interests in industries outside of traditional healthcare roles. Education, wellness and fitness, and business all offer rewarding side hustle opportunities.

Education

Tutor: Nurses can tutor high school or college students in science and healthcare subjects, such as anatomy, physiology, and microbiology, pharmacology, and nursing fundamentals.
Online-course Creator: Skilled nurses can design online courses and post them on learning platforms, such as Udemy and Teachable, for purchase by aspiring healthcare professionals.

Wellness and Fitness

Health Coach: Nurses can guide clients in building healthier lifestyles through nutrition, exercise, and stress-management coaching.
Personal Trainer: With proper certification, nurses can become personal trainers and use their medical knowledge to ensure safe and effective fitness routines.

Business

Nurse Consultant: Entrepreneurial nurses may start consulting businesses, advising healthcare startups or wellness brands.
Small Business Owner: Many nurses sell digital products, scrubs, or handmade crafts on Etsy or Shopify.

The chart below provides visualization of the employment levels of side hustles for nurses in 2024, according to 2025 data from the US BLS.

What are the best online side hustles for nurses who work night shifts?

Nurses working night shifts often need side hustles that are flexible, remote, and easy to manage during off-hours. Online opportunities allow them to earn additional income without disrupting their irregular schedules.

Medical Writer: Nurses can write health articles, blog posts, or patient-education materials on a freelance basis. This side hustle offers flexible deadlines and the chance to share expertise with a wide audience.
Medical Transcriptionist: Nurses can opt to work as medical transcriptionists, converting medical recordings into accurate documentation. In this job, they can apply their familiarity with medical terminology. In 2024, 43,900 medical transcriptionists were working in the US (US BLS, 2025).
Online Tutor: Nurses working the graveyard shift can choose to tutor science and healthcare courses online. Virtual tutoring enables nurses to teach students anywhere, for instance, during the afternoon, after school hours and before their shifts start.
Telehealth Nursing Support: Some healthcare organizations hire nurses for part-time remote roles, such as answering patient questions or providing virtual triage. These jobs allow nurses to leverage their clinical skills while working from home.

The chart below provides visualization of the median annual wages of side hustles for nurses in 2024, according to 2025 data from the US BLS.

How much income can be generated through side hustles for nurses?

In the US, fitness trainers and instructors had a median annual wage of $46,180 in 2024 (US BLS, 2025), making this one of the more profitable side hustles for nurses with a passion for wellness and fitness. Meanwhile, tutors had a median annual wage of $40,090 in the same year (US BLS, 2025). Tutoring can offer steady income with flexible scheduling that fits around nursing shifts.

Moreover, medical transcriptionists across the US had a median annual wage of $37,550 in 2024 (US BLS, 2025). Becoming a medical transcriptionist may be for nurses who want remote, flexible work that utilizes their medical knowledge.

While these figures reflect full-time annual earnings, even part-time engagement in these side hustles can significantly boost a nurse’s income. These are valuable opportunities to achieve financial goals or explore new professional paths.

What small business ideas are best for nurses who want to be entrepreneurs?

Nurses with an entrepreneurial spirit can transform their skills and experience into thriving small businesses. The following are three profitable business ideas for nurses to consider:

Nurse Consultancy: Nurses with years of clinical expertise can start their own consulting business. They may assist law firms with medical cases, advise healthcare facilities on best practices, or work with insurance companies.
Health Coaching Business: Nurses can launch wellness businesses and offer personalized coaching in nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle management. This business enables them to support clients in achieving long-term health goals while running a flexible, client-centered practice.
E-commerce Shop: Nurses can create online stores selling healthcare-related products, nursing accessories, or educational resources. Platforms, such as Etsy and Shopify, make it easy to reach a wide audience and build a brand around their passion.

Why should nurses pursue side hustles?

Pursuing side hustles offers nurses valuable opportunities beyond their primary roles, including the following:

To Supplement Their Income: Many nurses take on side hustles to increase their earnings due to being underpaid, being in debt, having high expenses, or saving for financial goals. Side hustles for nurses provide an additional financial cushion to help nurses reach their goals.
To Explore Other Passions and Skills: Many nurses enjoy branching out into other occupational areas, such as writing, coaching, or entrepreneurship. Having another source of livelihood allows them to express creativity and build new career pathways.
To Have More Flexibility and Control: Unlike traditional shifts, side hustles often enable professionals to decide when and how much they want to work. It can give them better work-life balance while still earning extra income.

What are the risks and benefits of entrepreneurial side hustles for nurses?

Starting an entrepreneurial side hustle can be highly rewarding for nurses, but it also comes with challenges to consider. The following are key benefits and risks:

Benefits

Greater Earning Potential: Owning a business allows nurses to set their own rates and scale their income. It creates opportunities that often exceed what traditional side jobs can provide.
Professional Independence: Entrepreneurship gives nurses the freedom to design their services, choose clients, and build a brand aligned with their values and passions.

Risks

Financial Investment: Launching a business may require upfront costs for marketing, certifications, or equipment. These additional requirements can be a barrier for some nurses.
Time Demands: Balancing a side business with nursing shifts can be stressful, especially if the venture requires significant hours to grow and succeed.

Are nurses allowed to have side hustles outside of their hospital jobs?

Nurses are generally allowed to have side hustles outside their hospital jobs, but important considerations exist. Many healthcare employers do not prohibit side work, as long as it does not interfere with a nurse’s primary responsibilities. However, nurses must review their employment contracts and workplace policies, since some organizations restrict outside work that directly competes with their services.

Additionally, side hustles should not overlap with scheduled shifts or affect patient care. Nurses pursuing healthcare-related side gigs may also need to ensure compliance with licensing requirements and maintain proper liability coverage. With careful planning, side hustles for nurses can be both permissible and beneficial, even opening doors to opportunities such as high-demand business intelligence roles in healthcare that combine clinical expertise with data-driven decision-making.

How can nurses start their side-hustle journeys?

Getting started with a side hustle as a nurse requires planning and strategy to ensure success without overwhelming your schedule. The following are three important steps:

Identify your strengths and passions – Choose a side hustle that aligns with your nursing expertise or personal interests, such as tutoring, health coaching, or freelance writing. This ensures your work feels meaningful and keeps you motivated over time.
Set clear goals and boundaries – Define how much time you can realistically commit without affecting your nursing job or personal life. Establishing limits early helps prevent burnout and keeps your side hustle sustainable.
Research the market and opportunities – Explore demand for your chosen hustle, competition, and potential clients or platforms where you can offer services. Understanding the landscape allows you to position yourself strategically for success.
Start small and scale gradually – Test your idea with a manageable workload before expanding, ensuring you can handle both nursing and side-hustle responsibilities. This approach minimizes risk while giving you room to grow steadily.
Leverage professional networks – Use nursing associations, LinkedIn, and peer groups to find opportunities, referrals, and collaborations. Building strong connections can open doors and accelerate your side-hustle growth.

Here’s What Nurses Say about Their Side Hustles

Val: "I started freelance medical writing as a side hustle, and it’s given me extra income plus a creative outlet. Balancing deadlines with long shifts was tough at first, but the flexibility has made it worthwhile."

Royce: "Teaching CPR classes on weekends has been a rewarding way to use my nursing skills outside the hospital. The challenge was finding time, but the impact I make—and the extra cash—keep me motivated."

Liza: "I launched an online shop selling nursing-themed planners, and it quickly became a steady side income. Learning e-commerce was intimidating, but now I’m more financially stable thanks to a passion project I love."

Key Findings

In May 2024, the median annual wage of medical transcriptionists in the US was $37,550 (US BLS, 2025).
Fitness trainers and instructors across the country had a median annual wage of $46,180 in 2024, while tutors had $40,090 in the same year (US BLS, 2025).
The job-growth rate for fitness trainers and instructors in the US is 12% from 2024 to 2034 (US BLS, 2025).
In 2024, 43,900 medical transcriptionists were working in the US (US BLS, 2025).
The lowest 10% of registered nurses in the US earned below $66,030 in May 2024 (US BLS, 2025).

Other Things You Should Know about Side Hustles for Nurses

What is the best side hustle for a nurse?

The best side hustle for a nurse is one that balances flexibility, income potential, and passion. Options include becoming a medical transcriptionist, a medical writer, a nurse consultant, and an entrepreneur.

What is the highest-paying side hustle?

One of the highest-paying side hustles for nurses is nurse consulting. As of September 2025, nurse consultants in the US make an average annual salary of $118,515 (Glassdoor, 2025). Nurse consultants may work with healthcare organizations and legal firms to provide clinical expertise. In turn, the job offers flexibility, additional income, and networking opportunities.

What is the most profitable business in healthcare?

Health insurance companies may be one of the most profitable businesses in the healthcare industry. For instance, UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) had a net income of $15.4 billion in 2024 (Reiff, 2024).