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Despite the passion and dedication you pour into your teaching, the reality is that the financial rewards don’t always match up.
That’s precisely why you’re here: to explore side jobs that are well-suited for teachers like yourself. You’re not just looking for extra income; you’re seeking opportunities that offer personal fulfillment and perhaps even a chance to venture beyond the classroom’s confines.
I understand the desire to find work that resonates with your educator’s heart while providing that much-needed financial boost in the current environment.
Whether you’re seeking financial security, a creative outlet, or a passion project, this article will give you an idea of where to begin.
So, let’s examine the 12 ideal side jobs that perfectly complement your skill set as a teacher.
1. Translate and Interpret
If you are fluent in multiple languages, a translator, interpreter, or both are great side jobs for teachers.
As a translator, you translate written text into another language, while as an interpreter, you facilitate conversations between individuals who speak different languages in real-time in various settings.
Your earnings will vary based on the languages, experience, and specialization. Translators and interpreters, on average, earn $28 and $32 per hour, respectively.
Both roles offer great flexibility, often allowing for remote work. While some interpreting jobs require physical presence, over-the-phone or video interpreting is increasingly common.
Combining translation and interpreting can be an excellent way for you, as a teacher, to fully utilize your language skills.
Whether it’s translating documents or helping people communicate across language barriers, these roles offer a chance to continue your passion for language and education in a different yet equally rewarding setting.
As a teacher, it’s a natural extension of your skills and a fantastic way to make a meaningful impact while making more money.
2. Edit and Proofread
An editor reviews and refines a wide range of written content, including academic papers, books, blog articles, etc. The main objective is to enhance clarity and coherence and ensure the content is error-free and engaging for readers.
A proofreader is the final step in the editing process. You will review and correct any remaining errors, such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation, ensuring the final version is flawless before distribution.
On average, freelance editors can make $32 per hour, while freelance proofreaders make $28 per hour.
Platforms for Freelance Editing and Proofreading jobs:
- Upwork: An excellent platform for freelancers in various fields, including editing and proofreading.
- Fiverr: Ideal for starting freelancers. Similar to Upwork.
- FlexJobs: This site lists telecommuting jobs, including freelance editing and proofreading roles, ideal for those looking for flexible work arrangements.
- ProofreadingServices.com: A dedicated platform for proofreaders, offering opportunities for editors, proofreaders, and translators from all over the world.
- Freelancer: Another great platform for freelancing opportunities.
So, as a teacher, your skills align with what’s needed, and there’s a good earning potential, too. Plus, it’s a role that offers flexibility – you can fit it around your teaching schedule – making this one of the best side jobs for teachers.
3. Tutor Online
Another fantastic side job for teachers is to be an online tutor. It is also one of the easiest ways to earn an extra 100 dollars quickly in just 4 hours of tutoring. Just pick the subjects you’re most experienced with and sign up on the following platforms:
- Wyzant: This platform connects you with students online and in person. You set your own rates, and Wyzant finds students for you. You just need to set up a profile, and students will contact you through the platform. It’s that simple.
- Outschool: This platform offers traditional subjects and other subjects such as coding, music, and many more. You can teach anything from standard academic subjects to unique classes like Roblox Coding ( yes, you read this right ).
- Skooli: This is another great online tutoring platform. Skooli connects you with elementary to college-level students, and they partner directly with schools and districts.
- VIPKid: If you’re interested in teaching English to non-native speakers, VIPKid is a great platform that allows you to do so. It mainly connects you with overseas students.
On average, online tutors in the U.S. earn about $28 per hour. However, this can vary based on your experience, the subjects you teach, your location, and the platform you use.
One of the best parts of online tutoring is its flexibility. You can schedule sessions around your existing job and family commitments. And if you ever think of switching careers, online tutoring can be smoothly transitioned into a full-time job.
For example, Jade Weatherington has been teaching 9 classes about writing and grammar at Outschool. Despite working an average of 10 to 12 hours per week, she remarkably brings in net earnings of $10,000 monthly.
So, even as an online tutor, earning six figures a year is not impossible. But you do need to put in the time and effort.
4. Prepare for Standardized Test
As a Standardized Test Prep Tutor, you will help students improve their academic performance on exams like the SAT, ACT, GRE, or other standardized tests.
On average, Standardized Test Prep Tutors can make around $27 per hour. And, of course, this varies based on your location, the test you’re prepping for, and your experience.
Here are some sites where you, as a teacher, can apply for remote Standardized Test Prep Tutor roles:
- Kaplan: Renowned for test prep, Kaplan offers opportunities to tutor students preparing for exams like SAT, ACT, GRE, and more.
- Princeton Review: Another well-known test prep company, The Princeton Review, regularly hires tutors for various standardized tests.
- Varsity Tutors: This platform connects tutors with students needing test prep assistance for various standardized exams and standard academic subjects at all grade levels.
These platforms provide a great starting point for teachers interested in remote standardized test prep tutoring. They offer the flexibility to work around your existing schedule and the opportunity to utilize your teaching skills in a meaningful, rewarding way.
5. Teach As an Adjunct Professor
Adjunct professors are part-time instructors at colleges. Unlike full-time or tenured professors, they don’t have a permanent position.
You already have the skills and knowledge that make you an excellent fit for this role. It’s a brilliant way to expand your teaching to the higher education level. Also, it can be a nice change of pace and a new challenge for you.
With the rise of online education, many adjunct professor roles are now remote. You could teach students from all over from the comfort of your home. While this flexibility is one of the perks, most colleges, not all, require a master’s degree.
An Adjunct Professor’s earnings can vary significantly based on the college you work for, the subject you teach, and your experience. Here’s roughly how much you’ll earn as an Adjunct Professor:
- Talent: $48.46 to $82.49 per hour ( Average: $66.61 )
- Indeed: $36.30 to $99.05 per hour ( Average: $59.96 )
Becoming an adjunct professor is an excellent chance to broaden your teaching horizons, positively impact more students, and earn extra income.
6. Develop Curriculums
A curriculum developer develops and implements educational materials and programs, including lesson plans, teaching materials, assessments, and course outlines.
You understand what works in a classroom, what engages students, and how to present information effectively. This insight is invaluable in curriculum development.
Again, your earnings will vary based on your experience, location, and the institutions you work at. The average earnings of a Curriculum Developer is $37 per hour or $77,461 annually.
Curriculum development is one of the best side jobs for teachers and can be a rewarding path for you. It allows you to use your classroom experience in a new and impactful way, offers the opportunity to increase your income, and provides another avenue for you to shape educational experiences on a larger scale.
7. Consult in EdTech
An educational technology consultant works closely with schools, institutions, or companies to integrate technology into teaching and learning processes.
You will evaluate current educational technologies, recommend software and tools, and train educators to use these technologies effectively. Your insights into how students interact with technology and how it affects their learning process are crucial for an educational technology consultant role. Your curriculum development and lesson planning skills are assets when integrating technology into educational strategies.
An educational technology consultant’s earnings vary widely based on location, experience, and the institution you work with. On average, educational technology consultants makes $46 per hour.
Here are two shining examples of former teachers successfully transitioning into becoming an Educational Technology Consultant:
- Matt Miller: A former teacher with over a decade of experience, Matt transitioned into an educational technology consultant role. He now shares his expertise through his platform, Ditch That Textbook.
- Kasey Bell: From a middle-school teacher to an award-winning digital learning coach, Kasey Bell is an educational technology consultant focusing on digital learning.
Stepping into educational technology consulting can be a rewarding and progressive move for teachers. It offers a chance to apply your teaching expertise in a new domain, with significant income and personal growth opportunities.
Hands down, this is one of the best side jobs for teachers. In today’s world, where technology ( i.e., Artificial Intelligence ) constantly evolves and progresses rapidly, this role puts you at the forefront of educational innovation.
Thus, becoming an educational technology consultant not only aligns with a natural progression from teaching but also positions you at the cutting edge of academic innovation.
8. Become a Freelance Writer
Whether it’s crafting informative articles or creating engaging blog posts for others, your ability to communicate effectively and educate can set you apart in the freelance writing market.
It is especially so when it comes to grant writing, where you’ll be helping corporations, government organizations, and non-profit organizations receive funding.
Freelance writing rates will vary widely based on your experience and the type and length of the article. Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, FlexJobs, and Problogger are great places to find writing gigs. These platforms offer lots of opportunities, from writing educational content to more general topics.
Pitching directly to magazines, websites, and blogs related to education or your subject of expertise can also be a fruitful approach. And don’t forget to leverage your teaching background in your pitches – it’s a unique selling point that can make you stand out.
Freelance writing is a flexible way to make extra income while continuing to do what you love – educating and inspiring others.
9. Start a Blog
Have you ever thought about starting your own blog?
Your blog can be the perfect place to showcase your innovative lesson plans, share classroom management tips, or share your hobbies, such as cooking.
Blogging can be very lucrative once you’ve built up a loyal audience. Your earnings largely depend on your blog’s traffic and how you choose to monetize it. This could be through ads, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, digital products such as printables, e-books, courses, etc.
For example, Delilah Orpi, a former teacher turned full-time beauty blogger, now makes about $8,000 monthly from her curly hair care-focused blog.
Another shining example is Angela Watson from the Truth for Teachers blog. She turned her experience into a resource-rich blog focusing on teacher productivity and well-being, classroom management, and more.
If you’re unsure about committing and spending money on hosting, domains, and other essentials to start a blog, how about starting out on Medium instead?
It is a free platform with 100 million monthly active users where you can test your idea.
First, figure out what it is you want to blog about. This could be anything from your teaching experiences to your other passions. And just start writing. Aim for at least one article weekly for a start and see how things go.
If all goes well, you can consider hosting your own blogging site. Until then, you can stick to Medium.
10. Sell Educational Products
One of the most profitable side jobs for teachers is selling educational products. As a teacher, you’ve got a treasure trove of knowledge and skills that can be transformed into various in-demand products that could be sold.
Educational products include worksheets, assessments, lesson plans, classroom decorations, curriculums, online courses, etc. You can sell your products on Teachers Pay Teachers ( TPT ), Etsy, Teachable, your website, and many other platforms.
Whether you create and sell printables, e-books, lesson plans, or online courses, your past work and teaching skills translate perfectly into creating great educational products.
Think about it. You already created and done these for your classroom, so why not share them with a wider audience while making extra income?
The potential earnings can be pretty impressive. For instance, Deanna Jump, a full-time teacher then, made over 1 million dollars selling her educational products on TPT. But it’s not just her; many other teachers have made 6 figures in sales on TPT.
11. Create YouTube Content
Being a YouTuber is one of the best side jobs for teachers to teach and positively impact a broader audience.
You choose a subject you’re passionate about and turn all your lessons into engaging videos. First, plan out your content and get basic filming and editing tools. And most importantly, be authentic.
Look at Eddie Woo, a full-time math teacher and YouTube star. His channel has over 1.8 million subscribers. Mario’s Math Tutoring, also a hit on YouTube, has over 330,000 subscribers.
Aside from ad revenues, many YouTubers also sell their products ( physical and digital ) on their channels to increase their earnings.
12. Start an Education Business
Opportunities are abundant. You can either stick with freelancing or part-time roles or transition into something more than just that.
Did you know that Salman Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, actually started out by tutoring his cousin over the phone? When his cousin’s performance in math improved, more family members and friends sought his tutoring.
However, his full-time work as a hedge fund analyst made it difficult for him to meet the growing demand. This led him to post videos on YouTube so anyone who needed them could access his lessons at any time. His YouTube videos became widely popular, leading him to create and develop Khan Academy.
Paul Edelman, a former teacher, founded Teachers Pay Teachers. He created this platform to enable teachers to share and sell their original teaching resources. Today, it’s a massive marketplace that has helped many educators earn substantial incomes.
Others that were mentioned previously:
- Deanna Jump: Turning her hard work, expertise, and educational materials into a million dollar business on Teachers Pay Teachers.
- Angela Watson: Her blog offers numerous resources dedicated to educators. She also runs the 40-Hour Teacher Workweek Club. Her venture into blogging, podcasts, online courses, books, printables, and consultancy is a testament to how diverse an education business can be.
These stories show how feasible it is to channel your teaching skills into a profitable business. Whether it’s creating online platforms, selling educational resources, or offering consulting services, the possibilities are endless.
Turn Your Expertise & Passion Into a Money-making Machine
Now, it’s your turn.
Imagine a future where your impact extends from the classroom to global horizons, fulfilling your personal and financial aspirations.
We’ve gone through various unique side jobs for teachers, each aligning seamlessly with your skills, passion, and teaching experience. The potential is boundless, and the perfect moment to embark on this adventure is now.
Choose the path that excites you the most, take that leap of faith, and watch as a world of new opportunities unfolds.
You’re already well-equipped for this exciting venture. Embrace this chance, and let’s discover where your journey as a teacher takes you next!
