10 Best Side Jobs For Teachers For Extra Money [2022 Update] (2024)

Written by Jason Michaels Last Updated: Mar 16, 2024

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Looking for the best side jobs for teachers?

As per job market predictions, the education sector is one of the fastest growing sectors.

If you think you’ve seen enough from it, clearly you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Research shows that it will grow even more in the coming years, which means that teachers will be in demand more than ever. No wonder many people are trying their luck at the teaching job today.

That’s not all.

Teachers receive a lot of vacations during the school year, and they can also make extra money by taking up a second job in the evenings.

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10 Best Side Hustle Ideas For Teachers

If you’re a teacher or want to be one, realize that your options aren’t limited.

You can find a second job that suits your lifestyle and experience.

Just take a look around and be flexible.

With that said, let’s get started on our list of the 10 best side jobs for teachers for extra income, without having to wait until summer break to get started.

1. Online Course Instructor

Are you passionate about a particular topic or an expert in a field?

Consider monetizing your knowledge and teaching classes as an online course instructor.

This is probably a little different than what you’re thinking so let me explain.

You won’t be teaching live classes or manage a class like a college professor would, necessarily.

Instead, you will put together your knowledge of a particular niche or interest into a curriculum and lessons then sell that course online.

This doesn’t have to be a subject you teach in school either.

Top courses are on a wide variety of topics, like:

French cooking
Knitting
Python programming
Facebook advertising
Candle-making
Pet grooming
Learning piano
And, more!

You can host the course with digital course platforms like:

And then, all you have to worry about is marketing the course, which you can do through:

Word of mouth advertising (sharing with your personal network)
Social media advertising (like Facebook ads)
Sharing in groups and forums you belong to (like Reddit, Facebook groups, etc.)
Getting featured in publications and on websites

Best Practices for Online Course Instructing

Pick a niche topic
Pick a passion of yours
Know that you don’t have to be the top expert, you just have to know more than the average person
Outline your course
Get organized and put your course development and launch on a calendar
Consider beta testing it-recruit a handful of students and offer your course for free, in exchange for feedback or testimonials
Get featured on publications and podcasts to advertise your course at launch
Create a course launch plan
Don’t delay, get started now if you’re interested

If you’re ready to try this, don’t hesitate.

This is an excellent side job for teachers to make recurring passive income. It’s definitely one of the better online jobs for teachers.

2. Freelance Writer

You’re a teacher.

Regardless of the subject you teach, you’re probably an above-average writer.

Why not get paid to freelance write on the side?

You can write on a variety of subjects in:

Blog posts
White papers
Magazine articles
And, more!

Full-time freelance writers can make up to $62,000/year so on a part-time schedule as a side hustle, around $20,000 to $30,000 is not bad at all!

Especially considering that’s the full-time salary of some jobs.

How To Get Started Freelance Writing?

First, find your niche.

Think about what you’re going to write about, whether it be vegetarian recipes, investing in stocks, or another topic, nail this one down.

Then, build a portfolio, which is like a resume for writers.

This will house some of your writing so when prospective clients ask for samples, you can hand over your portfolio.

Next, start getting clients!

Where to Find Freelance Writing Jobs

You can apply to job boards, career websites, writing websites and other places to get your first clients:

3. Sell Lesson Plans and Teaching Materials

Have you heard of Teachers Pay Teachers?

It’s a huge marketplace for teachers by teachers, housing over 3 million teaching materials and resources.

It’s like Etsy but for teachers.

Are you crafty?

Do you have some really awesome lesson plans or printables you’ve designed for teaching purposes?

Why not sell them?

They offer it all, from:

Printables
Packets
Syllabus and other templates
And, more!

It’s a really great place for teachers, offering a ton of different materials to help make teaching easier and fun.

Where Are Other Places I Can Sell Teaching Materials?

There are many other sites and marketplaces you can sell your teaching goods, like:

Does this interest you?

What if you’re not crafty but don’t want to give up on the idea?

Well, here’s how you do it..

To create lesson plans, printables and other teachers’ goods, you need a good graphics software solution.

You can try Canva, PicMonkey, Adobe Indesign, Adobe Photoshop or countless others.

If you don’t know how to use the Adobe products, skip to Canva or PicMonkey which are super user-friendly and have a lot of interesting, useful features for free, like a variety of fonts, graphics, templates and more.

Then, get crafty and crank out your projects and post on some of the sites shared above.

As an alternative you can also sell in your own storefront like a Shopify store or in-person at flea markets, thrift shops, and other local places.

Contribute to the community on TPT and other sites to start selling your stuff.

4. Teaching English

Love teaching? Don’t stop.

Online education is becoming more and more prominent in today’s world. Many teachers are turning to teach English as a second language to Chinese students online.

Why Teach English Online?

Aside from how rewarding it is to teach others, some other perks include:

Competitive pay
Flexible schedule
Part-time work
Work from home
And more benefits!

First of all, you can earn up to $25 per hour doing it part-time.

Many ESL teachers stay on and continue teaching students long-term in part because of the competitive pay.

Then, you’ll love the schedule.

There are small, short classes (1 student per class) in an online setting (around 35 minutes long) and a done-for-you lesson curriculum.

That means, aside from setting up your workspace and getting your teaching materials (computer with internet and a headset), you are ready to go!

No time outside of teaching to prepare lesson plans or a teaching curriculum.

It’s all provided, 100% of the time!

This is a far easier setup than teaching a class full of students.

ESL Teachers report earning up to $20 – $30 per hour ($1,700 – $2,500 per month) doing this, all from the comfort of their own home!

Sites like VIPKID and QKIDS are good sites to start teaching English online. These companies make it really easy to earn even during the school year.

5. Write an Ebook

You can write books as an ebook author.

This is as simple as putting your idea to paper and then finishing it with a table of contents, copyright and book cover.

Then, self publish on a platform like Kindle Direct Publishing or sell to your network, through social media, your email list or other online connections.

What Topics To Write About?

Just like being a course instructor, you can really write about anything you’d like.

If there’s an audience for your topic, then you can create a book about it.

Try to niche down as much as possible so you can really reach your target audience easily.

For example, instead of writing about adopting a vegan diet, write about going raw vegan, which is a sub niche of veganism.

Or, instead of talking about side hustles for teachers in general, discuss a specific side hustle, like driving for Uber.

These are just some ideas to help you hone in on your topic the best you can.

You can start by picking a niche you are passionate about or have a lot of experience in, like:

What you do for a career
Subjects you studied in college
Books you like to read
Passions or hobbies

When you’ve picked a niche and wrote your book, it’s time to distribute it.

How to Sell Through Self-Publishing

After you write your book, you just upload it to KDP, which is free to do.

Then it will be visible on Amazon and Amazon buyers can purchase your book.

Self publishing is great because you take the publishing process into your own hands.

You don’t have to sit and wait for a publishing deal.

Just head to Amazon KDP and get published immediately!

How to Sell Through Your Network

You will write your book and distribute yourself, with the help of tools like Sendowl or Gumroad.

If you have a prominent social following, you can introduce the release of your book and watch sales come in.

You can also invest in paid advertising to spread the word faster about the release of your work.

This is another passive income opportunity because once you write the book and set up your sales platform, aside from marketing, no other work will need to be done.

Set it and forget it!

6. Social Worker

Social workers contribute significantly to society by helping communities and individuals and motivate them to find solutions to life’s challenges.

They provide a variety of services at the local, federal, and state levels.

By being one, you may work with different cultural groups and people from various life stages.

Some of your duties may include: defending the welfare of your clients, resource assessment, and face-to-face counseling.

You’ll receive an education that introduces you to the opportunities, code of ethics, and policies found in the social work field.

According to experts, social workers earn roughly $50,000 or more in a year.

This, of course, depends on where you choose to work and your specialization.

If it’s a career you’d love to get into, here are some steps you should take to become one:

Earn a Master’s of Social Work

Most organizations require that you have at least a master’s degree in the field before they can hire you.

If you’re an undergraduate major, you can apply for an MSW program.

Such programs combine coursework and clinical practice to ensure that you’re fully prepared for the job.

Determine the Specialty that Works for You

Social work has lots of career paths.

For example, some social workers deal with a specific group of people while others work with all types of people.

Earn Certifications if Necessary

Some states require social workers to be certified or licensed.

Regulations differ from one state to the other.

Therefore, it would be best to find out your state’s requirements from the Association of Social Work Boards.

7. Teaching Online As A Tutor

If you’ve got experience in subjects such as history, math, and science, you can easily get a job at a tutoring site.

Being an online tutor allows you to work at home if you want, while helping students achieve their full potential.

Sounds good?

Here are some guidelines to help you become a successful online tutor:

Start Small

You want to make lots of extra money from this vocation.

However, you wouldn’t want to stress yourself out.

Take a class in a day so you can have enough time to prepare and get used to it.

Embrace Professionalism

Even if you’re working from home, dress appropriately, and make your space tidy before the lesson.

This way, you’ll earn the respect of your students.

Take an Online Course First

This helps you learn how to give classes to students whose knowledge is lesser than yours and those with no knowledge of the matter.

Go for tutors with a high rating first, then those with poor references.

Make Use of Expressive Body Language

Don’t lean back on your chair and answer questions as if you’re having a casual chat with a pal on Skype.

Professionalism is key.

Keep your body animated, your posture straight, and your eyes fixed on your student.

Places to Find Online Tutoring Work

You can find online tutoring jobs on freelance job boards and in classified listings, as well as traditional job boards and job websites.

There are also online tutoring websites you can check out too, like:

8. Career Consultant

Also known as career counselors and career coaches, a career consultant helps people find the right career for them based on their educational background or talent.

In your case, guiding, say, high school students, identify the right colleges to apply for and what career path they should take.

You could look for employment in education consulting firms or open your consultancy.

Career consultants use evaluation tools and their knowledge of the industry to help people find long-lasting careers.

For your consultant career to students to be successful, there are several things you must do. Some of them are:

Choose the Right Environment to Work In

The category of students you want to work with can help determine this.

If you prefer assisting young adults to find a career path that they can take for the rest of their lives, you should work at a college or university.

High schools and middle schools are a perfect for teachers if you’d love to help students get their first job so they can save up for college.

Get the Necessary Education

Education requirements vary from state to state.

Most states require you to attain a Ph.D., bachelor’s, or master’s degree in counseling.

Confirm from your state’s Department of Education website to learn the requirements in your state.

Get Some Practical Experience

This is not only a requirement in most states, but it provides you with the necessary skills too.

Most schools offer an application process for your practicum.

During a practicum, you’ll be working with a legit career counselor.

Get the Required Certificates

It all depends on the state you’re living in.

Some require you to have a specialized certification in counseling to work in the schooling system.

Others need potential counselors to get their K-12 certificate for them to be career counselors.

9. Tour Guide

Standing before a group of kids and teaching them can take a toll on anyone.

A great way to take a breather from the children and classroom is to offer your educational skills to another group of people, adults, in a different location; being a tour guide!

As a guide, you get to lead tourists around an area near or in your city and get paid for it.

Let’s not forget the generous tips you’ll earn if you do it right.

Expect to make between $9 and $20 per hour.

To enjoy yourself during the session and rake in a great amount of green from the job, here are some pointers you should follow:

Don’t Worry Too Much About Being Perfect

News flash: no one is perfect so chill.

Let the people you’re guiding know that you don’t know everything and encourage anyone with anything to add to share their knowledge with everyone.

Face the People When Sharing Something

Most tour guides focus on their subject rather than the crowd.

The result is the people won’t hear what you’re saying.

They may even lose interest in the tour because there’s no connection between you and them.

Telling interesting stories about buildings or places you’re talking about is a nice way to keep the attention of your audience.

Fun stories make them feel engaged too.

Take your pick between contemporary and historical narratives.

Keep the Introduction Short

Let the crowd know your name and give them a summary of what the tour will involve and get right to the tour.

Lengthy introductions mean less time on the tour.

All in all, being a tour guide is a fun job that gets you out of the house and lets you enjoy the outdoors, as a bus guide, boat guide, or walking tour guide.

10. Blogging

Is writing a skill that you love?

Consider starting a blog.

Some of the perks of starting a blog include having the power to decide the content on it.

And, you can do it from anywhere you want, with the time frame of your choice.

How to Make Your Blog Successful

For your blog to rock, you need to update it often.

Also, you should include it in a social media platform of your choice.

This way, you can have a discussion with anyone who reads your blog and would love to get in touch with you.

You don’t have to be a pro on the topic of your choice for your blog to be successful.

Readers want to connect with you, the blogger.

A cool way to make your blog interesting, a cooking blog, for instance, is to share your experience while cooking a particular meal and including some mistakes you made.

The main requirement to be a successful blogger is choosing a topic that you’re passionate about.

Here’s a guideline to starting a blog:

Choose a name for it. To find a suitable name, you need to choose a good topic. Once you’ve found one, you then need to select a domain extension.
Use blogging software and blog hosting (we recommend HostGator) to get it online.
Customize your blog with software like WordPress.
Write a blog post and publish it
Promote your blog

Here are some best practices for blogging:

Monetize it
Add content consistently
As your blog starts producing income, consider outsourcing some tasks to make it more of a semi-passive income stream
Promote it
Practice SEO

Monetize Your Blog

The first step after you have your blog, is to monetize it.

The goal is to make it passive so it can truly be an awesome side job for yourself.

There are many ways you can monetize your blog.

Affiliate marketing
Sponsorships
Products and services
Ads

Earn Extra Money with Affiliate Marketing

The easiest is through affiliate marketing.

That means, you will refer products in your blog by inserting an affiliate link into your articles. When your readers click your link and buy something, you earn a commission.

For example, if you’re a travel blogger and you refer a travel booking engine (like Booking.com or Kayak) and you have 10 readers use that booking engine to book flights, you can earn a 10% commission on each booking.

What if each booking was $1,000?

Then 10% of ten-$1,000 bookings is $100 x 10 = $1,000 commission!

Exciting, right?

And, that is just one affiliate.

What Are Affiliate Program You Can Join?

Some affiliate programs to consider include:

Other ways to monetize include through sponsorships, products and services, and ads.

Making Extra Money with Sponsorships

The way this works is you partner with a sponsor, like an apparel designer, small ecommerce store, or knitwear creator, just to name some examples, and they pay you to feature them on the blog!

For example, if you are a fashion blogger, a knitwear creator that handmakes scarves and other knits may want to pay you to feature their products on your blog.

There are many different ways you can arrange a sponsorship.

Some may ask you to physically unbox the product, while others may just ask for a written review or video demonstration.

Sponsors pay you a lump sum and you may also set up an affiliate arrangement.

Like the knitwear creator above may want to pay you $1,000 plus 10% commission on each sale that results from the sponsorship.

Where Can You Find Sponsors?

You can cold pitch sponsors which means you will contact them and pitch a sponsorship.

There are also sponsor networks that exist where the network will host many sponsors and you can apply to an opportunity.

Here are some sponsor networks to review:

Make Money with Products and Services

Creating your own products and services can be one of the most lucrative ways to monetize your blog.

You craft these products with your audience in mind, to solve a problem, like:

Creating a printable
Writing an ebook
Designing a course
And, more ideas!

First, create your product, next, share with your blog audience and then get sales!

Advertising

Advertising income results from your blog readers clicking on ads on your site.

You join an ad network like Mediavine or Google Adsense and ads are placed throughout your site, like in your sidebar, header, footer, in your blog posts, etc.

Earn money on every click that results from your traffic. To make the most money with ads, you want to earn the most traffic possible.

Read our 7-Step Guide On How To Start A Blog for more details.

Add Content Often

Next, adding content often is a great way to get your blog an instant lift in traffic.

Keep quality in mind of course because quantity is not more important than quality.

Establish a content calendar to help you keep up with a regular publishing schedule, like two times per week, etc.

Outsource

If you are seeing some success with your blog and it’s to the point where it’s producing income, consider outsourcing some of the work, to make this a hands off side hustle.

If you can get more done with the help of others, it might make sense to take some tasks off our hands, especially if it can help you make more money or increase traffic.

Here are some tasks you can outsource from your blog:

Blog writing
Email newsletter curation
Sponsorship management
Editor
And, other roles!

Promotion

Many argue that you should spend more time promoting your blog, rather than writing.

It makes sense, right?

Why spend all your time writing and less time promoting?

That means you will have all this great content you churned out that you’re proud of, but no one to read it.

Instead split your time between the two, focusing hard on promoting, which can be done by:

Sharing your blog on social media
Emailing your email list
Setting up a chatbot on autopilot to engage your readers
Paid advertising (like Pinterest promoted pins, Facebook ads, etc.)

SEO

And then, there’s SEO.

SEO or search engine optimization is the stuff that gets your blog and content found on search engines like Google.

You see, there are specific things you can do and a way you write your content to improve the changes of ranking in the search results.

So, when a user searches for “a search term,” your content shows up on page 1 (hopefully in the first few results) of Google.

What are those specific things to do to get your content to rank?

First, you have to write for keywords.

You’ll do keyword research, picking a low competition high traffic keyword and then write your content around that keyword.

Then, you write longer content (2,000 to 3,000 words or longer), with short paragraphs, internal links and external links, and more.

To learn more about this, take a look at MOZ’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO.

What Can Teachers Do To Make More Money?

There are plenty of directions a teacher can take to bring in extra income. Some of the most popular jobs for teachers to make extra money are teaching English, freelance writing and private tutoring.

It’s easy to earn extra money during summer break or throughout the school year as a teacher.

If you’re looking for a new skill to help you bring in extra income, we suggest testing out sites like Udemy for cheap and free online courses in almost any skill.

Or for the extremely lazy, check out some money making apps and online survey sites that pay in free gift cards if you’re looking to earn money fast.

Yet the most important thing is to identify side jobs that you’d love and to get paid for them on the side.

Strive to earn some extra cash while putting a smile on someone’s face.

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