top of page

Side Gigs for Pulmonologists

  • 20 hours ago
  • 9 min read

Over the years, we've seen countless requests for side hustle ideas for doctors in specific specialties in our online physician community. We continue our series of unique side gigs by specialty with side gigs for pulmonologists. If you aren't in pulmonology and want to learn more about side gigs for your specialty, check out our side gigs page, which has a section that specifically lists side gig ideas for different specialties. If your specialty hasn't been featured yet, follow the series on Instagram, where we've featured more specialties.


Disclosure/Disclaimer: Our content is for generalized educational purposes. While we try to ensure it is accurate and updated, we cannot guarantee it. You should do your own due diligence before making decisions based on this page. To learn more, visit our disclaimers and disclosures.


11 unique side gigs for pulmonologists, including consulting, clinical trials, expert witness work, and more


Side gigs for pulmonologists


Consulting


Consulting is a popular side gig in our online physician community that allows pulmonologists to use their expertise in a new way to help shape advancements in healthcare. These are typically short-term or one-off engagements where companies want your clinical perspective on a product, device, or drug in development.


Pay is typically on an hourly or per-project basis, with most opportunities available remotely. Physicians in our community on average request over $300/hour for consulting work, though rates vary by subspecialty, experience, and scope. These engagements can also open doors to additional opportunities such as health tech advising and speaking engagements.


Related PSG resources:



Chart review


Chart review is another flexible and predominantly remote side gig that can be layered around your schedule to build a new skill set with your existing clinical expertise. Opportunities exist with insurance companies, law firms, hospital systems, and utilization review organizations for roles including:

  • Utilization management and peer-to-peer reviews

  • Independent medical evaluations (IMEs)

  • Workers' compensation case reviews

  • Quality assurance and case review for insurance carriers


You can typically set the volume of work you wish to do, though companies may have a desired minimum number of hours a week in order to contract with them. Compensation varies by role and format. Some work is hourly, while other opportunities are paid per case or per review.


Pulmonologists in California interested in doing workers’ compensation cases must be certified as a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME).


Related PSG resources:



Locums and moonlighting


For pulmonologists who enjoy the clinical environment and are looking primarily to increase their income, locums and moonlighting are among the most direct paths to do so as they offer competitive pay and opportunities for ongoing side gig work.


Opportunities can range from picking up occasional weekend or overnight critical care call to short-term contracts covering a temporary staffing gap and even longer multi-week arrangements that provide a more structured supplemental income.


The critical care component of pulmonology makes coverage particularly valuable to hospitals, which often have difficulty staffing ICU call and benefit greatly from experienced doctors who can step in. If you're primarily looking for outpatient pulmonary locums, those opportunities exist too, though they may be less prevalent than critical care coverage.


Always confirm malpractice coverage before picking up extra shifts, especially with a new different health system. Your primary employer's policy typically doesn’t cover outside work. Visit our medical malpractice insurance page for resources if needed. Also review your current employment agreement for any moonlighting restrictions.


Related PSG resources: 



Paid medical surveys


Paid medical surveys are one of the most flexible side gig options available, allowing you to leverage your expertise with no scheduling commitment and minimal time investment. Surveys can be as short as a few minutes, making it easy to fit them around your existing schedule. You can complete surveys in between patient appointments or while waiting in the after-school pick up line.


Pulmonology tends to be in high demand and better compensated for medical surveys because of the heavy pharmaceutical and device interest in respiratory medicine. For example, companies developing inhalers, hypertension medications, and respiratory monitoring tools are consistently seeking input from pulmonologists. Signing up with multiple reputable survey platforms broadens your access to opportunities, and while you won't qualify for every study, those that align with your subspecialty expertise can pay meaningfully for your time.


Related PSG resources:



Health tech advising


The intersection of pulmonology and health technology is rich with opportunity — remote monitoring platforms, digital therapeutics for asthma management, and wearable respiratory sensors are just a few examples of where companies are actively building and need clinical input from pulmonologists who understand real-world workflows and patient needs.


Health tech advising differs from one-off consulting in that it typically involves an ongoing relationship with a company. This can include serving on an advisory board, contributing to long-term product development, or taking a formal medical advisor role.


Compensation for these roles often includes both cash payments and equity in the company, especially with earlier-stage startups. Equity can offer meaningful long-term upside if the company grows, though it also carries risk with unpredictable timelines.


These roles are often found through professional networks, society connections, or through existing relationships. If you’re looking to get involved in this space, attending a health tech conference can be a great way to network with industry leaders.


Related PSG resources:



Expert witness work


Expert witness work is a unique opportunity to take your clinical skills and apply them in a legal setting without requiring additional training or credentials. Legal cases involving pulmonary conditions arise frequently and span a wide range of settings — from occupational lung disease litigation (asbestos, silica, etc.) to medical malpractice cases.


This work is largely remote and flexible, with case review, written reports, and expert consultations typically completed from home on your own schedule. If a case proceeds to trial, you may be required to travel for a deposition or courtroom testimony, but most cases settle before reaching that stage.


Expert witness work can be a lucrative opportunity and may pay above your hourly clinical rate, especially where demand for qualified pulmonary experts is high.


Related PSG resources:



Clinical trials


Clinical research trials exist across multiple focus areas, including COPD, asthma, pulmonary hypertension, lung cancer, and sleep apnea, just to name a few. This creates meaningful opportunities to contribute to clinical trials as a principal investigator (PI) or sub-investigator (sub-I), either through a third-party site or by establishing a research site at your private practice.


The push to conduct trials outside of major academic medical centers has grown considerably with sponsors increasingly seeking out community-based and private practice sites to access a broader and more demographically diverse patient population. Companies exist that can help private practices establish a site by providing staffing, compliance infrastructure, and ongoing operational support to reduce the upfront burden.


Compensation for clinical trials varies by study complexity and your role, but this side gig can scale meaningfully across multiple concurrent trials and represents one of the highest income potential options available.


Related PSG resources:



TeleICU and other telemedicine


Telemedicine is a popular side gig opportunity, with teleICU being among the more distinctive and in-demand opportunities available to pulmonologists. TeleICU platforms connect remote intensivists with ICUs that lack around-the-clock in-house critical care coverage to monitor patients in real time, advise bedside teams, and provide immediate clinical decision support. For pulmonologists with critical care training, this can be a meaningful and well-compensated way to extend your clinical reach while working from a remote location.


Beyond TeleICU, outpatient telemedicine opportunities exist in other areas like COPD management, post-hospitalization pulmonary care, and sleep medicine consultations. Some pulmonologists use telemedicine to expand their patient panel into underserved or rural areas. Others add virtual hours to supplement their existing in-person practice.


Platforms vary widely in structure, minimum hour requirements, responsibilities, and compensation. We recommend carefully vetting any opportunity you consider and confirming how malpractice insurance is handled before starting. You typically need to be licensed in the state where services are provided. Learn more about multi-state licensing for physicians.


Related PSG resources:



Develop a medical device


Pulmonologists have a front-row view of the gaps and limitations in existing respiratory technology. This insider perspective is exactly what medical device companies and early-stage startups are looking for, and it positions pulmonologists well for involvement in device development, whether as an advisor, an investor, or as a developer themselves.


The most accessible entry point is typically an advisory or consulting role with a company that is already building something in the respiratory or critical care space. This allows you to contribute clinical insight on design decisions, usability feedback, and the pathway to clinical adoption. These roles may be compensated in cash, equity, or both.


For pulmonologists with more entrepreneurial ambitions, identifying an unmet need and working with engineers or a development partner to bring a device concept to market is a longer but potentially more rewarding path.


Related PSG resources:



Remote respiratory monitoring


Pulmonologists can incorporate remote patient monitoring (RPM) for respiratory conditions into their own practice as an ancillary revenue stream. RPM programs for conditions like COPD and asthma allow pulmonologists to generate additional revenue by monitoring biometric data transmitted by patients at home while providing an additional service and convenience to patients. For private practice pulmonologists, setting up an RPM program can provide a meaningful and relatively passive supplemental income stream once workflows are established.


Related PSG resources:



Medical director for a pulmonary rehabilitation center


Serving as medical director of a pulmonary rehabilitation program is a niche but well-suited side gig for pulmonologists with an interest in the longer-term management of chronic respiratory conditions. Pulmonary rehabilitation centers often look for a physician to provide clinical oversight, sign off on program protocols, review patient eligibility, and serve as the responsible medical authority for the program.


This role is often part-time and doesn't require daily on-site presence. Responsibilities typically include:

  • Reviewing and approving individualized treatment plans

  • Ensuring the program meets regulatory and accreditation standards

  • Consulting on complex patients

  • Participating in quality improvement activities


Compensation is generally structured as a stipend or monthly retainer, and hours can often be arranged to complement your existing clinical schedule.


This work can also offer a useful bridge for those exploring a gradual transition toward nonclinical or hybrid work.


Related PSG resources:



Additional side hustle resources for pulmonologists


While we've outlined above some common side gig ideas for pulmonologists, there's always room for creativity. If there's something you're passionate about and good at, look for ways to monetize it.


Dive deeper into some of the side gigs featured above, including:


Sign up for our free side gig matching databases (physician only) and our PSG weekly newsletter for alerts on side gig opportunities related to your interests.


Need inspiration? Join our Physician Side Gigs Facebook group and ask other pulmonologists what they've enjoyed.


Explore and learn more about:

bottom of page