In today's struggling economy, people across industries have begun exploring side hustles more and more frequently. Behavior analysts are no exception. Despite the extensive education and expertise BCBAs hold, sometimes a single full-time job is not enough to get by. For others, the idea of developing additional revenue streams and residual income is appealing to save for retirement or simply have some extra spending money. Some behavior analysts just like the idea of expanding their skill sets and broadening their horizons. Whatever your reason for exploring side hustles, you've come to the right place. This article will explore several options for behavior analysts to diversify to maximize their impact AND income. Let's dive in!
ABA-Related Side Hustles
Behavior analysts acquire unique skill sets through their education and fieldwork experiences. These skill sets can lend themselves well to a wide range of side hustles. Depending on your specific areas of expertise and interests, you might consider one or more of the following options within the ABA field.
Independent Educational Consulting
Many BCBAs get into independent consulting as a side hustle. If you have experience with the school system, educational consulting may be a good fit. Educational consulting can encompass many duties, such as:
Hosting workshops on behavior management or other behavior-analytic topics for teachers and paraprofessionals.
IEP advocacy to support families through their IEP journey
Conducting Functional Behavior Assessments as part of an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE).
BCBA Supervision of Fieldwork Trainees
Supervising fieldwork trainees is another great way to use one's BCBA credential for a side hustle. There is a major shortage of certified BCBAs and the fieldwork experience can be confusing and daunting to navigate. Helping trainees acquire their hours through high-quality experiences can be mutually beneficial. Not everyone has access to a BCBA supervisor through their place of employment, or they want another supervisor to supplement their hours—whatever the reason, the demand for remote BCBA supervisors is increasing.
Not sure where to start? If you don't want to go through the steps of marketing your supervision business, you could try a company like HoomHouse. They have a supervisor marketplace where trainees can search and connect with BCBAs.
Review this article, Considerations for Providing Remote BCBA Fieldwork Supervision, to explore more things to consider before you dive in.
Sell Teaching Materials
Do you have a collection of stimuli you've created that other behavior analysts might find valuable? Do you enjoy creating and sharing stimuli? Consider selling your materials. Behavior analysts and educators often look for pre-made stimuli to make their job a little easier—especially if they don't have administrative help creating stimuli. Be sure to understand copyright laws and avoid using proprietary content though! There are many places you can sell digital ABA resources, including:
Your own website
Teachers Pay Teachers
Etsy
Create & Host Trainings, Webinars, Workshops, or CEU Courses
Share your expertise with the world through workshops, training courses, or webinars. The process to become an ACE provider through the BACB is super easy. If you don't have a website to host your courses on, you can try sites like:
CEUniverse/Foxy Learning
ABA Business Consulting
If you have expertise on the business side of things, consulting with ABA practices or those looking to open up a practice can be an excellent way to diversify your income while supporting other organizations.
Tutoring
Leverage your expertise in teaching skills by tutoring! You could offer tutoring for any area you're confident in—from academics like reading, writing, and math to musical instruments, foreign languages, or even BCBA test prep! Try a platform like Wyzant to get started on your path to tutoring!
Health & Fitness Coaching
Behavior modification expertise is highly valuable in health and fitness coaching. Mind Body Behavior has a training program to become a Board Certified Health Coach. It's a program created specifically for BCBAs to develop competencies related to using behavioral approaches to health and wellness. If you're curious about expanding your skillset to offer health and wellness coaching, this would be a good place to start! BehaviorFit is another great website to learn more about the subspecialty of ABA in health and fitness.
ABA Podcast
If you enjoy discussing ABA-related topics and consider yourself a thought leader, an ABA podcast could be for you. Start by listening to some of the top podcasts in the field to get an idea of what those who are successful are doing and identify what might be missing that you could fill.
How do you make money on a podcast?
A podcast isn't the quickest side hustle to make money on, as it takes time to build your audience. Here are a few of the ways people make money on podcasts.
Advertisements
Affiliate Marketing/Sponsorships
Selling premium content/subscriptions (e.g., Patreon)
Selling podcast merchandise
Offering continuing education units (CEUs) for listening to podcast episodes
ABA Youtube Channel
Many ABA experts have turned to YouTube to add to their revenue. There are countless potential video topics you could share with an audience of BCBAs, RBTs, and/or parents.
How do you get monetized on YouTube?
Similar to podcasts, you likely won’t see quick income. It takes time not only to create and edit videos but also to build an audience. Until you have enough subscribers and watch hours, you won’t make money on your videos.
YouTube allows you to apply for the YouTube Partner Program when you meet these requirements:
1. Get 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months, or
2. Get 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
Side Hustles Beyond ABA
While creating a side hustle within the ABA field is a great way to expand your skills and continue doing things you enjoy and are good at, some behavior analysts find that side hustles outside the ABA field offer a well-needed reprieve, which is totally valid. Here are some ideas for side hustles that behavior analysts can consider outside of our direct field.
Food or Grocery Delivery
The gig economy offers many options for earning extra side cash during hours that fit your schedule. With apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, Shipt, and Amazon Flex, you can make quick money with minimal effort and without the marketing responsibilities that many other side hustles require. Maximize your earnings by working during peak hours and taking advantage of bonuses or promotions.
Freelance Writing
This one could technically go in either category, depending on the niche you choose to write about. If you have excellent writing abilities, freelance writing can be a great way to make extra income by creating blogs, web copy, and other content for organizations. While the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT has sparked concerns about the future of freelance writing, I've found the demand is still high. If you're a solid writer, AI generated content is no comparison! To get started, begin researching the field and building your portfolio. From there, you can search for writing tasks that meet your niche and abilities on freelancing platforms or pitch directly to companies.
Pet Sitting or Dog Walking
Are you a pet lover? A side gig working with animals might be a fun way to decompress while making extra money. Try apps like Rover or Pawshake to get started.
Babysitting
Natural with kids? Babysitting can be a flexible and enjoyable side job. While you shouldn't use your BCBA credential to obtain babysitting jobs, you can leverage your experience with children (if applicable) to market yourself. Try Care.com or local Facebook groups to advertise your services.
Audiobook Narrating
Become an audiobook narrator! Writers often need a narrator to turn their books into audiobooks. Check out ACX to learn more and get started with this unique side hustle.
Considerations When Starting a Side Hustle as a BCBA
Before diving into a new side hustle, take your time to plan things out. Consider the following.
Ethical Considerations: Take a refreshed look through the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts to ensure you comply with ethical guidelines. Avoid conflicts of interest, dual relationships, and other ethical pitfalls.
Do Market Research: When pinpointing a side hustle you'd like to try, first conduct market research. Ensure there is demand for the service, understand your target audience, and explore where there are gaps that you could adequately fill. Establish Availability of Time: Balancing a full-time BCBA job with a side hustle can be a challenge. Evaluate how much time you have to dedicate to a side job and compare that to how much time each job would require of you.
Marketing: When considering a BCBA side hustle, don't forget about the marketing side of things. Providing a service that you're well-experienced with is the easy part. Finding the clients and getting your name out there can be more challenging.
Find Your Passion: While your side gig doesn't have to be something you're passionate about, it can help! If you're working an unenjoyable side job on top of a day job as a BCBA, you may be more susceptible to burnout.
Find a BCBA Job on the ABA Job Board
Are you looking for a new challenge? Does your current BCBA role not match your needs or expectations? Explore opportunities across the United States on the ABA Job Board. The ABA Job Board lists open positions for RBT, BCBA, Mid-Level Supervisor/Intern, Clinic Director, and more.
Disclaimer: Some of the websites linked throughout this article are affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you make a purchase or sign up through the link.
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