10 Side Hustles for Scientists to Make Money Outside the Lab

If you’re an educator with a knack for breaking down complex scientific concepts into digestible lessons, a teaching-related side hustle would be a great fit.

Consider one of the following types of gigs:

Tutoring and mentoring

Earning potential: $15–$30 per hour

What it is and how it works: You can tutor or mentor aspiring scientists, such as college or PhD students, helping them round out their knowledge and potentially giving them career guidance. You can offer online sessions or in-person sessions—whichever you prefer.

What you’ll need: To thrive as a tutor, you should be able to explain and simplify scientific concepts. Patience is also important when you engage in any form of tutoring, and science tutoring is no exception.

If you plan on holding online sessions, you should be comfortable using video conferencing tools like Zoom or Skype. You’ll also need to be familiar with virtual whiteboard tools (e.g., Bitpaper).

How to get started: You can start by setting up a profile on a tutoring platform, such as:

• Tutor.com
• Varsity Tutors
• Wyzant
• PearDeck (formerly TutorMe)
• Study.com

If you work in a university, you can also put out the word in your department and let students come to you.

Hosting webinars or workshops

Earning potential: Varies, potentially $100+ per person

What it is and how it works: Webinars and workshops are interactive presentations that can either be live or pre-recorded. Participants can engage with your material and network with other attendees.

Hosting events like this is a good way to share your knowledge with a wider audience than you can realistically reach through tutoring.

What you’ll need: To get started, you’ll need to be comfortable using webinar platforms like Webex Webinars so that you can deliver engaging and effective presentations.

You also need an idea of what, exactly, you’re going to present—what’s going to draw your audience to your webinar or workshop? What topics will they come to hear you talk about, and is there anything else you can offer to grab their attention? For example, you could give your guests an exclusive look at research you’re conducting or feature a guest appearance from another prominent scientist in your field.

How to get started: To kick things off, brainstorm ideas for your webinar content. The next step will obviously be to actually put your event together, which will take some doing. When you’re finished, you can promote your webinar through social media, email marketing, or tap into your professional and academic network.

Earning potential: Varies

What it is and how it works: If you’re tech-savvy and want to reach an even wider audience than you can by hosting a webinar, you can design and sell online courses on platforms like:

• Skillshare
• Teachable
• Udemy

These websites make it possible to share your scientific knowledge and connect with students worldwide, all from the comfort of your home.

Note that you don’t necessarily need to design your course for students who actually want to become professional scientists. If you’re a geologist, you could create a course for amateur rock hounds. If you’re a chemist, you could make one for hobbyists who like to experiment with chemistry sets, and so on. Plenty of people find science fascinating and would relish the opportunity to take a digital course taught by somebody with real credentials in the field.

What you’ll need: Obviously, to create a successful course, you’ll need expertise in a scientific field. You should also have access to video recording and editing software and a high-quality camera and microphone.

How to get started: Begin by identifying a topic (or topics) for your course, creating a detailed outline, and developing your content using video lectures, quizzes, and assignments.

Earning potential: $20–$50 per hour

What it is and how it works: Teaching isn’t the only path for people who want to be scientific communicators. Many organizations need credentialed scientists to pen articles on their areas of expertise. Your potential clients include:

• Businesses that need website copy or white papers
• Magazines and newspapers
• Science blogs
• Textbook companies

Writing is a competitive industry, but as a scientist, you have an advantage, since not everyone can write with authority about your field. As a bonus, freelancers who write about specialized, technical topics usually make more money.

What you’ll need: You don’t need any formal qualifications (beyond whatever STEM degrees you already have) to be a freelance science writer. You just need to be a skilled writer and have the motivation to pitch articles and hustle for work.

How to get started: Begin by building a portfolio of science-related writing, focusing on whatever niche you hope to work in (e.g., technical writing, science journalism, etc.). Then, try to land jobs by approaching clients directly, or look for work on freelance marketplaces, such as:

• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Freelancer

Earning potential: $20+ per hour

What it is and how it works: If you’re a scientist who enjoys photography or videography, why not lean on both your career and hobby to produce scientific photos or videos?

This side hustle involves capturing images of research experiments, specimens, or scientific phenomena. You may work alongside your fellow scientists in research institutions, helping them document their work.

What you’ll need: You don’t need a license to work as a photographer. However, you do need access to a high-quality camera (and lenses) and a high level of skill. There are a lot of aspiring photographers out there, and your competition will be fairly stiff.

How to get started: To succeed in this side hustle, you should build a portfolio of your scientific photography or videography work. The good news is if you have access to a lab, you have a leg up, at least if you’re allowed to take pictures. You can start assembling your portfolio by documenting your own work.

Once you have a collection of work, you can use it to advertise and offer your services to research labs, educational institutions, or independent researchers. Don’t be afraid to pitch your services to the company or university you work for if they sometimes hire photographers. There’s a decent chance they’d prefer to work with someone who they already know and trust.

Earning potential: Often $75–$200 per hour

What it is and how it works: As a consultant, you’ll advise businesses, government agencies, or other organizations that need scientific help with projects.

For example, if you’re a biologist or chemist, food and beverage companies may want your expertise when they develop new products (or want advice on how to make their existing products more efficiently). If you’re a geologist, oil and gas companies may want advice on prospecting. Virtually every scientific discipline affects at least one major industry.

What you’ll need: You’ll need deep expertise in a scientific discipline, as well as the communication skills to convey your advice to laypeople in a way they’ll understand.

You’ll also need several basic software tools to do the job, including video conferencing software, as well as organizational platforms, such as Trello or Asana. (As a consultant, you’ll probably work for yourself, so you need to get good at managing your own schedule.)

How to get started: The best way to land jobs is through your professional network. Attend conferences and events that can help you connect with potential clients and showcase your expertise in the field.

Earning potential: Varies, often $200–$800 per hour

What it is and how it works: As an expert witness, you’ll draw on your scientific expertise to provide testimony or analysis in cases. You’ll help the court and jury understand complex scientific concepts and their implications in legal matters, which ideally will lead to more informed and accurate verdicts.

What you’ll need: Serving as an expert witness requires a strong understanding of your field and at least some familiarity with how it can impact legal proceedings. As with tutoring, you should be able to simplify complex ideas—the people listening to your testimony will likely have no scientific background.

How to get started: To get started, register on an expert witness directory, such as SEAK. You’ll also want to network with legal professionals. If you have any professors (past or present) who’ve done this kind of work, you can ask them for an introduction.

Earning potential: Varies

What it is and how it works: If you’re a scientist with the resources to pursue your own research projects, this side hustle is for you. (And if you were one of those kids who dreamed of being an inventor someday, congratulations—you’re now living the dream!)

Patenting your inventions or discoveries is a way to protect your intellectual property and hopefully earn royalties or licensing fees from it. This involves discovering something of value, navigating the patent application process, and eventually giving permission to companies or investors to use your intellectual property for commercial purposes.

What you’ll need: The first thing you’ll need, of course, is an idea for a patent. Coming up with a great idea is easier said than done; it needs to be novel, non-obvious, and useful.

This is an intensive side hustle to pursue (most patents ultimately go nowhere), but if you’re one of the lucky ones who discover something of real value, the rewards will be great.

How to get started: If you think you’ve stumbled onto something that has serious potential, conduct a patent search to ensure your invention or discovery is unique. Then, file an application with the relevant patent office and explore licensing opportunities with companies in your field.

It’s worth consulting with a patent attorney before you get too far along in this process; there are a lot of stumbling blocks when patenting or licensing your intellectual property, and you might need some extra help.

Many scientists spend all day analyzing research data, and in the process, they gain considerable fluency with statistical tools and methods. If that sounds like you, consider the following gigs:

Analyzing data for academic or business projects

Earning potential: $30–$50 per hour

What it is and how it works: As a data analyst or statistical consultant, you’ll essentially be a data detective, helping researchers, students, or businesses untangle complex data problems.

This may mean diving into studies, market research, or business analytics. Either way, you’ll lean on your expertise to make sense of the numbers and explain them in a way that people can understand and use.

What you’ll need: You’ll need to be confident with statistical analysis software, such as SPSS. You should also be proficient with at least one of the main programming languages used by data scientists, such as R or Python, as well as the relevant libraries (e.g., TensorFlow).

You should be able to explain complex statistical results in a way that’s easy to understand. Bear in mind that some people may resist your conclusions, as statistics can be unintuitive to the uninitiated. Be prepared for some pushback.

How to get started: Consider starting by offering your data analysis services on freelancing platforms, such as Upwork and Fiverr. You can also look for work on traditional job boards, such as:

• FlexJobs
• Indeed
• LinkedIn

You can also connect with researchers and businesses in need of your expertise. Showcasing your skills through case studies and testimonials can help you stand out in the crowd.

Data visualization services

Earning potential: $30–$50 per hour

What it is and how it works: Data visualization is the process of turning data sets into visuals (such as graphs and charts) that tell a compelling story. Your creations will help researchers, businesses, and policymakers understand complex data in a new light.

What you’ll need: You’ll need to be a pro with data visualization tools like Tableau or Power BI. A strong understanding of visual communication is also crucial to creating effective visuals. If you’re a professor or you worked as a TA in grad school, draw on your experience breaking down topics on the whiteboard.

How to get started: Start by building a portfolio of your data visualization projects, then offer your services on freelancing platforms and look for work on all the usual job boards (such as Indeed and FlexJobs).

If you’re a scientist who’s interested in marketing and design, selling science-related products might be right up your alley. You can take this in several directions:

Creating and selling scientific equipment

Earning potential: Varies depending on the amount and type of products you sell

What it is and how it works: This side hustle involves developing and selling specialized scientific equipment, instruments, or software tools. You can sell to a variety of clients, including research labs, educational institutions, or businesses.

What you’ll need: This is a challenging side hustle to get off the ground. You’ll need expertise in product design and development, access to manufacturing facilities or suppliers, and proficiency in computer-aided design (CAD) software such as AutoCAD.

You may want to consider hiring outside help—as a scientist, you’re well-positioned to dream up ideas for products that would be useful in laboratory settings, but you don’t necessarily need to handle every aspect of the creation process yourself.

How to get started: To make a decent profit selling science-related products, you should start by identifying a niche within the scientific tools market.

Develop prototypes of your products and establish partnerships with distributors or retailers. Consider hiring a business consultant to help you with this.

Designing science-themed merchandise

Earning potential: Varies

What it is and how it works: Science isn’t a niche subject anymore. These days, millions of people are proud science geeks.

That means there’s a big market for science-themed merchandise. You can sell t-shirts, mugs, posters, or other clothing or household items featuring scientific themes and designs. (If you happen to be an astronomer, you’re in a great position here; everybody loves NASA.)

What you’ll need: To succeed, you’ll need artistic and graphic design skills (e.g.,  proficiency in design software like Adobe Illustrator or Canva). Beyond that, you just need a creative spirit and a few ideas.

How to get started: Start out by brainstorming science-themed designs. You can set up an online store on platforms such as Shopify or Etsy and promote your products through social media and targeted advertising.

Designing educational kits

Earning potential: Varies

What it is and how it works: This side hustle involves designing and selling educational kits or materials for students or hobbyists who are interested in conducting at-home science experiments or completing DIY projects. Think of crystal-growing or fossil-digging kits—there’s a lot of money to be made selling things like that.

What you’ll need: To create engaging and informative learning materials, you must have a solid understanding of the science curriculum standards in the area where you’re planning to sell your materials. You’ll also want to be familiar with educational content creation tools, like Adobe Captivate.

How to get started: When it comes to developing an at-home science kit, the first step is to come up with a prototype in your own home. After that, do some research to figure out how to produce your creation on a larger scale. You can sell your products on websites like Etsy, but if your side hustle really takes off, you can also explore licensing deals with manufacturers.

Earning potential: Varies

What it is and how it works: Blogging, vlogging (video blogging), and podcasting are great options if you’re looking for a side hustle that gives you the chance to express yourself.

As a content creator, you could regularly publish articles or episodes breaking down new research, offer commentary on other articles in popular science outlets, or just share stories from the lab.

These are all challenging spaces to succeed in (content creation is competitive), but they’re flexible and low-stress, and can double as a creative outlet. This type of side hustle can be highly rewarding even if you don’t make much money from it.

What you’ll need: The skills you’ll need depend on your chosen platform and medium. If you plan on starting a science-related blog, all you’ll need is the ability to write well (and knowledge of WordPress or another blogging platform, which you can learn on the job).

If you want to start a YouTube channel or podcast, you’ll also need a good voice and decent recording equipment.

How to get started: The nice thing about this side hustle is that you can just dive right in. There’s no barrier to entry at all, and if you decide you don’t like your initial direction, you can scrub your blog or channel and change it.

Eventually, you’ll want to explore methods of monetizing your content, but you can worry about that later. The first step is just to build an audience.

As a scientist, choosing a related side hustle is a safe choice, but there are also good reasons to pick other ideas that will give you a break from the lab.