Top Side Hustles for Physician Assistants: Earn Extra Cash While Doing What You Love

Physician assistants (PAs) are uniquely skilled professionals who balance clinical knowledge with a passion for helping others. But what happens when your salary isn’t quite enough, or you crave something more fulfilling outside your regular job?

With median annual earnings of $133,260 and rising student loan debt for many PAs, it’s no surprise that more are turning to side hustles to supplement their income, pay off loans faster, or fulfill personal passions. 

Whether you’re looking for clinical, non-clinical, or entrepreneurial opportunities, side hustles for physician assistants are more diverse and accessible than ever.

This comprehensive guide outlines the best side hustle ideas for physician assistants in 2025, categorized by type, effort level, and potential income, so you can build extra income streams while maintaining a balanced, fulfilling life.

Clinical side hustles for physician assistants

Consider these potentially lucrative clinical side hustles if you’re a PA and need extra cash.

Telemedicine consultations

Starting a telehealth service may offer additional flexibility and income opportunities. However, you must comply with your state’s applicable licensure requirements, malpractice coverage, and telehealth laws.

Offering flexible virtual care is convenient for you and your patients—and can be a lucrative side hustle for PAs.

Adjunct teaching

If you love the benefits of helping others beyond the extra income you’ll receive, consider part-time academic roles in local PA programs. You must first obtain a certification or training, depending on your specific role. 

Aesthetic medicine

Aesthetic medicine is in high demand. Consider exploring aesthetic medicine procedures such as cosmetic injections like dermal filler injections, laser treatments, microneedling, body contouring, or other skin treatments that maximize anti-aging. 

Depending on your state’s scope of practice, these may require additional certification or supervision.

Expert witness work

Are you fascinated by court cases and legal work? Consider becoming an expert witness in legal reviews and court testimonies. 

You can provide specialized knowledge in legal proceedings to help juries and judges understand medical issues—and get paid while you’re at it. 

Insurance reviews and utilization management

Insurance companies and healthcare providers use insurance reviews and utilization management services to determine the necessity and appropriateness of medical treatments, helping to control costs and reduce unnecessary procedures. 

This type of side hustle can earn you extra bucks from the comfort of your home office.

Non-clinical side hustles for PAs

Do you prefer a non-clinical side hustle as a change of pace from seeing patients as a PA? Consider the following options as extra earning potential.

Health coaching

As a certified health coach, you can offer lifestyle support, weight loss services, wellness programs, and more in person or virtually via convenient, secure online platforms. 

However, offering health-related services should align with scope-of-practice regulations and avoid crossing into unlicensed medical advice.

Medical writing and content creation

Being a medical writer or content creator offers flexible hours and convenient work-from-home options. 

Consider blogging, podcasting, being a YouTuber, freelance writing for medical publications, or authoring a printable book or an e-book. 

Online course creation

Create an online course on topics you’re an expert in to earn passive income and help support enhanced community health and well-being. 

Consider taking advantage of Kajabi or Teachable to create your online educational content. 

Public speaking and medical conferences

Don’t mind public speaking? Consider presenting medical material at institutions, conferences, and other events to share your knowledge and expertise. 

Admissions coaching and tutoring

Offer your part-time services as a physician assistant mentor who helps potential physician assistant students get into their desired PA school. 

You can also assist them in becoming successful after being accepted into their program and help them find work after completing PA school.  

Medical consulting and pharmaceutical research

Utilize your experience as a PA by considering industry expertise roles. Offer medical consulting services or partner with other medical professionals to perform pharmaceutical research. 

Medical device sales

Your clinical background as a physician assistant offers numerous advantages over other applicants if you want to move into a full-time or part-time medical device sales role. You can often set your own hours and do this side hustle in addition to your PA job. 

Medical informatics

Are you tech-savvy? Consider a PA side hustle involving tech-enabled healthcare solutions, such as working for companies that implement and train on electronic health record (EHR) systems or other types of healthcare software.

Media appearances and journalism

If you enjoy being in front of a camera or having your voice heard by larger audiences, consider appearing on television shows, news stations, podcasts, or the radio to share your medical expertise or new healthcare trends.

Entrepreneurial ventures

Ready to start your own business to earn extra cash as a PA? Consider these entrepreneurial ventures.

E-commerce and digital products

Selling dietary supplements, other health-related products, or items you produce yourself on Etsy, Amazon, and other e-commerce sites can be a simple way to earn extra income from the comfort of your home. 

Use Shopify to showcase your products or create digital products or services such as recipes, e-books, online courses, meal plans, weight loss programs, and more.

If selling dietary supplements or digital health products, ensure compliance with FDA labeling and manufacturing requirements and FTC advertising guidelines. These ventures can require significant due diligence.

Low-lift, high-reward side hustles

The PA side hustles below are flexible and straightforward, but you can reap great rewards, and your bank account will thank you.

Medical surveys

Believe it or not, taking paid medical surveys can be a lucrative side gig for PAs. 

Examples of platforms offering these services include Sermo, MDForLives, M3 Global Research, Modern MedEd, OpinionSite, and InCrowd. 

Some may require specialized medical knowledge used for market research. 

YouTube and podcasting

Monetize your voice and expertise by becoming a podcaster or YouTuber. Share your medical knowledge or something entirely different based on your hobbies and interests.

For example, do you love gardening, training for marathons, healthy eating, cooking, or traveling? These and similar interests make excellent topics for online video content. 

Affiliate marketing and blogging

Be an affiliate marketer (YouTuber, blogger, etc.) by promoting a business’s services or products to earn commissions on sales generated by your efforts.

How to choose the right side hustle

Choosing the best side hustle for your individualized needs is based on the following factors.

Assessing your time, passion, and goals

Determine how much extra time you have for a side hustle to know which is best suited for your unique situation. 

What are your passions and goals? Do you enjoy helping others, working from home, speaking in front of groups, teaching, writing, or doing research? Find something you love.

Avoiding burnout

While picking up side hustles to earn extra cash can be lucrative and help you get out of debt, too much of a good thing often creates burnout. 

Balance work with your social life and focus on your physical and mental well-being to minimize stress and optimize your well-being.

Legal and ethical considerations

Choose a side hustle that matches your legal and ethical responsibilities. For example, avoid promoting products or services that don’t support health or well-being. Abide by applicable non-compete clauses, practice laws, state regulations, and HIPAA guidelines. 

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 physicians assistants and other healthcare professionals trust Fullscript to manage and prescribe high-quality supplements and industry-leading labs. Fullscript is free to sign up 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 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 protocols 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 labs on Fullscript, you can seamlessly integrate functional lab testing into your care model. This new offering allows you to order diagnostic lab tests directly through Fullscript along with 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.

**Excludes lab tests and services.

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)

Consider the following frequently asked questions about PA side hustles.

Can physician assistants legally operate side businesses?

Yes, but check with your employer and state regulations for non-compete clauses and practice laws.

How much can a side hustle realistically make?

Earnings vary. Some bring in $500 monthly, while others can grow your side hustle to six figures.

Are side hustles sustainable with a full-time PA job?

Absolutely. Especially those with flexible hours or passive income potential.

Key takeaways

• From telemedicine and tutoring to digital products and investing, side hustles for physician assistants are more accessible than ever. The right side gig boosts your income and adds fulfillment and flexibility to your life.
• Start small, stay consistent, and don’t be afraid to experiment. The best side hustle complements your lifestyle and goals and is something you enjoy.

The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical, legal, or financial advice.