30 Side Hustles for Teachers to Earn More Money

If you’re looking to put your teaching skills to use to boost your earnings, try these side gigs:

1. Tutoring

Average rates: $20–$30 per hour

Tutoring is the most obvious side hustle for teachers. Tutors are very in-demand across all major subjects.

You can set up tutoring sessions in person, but you can also take to your computer to tutor virtually. This is a great way to make money from home when you aren’t in the classroom.

Tutoring uses the skills and experience you already have while offering a flexible schedule and workload. There are tons of platforms that list online tutoring jobs for freelancers, including:

• Superprof
• Skooli
• Wyzant

2. Summer school

Average rates: $1,500–$3,300 per month

Keep your teaching skills sharp by continuing your classroom work as a summer school teacher. Teaching summer school will often give you the chance to work with a smaller group of students, enjoy a quieter school setting, and work fewer hours than you do during the normal school year.

The first place to look for a summer teaching gig is at your current or prospective school. If there are no openings, consider inquiring with the district about other opportunities in the area.

3. Summer camp

Average rates: $23–$29 per hour

If you’d prefer to spend your summer break out of the classroom, consider taking to the great outdoors as a summer camp counselor.

There are overnight camps, adventure camps, day camps, sports camps, and others that are looking for people with exactly your qualifications. You can find camp jobs on any online job board or on the following sites:

• American Camp Association
• Camp Staff
• Camp Channel
• Camp Gig

4. After-school programs

Average rates: $15 per hour

Once again, you can bypass the online job hunt and go directly to your school district to find opportunities to work with after-school programs.

These programs vary in duration and requirements, so look for one that aligns with your needs and interests. You can act as a general after-school counselor, supervising kids after hours, or you can work in a specialized program like after-school arts and crafts or music practice.

5. Coaching

Average rates: $5,000 per year

If you’re passionate about and have experience in a sport, you can coach your school’s team. Teacher coaches are typically paid through a coaching stipend. The amount varies widely based on your school district, sport, and coaching status (e.g., head coach vs. assistant coach).

As far as side hustles go, this one requires a far greater commitment than most and doesn’t usually offer a huge payout. However, coaching can be extremely fulfilling, and it’s a great way to pursue your passions outside the classroom.

6. Teaching other subjects

Average rates: $20–$40 per hour

If you need a break from your usual subject but want to continue flexing your teaching skills, jump over to a different subject for the summer or on weekends.

Accessible options include teaching swimming lessons or CPR and first aid courses. While you’ll need the right qualifications for these, certifications are quick and easy to obtain, and your teaching experience will make you a shoo-in for jobs.

7. Teaching online

Average rates: $15–$27 per hour

Teaching online won’t be much different from your day job, although it does open up more possibilities. There are three avenues you can take if you want to start teaching online classes as a side job:

1. Teach your usual subject: Continue teaching your specialty through an online school like Outschool.
2. Make your own course: Create your own course about anything you’re interested in—from gardening to developing lesson plans—and market it on platforms like Udemy or Skillshare.
3. Teach ESL: If you need a break from teaching algebra or literature, you can side hustle as an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher. There are tons of platforms for virtual ESL or EFL teachers, like Cambly and English Hunt.

8. Test prep

Average rates: $36 per hour

Help ambitious students excel on important exams by being a test prep tutor. Test prep tutors typically help students prepare for the SAT, ACT, GMAT, and GRE, though there are many other exams you can specialize in.

One of the most desirable aspects of test prep tutoring is that you can do it in person or from home. Most major tutoring platforms have slots for test prep specialists, including:

• Wyzant (linked above)
• Varsity Tutors
• Arbor Bridge
• Crimson Education

9. Selling courses

Average rates: Variable, often $5–$25 per sale

You already know how to build a course, create engaging assignments, and outline learning objectives that are in line with a set curriculum.

Use those skills to become an independent course creator and bring in extra bucks. You can create and sell courses, lesson plans, and other teaching materials on sites like:

• Teachers Pay Teachers
• Tes
• Teachable

If you want to avoid the steep commissions that these platforms take out of the commissions that are sold on them, consider selling independently through your own website or on sites like Pinterest and Etsy.

10. Blogging

Average rates: $20–$25 per hour (highly dependent on the popularity of your blog)

Start a blog about your life. You can hit the teaching angle by blogging about your work and giving advice to other educators, but you can also write about anything else you want. If you like to write and have a niche you’re passionate about, you can share your voice with the world and make some money doing it.

You can monetize your blog through affiliates or ads, or you can use it to introduce your audience to something you’re selling (like lesson plans or printables).

Starting your own blog is cheap and easy. There are many platforms available for you to host a blog on, like:

• Wix
• GoDaddy
• Squarespace
• WordPress
• Weebly
• LinkedIn

11. YouTubing

Average rates: $29 per hour

If a blog isn’t quite the right path for you, maybe you’d prefer your own YouTube channel. Like starting a blog, starting a YouTube channel only requires you to be passionate about a specific niche—whether that’s teaching or something else.

YouTube views are automatically monetized through the platform, but most content creators further pad their earnings through ads and sponsorships.

Be aware that online content creation is competitive, and building enough of a following for your blog or YouTube channel to earn a significant amount of money will be challenging.

12. Proofreading

Average rates: $25–$40 per hour or $.02–$0.03 per word

If you have a knack for language and experience reading and analyzing students’ work, you’re a great candidate to become a proofreader.

Proofreaders scan written work to ensure the spelling, grammar, style, and formatting are all correct and consistent. Freelance proofreading jobs usually pay by the hour or word.

There are tons of places you can look for proofreading gigs, including these freelancing platforms:

• Upwork
• Freelancer
• Scribbr
• Proofreader Pal

13. Freelance writing

Average rates: $25–$35 per hour

If English is your specialty, there are many ways to make money writing on the side, the most common of which is freelance writing.

As a freelance writer, you can take jobs writing about anything, but many companies seek writers with specialized training and certificates—like teachers. Freelancing in this space opens up more competitive opportunities for you to create content about teaching, the school system, and education at large.

Freelance writing jobs are everywhere, but a few good places to start looking for work are:

• LinkedIn
• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Freelancer
• WritersWork
• Contently

14. Self-publishing ebooks

Average rates: 35%–70% of the cost of each download

On a similar note, you can share your teaching knowledge with the world by writing and publishing your own ebook.

You can create guides for your fellow educators or let your creativity shine by penning a novel. Whatever you choose to write, you can self-publish your ebook through various platforms (like Amazon Kindle Direct) and earn royalties on every download.

Of course, there are a lot of jobs you can do that don’t lean on your skill set as a teacher—and given how exhausting teaching can be, a break might come as a welcome relief. Look into:

15. Caregiving

Average rates: $10–$16 per hour

Working as a caregiver is a hugely fulfilling career track, even if it’s just your side job. You can provide care and assistance to babies, children, or the elderly.

Some caregiving routes may require additional credentials, but your teaching work will make you a great candidate for most jobs.

To find caregiving gigs, explore platforms like Care, Sittercity, and UrbanSitter.

16. Pet sitting / dog walking

Average rates: $10–$18 per hour

If you’re an animal lover, what better way to make extra cash than to become a pet sitter or walk dogs for money?

You can pet sit in your own home or the animal owner’s home. If you choose to become a dog walker, your side gig will provide great exercise and access to furry friends. Both jobs are very flexible, making them great supplemental income sources for busy teachers.

To become a dog walker or pet sitter, check out these pet-sitting and dog-walking apps:

• Rover
• Care
• PetBacker
• Wag! 

Note that, as with many other gig apps and job boards, these platforms will take a cut of your profits, which can be significant (for instance, Wag! takes a staggering 40%). If you take your business off the apps, you can make much more money, although this requires doing a lot of work on your own to market yourself and develop relationships with clients.

17. Crafting

Average rates: 93.5% of the sale price (on Etsy)

Flex your creative side by crafting and selling homemade goods. All sorts of crafts are sold online by at-home creators like you. Products you can make and sell include:

• Art
• Woodwork
• Metalwork
• Clothing
• Throws / pillows
• Ceramics
• Jewelry
• Candles
• Soap / bath bombs
• Skincare products
• Garden displays

You can sell your wares on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, or you can join a craft-specific site like Etsy or Handmade Artists. You can even sell your crafts in person at a local farmer’s market or craft fair.

18. Selling printables

Average rates: $3–$15 per printable

If you have a knack for design, you can create and sell your own printables. The market for these goods has exploded in the past few years, with sellers hawking daily planners, reading journals, food diaries, and even classroom worksheets.

All you need to make your printables is a design program like Canva, Photoshop, or Templett. Then you can sell downloads of your creations on sites like Etsy and Creative Market.

19. Flipping clothes

Average rates: $100 per month

Turn your shopping hobby into a part-time job by flipping used clothing. Scour thrift stores, garage sales, Craigslist, and flea markets to find hidden treasures in the bargain bins, then resell them for a profit.

You can also just clean out your own closet and make a quick dime selling clothing on sites like thredUP and Poshmark.

20. Photography

Average rates: $19–$25 per hour

Embrace your inner artist with a photography side hustle. If you have a good camera and a creative eye, shoot and sell pictures to individuals, businesses, or even stock photo sites.

Along with the right equipment, you’ll need photo-editing software like Photoshop or Lightroom.

To make money as a photographer, you can sell your stuff on:

• Online marketplaces
• Social media platforms
• Stock photo websites
• Your own website

21. Virtual assisting

Average rates: $25–$40 per hour

Consider becoming a virtual assistant if you want to enjoy a varied job and a flexible second income.

Virtual assistants perform a range of tasks, which, depending on the job, may include:

• Managing schedules / calendars
• Setting appointments
• Placing orders
• Collecting information
• Responding to emails
• Managing files
• Basic bookkeeping
• Data entry
• Making phone calls

There are tons of virtual assistant agencies and freelance platforms you can work with, like Upwork, Time etc, and Prialto.

22. Travel booking

Average rates: $15–$23 per hour

Being a virtual travel agent is a side job in the same vein as being a virtual assistant. Help people plan their trip details, book transportation, and reserve meals and activities.

Being a virtual travel agent allows you to work from home on your own schedule when you have time to spare.

To get started, look into platforms like:

• ADTRAV Travel Management
• CWT (formerly Carlson Wagonlit Travel)
• Ovation Travel Group
• Tripadvisor 

23. Transcription

Average rates: $12–$22 per hour

Convert audio and video files into documents by becoming a freelance transcriptionist. All you need is a computer and a decent typing speed (you should be able to sustain at least 40–60 words per minute) to make a second salary as a transcriptionist.

To break into the transcription industry, check out platforms like:

• Scribie
• TranscribeMe!
• SpeechPad
• CrowdSurf
• Rev

24. Freelancing on Fiverr

Average rates: $5–$50 per hour

Share your skills by selling services on Fiverr. The platforms connect independent contractors with all kinds of service-seekers, so you can sell whatever you can provide—whether that’s consulting, assisting, creating some type of content, or anything in between.

Note that Fiverr will take a 20% cut out of each of your sales. 2

25. Rideshare driving

Average rates: $8–$12 per hour

If you have a reliable vehicle and aren’t too tired to spend your non-teaching hours around other people, you can make money driving for Uber or Lyft. This can be a fun way to meet new people, explore your area, and make quick cash on the side.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer not to deal with the “people” part of the job, you can look into delivery for services like Uber Eats and DoorDash.

26. Offering guided tours

Average rates: $14–$19 per hour

Have you lived in your area for a minute and have local knowledge to share? Are you a history buff with a passion for ghost stories, old buildings, or general lore? Take up tour guiding in your spare time to make extra money and get some exercise.

Check out tour agencies and hotels in your area to see if anyone’s looking for a part-time guide (or full-time guide in the summer season).

If you’re swamped with work already but still need extra money, don’t worry. There are several ways you can earn passive income, many (but not all) of which involve renting something that you own.

27. Renting out your house

One of the best ways to make passive income is by renting out property. You can rent out your entire home when you’re away. If you own a vacation property, you can also rent that out when you’re not living in it, or just rent a room in your house or apartment.

To do this, post your space on sites like Airbnb, Vrbo, or Furnished Finder.

28. Renting out your car

Your home isn’t the only thing you can rent. If you have a car that’s collecting dust when you’re not using it, consider renting it out to drivers in need.

The Turo app is very popular for this. It lets you rent out your vehicle for set periods of time and even provides insurance.

29. Renting out other free space

Most Americans have more extra space than they realize. If you have a backyard, shed, basement, garage, or even a bedroom that’s not getting frequent use, rent out that spare square footage to a person in need.

You can rent out free space to people who need storage on platforms like Neighbor. You can also rent your backyard out to dog owners looking for green space on platforms like Sniffspot.

30. Investing

Lastly, there’s the little black dress of side hustles—investing. If you’re already hurting for cash, this might seem difficult, but if you’re able to save just a little each month and put it into the stock market, over time there’s an excellent chance that it will turn into a source of passive income.

Of course, investing isn’t a sure thing. Especially in the short term, there’s a chance that any money you put into the market will dip or even vanish, so don’t invest anything you expect to need imminently (or even in the next 5 years).

Start your investing journey by vetting investment management firms like Vanguard, Morgan Stanley, and Charles Schwab.