In an ideal world, teachers wouldn’t need a side hustle or an extra job. However, the truth is that it simply isn’t the best-paying job in the world, no matter how noble and rewarding it may be. So it’s a good thing there’s plenty of part-time and freelance work to earn extra cash. In fact, we have come up with 20 side hustles teachers can do while still teaching.
Whether you’re trying to establish an emergency fund, pay off debt, invest for a better retirement, or buy something good for yourself, a side hustle or two can help you out. We’ve listed some creative and fun extra jobs for teachers like you! Here are 20 side hustles teachers can do while still teaching!
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Side Hustles That Require Your Skills & Expertise
1. Tutor Students
This should come as no surprise since teaching comes naturally to you. Another great option of the 20 side hustles teachers can do while teaching is tutor. So why not try tutoring if you have time to spare before or after school? You can focus your tutoring by student age or subject, or you can concentrate on SAT and ACT prep for high school students.
Tutoring can be done one-on-one or in groups, and you can teach online through platforms such as Tutor.com, Chegg Study, TutorMe, Wyzant, or BookNook. On the other hand, you can also become a private tutor and let parents at your school know when you are available.
Though each platform has different rates, you can earn anywhere from $15 to $30 per hour or sometimes more.
2. Sell Lesson Plans
It’s not easy, but every teacher needs to create lesson plans one after the other. The thing is, not every teacher has the time, energy, or creativity to do it.
So if you’ve already mastered the art of lesson planning, now’s the best time to check out platforms like TeachersPayTeachers. You can sell everything from curriculums, worksheets, assessments, and other educational materials here. Then, simply share your best work on the site and get paid for it!
Alternatively, you can create your own website or sell through platforms like Etsy. Not only will you make extra cash every time someone purchases one of your materials, but you’ll also help other overworked and stressed-out teachers organize a successful academic year.
3. Self-Publish An eBook or Try Blogging
As an experienced teacher, you can turn your knowledge and wisdom into a valuable book! You can write about the steps you take to create your lesson plans, how you care for yourself as a teacher or the tricks you’ve learned while teaching online. Use Kindle Direct Publishing, and your book will find its way onto Amazon, one of the largest platforms available today.
If books are too much work, you can also try blogging! After a few posts, you might be able to monetize your blog to earn extra money. You can write about teaching or any other interest you have. Since you can set your own schedule with a blog, it should be pretty easy to maintain during the school year or over the summer.
4. Create Your Own Podcast
Speaking of your knowledge and wisdom as an experienced teacher, have you ever dreamed about launching your own podcast?
Discuss important topics such as new apps and programs teachers can implement in their classrooms. You can even keep it more casual with interview-style podcasts. Then, monetize your podcast to earn money from ads and sponsors on your episodes.
5. Become A Homeschool Consultant
There are more and more parents today opting to homeschool their kids. That simply means there are more options to work as a part-time or freelance homeschool consultant.
You will be in charge of keeping an eye on the students’ progress and dealing with any additional concerns that may arise from homeschooling, such as recommending social activities and controlling the parent’s position as a teacher.
If you want to try this side hustle out for yourself, you can start a side hustle in your area or online or join an established homeschooling organization.
6. Babysit
Parents are always looking for a trustworthy person to look after their kids, and who better to put their trust in than a teacher? You can continue spending time with children while earning some extra cash by babysitting or providing other forms of childcare in the evenings and during weekends.
Your pay will depend on your experience and location. If you’re just starting, you can use sites like Care.com to match with families or connect with people you already know.
7. Proofread Other People’s Work!
If there’s anything you’re always doing when looking at your students’ homework, it’s reviewing and correcting what they write. So, with that skill, why not extend a hand to business owners, college students, and other writers by perfecting their work?
The cost of a proofreading assignment will typically be determined by project, page, or word count. Additionally, pay differs depending on whether you’re a freelancer or an employee of a reputable proofreading service.
8. Try Online Test Grading
If you’re not sick of grading papers even when you’re off work, try grading essays, tests, and more online. Sites like Measurement Inc. and Pearson pay teachers to score papers and exams.
To make it less of a chore, consider the subjects you’re passionate about and can efficiently grade papers without feeling too overwhelmed. This way, you’re earning extra money while doing what you love.
9. Become an Adjunct College Professor
Students nowadays are trying to save on tuition, so more and more are opting for community college. And when there’s an increase in students, there is also an increased demand for teachers in these programs. Some colleges only require a bachelor’s degree and relevant teaching experience for employment, while others need individuals who have master’s degrees.
Becoming an adjunct professor at a community college is an excellent opportunity to continue teaching and make a real difference in people’s lives! As for pay, adjunct faculty typically make a median of $2,700 per three-credit-hour course. This, however, varies depending on experience and institutions.
10. Pick Up Extra Work at School
While this might seem obvious, many teachers often miss this opportunity. Check if there’s an additional role at your school that you can take so you can earn extra. Maybe there are gigs like supervising detention on Saturdays, coaching your school’s cheer or skate squad, or serving as a club advisor.
The pay for these kinds of extra roles varies depending on your contract. Be careful about the roles you take, though, as you might end up doing a ton of extra work for meager pay.
Side Hustles Outside Of Teaching
- Sell Your Stuff Online Developing your own line of all-natural skincare products? Perhaps you’re crocheting tons of scarves, crop tops, and beanies? Or maybe you love painting pet portraits? Whatever your passion is outside of teaching, you can always create a side hustle out of it! If you have extra time, create a website dedicated to your craft and sell it there or employ the help of platforms like Etsy, Amazon Handmade, or even Instagram!
- Rent Out Any Extra Space
Apps and services like Airbnb have grown in popularity over the years. So, if you have a spare room or apartment, consider renting it out for long-term or short-term stays. You’ll only need to set the dates and maintain a clean and welcoming space for your guests. But, of course, you’ll also have to ensure your insurance is up-to-date to cover any potential losses. As an Airbnb host, you can make up to $924 a month. - Store Other People’s Stuff
If you have extra space but hate strangers in your house, why not rent your unused space to store your neighbors’ belongings?Platforms like Neighbor let you monetize your attic, driveway, basement, garage, or storage shed by connecting with people who need a place to keep their stuff. - Answer Some Surveys
Have some free time on your hands before or after teaching your classes? If you want a little side job you can do for a few minutes every single day, why not try your hand at answering some online surveys? It’s a popular choice for many people because of its simplicity. Plus, it can be super fun sometimes too, especially if the survey you’re assigned to is something you’re interested in!Not only is it a great side job, but you can also even help market research firms identify consumer trends just by sharing your voice! Pretty exciting, right? Check out websites like Survey Junkie, MyPoints, Opinion Outpost, and Swagbucks. Don’t forget to check your inbox every now and then for survey opportunities! - Become A House Sitter
You can do this over the summer or during weekends when you don’t have a lot of paperwork piled up. Sites like Housesitter.com connect housesitters with homeowners that require their services. Then, following a background check to ensure your suitability for watching the homeowner’s home, you can set your rates and the days you’re available.Because you get to stay somewhere new while getting paid to do it, just think of house-sitting as something that helps you earn money while taking a mini-vacation! - Deliver Food or Groceries
If you’re looking for something that’ll give you the flexibility you need, why not try delivering food or groceries? You can pick this side hustle up whenever you need extra money and decline if you don’t have much time. Try Postmates and Favor to deliver groceries, office supplies, and the like. For restaurant deliveries, check out Grubhub, Doordash, and Uber Eats. Average workers for these apps and services make around $200 a month. However, this heavily depends on the company, location, and tips. - Sell Stock Photos
Love photography? Maybe it’s time to let your photos shine and get a pretty penny out of them! Pro tip: before you upload your photos, do some research on royalties first. After that, you can post on sites such as Shutterstock, Alamy, and Getty Images. You can sell stock photos for as low as $0.10 or as high as $80. - Drive For A Rideshare Service
Driving for rideshare companies is the ideal side gig for teachers because evenings and weekends are the busiest times for drivers. Plus, driving for services like Uber or Lyft can even result in tax benefits, such as the ability to write off your mileage, mobile phone costs, and any food or water bottles you purchase for passengers.|Even better, you can choose to work whenever you have time and skip it when you’re too busy. Though it isn’t consistent, you can make upwards of $20 with this side hustle which makes it a very popular one of the 20 side hustles teachers can do while teaching. - Become A Website Tester
Companies need customer input on their websites just as much as they need it for their products. Many businesses use services like UserTesting, TryMyUI, and UserFeel to pay people to test their websites and report what they find. You can earn between $4 and $120 per test. - Become A Virtual Assistant |Teachers have a natural aptitude for organizing. Offer your skills as a virtual assistant if you enjoy responding to emails, setting up calendars, writing social media posts, or simply keeping small businesses organized.You can do this side hustle remotely, which means you can work on it in your spare time and earn extra cash. VAs typically make anywhere from $10 to $20 per hour or even more. You can use sites like Upwork or join Facebook groups where entrepreneurs hire VAs.
Side Hustles Don’t Have To Be A Hassle!
Even if teaching is a very fulfilling job, it is incredibly tiring. So don’t let your side hustle or second job be overly complicated or overwhelming! Nowadays, you can do many part-time and freelance jobs for fun, a little extra cash, or just to relieve tension and enjoy doing some tasks. For more insightful articles about side hustles for teachers like you, check out Life After Teaching’s blog!