Ultimate Guide to Pediatric Occupational Therapist Side Hustles

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There are side Jobs working with children for occupational therapists even if you work full-time.

Here are the best Side Hustles For Pediatric OTs WHILE Keeping your 9-5 AND Using Your OT Skills

Therapist Side Hustles: Passive Income

Teachers Pay Teachers

Selling printables on Teachers Pay Teacher TpT can earn several hundred dollars a month. I just started recently and sold $24 my first month!

I recommend Creating Educational Printables to get started. Beth Ann's courses on how to get started and her templates!

You can make printables with either Powerpoint or Canva. Think about if you want to make printables for other OTs on Teachers pay Teachers as I do, or for teachers, or even for parents. Check out my growing Teachers pay Teachers store for inspiration.

Blogging

I started The Virtual Pediatric OT in March of 2020 and it has provided lots of information for other pediatric OTs, and it has been lots of fun, but overall it was a hobby and money loser until recently. Setting up your blog properly is essential.

If you are interested in starting a blog, I recommend Passive Income Products (PIPS). I am a VIP in her program and wish I had the products Sadie has put together sooner!

If you are already blogging or selling products check out Chat GPT to help you write your descriptions or blog posts!

Digital Products

Do you have an idea for other therapists? Get started making products! For online courses and digital downloadable products, I recommend getting started on Podia. You can even blog there! You can see all The Virtual Pediatric OT digital products here.

Kindle Direct Publishing KDP

Publish a book! If you want to take your digital products further, you can publish a book! It is pretty easy to get started on Amazon KDP. Look for a course coming soon. Check out my Pediatric OT Goals books on KDP! Kindle Publishing is a great way to reach a wider audience, however, to keep most of your profits, I do recommend you also list your products on your own website.

Therapist Side Hustles: Active Income

There are side hustle jobs and there are also side hustles starting your own business. The 2 are very different but they both include working actively to make money.

OT Independent Contractor

With the abundance of PRN and Hourly OT jobs, it is possible to pick up side hustle jobs to make extra money. Many home health jobs will allow you to pick up only a few clients. Early intervention or home health are great settings to work in as an independent contractor. Many families want evening and weekend hours too.

Pros

• Quick to get started
• Tax write-offs for millage and expenses. See Money Saving Tips for OT Contracts
• Full control of caseload

Cons

• Dependent on a company for referrals
• Driving and travel

How to get started

• Update your resume
• Apply to jobs online
• Network for word-of-mouth jobs and referrals

OTR Evaluator

Or if you are an OTR you may even be hired to just do evaluations. If your do decide to do only evaluations please also ask the following questions when accepting a position.

• Who will be treating the child after the evaluation?
• Who will the treatment be billed under?
• If it is a COTA who will be providing supervision?
• If the treatment will be billed under your license ask who will be reviewing treatment notes and writing progress notes.
• Will there be additional compensation for these activities?

Start your own Business outside of being an OT

The next 2 ideas will take longer to get started but they have the advantage of you being your own boss and running your own business.

Running Mom and baby classes

Recently I came across this great therapist side hustle. Run your own Mommy and me classes! Who is better equipped to run these classes than developmental professionals?

You can read my article called Mommy and Me Class: How to start one.

Pros

• Your own boss
• You have your own business
• You set the rates

Cons

• Start-up time
• Start-up costs
• Need to find your own clients
• Need brick-and-mortar location

How to get started

I recommend the course Babies @ Play: Running Mom & Baby Classes Made Easy.

Kaili Ets has a great course on getting started. Read my full review of the program. Or jump right in using the code TVPOT for 10% off.

Take a look at the full review of the Mommy and baby class running business course.

Handwriting Camps

For years school OTs have been running handwriting camps in the summer! You can also work as a handwriting tutor during the year. Look for my review of a course to help you get started soon!

Caregiver for special needs children

Gone are the days of $5 babysitting jobs. Many caregiver jobs now pay $20 or more an hour, even more for in-home care for special needs children. Sometimes families can even get this paid through respite. Not too bad for a few hours on a weekend.

Special needs caregiver requirements

In most cases there are none. But having an OT degree will set you apart.

Pros

• No paperwork
• Pick your own clients
• Usually several hours in a block of time

Cons

• Cancellations
• Finding clients
• Trading time for money

How to get started

Word of mouth or Care.com are great ways to get started.

Become a Life Coach

Yes, a therapist can be a life coach! There are different types of coaches you can become. For pediatric therapists, you can become a parenting life coach.

How to get started

It is a great idea to start with a coaching certification. I got mine from Transformation Academy.

Final Thoughts

There are many different ways to earn extra cash as a therapist and build therapist side hustles. Several of these ideas involve working extra as an occupational therapist OTR or certified occupational therapy assistant COTA. Others involved using your skills in a different active income fashion or starting your own business. And last, there are several ways to make passive income as a therapist. Have you started a side hustle as a therapist? Drop me a link and I will check it out!