How to make extra money in academia

Discussions about money remain taboo in academia. This is partly because people don’t want to appear greedy, disloyal and money-obsessed. However, pay is low for PhD students, early career researchers and teaching fellows, and hours stretch well beyond the nine to five. Our pride should not prevent us from talking about money.

We want to normalise discussions about finances, starting by highlighting ways for academics and postgraduate researchers to earn some extra cash. 

A word of caution, though: check institutional policies to ensure that doing extra work, such as extra dissertation supervision and consultancy work, does not go against institutional rules or your employment contract. Your institution may need to approve extra work. There may also be tax implications that vary country by country. We therefore encourage you to seek tax-related advice before pursuing extra work.

External dissertation supervision

“Acting as an external dissertation supervisor is a fulfilling way to earn additional income while expanding my experience in guiding desk-based research projects at other universities,” says Marios Kremantzis, a business analytics lecturer at the University of Bristol. Many schools hire several external dissertation supervisors. To find out about opportunities, contact external colleagues and tell them you are looking for extra supervision work. 

When opportunities arise, ask plenty of questions such as the pay rate and the role requirements. Some supervision meetings may have to be in person and some roles may require the supervisor to attend a minimum number of meetings each month, so find out as much as you can to ensure you have the capacity for the work. 

Dissertation supervision pays somewhere between £350 and £700 per student. You will typically have to meet with each dissertation student several times over the course of four or five months, provide feedback on dissertation drafts, mark dissertations and potentially moderate an equal number supervised by others.

(Extra) assessment marking 

If you are interested in taking on more marking to earn further income, your first point of contact should be the head of your academic group. Introduce yourself, express your interest and be clear about your availability. For example, you might mention that you can mark up to 100 scripts during one marking season.

Since departments often seek external markers, reaching out beyond your institution can also be beneficial. However, these opportunities are typically shared through personal professional networks, so leveraging your connections is key.

Another word of caution: avoid taking on marking responsibilities for modules and courses you haven’t taught or are not familiar with, particularly if you’re a postgraduate researcher with limited marking experience. Tackling unfamiliar material can make the process significantly more tedious and time-consuming, potentially outweighing the financial benefits. In our experience, pay for marking can currently range between £15 and £28 per hour. Be aware that pay is often per script, not per hour, so clarify expectations in advance.

External examiner work

External examiners are “guardians” of national higher education standards. It’s an excellent way to boost your CV, expand your network and stay updated on practices at other universities. However, the pay is not very high (usually about £300-600 per year) and you may have to sort out your own tax. 

To find opportunities, you don’t need to have an extensive personal network of colleagues, although, of course, it is helpful here, too. Simply go to the Jisc website, where many universities post calls for external examiners and assessors. If you are applying for your first external examiner role, you will need to demonstrate your suitability. Experiences moderating internal assessment briefs, serving as a programme director and participating in programme and exam boards can strengthen your case.

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Teaching external seasonal courses

Some universities specifically seek external educators to deliver short seasonal courses. For example, the International Summer School at Universidad de Los Andes shares a call for proposals every September. In our experience, they are usually looking for timely topics and innovative pedagogic approaches. Previous courses include Well-being Principles for Marketing, Oligarchs, and Empowering Financial Inclusion. Teaching such courses provides international experience, networking opportunities and the chance to make a global impact.

Consultancy work

Some universities support academics with consultancy work. If yours doesn’t, keep building your profile and nurturing your relationships to find these. LinkedIn can be a great way to build a network and reach your potential audience. Sometimes, organisations may find you through articles you have written for online publications. 

If you are asked to run a workshop or provide a consultancy service, be prepared to state your fee. Deciding on your standard consultancy day rate is not easy if you haven’t engaged in consultancy before. Take your time and seek the advice of a mentor. Also, there is nothing wrong with doing some initial work pro bono (ie, for free) to gain experience. But at some point, you will have to step up and start charging for your expertise.

Practitioner workshops and public speaking

Facilitating workshops can be a great way to leverage your expertise and potentially earn extra income. Once you establish yourself in a particular field – especially if it’s a niche one – you may find that opportunities begin to come your way. For example, at the University of Bristol, we once had a call for academics to deliver lunch-and-learn sessions on several topics. After delivering a session on “a growth mindset” for Lloyds Banking Group, they invited me to deliver a half-day workshop on “visibility for career progression”.

See what partnerships are available through your university and don’t be afraid to pitch a session to them. Additionally, headhunters may reach out to you with opportunities to design and teach specialised modules that are highly valued in the industry, such as quantitative and qualitative research methods. This is why building a strong LinkedIn profile is important. 

Writing and publishing textbooks and monographs

For more seasoned academics, writing and publishing textbooks or research monographs is an excellent (though very time-consuming) way to earn extra income while communicating expertise. 

But don’t expect a life-changing amount of remuneration from these. “While writing books is one of my favourite parts of the job, annual royalties rarely exceed £300 for bestselling titles in niche fields – barely enough to cover the coffee consumed writing them!” says James Norman from the University of Bristol, who has published several books to date. 

If you’re interested in this route, carefully review publishing contracts, paying close attention to copyright ownership, royalty terms, permissions for reuse, etc. Some institutions may also have policies on intellectual property, especially for grant-funded research, so always seek advice from your employer first.

Normalising discussions about money in academia fosters transparency, fairness and financial well-being. By normalising these conversations, we learn about new ways to earn extra income, helping make academia a more sustainable career choice. 

Rushana Khusainova is a lecturer and Edoardo Tozzi is a Ph.D candidate and graduate teacher at the University of Bristol Business School.

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