36 Best Side Jobs for Teachers To Make Extra Money

Are you looking for the best side jobs for teachers?

Teaching is a great career choice and teachers are very much needed in the world. Unfortunately, though, it is not the highest-paying job that exists. Due to that, you may be looking to find ways to make extra money as a teacher.

Side hustles for teachers are great because they can help you make extra income, pay off debt, save for a vacation, and more.

Teachers have many useful skills, which make them a great fit for many different side hustles alongside their main teaching job.

Quick Summary on Side Jobs For Teachers:

• Online tutoring and selling lesson plans are popular side jobs for teachers that use their existing skills
• Selling crafts, selling printables, or teaching online courses can be a nice creative outlet
• Short-term and seasonal side gigs like coaching sports or teaching summer school may be better for your schedule than year-round gigs

Recommended reading: 33 Best Summer Side Hustles for Teachers

Best Side Jobs For Teachers

There are 36 side jobs for teachers listed below. If you want to skip the list, here are some jobs that you may want to start learning more about first:

Below are 36 side hustles for teachers.

1. Sell educational printables

Selling educational printables can be a great way for teachers to make extra income and it is great for anyone who wants to learn how to make passive income as a teacher.

An educational printable is a teaching resource, either digital or physical, that educators create to help with learning.

Other teachers buy these for their classes and so do parents.

Educational printables are things like math problems, vocabulary cards, and science experiments. They work for different grades and learning goals, making it an easy way to add to regular teaching or homeschooling. You can share these resources online or print them for in-person classes, making them a helpful tool for improving education. You can learn more at How I Make $400,000 Per Year Selling Educational Printables.

2. Tutor online or in person

Tutoring services or helping kids get ready for standardized tests either online or in person can be a great side hustle for teachers.

This option can be a natural fit, as you can use your teaching skills to tutor students.

To start, check out different online tutoring websites like Tutor.com or you can also do in-person tutoring sessions. For in-person tutoring sessions, you can contact local tutoring companies or promote your services on social media or in local Facebook parent groups for your area.

3. Sell your lesson plans

As a teacher, you already make lesson plans for your classes. You can actually sell your lesson plans, earn extra money, and help other teachers.

The most popular platform for this kind of side job is Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT). Here, you can upload your lesson plans, activities, assessments, and other educational resources. Each time someone purchases one of your items, you’ll earn some income.

Lesson plans need to be well-organized, easy to understand, and tailored to specific grade levels and subjects (such as fifth grade math). You should include clear objectives and step-by-step instructions to make your lesson plans more appealing to potential buyers.

4. Coach a school sport or other after-school program

Coaching a school sport is something that you can do within your own school district as many schools are in need of help with their sports teams.

Some sports and after-school programs that can be a teacher’s side hustle include soccer, basketball, volleyball, and track-and-field, as well as clubs such as yearbook, chess, choir, and more.

5. Start a dog bakery

Starting a dog bakery can be a fun side job for teachers who love both dogs and baking.

You can make an extra $500 to $1,000, or even more, each month by making treats for dogs. You can make dog treats like cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and more.

You can learn more at How I Make $4,000 Per Month Baking Dog Treats (With Zero Baking Experience!).

6. Sell crafts on Etsy

Selling crafts on Etsy can be a great way to make extra money by being creative.

Etsy is a website where people from all over can buy and sell handmade and digital products.

Some ideas for products you can create and sell on Etsy that are teaching-related include:

• Classroom decor items
• Educational games and activities
• Customized planner pages and stickers
• Flashcards and study materials

Of course, you can create things that aren’t related to teaching at all, such as knitwear, jewelry, and more.

7. Sell on Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) is a site specifically for educators to buy and sell educational materials, and this is a popular teacher side hustle. If you’ve developed lesson plans, worksheets, or other teaching tools for your classroom, you can share and earn from them on TPT.

I know I talked about selling education printables and lesson plans above, but I want to talk more about Teachers Pay Teachers in its own section because it is such a popular teacher side hustle.

You can sell:

• Lesson plans and unit studies
• Worksheets and printable activities
• PowerPoint presentations and interactive notebooks
• Posters, charts, and visual aids

For example, I looked on Teachers Pay Teachers and searched for third grade lesson plans. There, I found over 49,000 results such as math lesson plans about rounding, substitute teacher plans for third graders, reading comprehension lesson plans, and more. Here’s an example of one that you can look at.

The average teacher on Teachers Pay Teachers can make around $300 to $500 extra, but there are some teachers that make hundreds of thousands of dollars extra each year.

8. Babysit

As a teacher, you may find that babysitting is an easy side job to pick up, and, depending on where you live, you may be able to earn around $15 to $25 an hour. Parents love hiring teachers as babysitters because they have so much experience with children.

While babysitting, you’ll find that your existing skills from teaching make a difference in providing the best care possible.

9. Teach English as a second language online

Teaching English as a second language (ESL) online is a popular side job for teachers. As an online ESL teacher, you can help students learn English and work from home.

Most jobs require you to be a fluent English speaker with a bachelor’s degree.

10. Teach summer school

One of the obvious ways for teachers to make extra money in the summer is to teach summer school.

It’s a great way to make use of your teaching skills while earning extra income. Plus, summer school takes place during summer break, so it should fit well with your schedule of already being off from school.

11. Summer camp counselor

Another great option during the summer months is to become a summer camp counselor.

As a counselor, you’ll supervise children in activities such as sports, arts, and crafts. Camps are always looking for instructors with teaching experience, making this a good side job for educators.

12. Grade papers

Grading papers as a side job may appeal to you if you’re looking for a more flexible, at-home option.

Companies such as Measurement Inc. hire teachers to grade student work, such as essays and test answers.

They are hiring evaluators to score in the subjects of English, mathematics, science, and more and pay starts at $15 per hour.

13. Work at a restaurant

If you’re looking for something completely different from teaching, you could take a part-time job at a restaurant.

Working in restaurants can be a good fit for teachers because they often offer flexible hours that can align with your teaching schedule. You can choose jobs like being a server, host, and more.

14. Proofread

As a teacher, you are probably already a great proofreader and are able to spot mistakes easily. With these skills, proofreading can be a great side job. By proofreading, you can help authors, website owners, students, and more improve their writing while earning some extra income.

Even the most skilled writers can make mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. That’s why hiring a proofreader can be very helpful for pretty much anyone and everyone.

If you want to find online proofreading jobs, I recommend watching this free 76-minute workshop all about how to get started proofreading.

Recommended reading: 20 Best Online Proofreading Jobs For Beginners (Earn $40,000+ A Year).

15. Blog

Blogging can be a fun way for you, as a teacher, to make extra money from home. Many blogs are run by teachers, and I completely get why – you can blog in your spare time and you don’t have to stick to any formal schedule.

To start your own blog, first, choose a topic that you’re interested in writing about, maybe something related to your teaching field or a hobby you enjoy.

You can make money from your blog in ways such as:

• Affiliate marketing – Share links to products or services related to the topic you are writing about, and earn a commission for sales generated from your referral links.
• Advertising – Include display ads or sponsored posts on your blog.
• Courses and ebooks – You can create courses or ebooks related to your area of expertise, and sell them through your blog.

Since I began Making Sense of Cents, I’ve made more than $5,000,000 from my blog, and it all started as a side job.

Learn more at How To Start A Blog FREE Course.

Similar to blogging, a teacher could also start a YouTube channel, a TikTok, and more.

16. Freelance write

If you are looking for side jobs for teachers from home, then becoming a freelance writer can be a great choice.

Freelance writers write content for blogs, websites, magazines, newspapers, advertising companies, and so much more.

You can find different writing jobs on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, or even find clients on your own, such as by reaching out to websites that you are interested in writing for.

Recommended reading: 14 Places To Find Freelance Writing Jobs – (Start With No Experience!)

17. Transcribe

An online transcriptionist’s job is to listen to video or audio files and then type out everything that they are hearing. There are many different types of transcriptionists, such as legal, general, and medical transcriptionists.

This job requires strong typing and listening skills, and you can work from home on your own schedule.

Transcriptionists earn around $15 to $30 per hour on average.

I recommend watching FREE Workshop: Is a Career in Transcription Right for You? You’ll learn how to get started as a transcriptionist, how you can find transcription work, and more.

Recommended reading: 18 Best Online Transcription Jobs For Beginners To Make $2,000 Monthly

18. Flip used items for resale

Flea market flippers find underpriced items at flea markets, yard sales, and thrift stores, then resell them for a profit. This job requires a good eye for finding valuable items that you believe can be sold for a higher price.

As a teacher, you could find and sell items in the evening, on the weekends, over holiday breaks, and in the summer. You get to make your own schedule, and it can be however many or few hours as you want.

Some items that you can resell include:

• Vintage furniture
• Collectibles, such as toys, coins, stamps, books, and more
• Sporting equipment
• Clothing
• Electronics

I recommend signing up for a helpful webinar on this topic, How To Turn Your Passion For Visiting Thrift Stores, Yard Sales & Flea Markets Into A Profitable Reselling Business.

19. Bookkeep

Bookkeepers are people who keep track of all the money-related things for businesses. Bookkeepers do tasks like:

• Tracking income
• Organizing expenses
• Making financial reports

This is typically a flexible job that you can do from home on your own time.

You can join the free workshop that focuses on finding virtual bookkeeping jobs and how to begin your own freelance bookkeeping business by signing up for free here.

Recommended reading: How To Find Online Bookkeeping Jobs

20. Sell Canva templates

Creating and selling Canva templates online allows you to work from home in your free time.

A Canva template is like a pre-designed layout that you can use for creating things like social media graphics, Pinterest pins, ebooks, or presentations. It is a helpful starting point if you’re not very skilled at designing from scratch. Business owners, marketing professionals, nonprofit organizations, educators, event planners, restaurants, and more buy templates all the time.

Canva templates come with blank spaces where buyers can add their own words or pictures, adjust colors and fonts, and more. They’re useful for people who want their graphics to look high quality without spending a lot of time in the process (or perhaps they don’t know how to do it so templates help them a lot!).

Making and selling Canva templates can be a great way to earn extra money as you only need to create them once, and then you can sell them as many times as you’d like.

Recommended reading: How I Make $2,000+ Monthly Selling Canva Templates

21. Rover (walk and watch pets)

Rover is a website that links pet owners with pet sitters and dog walkers. You can do this job on the weekends throughout the year, or simply only open up your schedule during the summer months. It is up to you.

Getting started is easy on Rover – you set up a profile that talks about your experience with pets and the services you can provide, like dog walking, pet sitting, and house sitting.

Then, you will receive requests from customers and talk about pricing. Rover takes care of processing payments, and you’ll receive payments directly into your account.

You can sign up for Rover here.

22. Care.com

Another platform for finding pet and house sitting side jobs is Care.com. Care.com is not limited to pet care and includes other caregiving services, such as childcare and senior care.

You can browse available jobs in your area and apply to those that match your skills and interests. Care.com also allows clients to contact you directly for your services after you’ve created a profile. Once a job is completed, you’ll receive payment through the site.

23. Be a virtual assistant

A virtual assistant provides administrative, technical, or creative support to clients from home.

Some of the tasks you might do as a virtual assistant include managing schedules, responding to emails, making travel arrangements, handling social media accounts, and even writing articles or creating presentations.

If you want to become a virtual assistant, I recommend taking the free workshop called 5 Steps To Become a Virtual Assistant.

Recommended reading: Best Ways To Find Virtual Assistant Jobs

24. Be a food photographer

Food photography can be a fun and creative way to earn extra income during your free time. Food photographers do just that – take pictures of food.

Whether you’re working directly for restaurants, magazines, or on a freelance basis, this job allows you to use your skills and interests to create beautiful images.

You can learn more at How To Become a Food Blog Photographer And Earn Over $50,000 Each Year.

25. House sit

As a teacher, you might be looking for ways to make some extra money during breaks or weekends. One option to consider is house sitting, and this is when you watch someone’s home (such as watering their plants and collecting mail) and sometimes take care of pets while their owners are away. People also hire house sitters so that their homes aren’t sitting empty because a visible presence can deter potential thefts.

To get started in house sitting, you can join house-sitting websites to find opportunities in your area, or ask friends and family for referrals (you might want to start by house sitting for people you know and then ask for references that you can use to broaden your job search).

26. Rent out an unused room in your home

If you have a room in your home that you are not using, then you may be able to rent it to someone on either a short-term (such as by becoming an Airbnb host) or long-term basis (getting a full-time roommate).

I have rented out rooms many times in the past, and it was a great way to make some extra income for space that I wasn’t using.

You can learn more at What You Need To Know About Renting A Room In Your House.

27. Rent your garage space

If you have empty storage space, such as a garage, driveway, closet, basement, or attic, you may be able to rent it out and make extra money. This can be a lucrative side hustle where you don’t have to use up much of your spare time.

You can use Neighbor to list your extra space for rent and make up to $15,000 per year by doing so. With Neighbor, you can rent out your garage, driveway, basement, or even a closet.

You can sign up at Neighbor for free here and list your space.

You can also learn more about Neighbor at Neighbor Review: Make Money Renting Your Storage Space.

28. Rent out a photo booth

Renting a photo booth can be a fun side job for teachers.

To get started, you will need to buy a photo booth as well as things like backdrops and props for people to hold in the picture (such as hats, signs, fun things to hold, etc.).

On average, photo booth rentals can range from $500 to $1,000 per event, and in some cases, even more for specialized events or packages with additional features.

I have personally rented a photo booth for an event in the past, and it was a lot of fun!

29. Online surveys and focus groups

Taking online surveys and answering questions for focus groups is very part-time and can be a way to side hustle for teachers.

You share your thoughts plus answer questions and can earn cash or free gift cards.

The survey companies I recommend signing up for are:

1. American Consumer Opinion
2. Survey Junkie
3. Swagbucks
4. InboxDollars
5. Branded Surveys
6. Pinecone Research
7. PrizeRebel
8. User Interviews – These are the highest paying surveys with the average being around $60.

Recommended reading: 18 Best Paid Survey Sites To Make $100+ Per Month

30. Voice over act

A voice-over actor is the person whose voice you hear but don’t see in YouTube videos, radio ads, educational videos, and more.

Different companies need a wide variety of voices, and that’s where you come in.

Recommended reading: How To Become A Voice Over Actor And Work From Anywhere

31. Mystery shop

I was a secret shopper in the past, and there were often mystery shops that gave me $100 to put toward a free dinner. I always looked forward to these, as I was living paycheck to paycheck, and I used these restaurant mystery shops to reward myself every now and then.

There were other mystery shops that paid me actual money, and some paid me in free items, such as makeup, movie theater tickets, and car oil changes.

Companies hire mystery shoppers to get an understanding of their customer’s experience. Companies want to know a real product opinion, how the customer felt they were treated at their business, how phone calls were handled, and more.

Basically, mystery shopping is a way to anonymously test the entire shopping experience.

You can learn more at How To Become A Mystery Shopper.

32. Fitness trainer

Fitness trainers help people reach their health goals through customized exercise plans and nutrition advice. This is typically a job where you can choose your schedule, so you can choose to work hours outside of your teaching job, such as in the evenings and on the weekends.

I actually know a few teachers who are fitness trainers on the side, so it must be a good fit!

Another positive is that you can even choose between in-person and online coaching. Online coaching can mean that you can work remotely, making it a more flexible side job for teachers looking to earn extra income.

33. Find random gigs on Craigslist

As a teacher looking for side jobs, you can look for random gigs on Craigslist to earn some extra income. To begin your search, simply go to the Craigslist website and select your city from the home page.

Here are some jobs I found through a quick search:

• Cleaning a house
• Help assembling furniture
• Taking down a shed in a backyard
• Garage cleanup
• Mover
• Handyman
• Movie extra
• Sign holder

You can even post your own services on Craigslist if you have a skill you’d like to share with others, such as giving music lessons or tutoring.

34. Deliver groceries with Instacart

Grocery delivery services are popular because there are more and more people who want someone to do their grocery shopping for them.

Services like Instacart need personal grocery shoppers, and the average shopper makes $15 to $20 an hour to deliver groceries. Drivers are paid per order, and you get to keep 100% of your tips. You also get to choose your schedule, so a teacher could choose to work in the evenings or on weekends. Or, you could choose to only deliver groceries during the summer.

You can click here to sign up to be an Instacart Shopper.

You can also learn more at Instacart Shopper Review: How much do Instacart Shoppers earn?

There are many other gig ideas that you can try out too, such as Uber Eats and DoorDash.

35. Real estate agent

Some teachers are real estate agents on the side of their full-time job as a teacher. This is because you can list and sell homes on your weekends, during breaks, at night, and over the summer.

Selling homes can be more difficult, though, as your clients may want your full attention during the day occasionally and you would be busy teaching, so this is something to think about.

36. Driver’s ed teacher

A common side hustle for teachers is teaching driving lessons to teenagers and adults. As a teacher, you may be able to check if the high school near you is in need of a teacher for this subject. Or, you can reach out to a local driving school to see if they are hiring.

Driving instructors make around $20 an hour more or less, depending on where you live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to common questions about side hustles for teachers.

How can I make money on the side while teaching?

Some good side jobs for teachers include tutoring, freelancing, transcribing, blogging, selling lesson plans, and more.

What can teachers do to make extra money?

Teachers can do a lot of things to make extra money, such as jobs like tutoring, freelance writing, blogging, or creating educational printables.

What is a second career for teachers?

Second careers for teachers can include jobs such as educational consultants, curriculum developers, or even working in corporate training and development.

Do most teachers have 2 jobs?

Many teachers have two jobs. This is for many reasons, such as the typically low pay of a teacher as well as teachers wanting to make money while they are off in the summer.

How to make extra money on Teachers Pay Teachers?

Teachers can make extra money on Teachers Pay Teachers by selling lesson plans and printables.

How can teachers make money in the summer?

Teachers can make money when they’re off in the summer by teaching summer school, helping students with test prep, babysitting, selling lesson plans, working at a restaurant, working as a real estate agent, and more.

What to do after quitting teaching? How do you pivot out of teaching?

Quitting teaching and moving on to something else will take a few steps, and you can begin by thinking about your skills and interests. Then, start exploring different job options and connect with people in the field you’re interested in, attend industry events, and consider getting any certifications that you may need.

How can teachers earn extra income through online tutoring?

Sites like Tutor.com look for teachers to tutor students remotely, and you can even offer your services through social media.

How can a teacher make six figures by utilizing their skills?

While it’s not always easy for teachers to earn a six-figure salary, it is possible if you find ways to make extra income or by starting a business of your own.

What opportunities do music educators have for side income?

Side income ideas for music educators can include jobs like giving private music lessons or working as a weekend or evening instructor at a music school. Music educators can also sell lesson plans (I found some examples on Teachers Pay Teachers here).

What are some good side jobs for teachers?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the best side jobs for teachers.

Whether you are looking for side jobs for teachers from home, side jobs for teachers in the summer, or if you want to learn how to make passive income as a teacher, there are many ways to make extra money as a teacher.

Some of the best side hustles for teachers include:

• Sell educational printables
• Tutor online or in person
• Sell your lesson plans
• Coach a school sport
• Start a dog treat bakery
• Sell crafts on Etsy
• Sell on Teachers Pay Teachers
• Babysit
• Teach English as a second language online
• Teach summer school
• Summer camp counselor
• Grade papers
• Work at a restaurant
• Proofread
• Blog
• Freelance write
• Transcribe
• Flip used items for resale
• Bookkeep
• Sell Canva templates
• Rover (walk and watch pets)
• Virtual assistant
• Food photographer
• House sit
• Rent out an unused room in your home
• Rent your garage space
• Rent a photo booth
• Online surveys and focus groups
• Voice over act
• Mystery shop
• Fitness trainer
• Find random gigs on Craigslist
• Deliver groceries
• Real estate agent
• Driver’s ed instructor

What do you think are the best ways for teachers to make extra money?