23 Side Hustles for Veterinarians to Make Extra Money

Veterinarians are a passionate and hardworking bunch, so it’s no wonder that many of them are looking for ways to make extra money on the side. Whether you’re looking for a way to pay off student loans or just want some extra spending money, there are plenty of side hustles out there that can fit your needs.

Here are 23 of the best side hustles for veterinarians, vet techs, and veterinary students.

Looking for even more options? See our list of 150+ side hustle ideas.

The Best Side Hustles for Veterinarians

1. Pet Sitting

If you love animals, pet sitting is a great way to make some extra money on the side. You can work as a solo pet sitter and find clients on your own or sign up with a company like Rover.

Of course, as a vet, you’re probably working during the day most of the time. But you may be able to provide pet sitting services overnight and on the weekends, or whenever your schedule allows. If you wanted to grow the business, you could even hire someone else to watch the pets while you’re at work.

Being a vet, you have an advantage in finding new clients. Simply advertise or mention your pet sitting services to your clients and some of them will hire you when they need a pet sitter. Not only do these clients already know and trust you, but what pet owners wouldn’t want to leave their beloved pet in the hands of a veterinarian when they’re out of town?

To learn more, read How to Become a Pet Sitter.

2. Dog Walking

If you’re not interested in pet sitting, you could start a dog walking business instead. This is another great option for those who love animals and want to make some extra money on the side.

While you certainly don’t need to be a trained and licensed vet to work as a dog walker, this side hustle could be a nice change of pace while still allowing you to be around animals.

This is another business where being a veterinarian can give you an advantage. Your clients will know that you’re responsible and trustworthy, and they’ll be more likely to recommend you to their friends.

Aside from leveraging your personal network, you can also use Rover to make it easy for pet owners in your local area to find you.

Dog walking won’t be the most lucrative side hustle, but you can make some extra money while getting exercise and enjoying the outdoors.

3. Work at a Vaccine Clinic

Another great way for veterinarians to make extra money is to work at a vaccine clinic. This side hustle allows you to take advantage of your DVM degree and make money in a way that the average person cannot. There are relatively few people qualified for this job, so the opportunities are usually not hard to find.

Working at a vaccine clinic is a great way to give back to the community by promoting animal health, and you’ll be able to use your skills and knowledge to help animals in need. It’s also a great way to meet new people and build relationships with other local vets.

Typically, working at a vaccine clinic will require you to work full days on the weekends. If that fits with your schedule and your lifestyle, this can be an ideal side hustle for vets.

4. Sell Printables for Pet Owners

Creating and selling printables is a popular online business. Printables are downloadable files that can be printed by the user. Some of the most popular types of printables include planners, organizers, and checklists.

One of the reasons why this is such a great opportunity is that there are possibilities to create these digital products to sell in just about any niche and for almost any audience.

If you’re interested in creating pet-focused printables, some possibilities include pet info forms, pet sitter instructions, pet sitter notes, pet planners, and more. You can browse Etsy for some ideas and inspiration.

Printables are relatively quick and easy to create, thanks to Canva. And if you don’t want to design them yourself, you can hire a designer to create the printables for you.

When it comes to selling your printables, you can create an Etsy shop to get exposure to a large audience quickly. Another option is to sell on your own using a platform like Podia.

5. Start a Blog or Niche Website

Starting a content-based website like a blog or niche website can be a fun way to make money on the side. As a vet or veterinary assistant, the best option is to start a site that makes use of your education and expertise. You can write informative articles that help pet owners on a variety of topics, or focus your site on a specific topic.

There are a number of ways to monetize your site, including advertising, affiliate marketing, and selling products or services. And while it may take some time to build up enough traffic to generate significant income, it’s an excellent option for anyone with a long-term focus.

Best of all, you can work on your blog or website whenever you have some free time, so it’s perfect for those with busy schedules.

If you’re interested in learning the exact process, see my Guide to Building a Profitable Niche Website.

6. Start a YouTube Channel

If you’re not interested in writing, another option is to start a YouTube channel. This is a great way to share your love of animals with the world, and you can make money through advertising, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing.

Of course, starting a successful YouTube channel takes time and effort, but it can be a fun and rewarding experience. Plus, it’s an excellent way to build up your personal brand and grow your veterinary practice.

Video content is in strong demand these days. Pet owners are searching for answers and your videos could be exactly what they’re looking for.

So, if you enjoy being in front of the camera and you’re passionate about animals, starting a YouTube channel could be the perfect side hustle for vets.

7. Start a Podcast

If you’re not interested in creating video content, you could start a podcast instead. This is another excellent way to share your love of animals with the world, and you can make money through sponsorships, ads, and affiliate marketing.

Like starting a blog or YouTube channel, starting and growing a podcast will take time and is best for those who are looking for a long-term side hustle or online business. It could also be ideal if you’re getting close to retirement and looking for something that will keep you busy, and allow you to make some money after you retire.

Starting a podcast may sound intimidating, but it’s really not that hard. All you need is a basic laptop with a built-in mic and some basic audio editing software (Audacity is a free option). You can even start marketing your podcast by telling your clients about it. And as a licensed vet, you’ll have an advantage over other podcasting pet owners who don’t have the same qualifications.

To learn more, please see A Practical Guide to Creating a Podcast.

8. Create an Online Course 

If you’re looking for a more passive way to make money, consider creating an online course. You can share your knowledge and expertise with pet owners from all over the world, and earn income while you sleep.

Creating an online course takes a good bit of work because you’ll need to create all of the content up front, but the long-term rewards can be significant. You’ll do the work one time to create the course, but you can continue to sell it for years to come.

The key to success with this side hustle is to create a high-quality course that provides value to pet owners. If you can do that, you’ll be able to charge premium prices and earn a healthy income from your course sales.

And if you want to multiply your results and grow your income, you can create multiple courses and even offer bundles that include several courses. Bundling is the perfect way to increase the dollar value of your average order.

Creating and selling a course isn’t as difficult as you might think. Platforms like Teachable and Podia make it easy to set up a website for your course, manage lessons and students, and collect payments. They even offer free plans so you can get started with no expense.

To learn more about online courses, see Online Course Masters.

9. Freelance Writing

If you’re a skilled writer, you could work as a freelance writer and write about topics that interest you, including veterinary medicine or other pet-focused topics. As a licensed vet, you’ll be able to charge higher rates than the average pet-loving freelance writer. Many clients will be willing to pay more for your services to have the credibility that comes with the content being written by a veterinarian veterinary technician.

There are a number of ways to find writing clients, including online job boards, social media, and networking. Once you’ve built up a client base, you can start charging premium rates and earning a healthy income from your writing side hustle.

Many of your clients are likely to be websites and blogs that need content on a regular basis, so you won’t need to constantly look for more work. It’s also a very flexible side hustle because you can do the writing whenever it fits into your schedule, although you’re likely to have some deadlines.

If you want to learn more about making money with this side hustle, see Freelance Writing 101 by Brad Merrill.

10. Write a Book or E-Book

If you have a love for writing, you could turn that passion into a money-making side hustle by writing a book or e-book. You can write about any topic that interests you, including veterinary medicine, pet care, or pet training. Because you’re a veterinarian, you’ll benefit from the added credibility, as opposed to another author who doesn’t have your professional credentials.

Self-publishing has made it easy for anyone to publish a book without spending thousands of dollars on upfront costs. platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) make it easy to format and upload your book, and they take care of the printing and shipping.

Writing a book will obviously take some time, but just like online courses, your books and e-books may continue to generate income for years to come. And if you want to maximize your income, you can continue to write new books on other topics so you have more to offer.

Aside from selling on Amazon, you can also sell your book or e-book on your own. Selling an e-book version is an ideal option if you have your own website or blog with an existing audience. You can use Podia to easily manage the sales and delivery of the ebook.

And if you want to sell a printed book on your own, you could keep a few copies for sale in your office so your clients can buy them.

Wring a book or e-book can also be an excellent career opportunity because it helps you to build name recognition in the veterinary industry.

For a comprehensive guide on self-publishing, see From First Draft to Bestseller.

11. Investing

This side hustle isn’t pet-related, but it is still a great option. As a veterinarian, you probably have an above-average salary. If you have some disposable income to invest, you may be able to generate passive income from dividends.

One of the best options is to invest in dividend stocks. There are many large, established companies that have a long track record of paying dividends to investors. If you own shares of these companies, you can choose to reinvest the dividends or take them as cash. Over time, it’s possible to build a portfolio of dividend stocks that produces a dividend income each quarter.

Public.com is a user-friendly platform that offers commission-free trades of stocks and funds. They also offer a list of companies that pay dividends to shareholders in their dividend stock investing theme. This can help to give you some ideas of companies you may want to consider for investments.

Another option is to invest in income-generating real estate. Of course, you could buy a rental property in your local area, but being a landlord requires a lot of time. If you don’t want the responsibility of managing property or dealing with tenants, you can invest in real estate passively.

Fundrise is one of the most popular real estate investing platforms. When you invest with Fundrise, you’ll own a share in a large portfolio of income-generating properties throughout the United States. It’s a totally hands-free investment because you don’t even need to select the specific properties to invest in.

As a Fundrise investor, you’ll be eligible to get quarterly dividends, which you can choose to automatically reinvest or take as cash. Historically, Fundrise returns have been very strong.

Many veterinarians will meet the requirements to be classified as accredited investors, which opens up even more opportunities. Real estate platforms like CrowdStreet, Cadre, and Equity Multiple are all options for accredited investors.

12. Answer Calls for Pet Poison Helpline

If you’re looking for a side hustle that directly helps animals, you could answer calls for the Poison Helpline. This is a service offered to help pet owners who believe their animal has been poisoned, and as a vet, you’re qualified for this part-time job in animal care.

This job requires some training because you’ll need to be able to quickly assess the situation and offer advice on what to do next. But it can be a very rewarding way to help pets and their owners in their time of need. It’s also a very important job for animal welfare.

Job openings are listed on the Pet Poison Helpline website.

13. Sell T-Shirts to Pet Lovers

If you have design skills, you could create and sell pet-related t-shirts and other merch. This is a great option because you can start with absolutely no money, and it can be a lot of fun.

There are many ways to design and sell t-shirts. You can design them yourself using a program like Photoshop or Canva. Or, you can use a platform like Teespring, which provides tools to help you design and sell t-shirts without any upfront costs.

Merch by Amazon makes it possible to sell print-on-demand t-shirts on the world’s largest e-commerce website. You could also set up your own site with Shopify and build your own business. Of course, you can also expand beyond t-shirts and offer a wide range of products.

If you don’t have the skills to design the shirts yourself, you can hire a designer on sites like Upwork and Fiverr to create the designs for very reasonable prices.

If you’re interested in getting started, be sure to check out From Design to Product: Sell Your Art Online Through Print on Demand.

14. Online Surveys

Taking online surveys is a popular way to make some extra cash. While you’re not going to get rich by taking surveys, it’s a great way to earn some pocket money.

There are lots of different platforms that offer paid online surveys. Some of the most popular include Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, InboxDollars, and Rakuten Insight. These platforms provide access to many different brands that are looking for feedback from consumers like you. And as a vet or pet owner, you may be eligible for some animal and pet-focused surveys.

To get started, simply create an account with one of these platforms and start taking surveys. It’s that easy!

It’s best to use a few different platforms to maximize the number of surveys that are available for you.

What’s great about this option is that you can do it entirely on your own time. So, if you’re looking for a side hustle that doesn’t take up a lot of time and requires no significant commitment, this could be a good option for you.

15. Tutoring

As a vet, you may be able to use your knowledge and education to earn some extra cash by tutoring. There are many students who are interested in becoming vets but may not have the grades or test scores to get into veterinary school.

As a tutor, you could help them prepare for the Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT) or assist with their coursework. You can also tutor veterinary students who need help.

In addition to helping students achieve their dreams of becoming vets, tutoring can also be a great way to earn some extra income. And since you can set your own rates and hours, it’s a very flexible side hustle.

16. E-Commerce

If you’re looking for a more hands-on side hustle, you could create an e-commerce store focused on pet products. This could be anything from pet food and toys to clothes and accessories.

To get started, you’ll need to choose a platform to build your store. Shopify is a popular option for e-commerce businesses. Once you’ve created your store, you’ll need to add products and start marketing your business.

There are several different approaches you can take, but one popular option is to start a private label brand. This involves finding a manufacturer to create products with your branding. You can build your own product line without needing to handle any of the manufacturing on your own.

Aside from selling on your own site, you could also sell your products on Amazon. Selling on Amazon allows you to reach millions of potential customers, but of course, Amazon charges fees that cut into your profit margin.

Get started with a 14-day free trial of Shopify. And to learn how to build your business, see Shopify E-Commerce Websites for Beginners and Freelancers.

17. Sell Pet Supplies and Accessories on Etsy

A more creative option is to sell pet supplies and accessories on Etsy. This could be anything from collars and leashes to beds and toys. They could be handmade, or you can find a manufacturer to create products that fit within Etsy’s guidelines.

To get started, simply create an Etsy shop and start adding products. You’ll need to take good quality photos and write descriptions that accurately represent your products.

When it comes to pricing your products, be sure to consider the cost of materials as well as the time it takes to make each item. You’ll also need to factor in Etsy’s fees as well.

To get started, see Sell on Etsy – How to Open a Successful Etsy Shop.

18. Start a Facebook Group

Another option for veterinarians and veterinary assistants is to start a Facebook Group for pet owners. This could be a place for people to ask questions, share advice, and connect with other pet owners. As a veterinary professional, your Facebook Group could be quite valuable and unique if you’re willing to answer questions and provide advice to group members.

You can monetize your group through affiliate marketing, or you could also sell your own products. This option could be combined with some of the other side hustles we’ve already covered, like creating online courses, writing books/e-books, selling printables, starting an e-commerce site, and more.

To get started, simply create a group and start inviting members. You can invite your clients, friends, and other pet owners you know. If your group is active, it will continue to grow over a period of time.

19. Breeding

Breeding can be a good and rewarding side hustle, though this will require a significant investment of time and money. If you’re interested in breeding animals, you should do some research to learn about the process and what’s involved.

You’ll need to find a good location for your breeding operation, as well as housing and food for the animals. You’ll also need to find reputable buyers for your animals.

20. Pet Grooming

Another option is to start a pet grooming business. This could be either a mobile pet grooming business or you could offer services from your home or office.

If you want to start a mobile pet grooming business, you’ll need to invest in a van or other type of vehicle that can be outfitted for grooming. You’ll also need to get insurance for your business.

21. Invent a Product

If you have a great idea for a pet product, you can invent it and start selling it. This could be anything from a new type of food to a new toy or accessory.

To get started, you’ll need to create a prototype of your product. You can then find a manufacturer to produce your product, or you could produce it yourself if you have the necessary equipment. Once you have your product, you’ll need to start marketing it to pet stores and online retailers.

You can also see our list of companies that pay for invention ideas.

22. Consulting

If you have a few years of experience under your belt, another option is to start a consulting business. This is a great way to leverage your knowledge and skills to help other veterinary professionals grow their practices.

You can offer your consulting services online or in person, and you can charge by the hour or by the project. This side hustle can be extremely lucrative, and it’s a great way to use your experience to help others.

Plus, it’s a flexible option that allows you to work as much or as little as you want.

To learn more about getting started, please see Kings of Consulting.

23. Delivery Driver

This is another side hustle that doesn’t involve animals or pets, but it provides a reliable way to make extra money in your spare time. DoorDash is a popular delivery service that allows you to make money by delivering food from restaurants to customers.

To get started, simply sign up for DoorDash and start taking orders. Once you complete a delivery, you’ll earn a payment from DoorDash. The amount you earn will depend on the distance of the delivery, as well as the demand at the time of day/week.

This is a great option for those who don’t mind driving, and it’s a flexible way to make some extra cash in your spare time. You can also start making money very quickly.

Final Thoughts

The side hustles for vets that we’ve discussed are just a few of the many options available. If you’re looking for ways to earn extra income as a veterinarian or vet tech, there’s no shortage of opportunities. Some of the opportunities make use of your experience, education, and knowledge of veterinary medicine. Others allow you to offer products or services to pet owners.

So, what are you waiting for? Start exploring some of these ideas and see which one is the best fit for you. You could be well on your way to making extra money in no time!