How to Make 6 Figures As A Doctor? (11 Best Ways in 2024)

Updated: September 6th, 2024

So you want to make six figures as a doctor? Good for you! Being a doctor is a highly respectable and well-paid profession, and there's no reason why you can't earn a high income if you put your mind to it.

In this blog post, we'll look at some of the best ways to make more money as a doctor - business ideas you can start to achieve such income. Keep reading to learn more!

1. Become a social media influencer ($57.4K/month)

In the age of digital connectivity, becoming a social media influencer offers a lucrative avenue for supplementing your income as a doctor. By leveraging platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, you could establish a powerful personal brand and connect with a vast audience who trusts your medical expertise. Brands are eager to collaborate with influencers who have established credibility in their field, providing opportunities for sponsored content, partnerships, and affiliate marketing that could significantly boost your earnings.

As a medical professional, you could choose a niche that aligns with your specialties, such as health and wellness, fitness, or medical advice. By consistently creating engaging and informative content, you could attract a dedicated following and, over time, make six figures through social media ventures. This entrepreneurial approach allows you to diversify your income streams while sharing valuable insights and making a positive impact on public health.

How much you can make: $2,500 — $166,666/month

How much does it cost to start: $800 (?)

How long does it take to build: 155 days (?)

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2. Start a youtube channel ($146K/month)

Starting a YouTube channel could be a lucrative side venture for doctors aiming to supplement their income and potentially reach six figures. With YouTube's established monetization system, a channel dedicated to medical advice, health tips, or insights on the healthcare industry could attract a substantial audience. Reaching a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past year would allow you to join the YouTube Partner Program and start generating revenue from ads.

Beyond ad revenue, a successful YouTube channel could open additional income streams through sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and even offering online courses or consultations. Sharing your expertise on a popular platform could not only help grow your practice but also establish you as a credible authority in your field. If you have a passion for content creation, leveraging YouTube's popularity could be a strategic move to significantly boost your earnings in 2024.

How much you can make: $800 — $1,000,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $750 (?)

How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

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3. Become an affiliate marketer ($55.3K/month)

Exploring affiliate marketing could present a lucrative side venture for doctors aiming to supplement their income. By promoting products or services related to the medical field—such as health supplements, medical devices, or educational courses—you could leverage your credibility and expertise to drive significant sales, earning commissions with each successful referral.

Given that starting an affiliate marketing business requires minimal upfront investment, it could be a low-risk way to diversify your income streams. With the right strategies and marketing skills, affiliate marketing offers the potential to generate substantial extra income, helping you inch closer to that six-figure mark.

How much you can make: $18,000 — $83,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $100 (?)

How long does it take to build: 150 days (?)

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4. Start an ecommerce store ($287K/month)

Starting an ecommerce store could be a lucrative side business for a doctor looking to make six figures. With lower overhead costs compared to brick-and-mortar businesses, you could easily manage an online store alongside your medical practice. This flexibility allows you to reach a wider audience without the need to invest in physical storefronts or extensive staff.

As a doctor, you could leverage your expertise to offer unique health-related products or services, drawing from your professional credibility to attract customers. The booming ecommerce sector provides an efficient and convenient way for consumers to purchase items from the comfort of their homes, making it an opportune time to enter the market. Setting up a website, along with payment and inventory management systems, could enable you to seamlessly integrate this venture into your existing schedule.

How much you can make: $350 — $13,500,000/month

How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

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5. Digital products ($261K/month)

If you're an entrepreneurial-minded doctor looking to make six figures, selling digital products could be a lucrative side business. Digital products are highly popular and offer endless possibilities—whether it's creating an app, an informative ebook, a comprehensive online course, or a membership site.

The beauty of digital products lies in their simplicity and scalability. You could easily create and share them without the need for inventory or additional staff, allowing you to focus on building and growing your business seamlessly alongside your medical career. Given the growing demand for digital content, this could be an effective way to supplement your income and provide valuable resources to a broad audience.

How much you can make: $10,417 — $1,766,666/month

How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

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6. Start a blog ($44.9K/month)

Starting a blog could provide you with an excellent supplementary income and creative outlet, allowing you to leverage your medical expertise to reach a broader audience. With the ability to work from any location and at any time, a blog offers you the flexibility you need while maintaining your primary practice. Blogging can be a highly profitable venture, especially with the online space growing fast—77% of internet users read blogs, and each month approximately 409 million people view more than 20 billion pages.

By establishing yourself as a trusted medical expert through consistent and engaging content, you could attract a loyal following. Monetization avenues such as sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and offering premium content or online consultations could help you generate substantial revenue. Ultimately, blogging could transform into a highly lucrative side business or even a full-time career, contributing significantly to your journey towards making six figures.

How much you can make: $100 — $650,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)

How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

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7. Start a freelance writing business ($62.6K/month)

Starting a freelance writing business could be an excellent way for you to supplement your income as a doctor and potentially make six figures. Leveraging your medical expertise, you could write for medical journals, health blogs, or patient education materials, offering unique insights that only a professional like you could provide. This opens up a broad range of writing opportunities across various niches that can attract higher-paying clients.

Working as a freelance writer gives you the flexibility to define your work schedule, allowing you to work from home or even during downtime in your practice. This kind of venture requires strong writing skills, the ability to meet deadlines, and staying up-to-date with current writing tools and trends. By being a self-starter and utilizing your medical background, you could create a rewarding side business that significantly boosts your overall income.

How much you can make: $700 — $500,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)

How long does it take to build: 56 days (?)

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8. Start a career coaching business ($48.5K/month)

Starting a career coaching business could significantly supplement your income and enable you to achieve six figures as a doctor. By leveraging your expertise and experience, you could offer personalized guidance to professionals navigating career transitions, which addresses resume building, interview preparation, and workplace advancement strategies tailored to their aspirations.

With the flexibility of virtual or in-person sessions, you could build a diverse client base and provide impactful advice and accountability, fostering significant professional breakthroughs for your clients. This entrepreneurial venture could allow you to monetize your motivational abilities and human resources skills while also giving you the freedom to set your own schedule.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $235,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

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9. Start a podcast ($97.9K/month)

Starting a podcast could supplement your income and help you make six figures as a doctor by harnessing your unique medical expertise and sharing it with a broader audience. By choosing a niche or topic within the medical field that you are passionate about and that has a dedicated audience, you could create audio content that is both informative and entertaining. This could range from health tips and medical stories to interviews with other healthcare professionals.

Equipping yourself with basic recording equipment and using affordable hosting platforms to publish episodes ensures that starting a podcast is a low-cost venture. As your audience grows through effective promotion on social media and online communities, opportunities to attract sponsors or advertisers could arise, significantly boosting your income. Entrepreneurial doctors can leverage their knowledge and credibility to establish a strong presence in the podcasting world, opening doors to additional revenue streams and expanding their professional influence.

How much you can make: $400 — $1,020,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 2 hours/week

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10. Start a social media marketing agency ($116K/month)

Starting a social media marketing agency could offer you a flexible and lucrative way to supplement your income as a doctor. By leveraging social media marketing tools to automate processes, you could minimize the time commitment, allowing you to focus on your medical career while building a side business. Developing an effective social media marketing strategy and creating a compelling agency portfolio could help you efficiently attract and serve clients, thereby generating extra income to finance your other financial goals.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $4,166,667/month

How much does it cost to start: $7,500 (?)

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 30 hours/week

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11. Create an online course ($83.3K/month)

Creating an online course business could help you make six figures as a doctor by capitalizing on your specialized medical knowledge and turning it into digital educational content. By identifying educational gaps and developing engaging video lessons and supplementary materials, you could attract a base of subscribed students eager to learn from an expert in the field.

Given the flexibility around self-paced or cohort-based structures, your online courses could provide a steady stream of passive income as students progress at their own pace. This entrepreneurial venture could be particularly lucrative with small startup costs, allowing you to monetize your instructional talents while serving lifelong learners seeking convenient access to emerging medical subjects.

How much you can make: $275 — $1,000,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 88 days (?)

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meet the author
Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.