16 Best side hustles for teachers

Teaching is a fulfilling profession, but it isn’t always the best-compensated job. Fortunately, there are several side hustles for teachers to earn extra cash without sacrificing their passion for teaching and helping people. 

Since we’re living in the gig economy in this day and age, side hustles and second jobs are readily available online and offline.

How to make more money as a teacher

1. Tutoring students

A tutoring side hustle is an excellent second job for teachers. For one, it’s not far off from teaching kids in a classroom setting. Secondly, as a teacher, you have a readily-available network. This is not only a viable gig for teachers but a low-hanging fruit at that. You can tutor students after class hours or on weekends to help them brush up on a subject or improve their grades.

2. Teaching online courses

This one takes a bit of prep work, from planning your course outline to recording the lessons. But you could enjoy passive income once you’re all set up. Platforms like Teachable, Udemy, and Coursera allow you to easily create an online course.

The great thing about this is you can go beyond the subjects you teach at your full-time job. This is your chance to talk about other topics you’re passionate about, like personal development, photography, and programming.

3. Freelance writing

Freelance writing is one of the most popular side hustles, not just for teachers. You can see why, as anyone in any profession can impart their knowledge – with some basic writing skills and the right platform.

You can choose your niche in writing; it can be academic writing so as not to go far from your profession or something completely new and different, like SEO and blog writing. 

4. Teaching English online

You can also teach English to people who need help learning the language or improving their conversational skills. Like tutoring students, this involves one-on-one classes online or offline. Teaching English can range from grammar lessons to more conversational skills.

5. Being a camp counsellor

Go beyond the four walls of the classroom, and enjoy the great outdoors. Working as a camp counsellor gives you the reward of teaching kids in a new setting.

6. Teaching summer school and after-school programs

Signing up for summer school is one of the more common ways for teachers to earn some extra income, especially over school breaks when they have free time.

7. Coaching youth sports teams

Are you a PE teacher or simply passionate about sports and fitness? You can check your local youth sports team to see if they need a coach.

8. Working on admin jobs

Teachers are quite used to admin skills like computing grades and organising student records. You can work on admin jobs like data entry and data cleaning. This will allow you to earn extra income for skills that come naturally to you.

9. Working as a virtual assistant

If you often set up meetings and organise schedules, consider a virtual assistant side hustle. There are many virtual assistant jobs online, and you can take your pick on what industry you want to work in. 

10. Transcription and documentation services

You can also transcribe meetings and document seminars. This job may require you to attend events or transcribe audio recordings. Typing speed, listening skills, and precision are essential to transcription jobs.

11. Event planning

Gained some event planning skills from organising school activities and field trips for your students? Try your hand at planning events, such as parties and corporate gatherings. This is the perfect side hustle if you can comfortably talk with various suppliers and have great attention to detail.

12. Being a tour guide

Are you a history teacher with a deep appreciation and knowledge of your city? Becoming a part-time tour guide can be a fun way to earn extra income while meeting all kinds of people.

13. Babysitting and pet sitting

Taking care of others is a natural skill for many teachers. For this reason, babysitting or pet sitting jobs are worth exploring. Do you have lots of free time on weekends or after work? Check out babysitting jobs near you.

14. UI and UX testing for websites

Many tech-related side hustles are out there for computer teachers and software engineering instructors. For example, you can test websites for a fee. The idea is to check for any problem a website visitor might experience. Not all website testing jobs require in-depth website development knowledge; an honest and open user perspective can provide much value.

15. Selling digital art or handmade crafts

If you’re an art teacher in need of a creative outlet, consider selling your crafts to people looking for quirky decor or personalised gifts. You can create beautiful illustrations, intricate embroidery, or other crafts aligned with your skills. Aside from selling your services online, you can also participate in local weekend markets.

16. Taking on handy jobs

Home improvement jobs are perfect for woodwork teachers or generally anyone with handy skills. These jobs include repairing floorboards, installing fixtures, and painting walls. 

Explore teacher side jobs on Airtasker.

Doing side hustles on top of your full-time teaching job can be difficult or seem downright impossible. But you can always seek out low-stress side jobs that won’t take up too much of your time and energy. This way, you can increase your income without spreading yourself out too thin.

Teaching can be a challenging profession as it is, so make sure to choose a side hustle that fits right in with your schedule. Sign up on Airtasker now to find local side hustles you can do in your free time.