how to make extra money as a phd student

6 Ways to Earn Additional Income as a PhD Student

By ProFellow Founder Dr. Vicki Johnson

Getting a PhD often means sacrificing a full salary for several years as you study. Even if you are fully funded and receive a full-tuition scholarship and annual living stipend, graduate student stipends are usually just enough to help you get by. Many students will want – or need – to supplement their student income to be able to live in areas with a high cost of living, pay for childcare, contribute to retirement, and travel while they are finishing their degree. The good news is, full-time graduate students, especially those in the dissertation stage of their degree, have quite a bit of autonomy to be able to work part-time and make more income (even if outside, part-time work is discouraged by the university – my advice is, do what you need to do!).

While I was a full-time PhD student–and international student at that–I was able to increase my income in several ways over the course of my studies. Here are six practical ways that you can earn additional income as a PhD student.

1. Fellowships

There are a wide variety of academic and professional fellowships that offer funding that can increase your income as a graduate student. Some fellowships can be used on top of your existing funding or student Assistantship income. To find fellowships, you can search our database of more than 1,300 fellowships programs here ! Here are a few of your options.

Research Fellowships: These fellowships can provide funding for your dissertation or thesis research, or research you may be doing as an extracurricular activity while you are a student. The funding typically supports you directly and often will provide funding to cover materials, travel expenses and professional development. Check out:

• 20 Research Fellowships in Europe for Current Doctoral Students
• 12 Multi-Country Research Fellowships
• 17 Fellowships in Asia For Early Doctoral Students
• 30 Dissertation Research Fellowships for Doctoral Students
• 26 STEM Graduate Fellowships for Minorities and Women
• 10 Short-Term Fellowships for Research Abroad

Language Study Fellowships: If you are studying a language or would benefit from foreign language immersion to complete your dissertation research, there is funding for this goal! Check out:

• 9 Language Study Fellowships for Undergraduates and Graduates
• 30 Alternatives to the 2021-2022 Fulbright US Scholar Grant

Summer Fellowships: These 2-week to 3-month long fellowships can help you gain valuable research or professional experience while you are a student during your summers. Do NOT miss an opportunity to pursue summer fellowships while you are a student (especially if your funding package does not offer summer funding!). Check out:

• Top 10 Summer Fellowships of 2021
• 7 Summer Social Justice Fellowships
• 32 Summer Fellowships in Europe for U.S. Citizens

Project-Based Fellowships : There are also a wide range of project-based fellowships that would fund you to execute a project that aligns with the funding bodies’ mission. One of these awards might be in alignment, or directly fund, some element of your dissertation research!

• 10 Fellowships for Independent Scholars Around the World
• 24 Fellowships in the UK for Graduates and Researchers
• 19 Fellowships for a Self-Designed Project Abroad

2. On-campus jobs

Most universities offer part-time jobs on campus which might have the benefit of some tuition remission that, in turn, increases your overall income. For graduate students, there are often research or teaching assistantship options that fit in with your degree really well. If those opportunities are not available, there are likely administrative roles that need to be filled.

Many schools have websites that list their job openings, but you can also speak with your advisor or other students to learn about the possibilities of taking on a part-time job on campus.

3. Cash-based part-time jobs

Simple cash-based part-time jobs like tutoring and babysitting can be an easy way to supplement your income without having a set time commitment or a lot of extra responsibilities. I did a little night-time babysitting as a graduate student, and often I was able to study while the children slept! Likewise, a friend of mine who was studying Music would play piano at weddings and other events and give piano lessons to supplement her income. I’ve also seen fellow graduate students check in on the elderly, paint houses, help organize events, and more – see where there is a need and get creative with your time!

4. Freelance work

While I was a PhD student, I was able to land a number of paid projects and gigs online as a freelancer. Upwork and Fiverr are freelance platforms with a vast number of one-off and recurring online gigs for academic writers and copy-editors – roles where you can flex your skills in your free time! If you have other highly sought-after skills like graphic design, coding, marketing, or sales, even more opportunities are available to you.

Freelancing can help you make a higher wage than you would at another type of work because you are providing a more niche service, and Upwork allows you to freelance without the burden of getting an independent business license, hounding clients to pay, and creating complex legal documents or contracts. While it can take a few clients to find your footing, it can be a lucrative way to pass your free time and even lead to full-time job opportunities down the road.

5. Consulting work

Because I had a robust professional network from my 15 years of work experience, while I was a PhD student, I was able to reach out to my network and land several paid consulting opportunities with nonprofits and government agencies. If you have a strong network too, don’t miss this opportunity to let your former colleagues know you are in the market for consulting gigs. Depending on your level of work and research experience, you can command an hourly rate of $50 to more than $200/per hour (make sure you research what your competitive rate can be before starting on this process). Keep in mind that taxes and other expenses may be taken out of your income and prepare accordingly. 

6. Help faculty prepare grant applications

While I was a PhD student, I also contributed to large research grant applications spearheaded by my PhD supervisor. When he landed some of those grants, he was able to subcontract me for work that supported the execution of the grant, such as the data collection, coding of the data, and the write-up. Ask your PhD supervisor if there are opportunities for you to help them prepare a large grant application, with the end goal of helping you achieve more funding. 

Increasing your income as a graduate student often begins with being fully-funded in the first place! Many graduate schools fully funded all or most of their PhD students, and ProFellow lists over 1,000+ fully funded programs in more than 60 disciplines in our free Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards . Get your copy today!

© Victoria Johnson / ProFellow, LLC 2021, all rights reserved

Related Posts:

• Fully Funded PhD Programs in Spanish and Portuguese
• Fully Funded PhD Programs in English
• Fully Funded PhD Programs in History
• Fully Funded PhD Programs in Philosophy
• Fully Funded PhD Programs in Cinema and Media Studies

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Personal Finance for PhDs

Live a financially balanced life - no Real Job required

The Complete Guide to a Side Hustle for a PhD Student or Postdoc

September 17, 2018 by Emily

It’s no secret that PhD students and postdocs are paid a meager salary, sometimes not even as much as the local living wage. While a fraction of graduate students have probably always pursued side income to supplement their stipends/salaries, e.g., through part-time jobs, moonlighting, or odd jobs, only in recent years has it become easy to make money online or make money from home. Enter the ‘side hustle.’ The term exploded in popularity during the Great Recession along with the ‘gig economy.’ The flexibility of modern side hustles has made it possible for students and postdocs to fit their income-generating activities around their busy research schedules.

This article details why a graduate student or postdoc would want to side hustle, whether it’s allowed by their university/institution, examples of real side hustles held by PhDs, how to best manage the side income, and advice from PhDs with successful side hustles.

Motivations for Side Hustling

The motivations for having a side hustle during your PhD training are to make up for the deficiencies in what the university provides: money (primarily) and career-advancing experiences.

Increase Income

Pursuing your PhD during graduate school or gaining additional training as a postdoc is supposed to be your full-time (or more) pursuit. Research is life, right? Unfortunately, the positions don’t pay anywhere near as well as a regular full-time job.

The best case scenario for a PhD student or postdoc is that you will be paid enough to support yourself without making extreme lifestyle sacrifices, i.e., living in a van . However, there are plenty of programs and universities that do not even meet that low bar for a single person with no dependents. For a graduate student or postdoc with a dependent spouse (e.g., of an international trainee) or children, the low stipend or salary is almost certainly inadequate.

Graduate students almost always turn first to cutting their living expenses to be able to live within their means. They know that they are supposed to devote the lion’s share of their weekly energy to their coursework, research, and teaching. But when their backs are against the wall, some make money on the side to avoid going (further) into debt.

Career-Advancing Experiences

Some graduate students and postdocs are motivated to side hustle not by lack of income but rather lack of practical career preparation.

What careers does a PhD or postdoc prepare you for? These days, the vast majority of PhDs are not hired into tenure-track faculty positions. (Time to stop calling the jobs most PhDs get “alternative”, right?) Some universities have acknowledged this and put in place programming to help PhDs transition out of academia (my alma mater, Duke University, and in particular the Pratt School of Engineering, is innovating in this area), while others are still catching up.

Of course, PhDs have plenty of transferable skills that can be put to use in a wide variety of careers, but landing a job is still challenging.

Further reading: How My PhD Prepared Me for Entrepreneurship

A judiciously chosen side hustle (or even volunteer work) can help a PhD build out her resumé/CV and network to stand out from the other PhD applicants. A side hustle can teach you new skills, give you an opportunity to demonstrate the skills you already possess, and introduce you to professionals who can further your career journey.

Video Series: How to Increase Your Income as a Graduate Student

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Are Side Hustles Allowed by Your PhD Program or Postdoc Position?

While some academics may take the view that side hustling distracts from classes, teaching, research, etc., for some people a side hustle is the main factor that enables them to stay in their graduate programs or postdoc positions. They side hustle because they want to keep doing PhD-level research ; otherwise, they can just leave and earn more money elsewhere! If conceived and managed properly, a side hustle is not a distraction from the student or postdoc’s training but rather an enhancement of it.

If you think about graduate school or your postdoc as similar to any other type of job, usually the only stipulations regarding your side hustle are that: 1) it does not interfere with your primary job and 2) it does not present a conflict of interest. That logic is helpful for thinking through whether a side hustle is allowed, but the universities sometimes add layers of complexity.

Further reading: Can a Graduate Student Have a Side Hustle?

Side Hustle Permissibility by Position Type: International, Fellow, Employee, Etc.

There may be explicit bans on making money on the side or it may be frowned upon. The income and experience gained from a side hustle is not worth getting kicked out of your graduate program or postdoc position.

International trainees

The F-1 and J-1 visas generally only permit employment directly in your capacity as a graduate student or postdoc. Sometimes, you can seek permission for other employment ventures, such as Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 visa holders. A side hustle that you work on simultaneously with your research will likely not comply with these rules, so it’s a no-go.

Fellowship Recipients (Graduate or Postdoc)

Check the terms of your fellowship funding supplied by your university, employer, or funding agency. There may be a stipulation that no outside income is allowed as the fellowship is designed to support you completely and require your complete dedication. If you choose to pursue a side income against the terms of your fellowship, proceed with extreme caution and recognize the downside is potentially losing your primary funding. In other cases, outside income is not mentioned by the fellowship terms or is even explicitly allowed.

Research and Teaching Assistants

This is the category of graduate students most likely to be able to get away with a side hustle or be explicitly allowed because your responsibilities are generally time-limited to 20 hours per week (officially). Of course, beyond that, you are responsible for your dissertation work, so side hustling might conflict with that important pursuit. If you are in a contract with your university, check its terms. If outside income is not allowed, proceed with caution as you might lose your assistantship. You might, however, find a provision that allows outside income, perhaps up to a certain number of hours per week.

Postdoc Employees

A postdoc employee has a regular job, albeit a demanding one. Your desire to side hustle at that point in your training is more likely motivated by career advancement rather than income. Again, check your contract, but a side hustle may very well be permissible as long as it doesn’t interfere with your work. If you are working in your field, though, it could be a good idea to seek your advisor’s permission in advance.

What Does Your Advisor Think?

The person with the most important opinion on your side hustle–after you–is your advisor. Allowed, disallowed, frowned upon… The status of side hustling in the eyes of your university, department, or funding agency is less important than its status to your advisor. If your advisor is an unforgiving taskmaster who expects his myopic view of the supremacy of research to be adopted by his trainees, a side hustle is a very risky endeavor. However, if your advisor is a reasonable and kind person who respects work-life balance, it may be better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission if your side hustle is discovered and viewed negatively.

The Bottom Line: The Spirit of the Law

The spirit of the law when it comes to side hustling during graduate school or your postdoc is that it should not distract from your training. (This sentiment does not apply to visa holders; the letter of the law is most important in that case.) Financial and career stress itself can easily distract from training, so it may be a matter of choosing the lesser of two ‘evils.’

Prohibitions against outside income make sense when the income comes from a part-time job with fixed hours (meaning that you wouldn’t be able to stay late in lab if necessary) or if it takes so much time overall that you can’t complete your work healthily. But I don’t find prohibitions against outside work that doesn’t interfere with the student or postdoc’s primary ‘job’ any more logical than prohibitions against having a family or a hobby (assuming no conflict of interest).

Ultimately, rules or no rules and advisor’s opinion aside, you are the only person who gets to decide whether to pursue a side hustle. You are the one who will manage it and make sure that it enhances your PhD training instead of detracting from it.

Types of PhD Side Hustles and Examples of PhD Side Hustles

I break side hustles for PhDs into four categories: ones that advance your career, ones that you enjoy, ones that pay well (enough), and passive income. A side hustle that pays well and advances your career is ideal. If you can’t achieve that, doing something you enjoy is obviously preferable to doing something that you dislike or feel neutral toward that simply pays some bills. Passive income is outside of this ranked order as it doesn’t involve trading time directly for money.

By the way, if you are looking for a way to increase your income that your advisor would be totally on board with, try applying for a fellowship. I’ve created a guide to applying for and winning fellowships that includes a list of broad, portable fellowships that pay full stipends/salaries.

Further reading: How to Find, Apply for, and Win a Fellowship During Your PhD or Postdoc

PhD Side Hustles that Advance Your Career

There’s no better type of side hustle than one that pays you and helps you along in your career. Through this type of side hustle, you put your current skills to use, learn new skills, expand your network, and/or explore a possible career path. Often, this sort of side hustle is related to your current field of research or uses skills you’ve honed during your PhD. You might even be able to start working for a potential future employer while you’re still in training.

Examples of PhD side hustles that advance your career are:

• Teaching ( Derek )
• Zoo and aquarium evaluation ( Kathayoon )
• Design ( Mark )
• Data science ( Edward )
• Freelance writing ( Derek )
• Freelance academic writing ( Vicki )
• Freelance scientific paper editing ( Julie and Amy )
• Freelance scientific paper editing ( Jenni )
• Thesis/dissertation editing
• Scientific research summer internship ( Alice )
• Engineering summer internship ( David )
• Science policy fellow ( Emily )
• Research analyst for investor relations ( Adam )
• Online professor ( Kathayoon )

PhD Side Hustles that You Enjoy

Sometimes an enjoyable hobby can be monetized or you can find meaning and delight in a side hustle. This kind of side hustle is one you would likely spend some time doing even if you weren’t being paid and can be particularly revitalizing during the long slog of your PhD or postdoc.

Examples of PhD side hustles that you might enjoy are:

• YouTube ( Shannon )
• Singing ( Meggan )
• Piano ( Kathayoon )
• Fitness classes ( Anonymous )
• Resident advising for graduate students ( David )
• Resident advising for a fraternity ( Adrian )

PhD Side Hustles that Pay the Bills

If the only purpose a side hustle fulfills is bringing in some money, it’s done its job. Sometimes these pursuits are necessary for survival, but you shouldn’t spend any more time on them than absolutely necessary.

Examples of PhD side hustles that (likely) simply bring in income are:

• Food service

PhD Passive Income

Passive income has become a bit of a buzzword in recent years. Ostensibly, passive income occurs after you make some kind of investment that then pays a residual.

Making a monetary investment in a rental property or dividend-paying stock is a classic example of passive income. The former is definitely a possible income source for a PhD who owns her own home.

Further reading: Should I Buy a Home During Grad School?

If you don’t have money up front, you can “invest” your time and talent into a product that people will buy over time. The classic example of that type is an author who is paid a royalty with each book sale.

The current fad incarnation of passive investing is a promise that you can “make money while you sleep!” through online business, generally selling previously created digital products. ( I do this in my business. ) However, almost no online business runs for long without input of time and labor. The upside for a graduate student or postdoc, however, is that the large time investment needed up front to generate passive income and the maintenance over the long term can generally be performed on your own schedule and under the radar.

Examples of PhD side hustles that are passive income:

• Writing (i.e., published author)
• Patent holder (licensed)
• Flash cards and ebook ( Alex )
• Investing for current income
• Landlording

Balancing Your Side Hustle with Your PhD Work

Figuring out how to make money and settling into a groove of earning a side income can be exciting. It can even be more gratifying at times than your research as research is basically a series of failures punctuated by occasional successes. In those weeks and month when nothing is going right in your research, being able to turn to an activity with a known outcome ($$!) can be a welcome relief. However, you should not forget why you are pursuing the side hustle in the first place: to finish your PhD and pursue a certain career. (Of course, your side hustle may spur you to leave your program, but only do so after serious reflection! It shouldn’t be about the side hustle per se but a carefully considered evolution of your career plans.)

To that end, there are a few strategies you can use to make sure your side hustle complements and does not compete with your primary role:

1) Track Your Time

Set weekly limits for yourself on the amount of time you will spend on your role as a graduate student or postdoc vs. on your side hustle. If your time spent side hustling creeps too high or your time spent on research dips too low, you know you need to readjust. Expect your weekly time goals to change throughout the seasons of your PhD training.

2) Set Geographic and/or Temporal Boundaries

It’s best if you conduct your side hustle in a different location than your primary PhD workspace; for example, you could work from home on your side hustle and never in your office or on campus. An alternative to geographic boundaries is temporal boundaries, such as never working on your side hustle during daytime working hours. The exact boundaries you set will depend heavily on the nature of both your PhD work and your side hustle.

3) Choose a Flexible Side Hustle

An ideal side hustle for a PhD is one that can be accomplished from anywhere at any time and ramped up or down depending on how busy you are with your research. This is not realistic for all side hustles, but the more axes of flexibility yours has the better it will complement your primary job.

4) Keep Your Side Hustle Quiet (If Possible)

An internship or professional fellowship that requires time away from your graduate program or postdoc obviously can’t be kept secret, but many other side hustles can fly under the radar of your advisor and department if you want them to. The seriousness of the possible repercussions or how “frowned upon” side hustling is should dictate how open you are about your pursuit. Keep in mind that a side hustle in your current field of research may very well get back to your advisor as communities are quite small, so in that case it may be better to be completely above board.

Best Financial Practices for Your Side Hustle

Most side hustles are independent contractor or self-employment positions, which means that you become an entrepreneur (or solopreneur) of a kind. There are some common best practices in self-employment you should put in place from the start of your side hustle.

Further reading:

• Best Financial Practices for Your PhD Side Hustle
• How to Pay Tax on Your PhD Side Hustle

1) Use a Separate Business Checking Account

Separating your personal transactions from your business transactions at the account level will help you keep track of exactly how much money you are earning after expenses and what is deductible on your tax return. You can make periodic transfers from your business account to your personal account to pay yourself.

2) Set Aside Money for Tax Payments (Quarterly or Annually)

Your PhD side hustle generates (potentially) taxable income, subject not only to income tax but also in many cases self-employment tax. Add your marginal tax brackets at the federal, state, and local levels together with the FICA tax you must pay, and set aside that fraction of each of your side hustle paychecks to ultimately pay the extra tax. If you earn enough in your side hustle compared to your primary job, you eventually will need to start paying quarterly estimated tax. Fellowship recipients who don’t have automatic tax withholding are already familiar with this process. Even if you aren’t required to pay quarterly, expect a larger year-end tax bill.

Further reading: The Complete Guide to Quarterly Estimated Tax for Fellowship Recipients

3) Give your Earnings a Job

The best way to ensure you don’t blow your side income is to assign it a job to be completed as soon as it hits your personal account. You could pay a specific bill or two with your side income or only allow yourself certain indulgences from your side income. For example, Jenni saved her side hustle earnings for travel.

Closing Advice and Thoughts from PhD Side Hustlers

“Honestly, it kept me sane to have other things going on… [They] helped me to finish my dissertation more quickly because I was more focused on the time I had, instead of having lots of unstructured time to work.” – Kathayoon

“I’d encourage graduate students to pursue a lot of different opportunities while in school, even ones that are at a slant from what they usually do. It’s easy to get tunnel vision as a grad student, but if you open yourself up, you can develop really useful skills while reinvigorating your academic work.” – Derek

“I definitely recommend finding something in grad school that’s unrelated to the work you do, monetized or not, so that if all your experiments fail one week, you still have something meaningful to throw yourself into.” – Shannon

“This experience was critical for my transition out of graduate school. I ended up getting a full-time offer at the same company after maybe 2 months of hourly work and have been there for almost 2 years now. The best part was that I had an opportunity to try out my job before starting full-time. How else do you know if you want to launch a career in a certain field?” – Adam

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March 7, 2020 at 5:50 am

Hi Emily! Thank you for this comprehensive, interesting and most useful article.

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18 High Paying Side Hustles for Grad Students (Ultimate 2024 List)

Attending graduate school is a massive accomplishment and it can be one of the best investments you can make.

However, it does come with a cost. The average cost of attending graduate school is around $66,340 which is a large investment in your future.

Having student loans can make managing your finances much more difficult and that's where starting a side hustle can help.

A side hustle can provide some much-needed financial relief and help you stay on top of your studies.In this post, I'll explore some of the best side hustles for grad students, how much money you can make, and much more . Let's get started!

• Delivering food with Doordash
• Pet sitting with Rover
• Starting a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel

Best Side Hustles for Grad Students

1. deliver food with doordash.

One of the best side hustles for college and grad students is food delivery with apps like Doordash .

With this side hustle, you can work the hours you want – which can be especially helpful for busy students.

And the pay can be better than you think. You can earn $25 an hour delivering food in most areas but sometimes even more. Plus, you get to keep 100% of your tips!

This person worked an entire week with Doordash and made over $1,500! Not bad!

Food delivery is a great side hustle if you live in a college town because there are so many students looking for food – meaning you can make money.

To get started, simply sign up below and start taking orders in your area. You can also learn how to make $500 a week with Doordash here!

2. Earn Money with Instacart

Instacart is another solid option if you want to use apps that pay you to drive . With this side hustle, you can pick up groceries for customers and deliver them to their doorstep. It's very similar to food delivery except instead of food, it's groceries.

The amount of money you can make will depend on your area but it's possible to earn over $25 per hour in some locations.

I've found that you can make more money with food delivery because of the amount of tips you can get, but grocery delivery is still worth it if you want a flexible schedule where you can work your own hours.

Be sure to check out these Instacart hacks to make more money before getting started!

3. Tutor Students

Looking for a hihger paying side hustle?

Tutoring is an excellent way to make extra cash while attending graduate school.

Not only will you be able to make some extra money, but you'll also be able to learn more about a subject yourself.

The amount of money you can make tutoring will depend on the subject you're teaching and your level of expertise.

Some tutors can make over $60 an hour for their time which is a great income for any grad student!

To find work, try posting your services on social media or browse online marketplaces like Craigslist.

If you're looking for a side hustle you can start with no money , this is for you!

4. Work as a Virtual Assistant

Working as a virtual assistant is a great side hustle for many people in school because of the flexibility it provides.

For many VAs, you can work nights or weekends which is perfect if you have a busy school schedule.

What exactly is a virtual assistant?

In simplest terms, a virtual assistant is someone who can work to complete tasks for a person or business. This could include things like posting on social media, updating website content, or sending and responding to emails.

VAs are typically hired by online business owners or entrepreneurs who need assistance with the day-to-day tasks of running their business.

The pay will depend on your skills and qualifications, but some virtual assistants can make over $25 per hour for their time. For example, take a look at these VAs I found on Upwork.

To find work, you can browse freelance sites and Facebook groups or connect directly with online business owners or bloggers to see if they need help.

If you're interested in getting started as a VA, I highly recommend Carrie's Virtual Assistant Accelerator course to learn how to become a VA and land your first clients!

5. Take Online Surveys

Taking online surveys is a great way to make money online for graduate students because you can do it whenever you have free time, like between classes or during your commute.

Taking surveys isn't going to make you rich by any means, but it's a good way to earn a few bucks for your time.

As a bonus, many of these apps will give your free money just for creating a new account.

Some of my favorite survey sites that pay cash include:

• Rakuten Insight
• InboxDollars

6. Pet Sit with Rover

Looking for an easy side hustle?

Dog sitting is a simple and easy way to make money from the comfort of your own home. Some people would consider this a passive side hustle because you don't really need to do much work at all to earn money.

By using a platform like Rover you can easily find pet sitting jobs in your area to start making money.

The amount of money you can make will depend on your city and the number of animals you're watching but it's possible to make $50 a day or more.

Create your free account below to get started!

7. Become a Freelance Writer

Freelance writing is one of my favorite side hustles for just about anyone. There are tons of benefits and the pay can be lucrative making it a great choice for those in grad school.

Working as a freelance writer will allow you to work on your own time and complete assignments when it's convenient for you, making it a great option for students.

As far as pay is concerned, you can earn a great living freelance writing. I know many writers who have made it their full-time job!

Depending on your work, it's possible to earn over $100 an hour for your writing.

Some jobs will opt to pay you per word written. In these cases, I've found that it's possible to earn up to $.50 per word or more. And for beginners, you can charge $.10 per word.

To find work, you can use freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr or you can try connecting directly with business owners who might need your services.

Another hack I've found to find clients is networking with other freelance writers. If they don't have time to accept new clients, they will often send work your way!

If you're looking for a flexible and high paying side hustle – you can't go wrong with freelance writing.

Here's a great guide on how to get started.

8. Work as a Research Assistant

As a graduate student, you likely have a lot of knowledge and research experience in your field of study.

This knowledge can be valuable to other researchers who might need help with their own projects.

Working as a research assistant is a great way to use your skills and knowledge to earn money on the side.

According to Glassdoor , you can earn around $41,000 as a grad school research assistant with little experience.

9. Work as a TA

Teaching assistantships are a great way for graduate students to earn money while also getting some experience in the classroom.

TA positions are usually available through your school's department of education so you can check with your department or search online for open TA positions.

The pay for TA positions will vary depending on the school and the position, but you can expect to earn at least $15 per hour for your time, if not a little more.

Here's one opportunity I found in my area.

10. Teach English Online

If you don't want to tutor a certain subject but you love helping other students, teaching English can be a good way to make extra cash on the side.

Whether you're a PhD student or you're getting a Masters degree, you can teach English online whenever you have a few hours on week nights or weekends.

The amount of money you can make will depend on the company you work for, but most companies will pay between $10 and $25 per hour.

11. Start a Blog

Blogging is a fun and lucrative way to make money online for anyone in grad school. With this digital side hustle , you'll get to explore your passions and share them with the web while making some money along the way.

Starting a blog doesn't cost much and in many cases can cost less than $100 a year, making it perfect for graduate students.

You can then monetize your blog through display advertising, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and more.

Some bloggers are capable of making over $10,000 every month from their website making it a great way to make money while at school .

For example, one of my blogs earned over $5,000 a month last month just from display ads alone!

Now, building a successful blog takes a ton of time and work, so don't expect to make a fortune overnight.

In many cases, it could be a few months before you make your very first dollar so if you need money desperately – you might want to choose another side hustle.

That said, if you want to make passive income online – blogging is a tremendous option that I would highly recommend.

You can get started by registering your domain with Namecheap and then securing your hosting with SiteGround . Check out the video below to learn exactly how to start a blog.

12. Become a Podcaster

Just like with blogging, podcasting can be a fun way to earn money while working on your graduate degree.

When it comes to podcasting, you'll need to do some work upfront to get started but you can make enough money with this side hustle to justify the effort.

To get started, you'll need some basic equipment like a microphone, audio editing software, and a computer. While you don't technically need these items, I believe if you're serious about your podcast you should invest a little bit of money off the bat.

Next, you'll want to determine the format of your show. Will you have guests? Or will your show be produced solely by yourself?

Either way, it's important to find what works for you.

Next, it's time to hit record and start taping your episodes before uploading them to podcasting platforms for the world to find.

Once your podcast is live, it's all about promoting your show to gain listeners. While this can be difficult, it's also an essential step to becoming profitable.

Once your show has a certain number of listeners, you can monetize it by offering show sponsorships and using affiliate marketing.

Some podcasts can make over $50k a month – talk about a serious money making machine !

Check out the video below for more help!

13. Build Websites

Looking for a side hustle that pays well and you can do from anywhere?

Making money building websites can be a lucrative side hustle option for many PhD students looking to work on their own hours.

With this side hustle, you'll need to be familiar with basic web development and some graphic design elements but you can find a number of online courses that can teach you the basics you'll need. Alternatively, if you're attending school for software engineering – this side hustle should be at the top of your list.

The amount of money you can make building websites can be lucrative. For example, most basic websites will cost over $1,000 to build and might take you less than a day to complete. More complex websites can cost over $10,000 and take a week or two to build.

If you want to make even more money, consider offering digital marketing services like scheduling social media posts, running Facebook ads, or conducting SEO audits so you can offer the full suite of marketing tasks.

14. Sell Your Old Notes

If you're in a PhD program or obtaining your Masters degree, there's a good chance your class notes can be very valuable for some future students.

If you want to make some cash on the side, start selling your notes online!

There are a number of websites that allow you to sell your notes, including Stuvia and Studynote.

The amount of money you'll make will depend on how popular your notes are as well as the price you set. Some people can make a few hundred dollars each year with this side hustle!

Here's some data from Stuvia on how much most people make!

15. Pick Up a Part Time Job

Part time jobs can be some of the quickest ways for graduate students to make extra cash.

While it's not the most fun way to make money, it can be a great option to pay the bills.

There are plenty of part time jobs available if you spend some time searching. If you live in a college town, many employers can offer flexible schedules built around your classes.

The amount of money you can make will vary but there are many jobs that pay $30 an hour or more.

16. House Sitting

House sitting is just like pet sitting with the lack of one thing: animals!

With house sitting, homeowners will pay you to watch over their house while they are away vacationing or traveling for work.

Most homeowners will want someone they can trust so this side hustle may require some references.

But once you get started, house sitting can be a great way to make money while getting free rent!

The amount of money you can make will depend on your city but it's possible to earn a few hundred dollars each week with this side hustle.

17. Complete Odd Jobs

There are plenty of odd jobs you can do to make money while attending college or university.

Between yard work, cleaning houses, and helping people move, there are plenty of opportunities to make some extra cash.

You can browse an app like Neighbor to find odd jobs in your area. The amount of money you can make will depend on the job but most tasks will pay $10-25 an hour.

18. Sell an Online Course

Selling online courses can be a great passive income source to make money while you sleep .

With this side hustle, you'll create a course on a topic you're passionate about and sell it to others online.

It can take some time to create a quality course but once it's live, you can make money each time someone buys it.

The amount of money you can make will depend on the price of your course and how many sales you can generate but some course creators are capable of making 6-figures from their business.

For example, this online course sells for $139 and has made a fortune.

Passive Income for Grad Students

Invest in real estate with arrived.

Investing in real estate is a great method to earn passive income for any grad student.

By using a platform like Arrived , you can take the hassle out of investing so you can get started quickly with just $100.

Arrived allows you to invest in individual rental properties and split a portion of the profits with other investors. This makes it the perfect way to start investing without needing a fortune.

Invest in the Stock Market with Acorns.

Investing in the stock market is another excellent option to make passive income and grow your money.

If you want to reach financial freedom, using the stock market is a simple way to build your compound interest so you can live life on your own terms.

With Acorns you can invest in a variety of stock market assets like index funds, dividend stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and more.

As a bonus, they're giving new customers $20 completely free so create your account below to get started!

Not sure which investments to make? Check out these investments to make money daily !

Why Students Need a Side Hustle

Starting a side hustle can be advantageous for many reasons, especially as a student.

With student loan debt increasing at an unprecedented rate, it's essential to tackle these debts as soon as possible when starting your career.

Starting a side hustle can allow you to do this by providing some extra income each month.

In addition, a side hustle can help you develop important skills and network with professionals in your field.

This can be extremely beneficial when it comes time to look for a job after graduation.

Final Thoughts on Making Money While in Grad School

There are plenty of side hustles for grad students to make a little extra cash in their free time.

Between managing social media accounts and other freelance work or starting a blog, the options are out there to grow your income.

Attending grad school can be very difficult and you should certainly focus on your studies, but if you want to make some extra income to cover your living expenses, starting a side hustle is a great option. So what are you waiting for?? Find your side hustle and get started!

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40 Part-Time Jobs Websites for PhD Scholars to Earn Extra Income!

40 Best Part-Time Jobs and Websites for PhD Scholars to Find Extra Income Opportunities

PhD programs are known for their intensive and demanding nature, and it can be challenging to balance the academic workload with other responsibilities such as work or family. Many PhD students find themselves in need of additional income to support themselves while pursuing their studies. Fortunately, there are plenty of part-time jobs that are perfect for PhD scholars. This article, ilovephd explores 50 part-time job PhD income Websites that can help you earn extra money during your PhD program.

35 Best Part-Time Jobs and Websites for PhD Scholars to Find Extra Income Opportunities

• Tutoring: As a PhD student, you have a wealth of knowledge to share. Consider tutoring high school or college students in your field of expertise.
• Freelance writing: If you have a talent for writing, you can find work as a freelance writer for blogs, websites, or other publications.
• Data entr y : Many companies need data entry clerks to input information into databases.
• Virtual assistant: You can provide administrative support to busy professionals remotely.
• Social media management: If you have experience with social media, you can help companies manage their online presence.
• Graphic design: Use your creativity to design logos, flyers, and other marketing materials for businesses.
• Web development: You can help businesses create or maintain their websites.
• Photography: If you have a talent for photography, you can offer your services for events or stock photography.
• Translation: If you are fluent in another language, you can provide translation services.
• Editing and proofreading: Help others refine their written work and ensure that it’s free of errors.
• Research assistant: Assist professors or other researchers with their studies.
• Event planning: Help plan and execute events for businesses or organizations.
• Customer service: Many companies need customer service representatives to answer phone calls or respond to emails.
• Bookkeeping: Help businesses keep track of their finances.
• Sales: Sell products or services for businesses.
• Video editing: Edit videos for businesses or individuals.
• Personal shopping: Help busy professionals or individuals shop for clothing or gifts.
• Vlog on Youtube: Video blogging on youtube for extra income.
• Delivery driver: Deliver food or packages for companies such as Uber Eats or Amazon.
• Painting or carpentry: Use your skills to help individuals or businesses with home improvements.
• Personal training: Provide one-on-one fitness training for individuals
• Music lessons: Teach music lessons to individuals.
• Writing grants: Help individuals or organizations apply for grants.
• Social work: Work with individuals or communities to address social issues.
• Marketing: Help businesses develop marketing strategies.
• Virtual bookkeeping: Help businesses manage their finances remotely.
• Consulting: Use your expertise to provide consulting services to businesses or individuals.
• Event photography: Take photos at events for businesses or individuals.
• Blogging : Start a blog and monetize it through affiliate marketing or sponsored content.
• Voiceover work: Use your voice to record audio for commercials, videos, or other media.
• Language teaching: Teach languages to individuals or groups.
• Customer service management: Manage a team of customer service representatives for a company.
• Web design: Create or maintain websites for businesses.
• Video production: Produce videos for businesses or individuals.
• Social media advertising: Help businesses run effective advertising campaigns

40 Part-Time job Websites for PhD Scholars – PhD Income Websites

Here are 40 part-time job websites that can be helpful for PhD scholars:

• Upwork: www.upwork.com
• Freelancer: https://www.freelancer.com
• Fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com
• PeoplePerHour: https://www.peopleperhour.com
• Guru: https://www.guru.com
• SimplyHired: https://www.simplyhired.co.in/
• Indeed: https://in.indeed.com/
• Monster: https://www.monster.com
• Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.co.in/index.htm
• ZipRecruiter: https://www.ziprecruiter.com
• FlexJobs: https://www.flexjobs.com
• Remote.co: https://remote.co
• Working Nomads: https://www.workingnomads.co
• We Work Remotely: https://weworkremotely.com
• Virtual Vocations: https://www.virtualvocations.com
• Freelance Writing Jobs: https://www.freelancewriting.com/jobs
• Journalism Jobs: https://www.journalismjobs.com
• MediaBistro: https://www.mediabistro.com
• ProBlogger Job Board: https://problogger.com/jobs
• Tutor.com: https://www.tutor.com
• Chegg: https://www.chegg.com/
• Course Hero coursehero.com/become-a-tutor
• Wyzant: https://www.wyzant.com/
• VIPKid: https://www.vipkid.com
• Cambly: cambly.com/en/tutors?lang=en
• Verbling: https://www.verbling.com
• Preply: https://preply.com/en
• Data Entry Jobs: indeed.com/q-Data-Entry-jobs.html
• Clickworker: https://www.clickworker.com
• Lionbridge: https://www.lionbridge.com
• TranscribeMe: https://www.transcribeme.com
• Rev: rev.com/freelancers/transcription
• Speechpad: https://www.speechpad.com
• Amazon Mechanical Turk: https://www.mturk.com
• Instacart: https://shoppers.instacart.com
• Postmates: https://postmates.com/
• TaskRabbit: https://www.taskrabbit.com/
• Handy: https://www.handy.com
• Rover: https://www.rover.com/
• Care.com: https://www.care.com

These websites offer a variety of part-time job opportunities, from freelance work and virtual assistant positions to tutoring and data entry jobs. PhD scholars can find opportunities to fit their expertise, schedule, and financial needs. These jobs can help you balance your academic workload with other responsibilities. Start earning extra income today! Happy Researching!

Also Read: Industry vs Academic Research

• bookkeeping
• customer service
• customer service management
• delivery driver
• dog walking
• event photography
• event planning
• extra income
• fitness instructor
• freelance writing
• grant writing
• graphic design
• house sitting
• landscaping
• language teaching
• music lessons
• part-time jobs
• personal shopping
• personal training
• pet sitting
• photography
• proofreading
• Research Assistant
• social media advertising
• social media management
• social work
• translation
• video editing
• video production
• virtual assistant
• voiceover work
• web development

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How PhD Students Get Paid

The most common questions (and biggest misconceptions) about getting a PhD revolve around money. Maybe you’ve heard that PhD students get paid just to study, or maybe you’ve even heard that PhD students don’t get paid at all.

It makes sense — how you make money as a PhD student is different from most other career routes, and the process can be highly variable depending on your school, discipline and research interests. 

D o PhD students get paid?

Most of the time the answer is yes. PhD programs that don’t offer some form of compensation, like stipends, tuition remission or assistantships, are rare but they do exist. On the other hand, some programs, like a PhD in Economics , are so competitive that unpaid programs are virtually unheard of. 

To help you gain a better understanding of PhD funding and decide if getting a PhD is worth it for you, here are some of the most common examples of how PhD students are paid. 

PhD Stipends

Most PhD programs expect students to study full-time. In exchange, they’re usually offered a stipend — a fixed sum of money paid as a salary — to cover the cost of housing and other living expenses. How much you get as a stipend depends on your university, but a range for the average PhD stipend is usually between $20,000 - $30,000 per year.  

In some cases, your stipend will be contingent upon an assistantship.

Assistantships

A PhD assistantship usually falls into one of two categories: research or teaching. 

For research assistantships , faculty generally determine who and how many assistants they need to complete their research and provide funding for those assistants through their own research grants from outside organizations. 

A teaching assistantship is usually arranged through your university and involves teaching an undergraduate or other class. Assistantships allow graduate students to gain valuable experience leading a classroom, and helps to balance out the university’s stipend costs. 

Fellowships

Fellowships provide financial support for PhD students, usually without the teaching or research requirement of an assistantship. The requirements and conditions vary depending on the discipline, but fellowships are generally merit based and can be highly competitive. Fellowships usually cover at least the cost of your PhD tuition , but some may even pay for scholarly extracurricular activities, like trips, projects or presentations. 

Fellowships can be offered through your university or department as well as outside sources. 

Part-time Employment

PhD candidates don’t commonly have additional employment during their course of study, but it is possible depending on your discipline and the rigor of your program. Flexible, low-demand jobs like freelance writing or tutoring can be a natural fit for many PhD students, and might be flexible enough to balance along with your coursework. 

All in all, it’s fair to say that though the form of payment may be unfamiliar, PhD students do in fact get paid. But keep in mind that while most PhD programs offer some kind of funding for students, it’s not guaranteed. 

Want to know more about how to pay for a PhD ? Explore our Guide to Choosing and Applying for PhD Programs . 

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27 Flexible Side Hustles for Grad Students

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Graduate students have a unique set of challenges when it comes to making ends meet. Balancing classes, research, and internships or part-time jobs can make it difficult for them to find time for extra income opportunities. Fortunately, with the gig economy booming, there are now plenty of ways for grad students to make money on the side – without sacrificing too much time or energy. In this article, we look at a few side hustles for graduate students that can help supplement income, cover living expenses, and even pay down student loans.

27 Best Side Hustles for Grad Students

Here are some side hustles suitable for grad students that can be started without affecting their studies:

Freelance Writing

With the right skills, freelance writers can make money by creating content for businesses and websites in need of written material. Writing projects range from blog posts and articles to copywriting and product descriptions, so there’s something available for almost any writer. 

The key to successful freelance writing is to have a well-rounded portfolio and understand the needs of your clients. You’ll also need to market yourself and build relationships with potential customers. Remember, it’s important to negotiate fees upfront – both for your time and the project itself – so you don’t end up working for free.

You can make great money tutoring students in your area of expertise. There are plenty of private tutoring opportunities, but you can also find gigs at local colleges or universities. You can even tutor online if you don’t have the time to meet the students in person. Most tutoring positions pay by the hour and require a minimum commitment.

Teach English as a Second Language (ESL)

More and more people are turning to online tutoring to learn English as a second language. You can make great money as an ESL tutor – all you need is a reliable internet connection and the right qualifications. You can find gigs through online job boards or word-of-mouth connections.

If you’re passionate about writing and have something valuable to share, then blogging may be a great side hustle for you. You can create your own blog or write for established sites, and there are plenty of opportunities to make money through affiliate marketing or sponsored content. With the right strategies in place, you can even make blogging a full-time job.

Ride Sharing

Driving for Uber or Lyft is a great way to make money on your own terms. You can set your own hours, make extra cash during peak times, and even get tips from passengers. It’s also a great way to meet interesting people and learn about the city you’re living in.

Virtual Bookkeeper

If you have a knack for numbers, you can make great money working as a virtual bookkeeper . Working with small businesses or nonprofits, you can help them manage their finances and keep their books organized. You can find jobs through online job boards or word-of-mouth connections. With the right qualifications and experience, you may even be able to start your own virtual bookkeeping business.

If you earn $600 or more through virtual bookkeeping, you will receive a 1099 form. At this stage, it is recommended to establish an LLC   to deduct equipment and materials cost incurred in assisting your clients.

Social Media Manager

If you’re a social media whiz, you can make money managing social media accounts for businesses and organizations. You’ll be in charge of growing their presence online, engaging with customers and fans, and creating content that resonates with their target audience. You can find gigs through online job boards or word-of-mouth connections.

Event Planning

If you’re a social butterfly and have the organizational skills to match, event planning could be a great side hustle for you. You can help plan everything from small private parties to large corporate events, and you’ll get to work with a variety of vendors in the process. You can find gigs through online job boards or word-of-mouth connections.

Photography

If you have an eye for detail and a knack for capturing special moments, then photography could be the perfect side hustle for you. You can offer your services to families, couples, and businesses, or even take on freelance projects. You’ll be able to show off your skills and make money in the process.

Sell Arts and Crafts

Selling your handmade items is an excellent way to make money while also honing your creative skills. You can sell your creations online through websites like Etsy or at local craft fairs or markets. It’s a great way to show off your talent and make some extra money in the process.

Personal Chef

If you have a passion for cooking and enjoy creating delicious meals, then becoming a personal chef could be the perfect side hustle for you. You can find gigs through online job boards or word-of-mouth connections. With the right qualifications and experience, you may even be able to start your own catering business.

Graphic Design

If you have an eye for design and a knack for creating visually appealing images, then becoming a freelance graphic designer could be the perfect side hustle for you. You can offer your services to businesses or take on one-off projects from clients. With the right qualifications and experience, you may even be able to start your own graphic design business.

Personal Fitness Training

Are you passionate about fitness and have the right qualifications? Then make money as a personal trainer! You can work with clients in person or create customized online plans that they can follow from home. With the right strategies in place, you can even start your own personal training business.

Baby/Pet Sitting

If you’re comfortable around kids and animals, you can make good money babysitting or pet sitting . You can find gigs through word-of-mouth connections or online platforms like Rover and Care.com. Most jobs require a minimum commitment, and you can often choose your own schedule.

Online Surveys

You can make some extra money taking online surveys in your free time. Companies are eager to hear from consumers and are willing to pay for their opinions. While the pay is usually not great, it can be an easy way to make a few extra dollars when you have some spare time.

If you are tech-savvy and have an eye for design, becoming a freelance web designer could be the ideal side hustle for you. You can create websites for clients that are visually appealing and easy to navigate. With the right qualifications and experience, you may even be able to start your own web design business.

Mobile App Development

Do you have coding and programming skills? Then you can make great money developing mobile apps. You can create apps for clients or take on one-off projects from individuals. With the right qualifications and experience, you may even be able to start your own mobile app development business.

If you’re an expert in your field, then you can offer your services as a consultant. Businesses often hire consultants to help them with strategic planning, operations, and other aspects of the business. With the right qualifications and experience, you may even be able to start your own consulting business.

Voice Acting

Are you a natural performer? Then why not make some extra money as a voice actor? You can offer your services to businesses, podcasts, audiobooks, and other audio projects. With the right qualifications and experience, you may even be able to start your own voice-acting business.

Virtual Assistant

Becoming a virtual assistant is an excellent way to make some extra money while still having the flexibility to study and attend classes. The job of a virtual assistant involves providing administrative support or services to clients who are usually based remotely. As a virtual assistant, you can offer your services on a project-by-project basis, allowing you to manage your workload and schedule.

If you earn $600 or more through virtual assistance, you will receive a 1099 form . It is advisable to form an LLC at this stage to deduct equipment and material costs incurred in assisting your clients.

Part-Time Research Assistant

As a part-time research assistant, you will be responsible for helping professors and other researchers with their projects. This can involve conducting research, writing reports, gathering data, and more. With the right qualifications and experience, you may even be able to start your own research assistance business.

Print-on-Demand Business

Print-on-demand businesses allow you to create physical products such as t-shirts, mugs, posters, and more with your designs. When someone orders a product with your design, you simply send the order to a third-party vendor who then prints and ships the item directly to the customer. This type of business requires minimal upfront investment and can be a great way to make some extra money without having to take on too much work.

Translation

Translation is a great side hustle for busy grad students. With the growing interconnectedness of the world, there is an increasing need for translators to bridge cultural and language gaps. Translation services are in high demand, and the flexible hours make it perfect for part-time work. As a freelance translator, you can offer your services on a project-by-project basis, allowing you to manage your workload and schedule.

Write a Book

As a grad student, you can easily turn your expertise and knowledge into a side hustle by writing a book. Not only is this a great way to make some extra money, but it’s also an amazing way to share your unique perspective with the world and become an expert in your field. Writing a book may seem like an overwhelming project, but there are several ways you can make it easier, from using an online platform to organizing your ideas and structure.

Professional Organizer

Professional organizers help people organize their homes, office, and other spaces so that they can be more efficient and productive. This type of work requires skills such as problem-solving, attention to detail, strong organizational abilities, and excellent communication. As a professional organizer, you can offer your services on a project-by-project basis, allowing you to manage your workload and schedule.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves partnering with a larger brand or company and promoting their products or services in exchange for a commission on any sales that you generate. The nice thing about affiliate marketing is that there is no upfront cost to get started, and you can work on it whenever it fits into your schedule. Plus, you can do it all from the comfort of your home.

Proofreading

One great side hustle that can be done from the comfort of your home is proofreading papers for other students or professionals. As proofreading requires a strong eye for detail and excellent command of the English language, it can be a great source of income for grad students who are already proficient in these areas.

3 Benefits of Starting a Side Hustle

If you’re a grad student looking to make some extra money, starting a side hustle can be a great way to do it. Not only can it provide you with some additional income, but several other benefits come with having a side hustle. Here are three of the biggest advantages of starting a side hustle:

1. Build Your Resume

Side hustles provide the perfect opportunity to develop skills and build your resume. Working on projects outside of school can give you a competitive edge when applying for jobs or internships in the future.

2. Boost Your Confidence

Taking on new challenges and responsibilities can help boost your confidence and provide you with a sense of accomplishment. When you complete tasks related to your side hustle, it’s a great feeling and can help you feel successful in other areas of life.

3. Flexible Schedule

One of the biggest advantages of having a side hustle is that it allows you to create a flexible schedule that fits around your classes and other commitments. This means that you can still focus on your studies, while also making some extra money on the side.

By taking the time to set up and run a side hustle, you can gain valuable skills and experiences that will help you in the future. Plus, you’ll also get the chance to make some extra money while studying for your degree. So, if you’re looking for a way to make the most of your time as a grad student, consider taking on a side hustle today!

How to Start a Side Hustle as a Grad Student in 5 Steps? 

Starting a side hustle as a grad student can be a great way to earn extra income and gain valuable experience. Here are five steps to help you get started:

1. Identify Your Skills and Interests

Start by identifying your skills, strengths, and interests. Think about what you enjoy doing and what you’re good at. This will help you choose a side hustle that aligns with your abilities and passions.

2. Research Potential Side Hustle Ideas

Once you have an idea of your skills and interests, research potential side hustle opportunities that you can pursue as a grad student. Look for opportunities that can be done on a flexible schedule and won’t interfere with your studies. Some popular side hustles include freelance writing, graphic design, tutoring, web development, social media management, and selling handmade crafts.

3. Evaluate Market Demand and Competition

Before diving into a side hustle, evaluate the market demand and competition for your chosen field. Look for areas where there is a need and potential for growth. Consider the competition and how you can differentiate yourself to attract customers or clients.

4. Set Up Your Side Hustle

Once you have chosen a side hustle, set up the necessary infrastructure to get started. This may involve creating a website or portfolio to showcase your work, setting up social media accounts for marketing, and obtaining any necessary licenses or permits. Determine the pricing structure for your services or products and create a system for invoicing and accepting payments.

5. Manage Your Time Effectively

Balancing your side hustle with your grad school commitments can be challenging. It’s crucial to manage your time effectively to ensure you can dedicate enough attention to both. Create a schedule that includes dedicated time for your side hustle, study time, and personal time. Prioritize tasks and set realistic goals to stay organized and productive.

Remember, starting a side hustle requires dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to learn and adapt. It may take time to establish yourself and build a customer base, so be patient and persistent.

Earn with Side Hustles While Studying

Side hustles can be a good way for you to make some money while still pursuing your studies. Whether it’s tutoring, freelancing, or starting your own business, there are plenty of options available that won’t take too much time. With the right amount of dedication and determination, you can be successful in any side hustle you take on.

If your side hustle is generating more income than expected, consider creating an LLC. An LLC provides cost savings and tax advantages. Doola can assist you in setting up the business by opening a business bank account and handling taxes. Contact us to learn more.

How do grad students market their side hustle?

Graduate students can use social media platforms, word-of-mouth, blogs, and networking events to promote their side hustle.

How much time should grad students dedicate to their side hustle?

The amount of time spent on a side hustle should be based on individual schedules and priorities. Grad students should ensure that their side hustle does not interfere with their academic commitments

How much can grad students earn through their side hustle?

The earning potential depends on the type of side hustle and the time commitment. Freelance jobs can earn anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per project.

Are there any risks or downsides to having a side hustle while in grad school?

If not managed effectively, a side hustle can impact academic performance and lead to burnout. It is essential to maintain balance and prioritize academic commitments.

How do grad students manage their time effectively with a side hustle?

Graduate students should maintain a schedule that balances academic work and side hustle responsibilities. Prioritizing tasks and setting boundaries are key to successful time management.

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4 Ways Broke Grad Students Can Raise Their Income While Still in School

Grad students can lighten their financial loads by targeting specific opportunities as they complete their studies. Here are four places to start looking.

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While graduate school can increase earning potential long-term , graduate students themselves tend to make very low wages while enrolled in their educational programs (if they are paid at all). As a result, grad students often experience massive financial stress and, consequently, worse mental health than the average American.

9 Key Practices to Make College Pay Off

While these problems are systemic, there are steps grad students can take to try to lighten the financial burden. The options available to make money can vary widely between degrees and programs, but exploring these paths with your professors and administration can be a good start to reducing the financial strain.

Teaching assistantships are a basic part of most grad students’ workloads. For students who enjoy teaching or see it as an ultimate career path, instructing can be a reliable way to increase pay. Most departments have summer teaching options, and you can also look to other departments around campus outside of your own that need help. Those with many undergrads but few grad students may be especially in need as well. What’s more, these opportunities are not limited to just Ph.D. students – master’s degree students can also serve as teaching assistants (TAs).

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The ability to teach a diverse range of content, especially on complicated subjects, will increase your chances of getting extra teaching gigs that can provide even more income. Even one extra TA appointment can increase your annual compensation by about 25%. Experienced grad students who serve as primary instructors can net as much as a 50% pay increase with just one course per year.

Research Fellowships

Research is another core part of most grad students’ workloads. That said, there is considerable variability in compensation for research. The specific opportunities depend on your field of study, program and support from your faculty. Within those limits, aggressively pursue research funding. Winning a research fellowship or major grant can make your early career, and in addition to the extra money, the prestige can eventually lift you into a strong post-doctorate or junior faculty position.

Generally speaking, the best funding tends to come from nationally competitive sources, such as the National Science Foundation and the Ford Foundation . Even more localized fellowships, such as those with availability limited to people in your program, can still offer thousands of dollars.

Seven Major FAFSA Changes: What Families Need to Know

Importantly, if you get a fellowship, be mindful of taxes. You may read that fellowships are tax-free, but that’s only true if the money goes toward qualified education expenses, such as tuition; if you pocket those funds like you would with a regular salary, they are taxable. Additionally, while most forms of compensation withhold taxes from each paycheck, fellowships typically do not. That means you’ll owe a lump sum of taxes the following April — an unwelcome surprise.

Consulting and Internships

Depending on your career path and field, consulting or internships may be encouraged and common. There is a lot of variability in how much income to expect here. Some grad students earn just a few hundred dollars a year, while others can make tens of thousands of dollars a year.

The most common gateway into consulting is through your professors, who often have an existing project and may need extra help. While the professor may be paid as much as $500 an hour, a grad student might expect to make more like $25 to $50 an hour for their first consulting gig. Over time, more experienced students may be able to get their own consulting gigs and charge over $100 an hour. On the other hand, consultants often don’t have much time for research or teaching — so choose wisely if your career is in traditional academia.

Many grad students also find paid internships, often during the summer. Again, the most straightforward path is through professors. Some programs offer regular internships through partnerships with particular companies, while in other cases, the student applies on their own. If that’s your situation, take time to run your plans by your professors and consult your school’s career development advisers on how to best navigate this process. Take advantage of all the resources available to you!

Focus on the Future

When seeking ways to raise your income, don’t lose focus on the bigger picture: graduation. Each year you stay in grad school can cost you over $50,000 in lost wages, so the best option is the one that also boosts your résumé toward the career you want. If you want to be a researcher, focus on fellowships and grants. If you want to be a consultant, start building up your client base and brand now. If you’re going into the private sector, establish those relationships early and seek as many internships and part-time opportunities as possible.

Or, if you’re like I was — with no clue about what you want — you may consider testing the waters and exploring a range of options. Sure, your résumé may look like something Dr. Frankenstein cooked up, but you’ll build some solid connections and have a much more interesting experience along the way. Just do yourself a favor and graduate a little faster than my 7½ years!

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How Do PhD Students Make Money? Do PhD Students Get Paid?

A PhD journey is as much an intellectual endeavor as it is a financial one. With tuition fees, living expenses, and academic costs piling up, PhD students often find themselves seeking ways to supplement their income.

This article explores the varied avenues through which doctoral candidates navigate the financial challenges of their studies, from traditional stipends and assistantships to innovative side hustles.

Do PhD Students Get paid?

The short answer is yes, but there’s more to it.

Most PhD students receive a stipend, which is a fixed sum of money designed to cover living expenses rather than earning a salary like a traditional job.

Stipends come from various sources, such as:

• teaching assistantships,
• research assistantships, or
• fellowships.

For instance, as a teaching assistant, a PhD student might lead discussion sections or labs for undergraduate courses. This not only provides financial support but also valuable teaching experience.

Research assistantships are another common avenue, where students contribute to a professor’s research projects. This role aligns closely with a PhD student’s academic and professional growth.

Research Assistantships is also a good way for people to learn and hone their research skill, especially if they jump straight from a bachelor’s degree to a PhD.

Fellowships are usually merit-based and might cover tuition in addition to providing a living stipend.

However, the amount PhD students get paid varies widely by:

• university, and
• geographical location

Stipends in cities with a high cost of living often being higher, albeit sometimes not enough to cover all expenses. 

As a result, some students turn to part-time jobs, freelance work, or tutoring to supplement their income, though international students might face restrictions based on their visa status.

PhD Stipends

Many PhD students do receive stipends, a financial award intended to support their living expenses while they focus on their studies and research.

Unlike a salary from a full-time job, stipends are not compensation for services rendered but rather a form of scholarship to aid students during their rigorous academic journey.

Stipends are often funded through teaching assistantships, where PhD candidates might teach undergraduate courses or assist professors with their classes.

This not only provides financial support but also invaluable teaching experience in academia. Similarly, research assistantships allow students to work on specific research projects, often related to their dissertation, under the guidance of a faculty member.

However, the amount of these stipends can vary widely, influenced by:

• the university’s location,
• the field of study, and
• available funding.

In high-cost living areas, some stipends might barely cover basic expenses, prompting students to seek additional income through part-time work, tutoring, or freelance projects.

It’s worth noting that international students may face restrictions on the amount of work they can undertake, dictated by their visa terms.

Fellowships

Fellowships stand out as a significant source of funding for doctoral students. These fellowships are not just financial aids; they are prestigious awards that recognize the potential and caliber of PhD candidates.

Fellowships provide a stipend, which is essentially a financial grant designed to cover living expenses, allowing students to focus more on their dissertation and less on financial burdens.

Unlike assistantships that require teaching or research in return, fellowships often come with no strings attached, offering more freedom and flexibility in pursuing academic endeavors.

For instance, the National Science Foundation (NSF) offers Graduate Research Fellowships, highly coveted in the STEM fields. These fellowships not only cover living expenses but also include tuition remission, freeing students from the worry of educational fees. 

Similarly, the Ford Foundation Fellowship programs aim to increase diversity in academia, providing generous support to underrepresented groups.

Internationally, the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships enable students to pursue doctoral studies at prestigious institutions like Oxford and Cambridge, offering a comprehensive package that covers tuition, living costs, and travel expenses.

However, securing a fellowship can be highly competitive, with selection criteria that often extend beyond academic excellence to include:

• leadership qualities,
• community involvement, and
• potential for future contribution to the field.

Part-Time Teaching Assistantships

For many PhD students, part-time teaching assistantships are a vital source of income and an integral part of their graduate education.

Serving as a teaching assistant, or TA, involves a range of duties from leading discussion sections to grading papers, all while juggling your own coursework and dissertation research.

This dual role offers not only financial support but also a valuable opportunity to gain teaching experience in academia.

Typically, TAs receive a stipend intended to cover living expenses, the amount of which can vary widely depending on:

• the university,
• department, and

Some might find this stipend sufficient, while others, especially in cities with a high cost of living, might need to explore additional income sources.

Beyond the stipend, many teaching assistantships come with the added benefit of tuition remission, relieving the financial burden of grad school fees. This allows PhD students to focus more on their studies and research without the stress of accumulating debt.

However, the number of hours a TA is expected to work can also vary, usually capped at 20 hours per week to ensure students have enough time to dedicate to their own academic pursuits.

Despite this, balancing teaching responsibilities with doctoral studies can be challenging and requires excellent time management skills.

For international PhD students, teaching assistantships are often one of the few work options available due to visa restrictions, making these positions highly sought after.

PhD Side Hustles – Earn More Money

Many PhD students are turning to side hustles to supplement their income. Beyond the traditional stipends, teaching assistantships, and fellowships, entrepreneurial PhD students are finding innovative ways to earn money while pursuing their degrees.

Freelancing emerges as a popular choice among doctoral candidates, especially those with skills in:

• data analysis, and
• programming.

Websites that connect freelancers with short-term projects offer a flexible way to earn money without conflicting with academic commitments.

A PhD student in computational biology might freelance as a data analyst, applying their expertise while earning extra income.

Tutoring is another common side hustle for PhD students. Leveraging their advanced knowledge, many offer tutoring services in their field of study or related subjects, such as statistics for social sciences.

This not only provides additional income but also helps in honing their teaching skills, valuable for an academic career.

Some PhD students venture into more creative side hustles, such as starting a:

• podcast, or
• YouTube channel related to their research or academic life.

These platforms can generate income through advertising, sponsorships, and merchandise sales, all while enhancing their public engagement and communication skills.

It’s worth noting that managing a side hustle alongside PhD commitments requires careful time management. Moreover, international students must navigate visa restrictions that may limit their ability to work outside their studies.

Can International Students Earn Money As A PhD Student?

PhD program can be particularly challenging for international students, given the constraints imposed by visa regulations.

However, it’s possible for international PhD candidates to earn money while pursuing their studies, albeit within certain boundaries.

Most international PhD students are eligible for on-campus employment, including teaching assistantships and research assistantships.

These positions not only provide a stipend to cover living expenses but also offer invaluable experience in teaching and research, integral components of academic professional development.

For instance, as a teaching assistant, an international PhD student might lead discussion sessions or assist in grading, while adhering to the stipulated number of work hours per week as dictated by their visa.

Fellowships are another avenue through which international PhD students can secure financial support. These awards often come without the work obligations tied to assistantships, allowing students to focus more intently on their dissertation work.

Moreover, internships, particularly those related to the student’s field of research, can offer both financial remuneration and practical experience.

Some doctoral programs have partnerships with industries that facilitate such opportunities, though international students must ensure these opportunities align with their visa stipulations.

While off-campus employment is typically more restricted, some countries offer provisions under which international students can engage in work outside the university.

This might include part-time jobs or internships related to their field of study, provided they o btain the necessary work authorization.

Students In PhD Program Do Earn Enough Money To Survive

PhD students employ a diverse range of strategies to secure financial stability while pursuing their studies. From engaging in teaching and research assistantships to exploring fellowships and embracing entrepreneurial side hustles, they demonstrate adaptability and ingenuity.

These financial avenues not only support their academic journey but also enrich their professional and personal development, laying a foundation for a versatile career path.

Ultimately, the journey to make money as a PhD student is intertwined with their pursuit of academic excellence and professional growth.

Dr. JW Ong holds academic degrees, including a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from universities in New Zealand, Malaysia, and the UK. He started PhDPursuits.com as a way to share the experience he wish he would have had known before embarking on his PhD.

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40 Websites with Part-Time Jobs for PhD Students to Make Extra Income!

PhD programs are recognized for their rigorous and demanding nature, making it difficult to balance academic workload with other responsibilities like work or family.

This article explores 40 part-time job websites that can help you earn extra money while pursuing your PhD program.

Table of Contents

PhD Income Websites: 40 Part-Time Job Websites for PhD Scholars

These websites provide a wide range of part-time job opportunities, including freelance work, virtual assistant roles, tutoring, and data entry positions. PhD scholars can discover jobs that match their skills, schedules, and financial requirements.

35 Top Part-Time Jobs and Websites for PhD Students to Find Extra Income Opportunities

Part-time job opportunities, choosing the best part-time jobs for phd students.

Here’s how to ensure you choose the best part-time job as a PhD student:

1 . Agreements

2. time commitment, 3. skill building.

Part-time jobs at the university can help you develop valuable skills for your academic career. Teaching, explaining, and assisting students enhance your CV and can lead to future opportunities in lecturing and academia. Find a job that helps you build skills you enjoy, such as teaching, lecturing, or interacting with students.

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Phd stipends: all your questions answered, published by steve tippins on june 26, 2022 june 26, 2022.

Last Updated on: 2nd February 2024, 03:04 am

What are PhD stipends? When you enter a PhD program, you can also get financial support in the form of tuition reduction, free tuition, and PhD stipends. That means compensation for work you’ll do, such as teaching or being a research assistant. Typically, traditional, face-to-face universities and PhD programs—as opposed to online programs from non-traditional schools—will compensate you for being a PhD student.

Do All PhD Students Get a Stipend?

Not all PhD students get stipends. However, most students in traditional programs do get stipends because these are full-time programs that require full-time attention, if not more.

It’s very difficult to keep a job of any kind and be in a full-time doctoral program. In order to have students at an institution, the institution has to make up for the income students lose by not working. PhD students are valuable labor for institutions because it costs less to pay them to teach classes and do research support than someone who has already earned a PhD .

What Is a Good Stipend for a PhD Student?

The average phd stipend.

The average annual stipend in the United States ranges between about $23,000 and $33,000 per year. You’re not going to get rich as a PhD student on one of these stipends, but you can survive.

The Highest PhD Stipend

The highest PhD stipends that most students can get are around $30,000 to $33,000. Interestingly, stipends vary by discipline. The higher stipends tend to be in disciplines where it’s harder to find doctoral students or easier to find PhD jobs.  

Education or musicology will have a stipend below $20,000 on average, and there aren’t a lot of jobs for graduates in these disciplines. However, if you were to look at something like biomedical engineering, the stipend would probably be around $33,000.

There is a factor of supply and demand that goes into stipends, and these are averages across the US. They also vary slightly by institution.

Is a PhD Stipend Enough to Live On?

When you evaluate whether a PhD stipend statement is enough to live on, first think about where you’re going to school. Would $24,000 allow you to survive on your own in New York City? It would be really difficult to find someplace to rent under $2,000 a month. If you don’t have a strong desire to eat, maybe you could get by on something like that. 

On the other hand, if you are somewhere like Little Rock, Arkansas, where rent might be $600 a month, then you have $1,400 left for other things like food. It might be possible there. Many doctoral students share apartments and have roommates to make it easier to survive financially.

Can I Work While Doing a PhD?

You may be able to work a little bit while doing a PhD, though it’s very hard to have time to do much else besides focus on your degree. Some people come from previous jobs and can continue consulting. Some faculty members run consulting businesses and employ students to do more work than the stipend has them assigned to do. Just be aware that if you start making outside work a priority, eventually your stipends will go away.

Is a PhD Stipend Taxable?

We aren’t qualified to give tax advice, but in most cases stipends are considered taxable income to the doctoral student.

How Can PhD Students Earn Money Besides Their Stipend?

There are ways doctoral students can earn money outside of their PhD student stipend . Some doctoral students tutor students on the side. It used to be you could sell textbooks back to the manufacturer, but that’s become increasingly rare now that most textbooks are going electronic.

There are other opportunities like consulting based on previous contacts or working along with other faculty members to help them in their projects. 

In many cases, there are grants that you might receive in addition to your stipend. Apply for grants such as dissertation-writing grants or grants aligned with your demographic background or area of interest. Check with your institution’s financial aid office and with professional associations for grants.

How Often Is a PhD Stipend Paid?

PhD stipends are paid based on your university’s compensation schedule. If your university pays every two weeks, you’ll be paid every two weeks. If it pays once or twice a month, you’ll be paid once or twice a month.

Do PhD Stipends Increase Each Year?

Don’t count on a PhD stipend increasing every year. Universities have vast bureaucracies, and doctoral students are usually low on the pole of influence. If you get a stipend, assume that it will stay at that level. 

Be sure to also check the maximum duration of a PhD stipend. Some institutions have limits, so be aware if the limit is less than the average time it takes someone to complete a PhD.

Final Thoughts

A PhD stipend is a great thing. It allows you to keep living, albeit barely, while digging deep into your preferred area of interest. In most cases and locations, it’s high enough to subsist but low enough that you don’t want to hang around at that level for a long time.

Steve Tippins

Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins

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5 Ways PhD Students Can Earn Money while Studying

Most grad students face this dilemma at one point or another: the stipend they receive (if they receive one at all) just isn’t enough to get by. You generally don’t have a lot of time to contribute to an outside job but you need the money, so it’s key to find one with the highest possible hourly rate.

Here are a few of the most popular part time jobs for grad students:

Bartending/Wait Staff

You can make a good hourly wage bartending and serving, especially if you’re a people person. And, the hours can be flexible—days or evenings—around a crazy grad student schedule. Even if you’ve never done this before, many places will still hire you. And when it’s slow, you can catch up on your reading or have a co-worker run through your oral exam flashcards with you.

Find a moderately wealthy neighborhood, especially one where many children go to a private school, and put up posters in the local café advertising tutoring by a PhD student . Families will often pay upwards of $50 an hour for you to help junior with his 7 th grade math homework.

Freelance Writing

Especially for grad students in the humanities, finding work as a freelance writer can be easy and can afford you a decent hourly rate. Look online at websites that provide you such opportunities.

Related: Are you a PhD student looking for work? Check out these “earn while you learn” options!

Freelance Textbook Editing

Many textbook publishing companies use “subject-matter experts” to help them write their textbooks. You are a subject matter expert! Ask around and see if any of your colleagues have done this work. If not, the next time you’re at a conference, find a few of the major textbook publishers in your field and ask them about contract work.

Teach a Class at a Local Library or Community College

Look in your area for local libraries and community colleges that offer courses. What can you teach that these places might want to offer their students? Your courses can often resemble a 100-level intro college class, so this is good experience.

While there are plenty of other jobs you can do—babysitting, errand running service, coaching, or substitute teaching at a local school. These jobs are few that will get you the best pay per hour, at least in the United States. Other ideas? Leave a comment and share the wealth!

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How to Earn Money Online for Students

Who doesn’t love making extra cash? Read on to learn my top tips for how students can earn money online without compromising your studies.

Whether you’re looking for high hourly rates, flexible hours, or opportunities to enhance your personal and professional development, this guide has got you covered. Discover various income streams that can supplement your student loan or PhD stipend while making the most of your time as a student.

Let’s explore the endless possibilities of online earning!

Student Money Making Considerations

I think it is first worth saying that your time is valuable. Being a student opens up a fantastic range of opportunities that are not open once your graduate, so do make the most of them! Here is a post I’ve written about making the most of opportunities.

If you’re already satisfied with your finances then making extra money may not be a good use of your time. This is especially true with inefficient jobs which require a large time commitment at a low hourly rate.

But if you’re determined to learn how to make earn money online, read on for my in-depth student’s guide. In this post I have focused on streams of income with immediate earning potential, however if you’re feeling entrepreneurial you can of course start your own business. This tends to involve a great deal of upfront effort, but may prove fruitful in the long term.

I am going to focus on ways to earn money online which fulfil as many of the following criteria as possible:

• High hourly rate
• Flexible hours
• Contribute to your personal and professional development
• High availability

Tutoring is probably the first job that sprang to mind when you considered how to earn money online as a student. The only tutoring I’ve done has been free of charge (see below*) but I do know many PhD students who do it on the side. It can be rewarding both financially and personally, as you start to see improvements in the students.

The typical scenario will see you helping students prepare for school exams but you may also find opportunities to help more junior university students. Pay will vary a lot depending on your credentials and how you market yourself, £30 per hour and above is typical.

Online tutoring is as flexible as you make it, however do factor in the time it takes for preparation.

Hourly rate: 4/5 Flexible hours: 3/5 Personal development: 2/5 Availability: 3/5 Tutoring Overall Score: 12/20

*Feeling altruistic and want to help out students who can’t afford a tutor? Universities often have volunteering schemes such as Pimlico Connection at Imperial. I did this for one term when I started my PhD. No pay but a lot of satisfaction and the potential to make a big difference to the students you help.

Matched Betting

The wildcard! In a nutshell matched-betting involves taking advantage of promotional sports betting and casino game offers: flipping the odds in your favour, massively increasing your odds of regularly winning.

You might have seen sketchy looking adverts about it, but rest assured that you genuinely can make decent cash doing it from the comfort of your bedroom. I subscribe to a matched betting service* which makes the process of finding and capitalising offers very simple.

A typical offer may see you make £20 for 20-30 minutes work , with some offers being much more time efficient and others less so. There are a series of simple sign-up offers you can begin with which got to me to a quick profit of around £1000 profit. After these sign-up offers there are usually recurring offers for existing customers too.

*This is an affiliate link, please read more about my policy relating to them here .

I started matched betting several years ago and in total have made almost £10,000. The nice thing with matched betting is that it is tax free!

You can do it as much or as little as you have time for and it’s easy to fit around your work. You won’t learn anything useful from doing it but the flexibility is almost unrivalled. In summary, provided you’re careful it’s a fantastic way to make money as a student!

If you’re interested I have now written a huge post, guiding you through matched betting:

• The Student Guide to Matched Betting: Make Easy Money Online

Hourly rate: 4/5 Flexible hours: 5/5 Personal development: 1/5 Availability: 5/5 Matched Betting Overall Score : 15/20

Market Research Sessions

You’ve probably seen TV shows with a group of consumers thrown in a room to discuss their use of a certain product, with executives taking notes behind a one way mirror. The setting isn’t always like that, but the opportunities to make money as a student with market research are prevalent. It’s becoming increasingly common for virtual opportunities to be offered too.

There are agencies you can register with and they’ll regularly email new opportunities targeted at various demographics. I’ve done sessions on topics as diverse as gardening through to chocolate bars. You don’t need to be a student to apply for these but they do suit the potential flexibility of being a student.

The premise is simple: you provide an insight into your decision making process or feedback on a product to inform product development. Sometimes the work will involve going to a single one hour long session, other times you’ll be recording video diaries for a week or a month from home. Pay is often around £50 per hour or more.

Along with the products themselves I’ve received bonuses like an iPod to be able to record video diaries on which is an extra perk.

If you decide to attend a session in person make sure to factor in commuting time: earning £75 for a one hour session might sound great but if it takes an hour to get there it’s less efficient than it sounds. The sessions can be interesting but don’t really offer much in the way of personal development. Opportunities are sporadic and certainly not financially dependable so see them as a bonus.

Here are some companies which email me with market research opportunities:

• TakePartInResearch *
• Trend Market Research

*These are both affiliate links, please read more about my policy relating to them here .

Hourly rate: 5/5 Flexible hours: 4/5 Personal development: 1/5 Availability: 2/5 Market Research Overall Score: 12/20

Prolific is similar to other online survey sites, but as well as making money you’re participating in academic studies. As of February 2021 I’ve been using Prolific for a few months now and have made just over £100 at roughly £10 an hour .

The nice thing compared to other ways of making money is that you can pick up studies at your convenience. A lot of the time the studies are actually pretty interesting too.

The worst thing about it is that there aren’t currently a constant stream of high earning surveys so the potential to earn lots of money is limited. Hopefully as the platform develops the opportunities will increase.

I wrote a whole article with my thoughts and tips for using Prolific here .

Hourly rate: 2/5 Flexible hours: 3/5 Personal development: 3/5 Availability: 2/5 Prolific Overall Score: 10/20

Bank Switching Offers

To entice customers, banks often give out free cash for you to switch to them. Usually these offers are for £50-£100. Recently I got paid £100 to switch a current account to RBS, not bad for 10 minutes work.

In 2019 I detailed some of the money I made from these here . See available offers in the UK listed here .

Switching is now really simple, with all your direct debits etc automatically carried across, so switching takes less than half an hour: making this a good hourly rate!

If you’re able to save money, the linked savings accounts associated with many of these accounts are great too. The issue is that there aren’t that many banks and you can’t do these offers that frequently so it certainly isn’t a long term solution to make money. I still recommend making the most of these very easy offers and I usually switch accounts every 12 months or so.

Do be aware that sometimes there are required minimum monthly deposits. Usually you are okay to “game” it (i.e. if deposits of £1000 per month are required, you can simply transfer money back and forth amongst several of your own accounts up to this amount).

Hourly rate: 4/5 Flexible hours: 4/5 Personal development: 1/5 Availability: 1/5 Banking Offers Overall Score: 10/20

Selling on eBay

I make money selling old belongings on eBay, and have averaged about £200 per month since starting my PhD.

This method of reliably making money only really applies if you’ve got loads of old belongings hanging around which A you no longer want and B have value. So it’s certainly not for everyone nor a sustainable long term income source. Nevertheless it’s worked great for me to both make money (over £10,000!) and give my belongings a new lease of life.

I wrote a post about it here: How I make money selling belongings on eBay .

It is great to see the rise in thrifting and reducing our demands on the planet. Even if you’ve just got some old clothes you’re no longer wearing, try selling them. As well as eBay there are loads of other platforms this applies to such as Depop , Shpock etc.

Hourly rate: 2/5 Flexible hours: 5/5 Personal development: 1/5 Availability: 2/5 eBay Overall Score: 10/20

How to Earn Money Online for Grad Students

In addition to the money making opportunities listed above, there is one additional way of making money open to you specifically as a masters or PhD student.

But before we delve into it I’ll first address whether it’s ok to earn extra money during your PhD, after all you’ll usually be receiving a stipend to pay you for your work.

The simple answer is that usually you are fine to make some extra money on the side and working as a graduate teaching assistant is often actively encouraged .

However there will normally be limits on the number of hours you can work outside of your PhD studies, so if in doubt consult your department for further details.

Although not strictly limited to grad students, a lot of consulting roles will want you to demonstrate some expertise. Having several years of experience and a degree or two under your belt will significantly help with this.

I’ll begin by saying that I only have a small amount of experience in this area. Opportunities exist in many fields and you’ll typically hear about consulting opportunities through one of the following channels:

• Your supervisor may have a history of working with certain companies
• Department-wide emails targeted at PhD students to provide specialised help
• Adverts around campus
• Signing up to a consultancy agency

Of course you can also set yourself up as an independent consultant. Working with an external company through consulting can be a valuable experience for both academia and industry.

Recently I signed up to Kolabtree , a website connecting businesses and independent consultants. I’ve had some offers for work but haven’t yet taken on any. Be aware of the 20% platform fee. Even so I like the idea and setting up a profile doesn’t take long.

Hourly rate: 4/5 Flexible hours: 3/5 Personal development: 5/5 Availability: 2/5 Consulting Overall Score: 14/20

In addition to all of the ways to earn money online described above, I’d also encourage PhD students to keep an eye on any graduate teaching assistant (GTA) opportunities available. For more details see my full post on GTA roles .

The majority of these will be in person, but you may also find the occasional online role from time to time.

Summary: How to Earn Money Online for Students

Below is a brief summary of the key points we’ve discussed above.

• Tutoring: Offer your expertise to help younger students prepare for exams. Tutoring can be financially rewarding and flexible.
• Matched Betting: Take advantage of promotional sports betting and casino offers. Matched betting can be a lucrative way to make money online as a student.
• Market Research Sessions: Participate in market research studies to provide feedback on products or decision-making processes. These sessions can pay around £50 per hour or more.
• Prolific: Participate in online surveys and academic studies through the Prolific platform. Studies can be interesting and you can earn money at your convenience.
• Bank Switching Offers: Take advantage of banks’ offers to switch accounts and receive free cash. This can be a quick way to make money, but opportunities are limited.
• Selling on eBay: Sell old belongings on eBay or other platforms like Depop or Shpock to make money and give your items a new lease of life.
• Consulting (typically for graduate students): If you have expertise in a field, consider consulting opportunities, which can be beneficial for academia and industry connections.

As you can see, there are loads of ways for students to earn money online, each with their own pros and cons. No single one of these income streams is perfect for everyone, so which to choose will depend on your own skills, availability and priorities. However, there is nothing to stop you from utilising a mix of different income streams, giving you exposure to more opportunities to make money.

Keep in mind any limitations on the number of hours you can work outside of your studies, especially for graduate students receiving stipends.

Personally, from this list I’ve made the most money from eBay and matched betting . Then a much smaller and less dependable source has been market research opportunities and Prolific.

Best of luck with smashing both those money making and academic goals. Happy hustling!

Hopefully that’s helped to answer the question of how to earn money online for students. If you have any suggestions for income streams I should include, please do let me know in the comments.

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How To Pay For A Ph.D.

Fact Checked

Updated: Jan 25, 2024, 12:13pm

If your heart is set on earning a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, you’ll join an elite club. In the United States, only 4.9 million people—about 2% of adults—hold a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree.

A Ph.D. can lead to a significantly higher salary. According to The College Board, the median earnings for those with doctoral degrees was $120,700, 38% more than the median for those with master’s degrees.

However, earning a Ph.D. can be an expensive endeavor. To avoid racking up too much debt, learn how to pay for a doctorate with grants, scholarships and other sources of financial aid.

What Does a Ph.D. Cost?

If your goal is to earn a Ph.D., be prepared for a significant investment of both time and money. Depending on the type of university you choose and your program, a Ph.D. usually takes three to five years to complete. If you attend school part-time, it can take even longer.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), tuition and fees cost, on average, $20,513 for the 2021-2022 academic year, so you’ll spend anywhere from $61,539 to $102,565 to complete a Ph.D. program. In addition, you’ll need to account for about $16,000 to $20,000 per year in added costs, such as room and board, supplies and other fees.

That total is on top of what you spent on a bachelor’s and master’s degree, so your education will likely cost well into the six figures. With such a high cost, it’s no surprise that many Ph.D. earners have substantial student loan balances.

7 Ways To Pay For a Ph.D.

Ph.D. costs can be significant, but a variety of financial aid opportunities can make the price tag more manageable. Paying for a Ph.D. is possible using the following options:

1. Fully Funded Ph.D. Programs

Fully funded Ph.D. programs typically cover the cost of tuition and fees, and they also provide a monthly stipend for living expenses and health insurance. Some examples of fully funded Ph.D. programs include:

• Boston University . Attendees of Boston University’s Charles River Campus can take advantage of a fully funded model. The program includes 100% tuition coverage, a health insurance credit and a living expense stipend. Depending on your program, the stipend ranges from $27,318 to $40,977 per year.
• Duke University . At Duke University, Ph.D. students are guaranteed five years of tuition and living stipends and up to six years of full health and dental insurance coverage. The amount of financial support varies by program and stipend amounts range from $2,538 to $3,217 per month.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management . MIT’s fully funded Ph.D. program covers students for up to five years. The program pays for the full cost of tuition and provides students with a monthly stipend of $4,497, student medical insurance and a new laptop. Students also receive up to $4,500 for travel and conferences.

Not all universities offer fully funded Ph.D. programs, and existing programs are highly competitive. For example, the Stanford University Department of Political Science Ph.D. program selects 12 to 15 students per year.

2. Ph.D. Fellowship Programs

A fellowship program provides students with financial support so they can focus on their academic work. Issued based on the student’s academic merit or research achievements, fellowships may or may not have a service requirement attached.

Fellowships can come from universities, nonprofit organizations or government agencies. For example:

• American Psychological Association (APA) Doctoral Fellowship in Health and Substance Abuse Services . The APA fellowship is for full-time doctoral students who are committed to working in behavioral health. It provides up to three years of financial support, and the stipend amounts vary by year and program.
• Cornell Fellowship . Cornell University operates several fellowship programs. The Cornell Fellowship pays for one academic year of tuition, fees, health insurance and a stipend.
• U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program . The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program is a five-year fellowship that gives students three years of financial support. The fellowship includes an annual stipend of $37,000 and pays up to $16,000 per year in tuition and fees.

You can search for fellowship opportunities through the ProFellow database .

3. Doctoral Scholarships

Scholarships are available to Ph.D. students, and these merit-based awards can come from nonprofit organizations, private companies, states and government agencies. The award amounts vary, ranging from smaller awards that may only cover incidental expenses to more substantial awards of $20,000. For example:

• Accounting Doctoral Scholars Program . Certified public accountants (CPAs) intending to earn a Ph.D. in accounting can qualify for up to $20,000 through the Accounting Doctoral Scholars Program.
• American Library Association (ALA) Century Scholarship . The ALA Century Scholarship gives up to $2,500 to library school students with disabilities pursuing a doctoral degree.
• Washington State American Indian Endowed Scholarship . In Washington, Native American students can receive $500 to $2,500 to pay for their education at an eligible school within the state.

You can search for additional scholarship opportunities with tools like FastWeb or Scholarships.com .

4. Ph.D. Grants

Unlike scholarships, grants are usually awarded based on the student’s financial need. Ph.D. grants can be issued by states and nonprofit organizations. For example:

• José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant Fund . This grant, issued to Hispanic students in Florida, is both need-based and merit-based. Eligible recipients can receive up to $2,000 per year.
• Organization For Autism Research Graduate Research Grant . Doctoral candidates conducting autism research can qualify for a grant of $2,000.
• Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program . Virginia residents attending an eligible university can receive between $5,000 and $12,500 per year in financial assistance.

You can find Ph.D. grant opportunities through your state education agency or CareerOneStop .

5. Employer Reimbursement

If you’re currently working full- or part-time, your employer may be willing to help with some of your education expenses. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 48% of employers offer tuition assistance or reimbursement benefits.

Contact your human resources department to find out if tuition reimbursement is available and what you need to do to qualify for the benefit.

6. Federal Student Loans

Depending on the other financial aid you qualify for, you may need to borrow some money to cover your remaining expenses. Federal student loans are a good starting point since they have more borrower protections than other options, and you may qualify for loan forgiveness later on based on your employment.

Ph.D. students may qualify for either direct unsubsidized loans or grad PLUS loans. Unsubsidized loans have lower interest rates but have annual and aggregate borrowing maximums that your program may exceed. If that’s the case, you can use grad PLUS loans to pay for your remaining expenses.

To apply for federal loans, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and contact your university’s financial aid department.

7. Private Student Loans

If you aren’t eligible for federal loans or need to borrow more than the federal limits allow, private student loans are another way to pay for your Ph.D. Private loans come from banks, credit unions and other lenders, and your loan eligibility is based on your credit, income and whether you have a co-signer (someone who agrees to repay the loan if you miss payments).

If you have excellent credit, you could qualify for private loans with lower rates than you’d get with federal loans, and private student loans can have terms as long as 20 years.

If you decide to take out a private loan, compare quotes from several lenders offering loans for Ph.D. programs. Consider the rates, terms and overall repayment costs to find the best loan option.

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7 Easy Ways For Graduate Or College Students To Earn Alternative Income Or Make Money Online

Why A Struggle?

I have struggled with the question, “ How Do I Earn Extra Money On The Side While In School? ” my entire college career. When I was an undergrad, I was taking 18 credits (with 3-4 science labs), working in a research lab, and working a part time job 20 hours a week. I only knew of one way to pay for college tuition and fees: working a second job in the evenings and weekends. So I went into sales.

I sold cellular phones for TMobile, Alltel, Sprint, and AT&T. I did this for 4 years. The timing was perfect since the market was young and new customers were not uncommon during that time (cell phone bubble). When the Motorola Razr was worth 300 dollars back in 2004. Anyways, this job was hourly + commission and I made a killing. I was making 15-18K a year working part time while in school. But jobs like this are hard to come by (I had extensive sales experience prior), and require a lot of effort. Nowadays, cell phone sales will not pay as well because instead of new contracts everyone is upgrading. There are 300 million cell phone users in the U.S. I wonder what it was in 2004?

So.. With that said. Say you are studying for the GRE or MCAT. Say you are doing an internship on the side. You’re really hurting on money. You don’t have time to fit in a second job. You didn’t qualify for work study. Or you are in graduate school and aren’t allowed to take on a second job. Or you simply just don’t have time. How can someone earn extra income on the side without having to put in 20-40 hours a week? Without having to put on a work uniform and put in the set amount of weekly hours on top of your already busy life?

1) Online Tutoring.

Yea that’s right. If you are good at something like Math or English you can get paid to be an online tutor. A lot of them will require you to pass a certification test. But if you do (and meet the requirements), you can earn money in your spare time being a teacher. That is if you like to teach and have the patience. The payout can vary, you can get $15 an hour and this can go up depending on assignments and prior experience. You can check out more here: http://www.homework-help-secrets.com/online-tutoring.html

2) Teach A Musical Instrument.

A lot of people grew up learning/playing piano, guitar, trumpet, etc. If you have 5+ years of experience, all you really need to do is buy a book on the musical theory. I did it for guitar. So not only could I teach the technique of guitar but also the theory to support it (I had to brush up on this). Payout (on a craigslist ad and other sites) was $10-15 for a 30 minute session. You set the price. Build your client base, reputation, and watch your income increase.

3) Sell Stuff On Ebay and Craigslist.

You’ve heard it before. But I took my parents old car rims and sold them for $200 on a 7 Day Auction. They were just sitting there taking up garage space. They said I could have all the profit. We also had some old cherry furniture and dinette set sitting in our garage. Sold that for $150 in one day. More cash in my pocket. Electronic items will also sell. Did you upgrade your cell phone? Sell your old one. If you have the box and manuals then you’re golden.

Don’t want to ship something? Sell it on craigslist. Once you get used to writing sales ads, it comes pretty natural. Just make sure you have the full description and take PROFESSIONAL pictures. Yes lighting, background, and presentation will make a difference in the payout. Even having the full title makes a difference (especially when it comes to keywords).

4) Get paid for your expertise or opinion.

We are all experts at something different . Say someone is an expert at waterskiing or snowboarding. Could they get paid to be an instructor? Yes. You factor in the time and the need for resources. Maybe you want to become a personal trainer because you are really into fitness (this does require certification). Maybe you speak a second language. Get paid to be an interpreter. You’re good at writing. Take it one day at a time. Write a book. Easier said than done right?

Only you truly know whether your expertise would have an immediate or more long-term payout. So you could invest your time to see payout later. Be a consultant. Teach a class. Be a coach. Be a photographer. You decide . Do you have the time to invest and what’s the risk/reward? If it isn’t feasible seek alternatives. Either way, pursue your passion and you can’t go wrong.

My Favorite One :  Check Out Focus Group.com! If you take the survey by answering some questions (you fill out your profile first), qualify, and they pick you.. You’re in luck. Can range anywhere from $50-200 bucks for only 1-2 hours of your time. They do national studies as well as local (more if you are in a big city). I got paid $75 via a Visa Rewards Gift Card immediately after doing a 1-on-1 tobacco study. Getting selected is not easy, but when you do (if you do) it’s well worth it.

I’ve also heard of people getting paid to do online surveys . Although I’ve never really dug deeper into this as a way to make income on the side, I definitely think it is possible (from what I’ve heard). The only downside is that it is annoying and tedious. Check out sites like http://www.surveyspot.com/ . I’ll leave it up to you to find which sites are legit. Make sure you set up a separate gmail just to send all the spam mail that you’ll get.

5) Start An Online Business.

Who has time, right ? What happens is people think they have to do this all in one night. Or they need the idea NOW. If you want a successful online business it takes MONTHS. Sometimes years to even get it going. How do I know? I started my own online business while in graduate school. Back in 2009 I launched a site that sold various woodworking products. None of these products sold and that was after weeks of developing the website and paying for a dot com. People didn’t want to pay shipping. They wanted something they could see in person and buy locally.

So it seemed like I really had no marketable product or target audience, and that it was going to be another failed business. By accident, I tested the market with a sporting goods product (bean bag toss boards) and it sold the next day on Craigslist for $99. From there it led to a very successful business on the side (took one year to get established). 3 years later and it’s still going strong to this day. Sell whatever you see fit whether it is goods or services , it could even be developing your own iPhone app.

The key is consistency and to be persistent . It is wise to have an exit strategy, but don’t give up at the beginning, become impatient, or get easily discouraged. Now you may not be as fortunate as me and have the time to make products like this and sell them. In that case I’ll leave the idea up to you. You could buy products for wholesale and sell them for profit. This is not uncommon to buy in bulk (from China), add to the product features and sell it above wholesale.

I did this for cell phones and was an Ebay Powerseller for 2 years straight making 40 dollars on each phone I sold. Anything is possible when it comes to running your own business. Are you frustrated because the idea hasn’t come? That’s why you test it with a Craiglist ad. Test your market. A lot of times the idea can come by accident or when you least expect it. Forced ideas rarely work in my opinion. The best ideas are the ones that come when you least expect it.

If you do a Google search for ‘Earning Income While In College’ you will always get some list like ‘Top 8 Ways to Make Money.’ The site is littered with affiliate links and hyped up reviews. You have to wonder if the author even tried it for him or herself. Most likely they didn’t. Don’t waste your time. It is another example of a forced idea.

The best idea is your originality. That’s right. Stop giving plasma. Painting houses. Mowing Lawns. Doing Paper Routes. This is old-fashioned thinking. We live in a current day and age where you can utilize technology to your advantage. You just need to know-how. There are much better ways to make money and this brings me to my next point.

6) Get paid to be a writer.

Ever heard of Textbroker ? If not, you have now. Get paid to be an author. You don’t have to be a professional writer . Typically, you can get paid close to 100 bucks or more for an 8,000 word article that you write (starting). As you build up your reputation and rating, you can get up to 5 cents per word. You pick the topic. The client sets the deadline and you have X amount of days to finish the article in your spare time.

Some people have also reported HubPages as a great way to earning money online. Every time you write an article or “hub” you can generate a large amount of traffic to your site. The more hubs and the more you grab your reader’s attention, the more hits you get. Then you can earn money through Google Adsense. HubPages has a very user friendly way of setting this up. I would look into it if you haven’t already and if you enjoy writing: HubPages Success Stories

Also see : 7 websites that pay $50 or more for guest blog posts

7) Sell An Informational Product Online.

This is by far the best way to earn a second income . The focus here is to create an informational product that truly adds value back to your readers . The extent and measure of value creation will be based on how well you truly help solve your audience’s problem or issue.

Once the value has been created, it is a win-win because you are helping others solve their problem(s) while at the same time you are receiving compensation for all your hard work.

Once you have a good informational product that is well-written and informative, this is the best bang for the buck. It’s a slow crawl at first and takes patience and persistence. It takes hard work. But with anything, hard work is a given. A lot of people want the immediate answer. They get short-up. They Google something and get caught up in some money making pyramid scheme or scam. There are thousands of money making methods online. Many methods lack the truth and best way to effectively do online marketing. Why? Because they pile on a million things that try and get you to purchase their product. Then you make some cookie-cutter website.

I know because I am an example of someone who got suckered into one of these get rich quick scams. They put you on some 14 day or 30 day plan. Deep down you know it probably won’t work. You have your doubts from the beginning. If it takes away the originality from you, your gut feeling will usually tell you it won’t work. And your gut feeling is almost always right. Without hard work and originality it most likely will not work. It produces clones of the original.

What happens is it dilutes everything. Lowers the quality. Discourages people. Who makes all the money? The person at the top. But what’s funny is the person is making money off telling you how to make money. The problem isn’t really being solved because nothing is being created that has substance or originality (there is simply promotion for more promotion). If the person selling the product actually told you useful information then I don’t think the market would be so saturated and confused. The truth is obscured.

My whole point here is what is the one TRUE method to actually earn a second income while in grad school or college ? I have yet to read one or find a method that is geared towards specifically towards graduate, professional, or college students. How does one create a product to help another OVERCOME A PROBLEM? And keep the originality? And not product some cookie cutter website or product? The answer is you create your own informational product. The easiest one is an E-book.

And you don’t have to be a writer for this to work. You can pay someone on Textbroker to write it for you (this is optional). You’re busy with school. Time and money are scarce . So you can outsource your article (and add to it on your own if you want). You can invest your money in someone else. Or if you have the time, write the article yourself. Then it comes down to online Marketing Principles. You earn all your money back and more. It’s a no-brainer.

The hard part is getting the Traffic to your sales page/product and promoting your product. Once you get past this, the profits start rolling in . There really is no secret to it. It does take time and hard work , but it will be even harder if you try to learn it from scratch. In my book, I’ve done all the research for you and I’ve found out what does and doesn’t work. So you are already two steps ahead if you buy it and follow it. Why is this original? Because you pick the product or idea.

You pick the problem that you want others to overcome that is UNIQUE to your situation . Something you are passionate about. Maybe you’ll title it, “How I Found Ways in Grad School to Make Money on the Side.” Or “How A Science Blog Saved My PhD.” Or “Using A Science/College/Graduate School Blog for Online Advertisement/Promotion.” Or “How I Effectively Wrote My Thesis in 4 weeks.” Or “How to Effectively Network While in Grad School to Land Your Dream Job.” Lastly, “Top 10 Things I Learned in Grad School: For The New and Prospective Students.” Many more ideas here .

I wrote it to help people like you. To give a step-by-step guide that isn’t sugar coated. That actually works and isn’t all hype. The best part: IT’S FREE .

Ultimately the idea is up to you . The only thing right now holding you back is yourself. If you want to go and work the traditional ‘second’ job to earn income be my guest. But the whole point of this blog is to make you aware of easier and more feasible options while you are enrolled in graduate or professional school. #1-6 all have the potential to work. I know because I’ve done it the past 10 years of my life. But the best bang for the buck while in college/grad school in my experience is #7. Dig deeper and you will not be disappointed.

Still Skeptical?

Check out my interview on I’ve Tried That, where I answer a very long series of in-person, in-depth questions.

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PhD student salary – How much cash will you get?

When considering starting a PhD you need to think about how much you will get as a PhD student at a minimum. Ideally, you would be fully funded so that you could focus 100% on your studies.

A PhD student salary ranges from US$17,000 a year (New Zealand) all the way up to US$104,000 a year (Austria). The amount you need depends significantly on the living costs of a particular country. Places like the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark and Sweden have the highest living cost ratio.

Generally speaking, you can expect to receive a modest stipend for living expenses as well as tuition assistance.

In 2007 my PhD stipend was AU$20,000 (approximately US$13,000). At the time, this was enough for me to live comfortably and save a little bit of money as well.

As the cost-of-living increases PhD student salaries are being stretched to their limits.

Here is data for a range of countries ordered by the best living ratio the higher. The living to cost ratio the further the stipend goes. Data was collected from Glassdoor.com and Numeo .

In the US, most PhD students make between $20,000 and $45,000 per year. Some more prestigious programs may offer higher salaries.

Salaries vary by institution and field of study, so you should check with your school’s department to find out what kind of compensation they offer.

Additionally, many universities provide additional funding opportunities such as research grants or teaching assistantships that can help supplement your income. While you may not get rich off of a PhD student salary, it is possible to make enough money to cover basic needs while continuing your studies.

What Are PhD Student Salaries?

PhD students don’t necessarily get “salaries”.

Full-time doctoral students are typically paid a stipend which is usually a fixed amount that covers living expenses as well as tuition.

Other forms of financial support may include fellowships, grants and teaching or research assistantships.

In addition to monetary compensation, PhD students may also receive health insurance and other benefits such as free housing or childcare services. Many universities also offer career counselling services for their PhD students in order to help them find jobs after graduation.

Ultimately, PhD student salaries can vary greatly and it’s important to consider all factors when evaluating PhD offers.

Countries offering Highest PhD stipends in the World

There are a variety of countries that are better at funding PhD students than others. Check out my YouTube video which goes through the countries with the highest PhD stipend and how you can boost yours.

Here is a quick rundown of other benefits if you are considering doing a PhD abroad.

Netherlands

As an international student, you may be considering studying for a PhD in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is home to some of the top universities in Europe and offers a wide range of PhD programs. In addition, the Dutch government offers a number of scholarships and grants for international students.

I’ve done some research and found that the average salary for a PhD student in the Netherlands is around US$74163 per year . This figure is before any additional income from grants or scholarships. So, if you’re planning on studying for a PhD in the Netherlands, it’s important to bear in mind that you’ll need to budget for living costs on top of your tuition.

Switzerland

Every year, the Swiss Confederation and Swiss National Science Foundation award scholarships to international postgraduate researchers who desire to pursue their PhD in Switzerland. It’s home to some of our planet’s most stunning landscapes and among its brightest minds.

Switzerland is known for its degrees in business, is home to some of the best institutes of technology, and is a world leader in finance and banking.

Sweden is a well-developed and prosperous country with a strong tradition of academic excellence.

Swedish universities are consistently ranked highly in international rankings, making it an attractive destination for students from all over the world.

PhD students in Sweden can expect to receive a competitive stipend to help cover living costs during their studies. About USD$42618 per year , according to my research.

In addition, there are a number of scholarships and grants available to help cover the costs of tuition and other expenses.

Denmark is one of the top countries in the world for research and development, making it an attractive prospect for PhD students. The country offers generous stipends to PhD students, with no additional fees for being a student. The average PhD stipend in Denmark is around US$53,436 per year.

Norway is one of the countries offering a high PhD stipend. The average PhD stipend in Norway is around US$50,268 per year . PhD students in Norway also benefit from a high quality of life, as the country is regularly ranked as one of the best places to live in the world.

If you are considering pursuing a PhD, Norway should definitely be on your list of potential countries to study in.

Things to consider for PhD stipends

Before you settle on your PhD there are a few things to consider about your stipend.

Things such as industry top ups can significantly increase your earning potential as a PhD student and looking at the living costs in a particular country as well as the particular terms and conditions for your PhD stipend will mean you do not end up being shortchanged.

Industry Top-ups

One of the best ways that I have seen PhD students earn more money and raise their minimum salary is by looking for industry supported PhD positions and top ups.

For example, while I was on AU$20,000 a year, one of my colleagues in the department was on AU$60,000 a year and was guaranteed a job after their PhD. They had a top up scholarship from an industry partner sponsoring their battery research.

Looking for these opportunities may help you earn significantly more money during your PhD.

Living costs

Quite frankly, PhD living costs vary dramatically from country to country and city to city. European countries may have a relatively high PhD stipend but the living costs are also higher.

The best way to determine the buying power of your PhD scholarship is to consider it in terms of the living costs. The best way to do that is with the living cost index.

Here are the best countries to get a PhD stipend relative to the cost of living. The higher the living ratio the better.

You can see that Austria tops this list and many of the Scandinavian countries also are high on the list. Places like Ireland and New Zealand are one of the worst places to do your PhD if you want your stipend to go a long way.

Length of the PhD

In countries like the United States of America, the PhD system means that you need to do a 5 to 7 year PhD. This significantly increases the amount of time that you will spend in university and, therefore, your earning potential will be limited for a longer amount of time.

I chose to do my PhD in Australia because it would only take me three years as an international student. Choosing a PhD with a shorter timescale from the UK, Australia, New Zealand or European countries may be best for you.

Terms and conditions

Lastly, it is important to scrutinise the terms and conditions of your PhD stipend.

Some stipends do not allow students to get a second job which significantly limits their full-time earning potential. Other places, do not put any restrictions on their PhD students even with a full scholarship.

If you want to know more about earning more money during your PhD check out the two articles below.

• The best PhD student part-time jobs [Full guide]
• Is it possible to earn a PhD while working? The brutal truth

How to Get a PhD Stipend

To get a stipend, you will need to apply for funding through the university or other organizations offering scholarships and grants.

Be sure to carefully read through all requirements of the application process and submit all necessary documents, such as transcripts, essays, recommendation letters and financial aid forms.

You may also need to show proof of academic excellence, such as high grades or awards. For example, I was required to achieve a first class masters before being able to access any funding from a foreign university.

Once accepted, you will usually receive a monthly payment from the organization as well as tuition assistance. Additionally, many universities offer research assistantships which provide students with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in their field while earning money at the same time.

With dedication and hard work, obtaining a PhD stipend can help reduce some of the financial burden associated with higher education.

Wrapping up

This article has been through everything you need to know that PhD student salaries and giving you some real-world numbers on what you can expect in different countries.

The real important value is the living cost ratio to ensure that your PhD stipend goes as far as possible and is not eaten up quickly by rent, food, and other basic necessities.

It is possible for PhD students to not only live comfortably but also put some money aside if you are very careful about choosing a PhD with a full stipend and looking for other opportunities to top up the money with industry partnerships and other grants.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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PhD Students: What do you do to earn extra money

Other than teaching, what do you do to earn extra money? While my stipend is enough to cover the basics, what do you do earn more? I come from a CS background and it would be nice to know ideally what my fellow CS friends do.