9 Legit Online Side Hustles for Nurses [$2,000+ per Month]

As a nurse, you have a unique set of transferable skills. Your ability to explain complex topics, think critically, problem solve, and pick up new skills makes you well-suited for a variety of side hustles.

The following are nine of the best side hustles for nurses, each with flexible schedules and the potential to earn you more than your full-time nursing role.

1. Start a Nursing-Focused Etsy Shop (Varies)

Many popular nurse appreciation gifts—like custom candles, sweatshirts, and stethoscope tags—come from Etsy. From handmade products, like embroidered sweatshirts, to products made through print-on-demand, like nurse-themed candles, there’s a diverse range of products.

If you want full flexibility with your side hustle, we recommend starting either a print-on-demand or digital product store. Unlike selling physical products, these stores won’t require you to maintain inventory or physically create and ship the product.

Here are a few nurse-themed products and how much we estimate they’ve earned the seller:

• Nursing School Graduation Candle → $13,465+
• Nurse Sweatshirt → $7,638+
• Nursing School Study Bundle → $6,240+
• Nurse Poster → $1,172+

To get started, check out Kate Robb on TikTok. As a print-on-demand and digital download seller on Etsy, she shares the tips and tricks she’s learned over time with aspiring sellers like you.

2. Freelance Medical Writer ($100+ per hour)

Nurses are experts when it comes to explaining complex topics, making them well-suited to become freelance writers. As long as you have a computer with a wifi connection, you can earn upwards of $100 per hour as a freelance medical writer or editor.

For pharmaceutical, biotech, and other medical companies, it’s crucial to have educated writers on their team. While general writers can research and write a solid health-focused blog, the experience you bring as someone embedded in the field lends itself to much stronger content. This allows you to charge more for your work, while landing clients in need of your specific skill set.

3. Online Tutoring for Aspiring Nurses ($23+ per hour)

Superprof is a platform for tutors to advertise their services for free. As a tutor for nursing school students, you’d have the opportunity to guide them through challenging topics.

If there’s topics you’d prefer to avoid—ehem, pharmacology—don’t worry. You have complete control over the topics you tutor on. You’re also in control of your rates, although nursing tutors on Superprof make an average of $23 per hour.

4. Freelance Social Media Management ($42 per hour)

For many health-related brands, building their social media presence requires a unique team. As the social media manager, you’d need knowledge of both the health topic at hand and how to use social media platforms. The former is challenging to learn quickly, but the latter isn’t. This makes nurses well-suited to become social media managers for health-related companies.

On average, freelance social media managers make between $23 and $42 per hour. You can find clients on platforms like Pangea and Contra.

5. Teach Outschool Classes on Health-Related Topics ($32 per hour)

Outschool is an online education platform connecting curious students to incredible teachers. Available classes range in topic, from instruments, to math, to crafting. As someone with in-depth knowledge of various health topics, you’re positioned to offer a wide range of courses.

Here are a few popular health-related courses on Outschool:

• A Young Man’s Guide to Puberty and Hygiene
• Neuroscience and Mental Health
• Fundamentals of Sports Nutrition for Teen Athletes
• Body Basics: A Journey Into Human Anatomy and Biology

Teachers on Outschool earn an average of $32 per hour, although some earn up to $72 per hour. As a teacher, you’ll have full control over when you offer the classes, how many students you teach, and the rates you charge.

6. Become a Nursing Influencer (Varies)

If your wind-down after work includes a much-too-long scroll on social media, consider becoming an influencer. While building an online community takes time, it can become a side hustle quicker than you think. One study found that influencers earned a profit after just 4.9 months of creating content. Around 12.7 months in, they made enough to take it full-time.

7. Launch Health-Related Courses (Varies)

For many nurses, the ability to make a difference brought them into the field. As an online course creator, the number of people you can help is uncapped because you can sell a course over and over again. There’s no real limit on the number of people that can buy.

There are two ways you could approach this—courses for patients or courses for aspiring nursing professionals. Here’s a couple examples:

Patient-Focused Courses:

• Gut Healing Protocol → $114,734 estimated revenue
• Prenatal and Postnatal Birthing Classes: From Belly to Baby → $273,457 estimated revenue
• At Home With Dementia (A Course for Caregivers) → $11,847 estimated revenue

Nursing Student-Focused:

• Complete Guide to Nursing School for Pre-Nursing Students → $48,300 estimated revenue
• Math for Nurses → $19,546 estimated revenue
• NCLEX Simplified: Respiratory and Endocrine → $20,874 estimated revenue
  

If you’ve built a following on social media, sell your courses through a platform like Kajabi. This allows you to keep 100% of the income. If you don’t have a social media following, list your courses on sites like Udemy. While they’ll take a portion of your sales, you’re able to leverage their already-established online traffic to sell your course.

8. Start a Nursing Blog ($2,000 per month)

According to Productive Blogging, blogs under three years old hardly profit. However, once blogs hit the three- to five-year-old mark, they begin to earn an average of $1,935 per month. At the five- to 10-year-old mark, blogs earn around $5,450 per month.

Keep in mind—many bloggers lack a monetization strategy and create without optimizing for SEO. If you keep these two details in mind, we believe you could monetize way earlier. Check out nursing blogs like Simple Nursing to get an idea of what this side hustle could look like.

9. Start a Nursing Podcast ($700+ per month)

If you enjoy being behind a mic, consider launching a podcast. As a podcast host, you’d record conversations alone or with guests then upload the episodes to platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

One teacher-led TikTok account created a podcast, Teachers Off Duty, amassing over 800,000 followers on social media. They’ve launched a comedy tour, newsletter, and clothing subscription box alongside the podcast, all of which can bring in revenue.

While it’s a flexible and fun side hustle, keep in mind that it takes time to become profitable. According to Fourth Wall, podcasters can earn anywhere from $700 to $13,000 per month depending on the number of listeners they have.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the benefits of starting an Etsy shop for nurses

Nurses can leverage their understanding of the healthcare profession to create targeted products like nurse-themed candles or graduation gifts, which are popular on platforms like Etsy. Starting a print-on-demand or digital product store on Etsy allows for great flexibility, as it eliminates the need for inventory and physical shipping, potentially earning significant income.

How can nurses utilize their expertise as freelance medical writers?

With their in-depth knowledge of medical topics, nurses can excel as freelance medical writers, crafting well-informed content for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. This role allows nurses to work remotely, offering the potential to earn over $100 per hour based on their unique insights and expertise.

What opportunities are available for nurses in online tutoring?

Nurses can use platforms like Superprof to tutor aspiring nurses, sharing their knowledge and guiding students through complex subjects. This flexible work option allows nurses to set their own schedules and rates, with the potential to earn an average of $23 per hour.

Can nurses manage social media for health-related companies?

Yes, nurses can become social media managers for health-related brands, applying their medical knowledge to enhance content quality and engagement. This role is well-suited for nurses looking to use their healthcare expertise in a new way, with the potential to earn between $23 and $42 per hour.

What are some creative ways nurses can share their knowledge outside of direct patient care?

Nurses can create and teach online courses on health-related topics on platforms like Outschool, write and sell health-focused eBooks, or even start a nursing blog or podcast. These platforms offer opportunities to reach a broad audience, share valuable knowledge, and earn additional income while maintaining flexibility in their schedules.