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BlogPractice ManagementSide Hustles for Medical Assistants: Boost Your Income Without Burnout
Burned out from double shifts and financial stress? You’re not alone. The median salary for medical assistants is $44,200 annually. More people in this profession are turning to side hustles than ever before.
Medical assistants possess a rare hybrid of clinical, administrative, and communication skills, which makes them perfect for launching meaningful side jobs that may supplement their income.
Whether you want to earn extra income, explore a passion, or prepare for a career pivot, side hustles offer flexibility without requiring more formal degrees.
This guide offers a complete, actionable resource for medical assistants to find, start, and grow non-clinical or clinical side hustles that match their skills, schedule, and income goals.
Ready to start delivering better patient care?
Join 100,000 healthcare providers who rely on Fullscript to dispense top-quality supplements and labs to their patients.
Learning more about side hustle opportunities for medical assistants helps determine which added income suits your unique needs.
Defining a side hustle
A side hustle can earn extra income besides your main (often full-time) job. It’s not necessarily a second job but a side gig you can do in your free time to pad your wallet.
It could be another part-time job, but scalable side hustles are often opportunities to earn extra cash when it’s convenient for you. Side gigs are a growing economy among medical assistants.
Why side hustles appeal to medical assistants
Side hustles often appeal to medical assistants who desire more financial independence, extra cash to achieve life goals, and avoid burnout from their primary roles—many desire to explore their non-clinical interests to support balance and fulfillment and earn extra money.
Legal and ethical considerations
When choosing a side hustle as a medical assistant, it’s vital to abide by HIPAA/patient confidentiality guidelines, other healthcare regulations, and state laws.
Be sure to verify whether any side work aligns with your state’s scope of practice and licensure requirements.
Be aware of any conflicts of interest with your current employer or other ethical concerns.
Need extra income as a medical assistant? Explore flexible, in-demand side hustles that work around your schedule.
Non-clinical side hustles that fit your skill set
Consider the following non-clinical side hustles that often match your skill set as a medical assistant.
Teaching and tutoring
Want to share your medical expertise in an educational setting? Consider tutoring other medical assistants, being a guest lecturer, or offering CPR, ACLS, or BLS instructional courses.
Becoming an adjunct faculty member may be an option, especially if you hold advanced training or certifications.
Want to develop an online course? Use your medical knowledge and expertise to create the material and consider Kajabi, Teachable, or similar resources to launch your course.
Medical and health writing
Do you love to write and share your medical expertise? Consider creating medical education content for CME platforms, writing for media outlets or health blogs, or publishing children’s books or novels with medical themes.
If pursuing medical writing, ensure content is evidence-based, avoids unsubstantiated claims, and complies with applicable content policies and publication guidelines.
Consulting and surveys
To earn extra side gig cash, share your medical experience and knowledge by offering consulting services for medical startups. Other options include participating in market research panels and taking paid medical surveys. Consider MDLinx, Mescape, and similar opportunities.
Administrative roles
Do you want to use your organizational and administrative skills during your time off from your full-time job?
Consider the following side hustles: virtual medical scribe, virtual assistant, medical transcription, remote chart auditing, or coding. You may need transcription, auditing, coding, or similar side gig certifications.
Ensure that any remote role complies with HIPAA and employer-specific privacy policies.
Clinical side hustles with minimal additional training
If you’re looking for a side hustle without extensive additional training, consider the following options.
Phlebotomy technician
A phlebotomy technician often requires a certification, which you can usually complete within several months.
This role involves collecting blood samples from patients for therapeutic or diagnostic reasons. You might work at a blood bank, clinic, hospital, or similar facility.
Electrocardiogram (EKG) technician
Being an EKG technician involves completing EKG tests for patients with potential heart concerns.
This role may require on-the-job training or a six-week (give or take) certification. Still, it’s a high-demand side gig, especially at cardiology clinics or diagnostic centers.
Surgical technician
Expand your medical assistant credentials by exploring surgical technician roles as a side hustle to pad your bank account.
This path typically requires dedicated training and certification that allows you to provide operating room support during major and minor surgeries.
Home health aide or CNA roles
Due to the aging population, there is an increasing demand for home health aide and certified nursing assistant (CNA) roles.
Furthermore, these positions have low barriers to entry. Consider these side hustle options if you’re seeking extra cash on a per-diem basis in addition to your full-time job.
Business and entrepreneurship opportunities
Starting your own business as a medical assistant can be a simple, fulfilling, and lucrative process.
Launching a health-focused YouTube channel or podcast
Are you comfortable speaking in front of an audience? Launch a health-focused podcast or YouTube Channel addressing wellness tips, behind-the-scenes healthcare information, medical myth-busting, or other trending medical or health topics.
Make extra cash via ad monetization, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, or similar services.
Medical assistant–run online store
Online stores selling medical equipment, medical-themed planners, flashcards, scrubs, IV bags, aesthetics, and more can be a lucrative (passive income) side hustle for medical assistants and other medical professionals.
Use Shopify, an e-commerce platform that allows you to create and manage your online store. You might sell your products on Etsy, Amazon, Bimedis, MediBid, or other e-commerce sites.
Check applicable federal regulations and state laws before selling medical-grade items.
Freelance services
Is writing, training, or coaching your forte? Consider a side gig as a resume writer for healthcare professionals, patient navigation specialists, freelance writing or editing, health coaching, medical writing, consulting, and other freelance services that match your interests or expertise.
Verify local laws and credentialing requirements before offering health coaching or clinical consulting services.
How to choose the right side hustle
Find the perfect side hustle for your personalized needs and goals using the following tips and tricks.
Match with your strengths and preferences
The best side gig for you depends on your clinical skill set vs. your communication or technical expertise.
Choose a side hustle you’re good at, which you enjoy and can stick with long term (or until you meet your financial goals). If you don’t have expertise in your preferred side gig, get the training or certifications needed to succeed.
Evaluate time and income potential
How much time can you dedicate to your side hustle?
Determine this based on your work-life balance goals and establish if you’re best suited for passive vs. active income (or both). Your income potential is based on your current role and the scalability of your side gig.
Start small, scale smart
Grow a new business gradually based on your time, availability, and budget. Start small and use beta testing to gain valuable product or service feedback.
Learn as you go and from others via Facebook groups, networking events, online forums, and similar resources.
Getting started: Tools and resources
Consider the following tools to get started on a new side hustle and bring in extra cash quickly.
Training and certification platforms
If you need additional training or certifications to be qualified for your side gig, browse the courses available at Coursera, MedMastery, or HubSpot Academy.
SEAK (skills, education, abilities, and knowledge) specializes in expert witness resources and training, while the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) is a helpful resource providing industry-specific certifications to healthcare professionals.
Productivity and business tools
Want to start or expand your own business? Consider using Trello or Notion for task management, Canva for creating graphic design projects, Grammarly AI writing assistance, Calendly scheduling software, or similar productivity and business tools.
Be sure to use HIPAA-compliant platforms if working with patient information.
Where to find clients and gigs
If you’re unsure where to find new clients or side gigs, consider looking at local community colleges, LinkedIn, and alumni networks. Indeed, Upwork, and Fiverr provide freelance writing opportunities, and HARO connects journalists with expert sources for stories.
Bonus: Make Fullscript your side hustle!
Are you familiar with Fullscript? It’s the leading platform for delivering whole person care by giving providers a single platform that brings together industry-leading labs, clinically effective supplements, and an intuitive suite of tools to promote adherence and outcomes.
100,000 medical assistants and other healthcare professionals trust Fullscript to manage and prescribe high-quality supplements and industry-leading labs. Fullscript is free to use and delivers patients’ products to your office or their doors.
Once you start a Fullscript account, you will be able to offer a safe and convenient source to patients for trusted wellness products and have access to time-saving features—such as a patient mobile app and auto refill discounts that boost patients’ adherence—helping them stay on track with their wellness journey.
Best of all, Fullscript is a great option for running your own supplement store and earning passive income on every sale! When you open a Fullscript account, you can:
Send online supplement recommendations. Once you set up your Fullscript account, you can begin to send online supplement recommendations to your patients. Fullscript provides you with tools to craft your online treatment plans with personalized instructions, wellness products, and educational resources.
Offer your patients discounts. With Fullscript, help grow your patient base by offering deep discounts.
Get quality you can trust. Fullscript makes it easy for all healthcare providers to confidently recommend the optimal ingredient intake for the intended outcome — one that is safe, effective, and delivered through the highest-quality products.
Expand your care with lab testing. With Fullscript Labs, you can seamlessly integrate functional lab testing into your care model. This new offering allows you to order diagnostic lab tests directly through Fullscript and use the results to create highly personalized, supplement-inclusive protocols. It’s another powerful way to support clinical decisions, monitor progress, and elevate the level of care you provide—all in one platform.
Have questions about making Fullscript your side hustle?Book a demo with a Fullscript expert. We’ll be happy to help you get set up on Fullscript and start running your own online supplement store.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do you still have questions about side hustles for medical assistants? The following information addresses frequently asked questions.
Do I need new certifications for these side hustles?
Not all. Many non-clinical options, like writing or teaching, use your current skills. Clinical roles like phlebotomy or EKG tech may require short certifications.
How much can I realistically earn?
Side hustles may range from $500 monthly (surveys, virtual assistants, etc.) to $5,000+ monthly for online course creation or freelance consulting.
Are remote options available?
Yes! Many roles, such as health writing, survey taking, transcription, and virtual medical assistance, are fully remote.
What’s the fastest way to start?
Freelance health writing or creating online learning tools are often the quickest side gig options for medical assistants—no certifications, overhead, or significant startup costs needed. You might try platforms like Teachable, Medium, Upwork, or Fiverr.
Earnings vary widely based on effort, market demand, and skill level. These platforms offer flexible options but do not guarantee income.
Key takeaways
Medical assistants are uniquely positioned to explore high-value side hustles in teaching, writing, healthcare support, and entrepreneurship. Whether you need extra income, flexibility, or a long-term exit strategy, a side hustle is right for you.
Your training isn’t just a job—it’s a launchpad. You deserve income that matches your skills, dedication, and long-term financial goals.
Explore more career-building tips on our blog and check out our top clinical tools for healthcare professionals
Ready to start delivering better patient care?
Join 100,000 healthcare providers who rely on Fullscript to dispense top-quality supplements and labs to their patients.
The information in this article is intended for healthcare practitioners for educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for informed medical, legal, or financial advice. Practitioners should rely on their own professional training and judgement, and consult appropriate legal, financial, or clinical experts when necessary.
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