We all know teachers aren’t teaching to get rich. But struggling along from paycheck to paycheck isn’t right. We believe teachers should be paid like professionals, and side hustles should be a choice, not a necessity. Until that happens, check out these side jobs for teachers and find smart ways to earn some extra money.
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Free Editable Side Jobs Digital Flyers
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Education-Related Side Jobs for Teachers
These side jobs are great ways to capitalize on the skills that you’ve developed and honed as a teacher—instruction, management, relationship-building, and content creation.
Sell your lesson plans
Teachers Pay Teachers has changed the way teachers get and share content. Chances are you’ve downloaded something from there yourself. So why not take your great lessons and put them on there too? You’ll make money whenever another teacher buys your materials—hello passive income!
Earning potential: New sellers may make between a few dollars to a few hundred dollars per month, depending on the number and type of worksheets they’re selling. More advanced sellers may make as much as $500 or more per month.
Learn more: Getting started on Teachers Pay Teachers
Tutor online or in person
Reach out to local tutoring companies to see if they’re looking to hire, or post your own ad on social media or parent and neighborhood groups. Looking for a completely work-from-home option? Tutor online!
Earning potential: $30+ per hour, varies depending on your local market
Learn more: Find the Best Online Tutoring Jobs
Prep kids for standardized tests
Companies like PrepNow and Varsity Tutors specialize in prepping kids for tests like the SAT, ACT, and others. They usually use a standard curriculum, so you don’t need to do a lot of work outside of your tutoring sessions.
Earning potential: $20 per hour, but will vary depending on your local market
Teach English as a second language
There used to be a huge market for online ESL tutors working with Chinese kids. Recent changes to the law in China means companies like VIPKid and Qkids had to change up their formula a bit, but they still offer good side jobs for teachers.
Earning potential: $20 to $30 per hour
Teach a foreign language online
Do you know another language? Teach it online through sites like iTalki or Preply. (Note: Online tutoring is usually for tutors who are native speakers.)
Earning potential: $25 per hour, but depends on your local market
Offer online classes
Do you have a skill you could teach others? Maybe how to design amazing Canva templates or how to paint with watercolors? Through online courses, people can offer their expertise directly to consumers. Look into a site like Skillshare, Dabble, or Outschool to offer a class online.
Earning potential: $35 per hour, but depends on how you set the cost for your class, the fees to use any online platforms, and your local market
Coach or supervise extracurriculars
At many schools, coaches and extracurricular advisors can earn extra money for their time. Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities in your district.
Earning potential: $25 per hour, but will depend on your local market
Babysit or become a part-time nanny
Teachers have plenty of built-in experience with kids, so you can ask for higher rates. Ask your local connections or try a website like Care.com.
Earning potential: $20 per hour, but will depend on your local market
Work with local homeschools
Depending on your state’s laws, you may be able to pick up some extra cash teaching classes, overseeing a child’s progress, or providing annual evaluations. Do a search for local homeschool groups, and talk with them to learn more.
Earning potential: $30 per hour, but will depend on your local market
Be a camp instructor
For those of you who don’t need a break from kids, look into being a camp instructor over the summer or during school breaks. Local museums and universities are a great place to start as they are often looking for camp counselors with more skills (read: teachers).
Earning potential: $400 to $600 per week, but will depend on the camp and your local context
Teach summer school
Summer school opportunities are natural side jobs that pull in some extra income for teachers. The time requirement is often shorter overall. If your school doesn’t have summer school or openings, check nearby school districts.
Earning potential: $30 per hour, but will depend on your local district
Write for We Are Teachers
Yes, please. We are always open to writers, and we actually pay! Here’s a freelancing tip: Pitch a strong article and get familiar with the site. For instance, you don’t want to pitch an article on amazing teacher podcasts because we already have that.
Earning potential: $150 per article on average
Curriculum designer
Nonprofits and big companies are often looking for teachers to help develop curriculum materials. Polish your resume and create a profile on LinkedIn or Upwork to start applying for these gigs.
Earning potential: $20 to $30 per hour or based on the project
Test administrator
Reach out to a local test administration site to see if you can administer tests on weekends or during the summer. It’s a low-lift job that often requires educators who understand the importance of following test directions and how to problem-solve any situations that arise.
Earning potential: $18 to $25 per hour, depending on your local market
Educational consultant
Educational consultants work with nonprofits and schools to solve specific problems. For this side hustle, you’ll become your own small business. Start by working the network that you have for projects. Then, you can start advertising your services and skills.
Earning potential: New and local consultants typically make between $50 and $100 per hour
After-school program director
After-school programs need directors as well as teachers. If you’re a teacher leader, this is a great way to put your skills to work in another education setting.
Earning potential: $20 to $25 per hour, depending on your local market
Summer camp director
Same with summer camps—they need directors too. If you have time during the summer and want to hone your leadership or management skills, apply for local summer camp director roles.
Earning potential: $15 to $25 per hour, depending on the camp
Flexible Second Jobs for Teachers
These jobs don’t have much to do with teaching, which might be a nice change of pace after a long week at school.
Drive for a ride-share service
Have a car? Then you’re hired! The best perk of driving for ride-share apps like Uber and Lyft is flexibility—you set your own hours and schedule. It’s a great way to make money whenever you’ve got the time to spare.
Earning potential: $30 per hour during peak times
Deliver food
DoorDash and Uber Eats are always looking for delivery drivers. Dinnertime and weekends are their busiest times, and teachers are often free then to pick up some extra work.
Earning potential: $25 per hour, depending on local market
Shop for others
Shop and deliver to people straight from your favorite markets. You’ll have to have some food knowledge and live in the designated cities for Shipt or Instacart, but if you like the idea of shopping as a way to make money, this could be a good choice for you.
Earnings potential: $16 per hour or higher, depending on the number of shopping trips fulfilled
Mow lawns or do yard work
Work before or after school or on weekends. Nifty services like LawnGuru (think of it as the Uber of mowing lawns) can help you find jobs. Or hang up flyers at the library, grocery store, or community center to advertise yourself.
Earning potential: $40 to $80 per yard, depending on the size of the yard and the local market
Do handiwork
If you’ve got amateur skills like plumbing, carpentry, or repair abilities, offer your services to those who don’t. Register with a company like Angi to find jobs near you.
Earning potential: $20 to $25 per hour, depending on the local market
Clean houses
If cleaning is your favorite way to de-stress, put it to good use! Post flyers around town, or place an online ad with Craigslist or similar services.
Earning potential: $15 per hour, but will vary depending on the local market
Detail cars
Many people will gladly pay good money to have someone else spend a few hours washing, vacuuming, waxing, and otherwise keeping their car sparkling like new. Start by word of mouth, and you might be surprised at how many regular customers you’ll pick up.
Earning potential: $20 per hour, depending on local market
Tackle odd jobs
Check out the Gigs category on Craigslist or join Task Rabbit for a variety of odd jobs you can do on the side in your area. You could find everything from assembling furniture to videography to plumbing to signing up for a diabetes study and beyond.
Earnings potential: Varies widely depending on the task, but most odd jobs fall in the $20-$50 per hour range
Tend bar
Are you a bit of a night owl? Pick up hours tending bar at local hot spots. You’ll earn a salary and have a chance to make some great tips.
Earning potential: $15 per hour or more, depending on the local market
Be a barista
Teachers run on coffee, so chances are you already know all the best local shops. Many of them have trouble filling their very early morning shifts, so you might be able to squeeze a couple of hours in before school starts.
Earning potential: $20 per hour, depending on the local market
Sell real estate
You’ll need to earn your license first, but once you do, you can make some seriously terrific commissions while working on your own schedule. Go full-time in summer and you can really clean up!
Earning potential: Agents typically make about 2.5% to 3% of the sale price, but you will typically need to share 50% with your brokerage
Explore FlexJobs
Join this site and get access to all sorts of remote side jobs for teachers. Accounting, writing, data entry, graphic design—these are just a few of the part-time job categories FlexJobs offers.
Earning potential: Varies widely depending on the service, but most jobs fall in the $20-$50 per hour range
Social media management
If you have a degree in communications, or if you’ve developed some amazing social media skills, consider managing a company’s social media. You’ll get paid to increase followers and engagement, and make suggestions based on data you analyze behind the scenes.
Earning potential: $25 per hour, depending on the local market
Sales and Service Side Hustles for Teachers
Sometimes you need a quick influx of money, or maybe you just love to walk dogs or organize closets. If so, these side jobs are perfect for you.
Pet-sit or walk dogs
You can find pet-sitting gigs locally, but Rover is really where it’s at. Sign up, create a profile, and then make yourself available to pet-sit! You can either sit at someone’s house or host at yours. It’s an easy way for an animal lover to make a few extra bucks for something they already love. If you’re into dog walking, try Wag.
Earning potential: $15 per hour, depending on your local market
Sell your stuff
Chances are most of us can stand to clean up and clean out. You can go the traditional route and hold a rummage sale. Or get it listed online, using sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. OfferUp is an app you can try as well.
Earning potential: $50 to $500+, depending on the quantity and value of items sold and local market demand
Make money from old electronics
Whether they’re your own old devices sitting around gathering dust or those you pick up at thrift stores, places like Gazelle will offer you cash.
Earning potential: $20 to $500+ per device, depending on the type and condition of the electronics you sell
Organize people’s stuff
Marie Kondo proves organization never goes out of style. Here’s what happened when one teacher tried her method. Start up a side business for those looking to add a little more structure to their lives. For this one, focus on taking on just a few clients to start with. Post in your own neighborhood groups or professional networks for starters.
Earning potential: $50 per hour, depending on the local market
Be a virtual assistant
This might involve getting a local businessperson’s accounting organized or taking on appointments or emails for someone. It really could include anything. So if you like working with people and can help in this way, spread the word.
Earning potential: $18 to $35 per hour
Work as a local tour guide
Teachers make great leaders and speakers. Take a look to see what local tour companies exist in your city or neighborhood, and check out Airbnb experiences. You might be able to make a few extra bucks while leading a brewery tour, foodie event, or historical walk. If they don’t exist in your town, consider starting your own!
Earning potential: $20 to $50 per person for a two-hour experience. Earnings will depend on the fees charged by any site you use and the number of people who sign up.
Buy and sell designer brands
Do you love to hunt for amazing vintage clothing items or good deals on name-brand items? Turn around and sell those on apps like Poshmark, which is popular for clothes, purses, shoes, and more. This can be one of those fun and lucrative side jobs for teachers that barely feels like work!
Earning potential: $10 to $200+ per item, depending on the brand, condition, and demand for the items sold
Become a picker
No, not playing the banjo or guitar, though that’s not a bad teacher side hustle either! Find and resell hidden treasures. It could be a great way to justify your love of rummage sales or antiquing.
Earning potential: $50 to $1,000+ per find, depending on the value of the items sourced and the local market demand
Make meals for others
Do you love cooking? Learn how to turn your love of baking and making into cash with a local meal service. When you do this in bulk, it can really be a good earning opportunity.
Earning potential: $10 to $15 per individual meal or up to $25 per meal for special diets
Teach fitness classes
Are you a fitness guru? Get certified in yoga, Pilates, or another area. There might be an upfront investment, but this way you can stay fit and earn year-round while teaching evening or early morning classes during the school year.
Earning potential: $20 per hour
Creative Side Hustles for Teachers
If you have writing or art skills, these side jobs are a great way to make extra money.
Publish an e-book
Do you have an amazing curriculum that people are always asking you for? Maybe it’s time to write an e-book and share your wealth of knowledge while increasing your monetary wealth a bit. Kindle Direct Publishing is a good way to do this because then your work is available on Amazon, but there are other programs out there too.
Earning potential: A few dollars to a few hundred dollars per month, depending on how many copies you sell
Open an Etsy shop
Are you that teacher who has a Pinterest-perfect classroom and is just naturally crafty or artsy? Take that talent to Etsy. We recommend specializing in a craft to start with. This way you can build up your reputation and ranking in Etsy search. We also recommend doing a little research first so that you’re not offering something that many people already do.
Earning potential: $100 to $2,000+ per month, depending on product demand, pricing, and shop visibility
Give music, dance, or art lessons
Share your artistic skills with others, kids or adults, and you’ll get to enjoy your hobby while making money too. There’s an especially big market for music teachers willing to travel to others’ homes to give lessons. You may also be able to arrange to teach online.
Earning potential: $30 per hour, depending on the local market
Sell products locally
Lacking motivation for that Etsy shop? Hit the local craft fairs and farmers markets instead. You won’t need to take photos or worry about shipping out your products. Just rent a booth, lay out your merch, and you’re off!
Earning potential: $100 to $1,000+ per event depending on foot traffic and product popularity
Start and market a website
There are literally millions of websites out there, so this might be a long shot. Then again, it can give you a creative outlet and the chance to share your experience or knowledge. Once you get it up and running, you can sell ad space or use affiliate links to drum up a little extra money.
Earning potential: $50 to $500+ per month initially, with consistent affiliate or ad revenue, potentially growing with traffic
Become a social media personality
This is another one of those long-shot dream jobs, but it really does work out for some people. If you’re outgoing and willing to put yourself out there, you might become the next Insta star or TikToker of the moment!
Earning potential: $100 to $5,000+ per month based on follower count, engagement, and sponsorship deals
Create stock photos
You know all those photos you take? Now you can turn them into cash. Learn how it works and compare the major services here.
Earning potential: $30 per photo, and income will depend on how many people download your photos
Take professional photos
If your photography talent goes beyond stock photos and you like dealing with people, consider taking pictures of people. Senior portraits are a big business for many, and you already have an in with contacts by being a teacher.
Earning potential: $50 to $300+ per session, depending on the type of photography, your experience, and the local market demand
Write as a freelancer
Lots of companies use freelance writers for a variety of purposes. You may not always get a byline, but you can pick up some spare cash. This is one of our favorite ways that English teachers can make extra money! Try a site like Fiverr or Guru for opportunities.
Earning potential: $20+ per hour, depending on the type of writing and experience level
Flip furniture
Have you ever been to a thrift shop and come across a gorgeous piece of old furniture that needs a little (or a lot of) love? Well, with the right redo, this piece could earn you plenty of money! This is a creative teacher side hustle, and we love this article with great tips on how to flip furniture.
Earning potential: $50 to $500+ per piece, depending on the purchase price, renovation costs, and selling price
Flip houses
You’ll need some capital up front, and it’ll take a lot of hard work, but in some markets flipping houses can be incredibly lucrative. Investopedia has a great article about finding out if this is the right side hustle for you.
Earning potential: $10,000 to $100,000+ per project, heavily influenced by the initial investment, renovation costs, and local real estate market conditions
Easy Ways for Teachers To Make Extra Money
You may have rooms, spaces, or ideas that could make you extra money—you just have to know how to use them!
Rent out your house
If you have the space, offer to rent out a room on Airbnb or Vrbo. Another option is to rent out your entire place. This is an especially good idea if you’re traveling this summer. You could be making money while you’re off somewhere else spending it! With Airbnb offering insurance and charging guests taxes directly, it really is easy.
Earning potential: $50 to $300+ per night, depending on location, property size, and rental demand
Rent out your extra space
Have a spare storage shed or mostly empty garage? Neighbor lets you rent out your unused space to make extra money, and it’s backed with an insurance policy. Sign up on their site, list your available space, and others can rent it to store their stuff!
Earning potential: $50 to $200+ per month, depending on local storage demand and the size of the space
Share your ride
If you’re not using your car, consider letting others use it through the Turo app. They’ll be making your car payment for you!
Earning potential: $30 to $100+ per day, depending on the vehicle type and rental frequency
Rent your pool
If you have a pool, rent it by the hour using Swimply. You can earn money from a home feature you’re not using anyway.
Earning potential: $30 to $100+ per hour, depending on location and demand for pool rentals
Try house-sitting
You can earn money just by hanging out at someone’s home? It’s true! Plus it could be a good way to get in a little vacation for yourself. Learn more about it at HouseSitter.com.
Earning potential: $25 to $75+ per night, depending on the location and length of the house-sitting job
Share your thoughts
Want to play a role in the educational tools students will be using in your classroom? TinkerEd hires educators to give their thoughts and opinions on educational technology that companies are developing. Get a sneak peek of what’s coming down the ed-tech pike and make a little dough in the process.
Earning potential: $50 to $150+ per session, depending on the company and the project scope
Sign up for affiliate programs
If you have an existing website, check out affiliate programs like ShareASale or MaxBounty, which allow you to earn money from ads and other affiliate offers.
Earning potential: $10 to $500+ per month, depending on website traffic and engagement with affiliate offers
More Side Jobs for Teachers
Side gig ideas for teachers who want something completely different after hours.
Become a ref or umpire
If you love sports, then this one is for you. It’s also a great option if you need some flexibility because you can only take on gigs around your schedule.
Earning potential: $15 per hour, depending on your local market
Do user testing
You can give sites and companies feedback by testing out their products, reading their material, etc. User Testing connects real people to companies who need this service.
Earning potential: $10 to $100+ per test, depending on the complexity of the feedback required and the company offering the testing
Transcribe or caption audio
Rev hires people to transcribe or caption audio—from the comfort of their own home. The faster—and more accurately—you type, the more you can earn. You can also earn more if you know a foreign language and are able to provide subtitles for videos.
Earning potential: 30 cents to $1.00 per minute of transcription
Sign up with a temp agency
Check with local temp agencies for a seasonal gig, or those that take place outside of school hours. It’s a low-risk option for making some extra money.
Earning potential: $15 per hour, depending on your local market
Review books
You’re unlikely to make a lot of extra money reviewing books, but it might at least give you the chance to build up a collection of free reads for your classroom. Learn more about how to make money by reading books here.
Earning potential: $5 to $50+ per review, depending on the publisher or platform and the number of reviews completed
How To Choose a Side Hustle
Yes, you need money, but finding side jobs for teachers also means finding work that doesn’t feel like drudgery. You should at least like, if not love, your side hustle. Start by answering these questions to find the right side hustle for you:
- What do you love? Do you really like creating TikTok videos? Start there and think about a way to monetize it. When you do what you love, it shows in your work.
- What do you have access to? If you have a backyard pool, a basement apartment, or a spare car, think about renting those out. There is a time commitment to plan and manage reservations, but you may be able to start raking in some extra income relatively quickly.
- What time do you have available? Obviously, you can only work with the time you have available, or want to commit, to a side job. If you only have three hours on a Saturday, Uber driving or fulfilling Shipt orders might be the best option. Or if you have every day after school available, working in an after-school program might be ideal.
- Why are you earning money? Do you need a steady stream of money, or are you trying to earn money for a specific purchase (a new car, a vacation, paying down debt). The reason you’re looking for a side gig might influence the job you take. For example, a few projects might cover the cost of that down payment, and then you can take a break until the next expense comes along.
Get my free digital side job flyers!
Don’t wait to start earning some extra money! Click the button below to check out our list of eight editable posters for the most common side hustles for teachers, including: tutoring, babysitting, housesitting, yard work, handiwork, house cleaning/organizing, photography, and car cleaning. Just personalize the flyers, and post them on social media or around your block.