Does having a full-time industry job allow you to seriously pursue your own research interests on the side? You lose maybe 6-12 hours to a job--assuming you ne

Does having a full-time industry job allow you to seriously pursue your own research interests on the side? You lose maybe 6-12 hours to a job--assuming you never work on research or knowledge expansion during work hours, which is unlikely--but then you don't have to have that stuff hanging over your head. Bills are getting paid, equipment can be purchased (if you need it), and your social life is happier. So, I think that research can absolutely be pursued outside of academia.