In the world of education, teachers often go above and beyond what is expected of them. Taking care and nurturing the minds of future generations. Yet, despite the efforts and the importance of the role, they find themselves looking for supplementary income, and that’s where the side hustles for teachers comes in.
There are many reasons to find a side hustle, it could be to increase their income to help pay for bills or to completely change their profession. Whichever the reason is, proper research and understanding of these side hustles are necessary for anyone to succeed.
In this article, we compile the top 10 side hustles for teachers that can help make extra money online in their own schedule.
Side Hustle for Teachers
Side hustles for teachers can range anywhere from ventures deeply rooted in their field to completely unrelated ones. The goal here is to find the side hustle that fits your own hours and income goals.
Let’s dive in with the first one.
1. Educational Content Creation
Overview:
Educational content creation revolves around developing learning materials in your own creative way. It can be in the form of interactive modules, online courses, lesson plans, video tutorials, or even educational games.
Why It’s Suitable for Teachers:
Teachers are already one of the experts in their field, and they have this unique capability to convey the information they know to students and other people. Moreover, creating educational content allows teachers to stay updated with the latest trends in their subjects and develop their professional careers through continuous learning.
How to Start:
Identify a niche –Start by deciding which niche you are most passionate about and your strategy to create content around it.
Choose a Medium – Decide which type of content whether it is written content, video lectures, or educational games.
Use Tools – Understand how to use tools like Canva for design and Google Classroom for management.
Create a Portfolio –Before selling any content, create samples and compile them in your portfolio.
Select a Platform –Select the platform you can earn money from such as Udemy, Teachable, or Teachers Pay Teachers.
Promote Your Content – Share your content on social media or educational forums.
Potential Income
An educational content creator or developer’s average earnings is about $42 per hour.
Related: How To Start Freelancing With No Experience
2. Freelance Writing or Editing
Overview:
Freelance writing is about creating written content for different clients or editing and refining their existing content. This can range from creating a written online course, lesson plans, curriculum guides, and educational articles.
Why It’s Suitable for Teachers:
Teachers are naturally equipped for writing because of their knowledge and ability to pay attention to details. They are already great at explaining complex concepts and problems in a way that any person with different background can understand.
How to Start:
Choose Your Niche –Start by deciding which niche you are gonna write about.
Create a Portfolio – Compile your existing written articles and showcase them in a portfolio.
Select Platforms – Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer can be a good starting point.
Set Your Rates – Research your industry standards then based on your skills decide your rates.
Network – Make connections in the industry and develop authority in your field.
Potential Income:
A freelance writer’s average earnings is about $50 per hour.
Related: How To Start a Copywriting Side Hustle: Step-by-Step Guide
3. Online Tutoring
Overview:
Online tutoring is the process of teaching in a virtual environment, offering an opportunity for many teachers to earn money in the same profession.
Why It’s Suitable for Teachers:
Teaching jobs can fluctuate during the school year, and online tutoring during school breaks can provide another option to earn extra cash. Other teachers have found that it is best as a complementary side job with their full-time in-person teaching job.
How to Start:
Identify Your Subject – Choose which subject you feel most comfortable teaching in an online course.
Select a Platform – Decide if you want to have your own platform or participate in one like Chegg.
Set Up Your Workspace – Set up a place whether it is in school or your home to have a quiet time.
Determine Your Rates- Discuss with other teachers which rate to choose.
Promote Yourself – Word of mouth among other teachers and parents can be a valuable way of promotion.
Potential Income:
An online tutor’s average earnings are about $21.50 per hour.
4. Teach Online Courses
Overview:
Teaching online courses allows educators to reach an even wider audience of students, and also a chance to earn passive income. Teachers can sell lesson plans, or video content about teaching a specific subject multiple times even if they created it only once.
Why It’s Suitable for Teachers:
With a natural background in teaching courses, doing it online will be easy for teachers. While summer school might be a short-term opportunity and even the regular school year isn’t done for a whole actual year, teaching online courses can be done at any point of the year.
How to Start:
Identify Your Subject -You can teach different subjects than the usual ones but make sure that you are knowledgeable in any field you choose to teach in.
Design Your Course – Make sure that it is informative and engaging to not bore your online students.
Choose a Platform – Websites like Udemy and Coursera are the best, but you can also do this on your own platform.
Pricing and Promotion – Decide on the pricing of your course and keep in mind that the value it provides should be equal to its cost.
Potential Income:
Teaching online courses’ average earnings are about $22 per hour.
5. Educational Consulting
Overview:
Educational consulting involves guiding schools, institutions, or even individuals about the best practices for developing curriculums or educational strategies. Consultants can work independently or as an agency or consulting firm. Keep in mind that you will need higher educational qualifications in this side hustle.
Why It’s Suitable for Teachers:
Teachers spent thousands of hours learning how to teach a specific course or curriculum, they are basically experts in this field. That is why transitioning to teaching how to teach should be natural.
How to Start:
Acquire Relevant Qualifications – As mentioned above you will need higher educational qualifications to do consulting. First, acquire these qualifications then proceed to the next step.
Build a Portfolio – Document your successes, case studies, and methods in your field.
Set Up a Professional Presence – Create a website or LinkedIn account detailing your services and testimonials.
Network – Join educational forums, attend conferences, and engage with other professionals in your field.
Potential Income:
Educational Consulting’s average earnings are about $40 per hour.
6. Virtual Assistant Services
Overview:
Since most businesses now have an online presence, virtual assistant jobs are in high demand. From scheduling appointments to managing emails and administrative tasks, virtual assistants help businesses run their day-to-day operations smoothly.
Why It’s Suitable for Teachers:
Handling multiple tasks are part of teachers’ daily lives, so doing a virtual assistant job is suitable for most educators. It is a way for teachers to use their other skills and abilities not related to the actual subject they are teaching in. Plus, it offers a flexible way to earn extra money without the need to do manual labor such as house-sitting or even to deliver food, which is pretty popular nowadays.
How to Start:
Identify your strengths – Which skills are you good at? Scheduling? Data entry? the more the better for virtual assistants.
Research the market – Understand which of these skills are in demand for businesses.
Join a Platform – Virtual assistance jobs can be found on Indeed, Upwork, Fiverr, and LinkedIn.
Network – Connect with other virtual assistants to get some insights on the job.
Potential Income:
Virtual Assistant’s average earnings are about $28.21 per hour.
Related: 27 ‘Side Hustle’ for College Students: Opportunities to Explore
7. Selling Educational Materials on Etsy
Overview:
Etsy is renowned for DIY crafts and vintage items, but it also gives opportunities for teachers to make more money by selling their educational materials. It can include selling lesson plans, printables, educational games, and other custom materials tailored to the audience on Etsy.
Why It’s Suitable for Teachers:
Selling educational materials on Etsy can be one of the good side jobs for teachers since they know what students and other teachers need.
How to Start:
Identify Your Niche – Choose the grade level you want to focus on creating materials.
Design and Develop Quality Materials – Develop lesson plans, worksheets, or any other educational tools that fills the gap in the Etsy market.
Set Up Your Etsy Shop – Set up your Etsy shop using clear descriptions and even stock photos to help attract customers.
Promote Your Shop – Use your connection with other teachers to promote your shop and you can even use social media.
Gather Feedback – Gather feedback from consumers to refine your educational materials.
Potential Income:
Etsy sellers’ average earnings are about $21 per hour.
8. Pet Sitting or Dog Walking
Overview:
With the number of pet owners growing, reliable pet sitters or dog walkers are in demand. It can be one of those relaxing side jobs for teachers, and it is also emotionally fulfilling.
Why It’s Suitable for Teachers:
Pet sitting or Dog walking is always a good idea for anyone who loves animals. Whether you are a teacher or an engineer or an entrepreneur, if you love pets then you can do pet sitting or dog walking to earn extra money.
How to Start:
Research and Understand the Demand – Walk around your neighborhood and see if there are a lot of pet owners nearby that you can help.
Acquire Basic Training – Even if you have a pet yourself it is necessary to obtain basic training.
Set Up a Profile – Join platforms like Care.com or Rover to showcase your services.
Start with Friends and Family – Start practicing your services with friends and family pets first.
Promote Your Services – Promote your service online or through word of mouth of other connections you have.
Potential Income:
Pet Sitting or Dog Walking’ average earnings are about $20 per hour.
9. Flea Market Flipping
Overview:
Flea market flipping involves buying undervalued things at thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales, then selling them for a higher price than what you paid. This side hustle has been around for some time now and yet it is still profitable.
Why It’s Suitable for Teachers:
Teachers are often detail-oriented making them perfect in looking for materials and items that can be hidden gems. Summer breaks are the ideal time to find and look for these items because most likely than not, teachers will have more free time unless they are in summer school teaching too.
How to Start:
Research and Learn – Begin with understanding which items are valuable in the marketplace.
Set a Budget – This side hustle for teachers can easily need higher expenses to begin with so set a budget.
Start Small – It is also important to start small especially if you are a beginner.
Restore or Upcycle – Some items are broken gems but still gems, you might need to fix them first.
Choose a Platform – Decide where to sell your items. It can be Etsy or Ebay or other markets.
Build Relationships – Network with other flea sellers to find better deals and get some insights on the job.
Potential Income:
It’s hard to know the average earnings of flea market flipping because there are levels to this but according to Forbes, a couple earns over $100,000 in flea market flipping a year.
10. Online Surveys and Focus Groups
Overview:
Online surveys and focus groups provide a space for individuals from different backgrounds to share their opinions and insights about a product or service, or even just regular topics. Teachers can utilize these platforms to earn extra money by simply sharing their knowledge and experiences.
Why It’s Suitable for Teachers:
Teachers have diverse backgrounds and experiences in dealing with different people of various ages, cultures, or socioeconomic statuses. Their observations and analytical thinking will be profitable in online surveys and focus groups.
How to Start:
Research Reliable Platforms – Start by researching which platforms are legit and which ones are a scam. Some popular websites are Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, and FocusGroup.com.
Create an Account – Sign up on the platforms you deemed legit and profitable, and make sure to complete the setup.
Stay Active and Updated – Regularly check your emails and accounts to see if there are any new opportunities.
Honesty is the Key – Always provide genuine feedback as those are more valuable.
Be Patient – Some will have immediate rewards and some will take some time so be patient.
Potential Income:
Online Surveys and Focus Groups’ average earnings are about $2 – $5 per survey.
Here are some more side hustle ideas:
Final Thoughts
The teaching profession is notably one of the most noble and impactful careers one can pursue. At times it can be challenging and the financial rewards are not up to par with the tasks on the job. This is why finding a side hustle for teachers that can be done in their own schedule is essential.
To all the teachers out there: your skills can be valuable beyond the corners of your classroom so if you are up to it, go and explore different avenues. The world is full of opportunities waiting for you so go and seize them. Good Luck!
As a professional web and software developer, the author possesses a strong foundational background in Computer Science. This equips him with both academic rigor and practical insights into the world of web-based entrepreneurship. As the founder of this platform, webpreneurships.com, he stands at the intersection of technology and business.
