Side Hustles for Teachers: Flexible Ways to Make Extra Money
Looking for side hustles for teachers? Discover flexible ways to make extra money, including online surveys, paid focus groups, tutoring, remote teaching, and professional research studies.
Teaching is a rewarding career, but it can also be demanding. Between lesson planning, grading, meetings, and everything else that happens during the school year, finding a side hustle that fits around your schedule can be challenging.
The good news is that teachers already have valuable skills and professional experience that companies and research organizations want to hear about. From online tutoring and remote teaching to paid online surveys, there are several ways educators can earn extra money without committing to another traditional part-time job.
If you're looking for side hustles for teachers, here are some flexible options worth exploring.
Overview
- Online Tutoring
- Online Teaching
- Paid Online Surveys
- Create and Sell Educational Resources
- Test Preparation and Academic Coaching
- How to Choose the Right Side Hustle
- Final Thoughts
Online Tutoring
Online tutoring is one of the most natural side hustles for teachers because it allows you to use skills you already have.
Depending on your subject and grade-level experience, you could tutor students in:
- Math
- Science
- English
- Reading
- Writing
- Foreign languages
- Test preparation
- Study skills
- College-level subjects
The biggest advantage is flexibility. Instead of taking on another job with a fixed schedule, you may be able to choose tutoring sessions that fit around your teaching responsibilities.
You can list your tutoring services on websites like Care.com and Preply.
Online Teaching
Many universities with large online programs regularly hire part-time instructors, making online teaching a flexible way for teachers to earn extra money.
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) hires online adjuncts across dozens of subjects and provides pre-built courses, so there's less prep work.
Grand Canyon University (GCU) is a natural fit for educators, with frequent openings in its online College of Education and tuition benefits for adjuncts.
Arizona State University (ASU) hires part-time online instructors under the title "Faculty Associate," typically for one to two classes per semester.
Purdue University Global also offers term-by-term remote teaching roles in fields from psychology to science.
Most of these positions require a master's degree in the subject you'd teach, so check each school's careers page for current openings and requirements.
Paid Online Surveys
Not every side hustle needs to involve teaching.
Online surveys can be a simple option for teachers who want something they can do during their free time without taking on another scheduled job.
Market research companies use surveys to collect opinions about products, services, advertisements, technology, shopping habits, and other topics.
Some surveys are open to general consumers, while others look for people with specific backgrounds or experiences.
For example, a company developing an education product might want to know:
- What teachers look for in classroom tech
- Which technology tools are difficult to use and why
- How teachers choose educational resources
- What challenges teachers experience with curriculum
- How schools use digital learning platforms
- What teachers think about new education products
Check out some of the options here!
Create and Sell Educational Resources
If you already spend time creating worksheets, presentations, lesson plans, classroom activities, or other educational materials, you could consider selling them on Etsy.
Teachers often sell things like:
- Worksheets
- Lesson plans
- Classroom activities
- Presentation templates
- Study guides
- Flashcards
- Educational games
- Reading activities
- Writing prompts
- Classroom organization materials
Test Preparation and Academic Coaching
Test preparation is another option for teachers who want to work directly with students but outside the traditional classroom.
Depending on your qualifications, you could provide coaching for:
- SAT preparation
- ACT preparation
- AP subjects
- College admissions
- Study skills
- Writing
- Subject-specific exams
You can also offer academic coaching rather than traditional tutoring.
For example, you might help students organize assignments, develop study routines, improve writing skills, or prepare for important exams.
Care.com and Preply can be used to list those services as well.
How to Choose the Right Side Hustle
The best option depends on what you want from your side hustle.
If you want to use your teaching expertise directly, online tutoring, test preparation, and online teaching may make sense.
If you want something you can do without committing to a recurring schedule, online surveys may be easier to fit around your school responsibilities.
And if you want something that can potentially become a longer-term business, selling educational resources on Etsy might be worth exploring.
The best news is you don't necessarily have to choose just one option!
Final Thoughts
Teachers have more side hustle options than they may realize.
Your classroom experience, subject knowledge, communication skills, and familiarity with education technology can all be valuable outside of your regular job.
If you're looking for side hustles for teachers, consider a combination of options. Online tutoring and teaching can turn your expertise into paid work, while online surveys can give teachers opportunities to get paid for sharing their opinions.
Companies are constantly looking for people with real-world experience. For teachers, that experience can be the very thing that makes you eligible for a research opportunity.
Start by browsing FocusGroups.org and checking out a few online surveys!
The key is to treat these opportunities as flexible ways to earn extra money, rather than guaranteed income. Study availability, eligibility, and compensation can vary.
