For all that teaching can be immensely rewarding in and of itself, many people in the education sector find that they could stand to earn a little more to keep things running.
The average salary for US teachers right now appears to be just below $64,000, and that’s based on public schools. This rate is no doubt likely to change – but if you feel you need a top-up on your wage, the best side hustle for teachers could see your income soar in no time.
Below, I’ve listed what I’ve found to be some of the most profitable ways to make money on the side while still working as a teacher. Remember, however, that you’ll still need to report your total income to the IRS – meaning you’ll pay tax on both your teaching salary and any side cash you make in between.
With that short disclaimer out of the way, let’s look at some easy and profitable ways teachers in the US can make some serious extra money.
After-school programs
This is perhaps an obvious choice to begin with, but for many teachers across the US, earning money after school through programs is quick, easy, and pretty profitable.
You don’t even have to get involved at your current school or even be employed in any full-time capacity. If you’re specialized in a specific subject area and have plenty of experience, you may be able to start teaching after-school programs for local educational bodies.
For example, consider teaching music, drama, or sports – all of which can be considered extracurricular, depending on the schools you work with. It’s worth reaching out to your local school district to find out more, so you can top up that income.
Start coaching local sports teams
If you’re specialized in teaching sports or gym, there may be plenty of local opportunities for you to coach or head up a sports team or two.
For example, does your local area have little league baseball openings? You may even wish to start coaching people one-on-one – for example, you could teach adults how to play tennis or badminton.
You could set yourself up as a private coach or a team coach with your local school district or through classified ads, such as through Craigslist for your area.
Sell your teaching materials
If the school year comes to an end, and/or you’re unlikely to use any of your teaching materials again for the next cohort, it might be time to sell your wares online. The easiest and most obvious way to do this, many assume, is through eBay (or, again, Craigslist).
But what if you have teaching plans that you can sell on again and again? Make sure to check out Teachers Pay Teachers and tes. Both services allow you to sell your teaching aids and plans, as well as other materials, for continued profit. You may even expect royalties in some cases!
If you are between jobs and are looking for a little passive income to tide you over, this side hustle requires very little effort – as you already have the hard work wrapped up and ready to go!
Become a lifeguard
Whether you’re a swim coach or otherwise, you can use your teaching experience to help keep people safe at your local pool or beach when school’s out for the summer.
If you like the idea of entering the world of poolside safety as a side hustle, make sure to reach out to swimming clubs and recreational bodies in your area.
Otherwise, as suggested with sports coaching, you may wish to teach people one-on-one – there are plenty of adults out there, for example, who don’t know how to swim (and who are willing to try!).
Help kids prepare for tests
Ever wanted to help kids prepare better for standardized testing? If you’ve been on the other side of testing kids’ aptitude for a while, you may want to do more for younger people who are struggling to meet exam boards’ exacting standards.
In which case, you may be able to help prepare children for SAT testing and more besides. Consider signing up with PrepNow to offer private guidance to children in your area.
This can be a highly flexible job, and it’s not a hustle that will demand as much of your time or creativity as everyday lesson planning. For part-time teachers, it can be a lucrative and highly rewarding opportunity.
Nanny part-time
If you enjoy working with kids, then becoming a part-time nanny may be a great way to boost your teaching income.
Consider setting yourself up online and via local care directories, and reach out through local networks on LinkedIn. Many busy parents seek out nannies when they struggle to balance work and family life – and are willing to pay competitive rates for the privilege!
An experienced teacher with clean background checks may also stand apart from the pack – meaning you can use your years of classroom experience as an advantage in securing this type of side hustle.
Teach English as a foreign language
There are tons of opportunities for English-speaking people to teach their mother tongue to people studying either abroad, or arriving in the US. TEFL, or Teaching English as a Foreign Language, is entirely possible either online from the comfort of your own home, or through international programs based all over the world.
If you’d like to see the world as well as make some extra teaching money over the summer break, registering as a TEFL teacher might be just what you’re looking for. However, some people end up getting into TEFL and moving abroad for good!
Get into publishing
As a teacher, you likely flex your creative muscles quite a lot when designing lesson plans and working with young people in specific subject areas. Why not try and get yourself published online and earn a little side money during the summer months?
The great news is, you don’t have to be a novelist or a poet to make money from publishing online. You may be an artist or just a doodler at heart and want to create some coloring books for adults and kids alike.
You could even publish your own joke books or create puzzles for people to solve. Of course, if you do have a novel within you that’s bursting to get out, it’s really easy to get started in self-publishing through Amazon.
Specifically, you’ll want to make use of Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Formatting and publishing for Amazon Kindle can take a little time and effort, but once you have a handful of books up and ready to go, all you have to do is wait for the sales to roll in.
Naturally, a little self-promotion never hurt anyone, and unless you have a literary agent, you’re going to need to plug your books yourself.
If you’re determined to make it into print, you can of course travel the traditional publishing route – but that, of course, will mean liaising with publishers, agents, and everyone in between. If you’re willing to put the time in and you have a great idea, you never know quite how much money you might make.
Start a YouTube channel
Now – let me make things abundantly clear – getting monetized on YouTube is no easy feat. You’ll need to commit and start building views and subscribers over months before you can start making money at all.
However, if you’re a born natural in front of the camera, and have a few interesting ideas and tutorials you’d like to share with kids and adults online, YT may be the right platform for you.
The most successful YouTubers earn millions a year – and even if you’re doubting you could make that kind of money, remember that no one really knows who or what the next big thing is going to be.
YouTube has a huge audience of children and young people. While you may not be hitting Blippi’s kind of viewership right away, if you film and publish creative content that gets people interested, you never know how far it’ll go.
You don’t have to take too much time to get started on YouTube, but it does pay to invest in some reliable equipment, and to start planning out your content in as much detail as you can.
As mentioned, this avenue is a little bit of a slow burner. You may not get much interest right away, but if your content’s well-made, original, and appeals to young people, the sky is honestly the limit.
Give local tours
Many teachers are outgoing people who love meeting others and – above all – sharing knowledge. If you love the social aspect of teaching and also enjoy learning more about history and culture, then becoming a tour guide may be a great side option for making extra money while teaching.
For example, if you’ve lived in a specific area for a long time, you may already have a wealth of knowledge that visiting people will want to tap into. A great tour guide is one who can deliver information enthusiastically while keeping things moving along. They’re also fantastic at telling stories – meaning there is plenty of crossover here with teaching!
If you miss this kind of teaching, consider reaching out to local tour groups or companies. You may even benefit from proposing private or public tours working in tandem with local hotels or restaurants.
There’s nothing stopping you from setting up your own tour enterprise, too, if you have lots of local knowledge and genuinely love your area. This type of business-building will take time, but if you can stick with it while teaching, you may find it becomes a completely new passion.
Get into meal prep
If you’re a home economics teacher and miss working with food or want to do more with your culinary interests, why not get into meal prep? You don’t have to be a Michelin Star chef to prepare delicious meals for people – and believe it or not, plenty of households are clamoring for this type of assistance!
By setting up a meal prep business, you could create dishes on demand for busy professionals or elderly people, for example, who will pay you to deliver ready-made meals to their doors. All they have to do is cook it!
Preparing meals can be very time-consuming and highly stressful for many people! If you’re passionate about home ec and about creating delicious dishes from scratch, consider starting a business and advertising yourself online.
A great place to start reaching out to people, for example, is Facebook Marketplace. As it happens, people may not even be aware they need or want this service until they spot you – so put yourself out there!
Sell your printables
I mentioned above that there’s likely to be a market out there willing to buy into your teaching materials – but what if you were to create some more from scratch, for people to buy and print off online?
Etsy has become a fantastic hub for printables – products that are ready to print and use for various purposes. For example, as a teacher, you’re likely to have your own lesson plans and timetable templates you fall back on every now and again.
What if you could make money from the materials and tools you’re already using? For example, consider creating your own templates for lesson planning, budgeting, time organization and more.
You may also find there’s a large audience out there willing to pay for lesson ideas and worksheets that they can share with their classes. Essentially, you’re taking a lot of work off your fellow teachers’ shoulders, and they’re willing to pay you for it.
Etsy is a great place to start, but do remember that – much like YouTube – it’s unlikely to be a highly profitable side hustle overnight. You’ll need to start allocating time to creating new plans and templates, as the more you have to sell, the more money you’ll stand to make.
Become a counselor
Now – this side hustle will take quite a bit more work, as becoming a licensed counselor means you’ll often need to undertake specialized training, depending on who you’d like to work with.
However, many teachers find that offering counseling services proves to be relevant to their interests and highly lucrative all the same. During school holidays and over weekends, for example, you may find it easy to offer counseling sessions to people via video call.
You no longer need to travel to people’s houses or even set up your own office. You could even finish a shift at school and come home to talk with counseling patients.
This side hustle will demand genuine empathy and the want to help people. Young people and adults alike want to speak to someone who is a genuine sounding board. You may not have all the answers to people’s questions, but if you want to make people’s lives that little bit better, simply being an active listener is a great start.
A great way to get into counseling – without a wage – is through the online service 7 Cups, where you can enroll as a listener and build up experience. While not paid, this volunteer service can help you work out whether or not this is a side avenue you’d like to pursue.
What is the best side hustle for teachers?
All teachers are slightly different. Some love the social aspect of teaching, while others lean more towards the creative aspects. Thankfully, there are plenty of great ways for you to make extra money using your skills and interests online.
However, there’s no one or two “best” ways to make extra money as a teacher. The 13 options I’ve listed above should give you insight into what’s out there – just think creatively about what you can and want to do while still teaching as a main career.
If you’re a retired teacher, you may want to check out job ideas and side hustles that may help you to stay busy and supplement your retirement income!
FAQs
Can I make $1,000 a month from a side hustle as a teacher?
It’s entirely possible, but it will require a lot of effort and creativity. For example, if you design and sell printables and teaching materials that really speak to people, you could find you start making a healthy second income. It’s all about the time and effort you put in.
What’s the most profitable side hustle business for teachers?
Many teachers find that creating their own plans, producing online content and selling teaching resources prove highly lucrative over time. However, it’s healthy to remember that you may not make serious bank right away – a little bit of open-mindedness goes a long way, and so does genuine effort!