While the PA profession can be quite a lucrative career, you may be looking for ways to increase your income even further. Maybe you have student loans to pay off, are looking to buy a home, want to pay for your next vacation, or—if you’re anything like me— it’s all of the above!
Whatever the case may be, you may find yourself wanting to optimize some of your free time. I find this is especially true for recent graduates, who just went from spending 80+ hours per week studying to working a standard 40-hour work week.
Pro tip: if you’re a new graduate, make sure you’re comfortable in your full-time position before looking for additional work. You don’t want to overcommit yourself when you may still need to study outside of work hours or stay late to complete tasks at work. Make sure you give your full attention to your position before looking for extra income elsewhere. This will ensure you’re practicing as the best PA you can be in all areas.
With that disclaimer out of the way, now let’s have a look at how PAs can earn some additional money!
1. PRN Positions
The most obvious way to make extra money as a PA is to work more! If your current position doesn’t offer the overtime or extra shift opportunities you’re looking for, there’s always the option to look for an as needed (often referred to as a PRN position).
This can also be a fun way to spend some time in a different area of medicine. For example, one of my colleagues worked full-time as a dermatology PA, but also had a PRN position in the ED. Not only did this help her earn extra income, it was an exciting change of pace that kept her knowledge base broad.
There are also PRN opportunities for telehealth, which may allow you to practice as a PA at home. Telehealth is usually highly sought after and may be competitive, but don’t let that stop you if this is something you’re interested in.
What to Consider First
Please keep in mind that while a PRN position may sound like a good idea, it’s also quite the commitment. It takes time to build confidence and learn the ropes at a new facility. This is why it’s really important to feel comfortable in your current position before committing. In addition, if your schedule at your full-time job varies, it may be difficult to balance the needs of both roles.
You don’t want to find yourself in a position where you’re wanted in two places at the same time. It may be beneficial to discuss your PRN opportunity with your supervisor at your full-time role, not only to discuss balance, but also to ensure there are no noncompete clauses or company policies that would prevent you from taking another position.
2. Education
If you’re passionate about PA education but not quite ready to give up clinical practice, there are many part-time or as needed educational roles that could be a good fit for you.
Tutoring
One option would be working occasionally as a tutor or at a local PA program. There are a lot of PA tutor companies up and running looking for help, with my personal favorite being Blueprint PA, where I have been a tutor for three years now!
In order to be successful as a PA tutor, you should be someone who passed your PANCE with an above average score. You’ll need to complete a series of onboarding tasks to ensure you’re adequately prepared to work with students, but once that’s done you’ll be able to set your own schedule and workload and work to advance students’ education from the comfort of your own home!
Working with Universities
Reaching out to local universities is always a good idea if you’re looking for extra income. Schools often need assistance with things like grading OSCEs, giving guest lectures, and possibly even part-time help as PA faculty.
I have found that giving lectures is one of my favorite things to do! If you get your foot in the door with a school, they’ll likely reach out to you continuously as opportunities to help present themselves.
Question Writing
Another (less common) opportunity is being a question writer. Do you ever wonder who writes the practice questions you purchase on sites like Blueprint PA, Hippo ED, UWorld, and other PA question banks? They need medical writers to help create this content.
If you’re someone who’s creative and able to pay close attention to detail, this may be a great thing for you to look into! Not everyone is cut out for writing, as there are high standards to adhere to when completing questions, but I encourage you to give it a try if it’s something that interests you! Most of this work is done virtually and on your own time, with set end-goals for task completion.
3. Medical Surveys
While medical surveys are often marketed to physicians, there are plenty out there for advanced practice providers as well! And you’ll be paid to complete them. This can be done on your own time, and it’s pretty easy to sign up for the surveys. All you need to do is submit your name and NPI number, and once they verify your identity, you’ll be good to go!
While you don’t usually get paid a lot to complete the surveys, you do them whenever you want to and the money can definitely add up if you’re consistent.
4. Content Creation
We all know that social media is taking over the world! Many people spend their free time on Instagram and TikTok, and they want to hear from you.
While not everyone has the desire to put themselves out there, if you’re interested in this I encourage you to go for it! Any interesting aspect of your life can appeal to an audience (cooking/baking, shopping, decorating, etc.), but perhaps one that you may really love to share is your life as a PA!
Whether you discuss your journey to becoming a PA, your specialty, or your takes on other hot topics in the PA profession, there’s definitely an audience eager to listen up.
My Pathway to Extra Income as a PA
I wanted to end this post by talking a little about my pathway to finding extra income as a PA and just how beneficial it has been to my life! I originally started considering extra income about one year after graduating PA school. I had a really great educational experience, and I did well on the PANCE, so I opted to take the education route. That led me to applying for a job as a PA tutor at Blueprint PA.
Since I started at Blueprint in 2022, I’ve had so many wonderful experiences. Not only have I been able to really grow as a tutor and help students, I’ve also become a mentor to other PA tutors. I’ve been able to aid in instructing PANCE review courses and become involved in webinars. Being a tutor also enabled me to become a blog writer, and write these posts I love so dearly!
Final Thoughts
If one of these areas of extra income inspires you, I hope you take the time to research it and apply! Whether you’re using the extra money for practical or fun purposes, it’s truly a luxury to have. And, you may find that the opportunity you explore leads you down a pathway to finding something you’re really passionate about.
So give it a shot, and see what else awaits you. You worked hard for your degree. It’s time to reap the benefits in every way you can!
Looking for more (free!) tips for new PAs? Check out these other posts on the Blueprint PA blog:
