If you’re looking into side gigs for teachers, you’re not alone. Many educators in the US feel overlooked and underpaid. The good news is that many employers still value teachers, so getting a second job shouldn’t be a problem. Here’s where to start looking.
1. Tutoring
Many teachers tutor in their private time because the job gives them much-needed flexibility. You can tutor by age or subject, through a tutoring agency, or directly, online, or in person. It’s entirely up to you to choose how many students you’ll teach and when.
Tutoring rates vary between states and based on the subject. Some tutors earn as much as $60 per hour, but the national average is $25.16 per hour. That means you can add between $600 and $1,200 to your monthly budget for an extra hour of work daily.
2. After School Programs
Most schools have after-school programs. These programs help students who are behind catch up with the rest of their class and provide enrichment activities to overachievers.
The median pay for teachers who participate in after-school programs can be drastically different from one school to the next, depending on the duration of the program and job description. These programs pay an average of $15.28 an hour.
3. School Break Camps
Getting a camp job means staying active when school is out. Some camps need teachers for special programs in science and arts, while many others need counselors and instructors to keep the kids engaged and active during the school break.
As a camp counselor, you can earn between $10/hour (for day shifts) and $15/hour (for night shifts). You may also qualify for a camp manager, depending on the job requirements. In that case, you’ll have to stay with the kids in return for being paid $20 per hour.
4. Summer School
Summer school teachers work with students who need some help preparing for exams, catching up on courses they failed during the school year, or getting an early start before September. The groups in summer schools are usually smaller, so teachers have more time to focus on individual students and their development.
If you don’t mind working through the summer months, you can earn an extra income of $25.4 per hour. Your school or school district might be able to find you an available position. If not, you can blend work and pleasure and take a trip to where you’re needed.
5. Sports Coaching
You must be good at sports to become a sports coach, but you must also be good with kids. Local youth teams are always looking for passionate educators to take up this huge responsibility. Teachers are a great choice because they know how to work with children and inspire growth.
If you fit the job description, you are looking at an extra of up to $25 per hour. However, you should not treat this opportunity as another side job. It takes a lot of commitment to become a good sports coach for young teams, and it’s only during the sports season.
6. Adjunct Professor
Many local community colleges or even four-year colleges have openings for adjunct teaching positions. These positions typically require at least a Master’s degree, but they pay a national average of $50.77 per hour.
Of course, that’s just per teaching hour, not for preparation, grading, and other administrative tasks, but positions are still worth pursuing if they are available and you are qualified.
7. Test Administrator
The job of a test administrator allows you to apply yourself as an educator, even if you’re experiencing teacher burnout. You can take a break from lecturing and allow your voice to heal, but still stay close to school and earn some money on the side.
For a median pay of $35,000 for a full-time job, your responsibilities would be to oversee the testing process and ensure everything follows the procedure. Being a test administrator is literally side work, but it can still be a significant income boost.
8. Education Consultant
Just like all businesses and organizations, schools and education policymakers need professional consulting too. It’s a profitable job opportunity for teachers with years of industry experience, but it may require more time than a working teacher has available.
If you get a job as an education consultant, you’ll be providing professional advice related to curriculum, leadership, and organizational growth. Salaries can range up to $100,000 annually for full-time positions.
9. Selling Lesson Plans
As every teacher knows, lesson planning is the single most time-consuming part of this job. More and more teachers are buying used plans on marketplaces such as Teachers Pay Teachers to save time and find new ways to inspire students.
As a TPT seller, you can make money on all kinds of learning materials – from flashcards to video presentations. It’s not a regular salary, but everything you make is passive income. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to turn your existing lesson plans into cash.
10. Online Courses
For many teachers, online courses are the easiest way to increase their monthly earnings. It’s a side job that offers flexible work hours, more than sufficient pay, and an excellent opportunity to hone your skills. You can work for an online school or create your own courses.
Platforms like Teachable, Udemy, and Skillshare make it easy to do that. In addition to tools and templates, they also help you promote your courses and build your brand as an online teacher. You can earn between $100 and $1,000 as an online teacher.
11. Freelance Writing
Writing is second nature to many teachers, regardless of their chosen subject. If you’re passionate about teaching, chances are you like to read and are a decent writer. What would you write about? Anything and everything, including the subject you teach.
You can offer your expertise and writing skills to blogs and online magazines or promote them on job-seeking platforms like Fiverr and Upwork. You can also look at writer-specific platforms like Problogger. Many freelance writers set their own rates, but a realistic income would be between $17 and $35 per hour.
12. Self-Publish a Book
If you have a lot of time on your plate and are not in a hurry to find a second job, you can try writing a book. Thanks to digital publishers like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, writing and publishing a book without a meddling middleman has never been easier.
This is a fiercely competitive marketplace, so you’ll have to be realistic about your ambitions. You must be really good or lucky to earn more than $500 a year, which is how much 95% of self-published writers make. It’s still a way to share your knowledge and maybe develop a passive income stream.
13. Proofreading
Proofreading takes a sharp eye, but as a teacher, you’ve probably developed that. This can be an excellent way for teachers to increase their incomes. Your job would be to catch spelling and grammar mistakes in other writers’ work, which sounds easier than it is.
You can find proofreading gigs as a freelancer or apply for a position in an editing agency. Whatever the case, you’ll be able to work from wherever you are (even between classes in school) and have flexible work hours. Proofreaders get between $12 and $30 per hour.
14. Editing
Like proofreading, editing is a side job with only two major requirements: you must have exceptional grammar knowledge and love reading. Editing involves a lot of reading and rereading, often involving specialized subject matters.
Even though editors work with novels, magazines, and web content, the job also includes written work on specialist topics such as science, economy, or business. The more you branch out as an editor, the higher the salary. For starters, you can expect around $24 an hour.
15. Translation
If you’re teaching a foreign language, you should qualify for translation gigs in the language you know. You’ll need to be well-versed in grammar, spelling, and style in both languages you’ll work with.
Being a translator can take many different forms. Depending on the gig, you might translate written documents from home or travel as a freelance interpreter. The earning potential is based on the language combination and your subject specialization.
16. Virtual Assistant
Depending on the type of assistance, virtually anyone can become a virtual assistant. You’re in luck because well-educated job seekers – including teachers – get fast-tracked for most positions. You can make anywhere between $15 and $85 per hour.
Some of the most sought-after virtual assistant positions are bookkeeping, data entry, proofreading, and technical support. The best thing about this job is that it’s remote by definition, and you can make time for it around your busy schedule as a teacher.
17. Remote Bookkeeping
Math teachers who still enjoy crunching numbers for fun can start building extra income as remote bookkeepers. Like proofreading or data entry, bookkeeping is a type of virtual assistant job that teachers can do from home without breaking a sweat.
The average pay for qualified remote bookkeepers is $25 per hour. Some employers will require you to have field experience in addition to having mastered bookkeeping software. Part-time bookkeepers work 2–30 hours a week, depending on their schedule.
18. Notary
You need to become a notary before you can start working as one, but that’s relatively easy to do. In most states, the process simply involves passing an official exam. After that, you can start booking notary public appointments like document signing and oath-taking.
Nationwide, notaries earn between $75 and $200 per appointment. The more time and effort you put in, the bigger the check. If you want to earn more money as a notary, you may have to make yourself available for small jobs, do online signings, and cold-call potential clients.
19. Blogging
Starting your own blog from scratch is hard work, but it could be worth it. That’s especially true for teachers who are currently working part-time or find their job unfulfilling. If you have an original idea for a blog, you can turn it into a side project until it starts paying.
A blog can be monetized through ads, affiliate marketing, or by selling products and services. In any way, you’ll need to produce content regularly to attract and keep new readers. Blogging as a business pays off only if you’re in it for the long haul.
20. YouTube Creator
Most teachers feel comfortable taking the podium, so why not take advantage of that gift outside of the classroom? While educational sites like Coursera and Udemy are for online classes only, YouTube gives you the platform to do whatever you want with your gift.
You can build a YouTube channel around the subject you teach or choose something entirely else. The only requirement is to be creative enough to be noticed. YouTube influencers make $20 – $20,000+ per post, but the competition is intense.
21. Podcasting
Even though podcasting is becoming increasingly popular, the market is still less saturated than with blogging or YouTube. In every other aspect, these three digital formats are very similar. Each relies on engaging content and careful planning.
Podcasters earn money through advertising, sponsorship, and affiliate marketing deals. Alternatively, you can use a podcast to sell your products, anything from an eBook to art. Currently, an episode with 10,000 downloads can get you $300 – $5,000.
22. Tour Guide
While travel agencies employ tour guides from different backgrounds, education and good communication skills will always put you on a shortlist for this position. Tour guides are often expected to speak one of two foreign languages and have a solid knowledge of local history.
Since you’re already a teacher, you have plenty of practice passing information in an engaging and inspirational way. That’s a key aspect of being a tour guide. If you also love staying active, this exciting job can help you earn an extra $20 per hour.
23. Caregiving
Effective caregivers are compassionate and patient, the same as teachers. Your profession has probably taught you a lot about human psychology and children’s development, which will be useful if you decide to work as a personal caregiver.
Teachers are a fantastic fit for this position. Anyone looking for a caregiver for their loved one or family member will feel comfortable employing an educator, even for a part-time arrangement. Unfortunately, caregivers are terribly underpaid in the US, often earning only $15 per hour.
Conclusion
These side hustles are an excellent match for teachers, but they are not the only ones. The education and skills that teachers offer are sought after in many industries, and you will be able to find employment in other positions.
