You’ve delivered the guest lecture, presented at the departmental colloquium, and led the professional development session for graduate students—all for free.
Maybe you got a line on your CV under “service”, or a thank you email.
Did you know that same expertise could have earned you $500 to $1,000?
Most academics think the only way to use their skills outside the university is to go into industry. But you could start earning real money right now by teaching paid workshops on topics you already know inside and out.
Why academic workshops work as a side hustle
If you’ve been teaching for years, you already have everything you need to run a paid workshop.
They’re familiar. You’ve taught seminars, guest lectures, and discussion groups. You know how to guide people through material.
They’re low lift. Put together a basic outline, show up live, deliver value. No months of prep required.
They build confidence fast. When someone pays you $50 for your expertise, something shifts. You realize people actually value what you know.
They attract clients naturally. Workshop attendees see your expertise firsthand. They’re much more likely to hire you for academic editing or ongoing coaching afterward.
Two simple workshop formats for academics
Single session workshops (90 minutes)
These should focus on solving one specific problem:
- “Write a high-impact abstract in 30 minutes”
- “Draft your tenure materials during a busy semester”
- “Ace your academic interview”
Price: $50-200 per person
This format works perfectly if you’re just starting your side hustle because you can test your topic quickly without a huge time investment.
Workshop series (3-6 weeks)
A series of workshops is for deeper transformations as the weekly sessions will build on each other.
Price: $300-600+
Think grant writing bootcamps, dissertation completion series, or academic job market preparation programs.
Real examples: academics making money from workshops
Jeff Malins, a former neuroscience professor, recognized that workshops are an “underutilized revenue stream” for academics. His former colleagues refer students to him. He targets career centers and specific departments at universities. These workshops lead to one-on-one coaching clients.
Dr Lisa Anthony developed a three-month coaching program to help people write a competitive grant—the same grant she won on her first try. She structured it as a paid program instead of giving away free advice.
Both realized the expertise they were giving away for free had real monetary value.
How to launch your first paid workshop
Step 1: Pick your topic
What do colleagues already ask you about? What specific problem can you solve in 90 minutes? Start with expertise you already have.
Step 2: Set up logistics
- Platform: Zoom
- Timeline: Set date 2-4 weeks out
- Registration: Eventbrite (handles payments)
- Pricing: $50-200 for first workshop
Step 3: Promote your academic workshop
- Email colleagues (warm network)
- Post on LinkedIn
- Reach out to university departments and career centers
- Post in Facebook groups for your discipline
Five to ten people = $250-1,000 for two hours of work.
Overcoming the guilt around charging for teaching
You’re thinking: “But I can’t charge people for this. I usually do it for free.”
If you’re providing real transformation and genuine value, you deserve to be compensated.
Graduate students are struggling. Early-career faculty are overwhelmed. They’re worried about failing.
If you can help struggling graduate students, or overwhelmed faculty with your workshop, then you deserve to be paid.
When you charge less, your value is perceived as less.
Run it again and again to build recurring revenue
Your first session: five people at $50 each = $250.
Use it to collect testimonials and ask for feedback to refine your content.
Next time: ten people at $75 each = $750.
You’ve already got your payment system set up and your content prepared, and you’ll top feeling guilty because you hear how grateful people are.
Maybe it grows into a six-week series, an online course, or maybe it becomes the entry point for 1 on 1 academic coaching.
You already have what you need to start teaching paid workshops
The content isn’t the hard part. You could design a workshop in your sleep.
The hard part is marketing it and asking people to pay you without feeling guilty.
But those are learnable skills.
Here’s your challenge: Identify one topic you could teach this month. Create a simple outline of a workshop, and set a date. Make a registration page and then email ten people. Charge at least $50 per person.
Your goal: five to ten attendees = $250-1,000 for your first workshop.
You’re already qualified. You just need permission to get paid for it.
Ready to learn how to market your workshops and build a sustainable academic business? Learn more about Becoming an Academic Editor where I cover workshops, coaching, and everything you need to create a business that brings joy and freedom.