u/Chemical-Fun3692

I’ve been looking into side hustles that I can do from home, and these two platforms keep coming up.

A little about me: I have a PharmD and work full-time in clinical research at a large pharma company. I also have a newborn and a toddler, so I’m really looking for something flexible that I can do in the evenings or weekends without committing to a second job.

For anyone who’s used Mercor or Babel Audio, I’d love to hear your experience.
What kind of work did you do?
How long did it take to get accepted and start receiving projects?
How quickly do they pay?
Is the pay worth the time?
Can you truly work whenever you want, or are there deadlines?

One thing I’m also trying to figure out is whether this could create a conflict of interest with my full-time job. If you work in pharma, biotech, or healthcare, did you have to disclose it to your employer or get approval?

Also, if there are other platforms you’d recommend that offer flexible, project-based work with fairly quick payouts, I’d really appreciate the suggestions.

For anyone who’s used Mercor or Babel Audio, I’d love to hear your experience.
What kind of work did you do?
How long did it take to get accepted and start receiving projects?
How quickly do they pay?
Is the pay worth the time?
Can you truly work whenever you want, or are there deadlines?

Also, if there are other platforms you’d recommend that offer flexible, project-based work with fairly quick payouts, I’d really appreciate the suggestions.

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some ideas on side hustles that could realistically bring in around $4,000 over the next 2 months.

A little background: I’m a healthcare professional with a PharmD background, but I currently work in the pharmaceutical industry (clinical research). Right now, my main focus is excelling in my current role while completing an internal rotation and applying for higher-level positions within my company. Because of that, I’m not looking for something that will derail my career progression.

The reason I’m looking is pretty straightforward: I’d like to make some extra money to knock down credit card debt and student loans, help cover my kids’ activities, and hopefully still have enough left over to enjoy one of my own hobbies—getting back into playing hockey in a beer league.

One of my biggest constraints is family time. We recently welcomed a newborn, and we also have a toddler, so I’m trying to avoid anything that would regularly take me away from my wife and kids. If there’s a side hustle with a great return that requires a few hours away each week, I’m open to it—but I’d prefer something flexible that I can do from home or on my own schedule.

One thing to note: working retail pharmacy isn’t an option since I’m not licensed in my current state, so that’s off the table.

For those of you who’ve been in a similar situation, what side hustles have actually worked? I’m especially interested in opportunities that have a relatively quick ramp-up and don’t require months before seeing income.

I’d really appreciate any suggestions or personal experiences. Thanks in advance!

Last week I made a post asking how I could realistically make an extra $4,000 in about 2 months, and I was honestly blown away by all the responses. There were a lot of great ideas, but one suggestion kept coming up over and over again: medical writing, regulatory writing, medical communications, and clinical document review.

A little about me…

I’m a PharmD and currently work full-time in Big Pharma in clinical research. My long-term goal is to continue climbing the ladder where I work, and I’m actually in the middle of an internal rotation that’s helping me prepare for higher-level positions.
The reason I’m looking for a side hustle is pretty simple. I’d like to pay down some credit card debt and student loans, help cover expenses for my kids’ activities, and still have a little extra left over so I can get back into playing hockey in a beer league.
One thing that’s really important to me is my family.
We recently had a newborn, and we also have a toddler. My full-time job is mostly work-from-home, but I’m in my office all day and occasionally have to travel. Because of that, I really don’t want another job that requires me to leave the house several nights a week. I’d much rather find something I can do after the kids go to bed, on weekends, or whenever I have free time. The flexibility is honestly more important to me than squeezing out every last dollar.

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense to use my PharmD and clinical research experience instead of trying to start a completely unrelated side hustle.

For those of you doing this type of work…
How did you get started?
How long did it take before you landed your first paying client?
How quickly were you able to start making decent money?
What kind of projects did you take on in the beginning?
What are realistic hourly rates for someone just getting started?
Is the work generally project-based where you can accept or decline work, or are clients expecting ongoing availability?

I’m also trying to figure out where people actually find these opportunities.
What job titles should I be searching for?
Are they called Medical Writer, Regulatory Writer, Medical Communications Specialist, Clinical Document Reviewer, or something else?
Which websites have been the most successful for you? LinkedIn? Upwork? Contract agencies? Staffing firms? Company career pages? Somewhere else?
Are there any companies or agencies that are particularly good for beginners?
One thing I haven’t been able to find much information on is how people handle this while working for a pharmaceutical company.
Obviously I don’t want to create any conflict of interest or violate company policy.
Did you have to get approval from your employer?
If so, was it difficult?
Were you limited in the types of clients you could work with?
If you’re working as an independent contractor on a project basis instead of as an employee, does that usually make things easier?
Has anyone here successfully done this while working full-time in pharma?

I’m not looking for legal advice or ways around company policies. I just want to hear how others have handled it so I know what to expect before I spend time pursuing this.

If you were in my shoes today—with a PharmD, several years of clinical research experience, a full-time job in pharma, and only evenings/weekends available—what would be the very first step you’d take to land your first paid project?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s done this. It seems like one of the few side hustles where I can actually leverage my background instead of starting from scratch. Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some ideas on side hustles that could realistically bring in around $4,000 over the next 2 months.

A little background: I’m a healthcare professional with a PharmD background, but I currently work in the pharmaceutical industry (clinical research). Right now, my main focus is excelling in my current role while completing an internal rotation and applying for higher-level positions within my company. Because of that, I’m not looking for something that will derail my career progression.

The reason I’m looking is pretty straightforward: I’d like to make some extra money to knock down credit card debt and student loans, help cover my kids’ activities, and hopefully still have enough left over to enjoy one of my own hobbies—getting back into playing hockey in a beer league.

One of my biggest constraints is family time. We recently welcomed a newborn, and we also have a toddler, so I’m trying to avoid anything that would regularly take me away from my wife and kids. If there’s a side hustle with a great return that requires a few hours away each week, I’m open to it—but I’d prefer something flexible that I can do from home or on my own schedule.

One thing to note: working retail pharmacy isn’t an option since I’m not licensed in my current state, so that’s off the table.

For those of you who’ve been in a similar situation, what side hustles have actually worked? I’m especially interested in opportunities that have a relatively quick ramp-up and don’t require months before seeing income.

I’d really appreciate any suggestions or personal experiences. Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some ideas on side hustles that could realistically bring in around $4,000 over the next 2 months.

A little background: I’m a healthcare professional with a PharmD background, but I currently work in the pharmaceutical industry (clinical research). Right now, my main focus is excelling in my current role while completing an internal rotation and applying for higher-level positions within my company. Because of that, I’m not looking for something that will derail my career progression.

The reason I’m looking is pretty straightforward: I’d like to make some extra money to knock down credit card debt and student loans, help cover my kids’ activities, and hopefully still have enough left over to enjoy one of my own hobbies—getting back into playing hockey in a beer league.

One of my biggest constraints is family time. We recently welcomed a newborn, and we also have a toddler, so I’m trying to avoid anything that would regularly take me away from my wife and kids. If there’s a side hustle with a great return that requires a few hours away each week, I’m open to it—but I’d prefer something flexible that I can do from home or on my own schedule.

One thing to note: working retail pharmacy isn’t an option since I’m not licensed in my current state, so that’s off the table.

For those of you who’ve been in a similar situation, what side hustles have actually worked? I’m especially interested in opportunities that have a relatively quick ramp-up and don’t require months before seeing income.

I’d really appreciate any suggestions or personal experiences. Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to get back into playing adult league hockey after a long break. I played AA travel hockey in Southern California growing up, with my last competitive season being around 2006. I also played in a college beer league briefly around 2013, but it’s been quite a while since I’ve been on the ice consistently.

Back then, I always had a habit of wanting the newest and best gear, and after looking at prices today… wow, things have gotten expensive!

I know a lot of people will probably say, “It’s just beer league,” or “You’re not trying to be McDavid,” and I totally get that. But if I’m buying new equipment after all these years, I’d still like to get something I’ll really enjoy wearing.

My biggest priorities are:
Lightweight
Maximum mobility
Minimal bulk

I especially dislike bulky shoulder pads and elbow pads. There was even a time during pickup hockey where I’d skip shoulder pads entirely because I hated how restrictive they felt (obviously not planning on doing that in league play).

From what I’ve been reading, it seems like the biggest differences between the current lines are protection vs. mobility.

So for those of you who have experience with the newer gear:
* Would you recommend Bauer Vapor, CCM JetSpeed, or Bauer X?
* Bauer X is significantly cheaper. Is it simply less protective, or is it also made with lower-quality materials?
* Even though Vapor is a higher-end line, does it still feel as light and mobile as the Bauer X?
* How does JetSpeed compare in terms of weight and freedom of movement?

I’m assuming Supreme is probably a bit too bulky for what I’m after, but feel free to convince me otherwise.

I’m less concerned about maximizing protection and much more interested in gear that almost disappears when I’m wearing it. If anyone has experience with these lines (especially shoulder pads and elbows), I’d really appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks in advance!

Today I had the chance to try in the Vizions on both feet and my right foot is slightly bigger (I think) and I felt it more snug around the toe area across from the big toe bone. The left felt a lot better. I tried a 9.5 Fit 2, which is my size and confirmed by the machine taken at Pure Hockey. This was a bummer, maybe I need to try them on again and re-judge? Or maybe it might feel better when they get baked?

Then, I tried on the Fuse, and although I only tried on the left skate and didn’t tie them past the middle, it already felt a lot better! Does this mean my foot is more of a Bauer fit and should I get the Fuse?

I love the look of the Visions more.

Unfortunately, they did not have a Fit 2 in the Flylites for me to try, only a Fit 1, so I didn’t get a chance to try on that skate, to make a decision on which skate I wanted to get.

They also didn’t have my size in the FT8 Pro’s either.

What are everyone’s experiences from the Vizions and Fuse? I’ve heard nothing but great things about the Vizions and not enough about the Fuse.

Should I seek out to try on the Alpha Pro’s and True Customs?

What are the chances Flylites fit better than Fuse? Considering the Flylite came out about 1 year ago, and the Fuse and Vizion recently, does that mean there’s a significant amount of new technology that goes into them the Fuse and Vizion more than the Flylite and FT8 pro?

When are they releasing the new Flylite for 2026? Maybe I can wait for those?

Looking to get into my next pair of skates and would like to hear some opinions from those with experience with either of these two - CCM FT8 Pro and Bauer Fliylite.

What are some pros and cons you have noticed from your experience?

Should I consider others in the same tier of skates that you think deserve more spotlight?

I’m a PharmD currently working as a Sr. CRA on the sponsor side with ~3.5 years of CRA experience total (CRO → sponsor progression).

I recently started a 6-month Clinical Science Expert / Clinical Development rotation because long term, the Clinical Development Director (CDD) path is probably my #1 career goal. However, my mentor — who is a CPM — recently reached out and offered to refer me for a newly opened CPM role at my company (essentially equivalent to a CTM role elsewhere).

So now I feel like I may have a dilemma.
On one hand, the CPM role is a real and immediate opportunity. On the other hand, accepting the role would most likely require me to stop the CSE/CDD rotation early, which could potentially close or significantly delay my pathway into Clinical Development.

I’d really appreciate insight from people who have worked in Clinical Operations, Clinical Development, or both.

A few things I’m trying to figure out:
Would taking a CPM/CTM role make it harder to transition into Clinical Development later, or could it actually help position me better internally?
Is the long-term compensation ceiling generally higher in Clinical Development compared to Operations?
Are PharmDs more valued within Clinical Development versus Operations, or is that less relevant once you’re already in industry?
If I stop the CSE/CDD rotation to take a CPM role, would I likely need to complete another development rotation later if I decide I still want the CDD path?

For those who have worked in either role:
Which did you find more intellectually stimulating?
Which had better work-life balance?
Which led to more burnout over time?

I want to be transparent that compensation and career growth do matter to me, but they are not the only factors. I genuinely enjoy the science and strategy side of drug development, which is why the CDD route appeals to me so much.

That said, I also understand that a CPM/CTM role is a strong opportunity and potentially a safer next step coming from a CRA background.

Part of my concern is whether taking the CPM route would unintentionally keep me more operations-focused long term, versus staying committed to development while I currently have momentum through this rotation.

At the same time, maybe I’m overthinking it and CPM/CTM operations is actually where I’m meant to be long term — and perhaps I’d end up enjoying it even more than I expect. That’s part of what makes this decision difficult.

All that being said, there’s also a chance I may not even get the CPM/CTM position if I apply, end up completing the CSE/CDD rotation successfully, and ultimately be exactly where I’m supposed to be career-wise. Maybe I just need to trust the process a bit more.

Would love honest perspectives from anyone who has navigated a similar crossroads.

I’m looking for some honest career advice from people in pharma/industry or anyone who has been in a similar situation.

I’m a PharmD + MBA and turning 39 this year. I worked as a retail Pharmacy Manager for 3 years before transitioning into pharma/industry because I knew retail wasn’t the long-term path I wanted.
My entry into industry was through a CRA role. I started at a CRO in a junior-level CRA position, then eventually moved to the sponsor side and was promoted to Sr. CRA. I’ve now been in clinical research for about 3.5 years total.

The issue is… I feel financially stuck.

I currently make ~$149k/year, which I know is objectively a solid salary, but living in a VHCOL area with a stay-at-home spouse, growing family, mortgage, and large student loans has made things extremely tight. We’re essentially paycheck to paycheck, and I feel like I’m falling behind financially despite working incredibly hard and trying to progress my career aggressively.

What’s been frustrating is how slow advancement can feel in pharma, especially starting from the CRA route. Promotions seem to take forever, particularly on the CRO side, which is one reason I moved to sponsor. I’m highly motivated to move into higher-level roles such as Clinical Development, Clinical Scientist/CSE/CDD, Medical Affairs, or Regulatory, but sometimes it feels like the timeline to get there is painfully long.

Meanwhile, I look around and see:
Commercial pilots becoming captains in a few years making $400k+
MDs in pharma significantly out-earning PharmDs
Anesthesiologists making $500–600k+
Other careers with much faster financial acceleration

And honestly, it’s discouraging.

Seeing careers like commercial pilots — where someone can make compensation comparable to doctorate-level healthcare professionals in a fraction of the time — really makes me question whether I entered the wrong industry altogether. Sometimes it feels like I invested so much time, education, sacrifice, and debt into becoming a PharmD + MBA, yet the financial return and upward mobility feel much slower than I expected.

Don’t get me wrong — I genuinely do love pharma and working in a clinical research setting. I enjoy collaborating cross-functionally on clinical studies, contributing scientifically, and being involved in drug development. There are many aspects of this industry that I truly enjoy and find meaningful. But lately I can’t help but wonder… is the grass greener on the other side?

I value quality of life, intellectual stimulation, and ideally a mostly remote/WFH career. I don’t want this post to come across as “money is all I care about,” because it’s not. But I also want financial security for my family, the ability to invest for the future, travel the world with my kids, and enjoy life a bit more without constant financial pressure.

For those further along in pharma:
Does it eventually get significantly better financially?
Is staying the course in pharma worth it?
Would pursuing a Clinical Development/CSE/CDD or Medical Affairs path materially change compensation/QOL?
Am I underestimating how difficult it would be to pivot into something completely different like becoming a pilot or going to medical school at this stage?
If you were in my shoes, would you double down in pharma or consider a major career pivot?

I’d really appreciate any honest advice or perspective from people who have been there.

I have an unopened Go3, wondering where I may go about selling this outside of eBay or Facebook marketplace?Trying to avoid paying a % fee as well as listing my home address.

What is a speaker like Go3 worth these days? I’m seeing them for around $30. I’m trying to upgrade to at least the Go4 or even Flip 7 so I an use auracast.

Where can I find the 2025/2026 salary spreadsheet for the various roles here? TYIA!