11 Side Hustles for Teachers to Earn Extra Income

Teaching is a rewarding but challenging job. What’s more, some teachers’ salary isn’t enough to support themselves. 20% of teachers report having second jobs during the school year.

Whether you want a second job in addition to your full-time job or just want options to make extra money during summer break, plenty of side hustles are available. Try your hand at some of the best side hustles for teachers to earn extra money.

Selling items online

Platforms like Etsy allow you to sell artwork and crafts to buyers across the globe. Whether you crochet, paint, make jewelry or sculpt, Etsy can help you turn a fun hobby into a source of income. 

If you aren’t crafty, but you’re great at spotting a good deal, eBay reselling may be right for you. eBay sellers frequent garage sales and thrift stores to find high-dollar items at low prices, reselling them for more online. This side hustle for teachers can take time to source and sell products, but it can be a rewarding experience for bargain hunters.

Renting out your home

Have a spare bedroom in your home? Own an unoccupied property? You can rent out your home on platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo.

Renting a property can be a lucrative side hustle, although it does require granting access to your home. Aside from answering guest messages and cleaning, renting requires little hands-on time, which makes it a popular side hustle for teachers.

Being a delivery driver

Brands like Amazon are always looking for new drivers, but the demanding hours and work conditions make it a tough option for teachers with full-time jobs. 

Generally speaking, delivery driver gigs like DoorDash or Favor are preferable for teachers. These services deliver groceries or goods from retail stores to consumers’ homes. Most delivery services allow you to set your own schedule so that teachers can work after work hours or on weekends. 

Driving for rideshare services

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are among the most popular side hustles for teachers because of their flexibility. You’ll need to verify your identity with the rideshare provider before accepting rides, but you’re allowed to start as soon as one week after signing up. Drive for rideshare early in the morning before work, after work and on weekends or holidays as a flexible side gig.

Starting a blog or podcast

If you love creating content, consider becoming a blogger or a podcaster. Many content creators make money off ads, but teachers can earn passive income through affiliate marketing. Affiliates share links to products on your blog or podcast; if followers buy something from those links, you’ll earn a commission. 

This isn’t to say that blogging or podcasting is easy, and both require consistent content creation and managing a community of followers. The content also needs to align with your school district’s code of conduct, so you don’t jeopardize your full-time job.

Becoming a virtual assistant

Virtual assistants help entrepreneurs, CEOs and small business owners handle the minutiae of their jobs. The work varies depending on the client, but virtual assistants commonly handle tasks including: 

• Organizing files

• Researching and data entry

• Taking phone calls

• Billing and bookkeeping

• Recording meeting notes

• Scheduling travel or appointments

Some clients want a full-time virtual assistant, but others will work with a part-time virtual assistant. To become a virtual assistant, you can create a profile on freelancing platforms like UpWork or Fiverr. You can also reach out to small businesses in your community to offer your services.

Pet-sitting or house-sitting

This is one of the best side hustles for teachers during summer break when people frequently travel and need someone to watch their home or their pets. As a pet-sitter, you’re largely responsible for feeding and exercising pets while their owners are away. You can sign up to be a pet-sitter on platforms like Rover.

If pet-sitting sounds like too much work, consider house-sitting. Your tasks will vary from client to client, but house-sitters are usually responsible for: 

• Checking up on the property

• Watering plants

• Checking the mail

You can sign up to be a housesitter on TrustedHousesitters or Nomador.

Babysitting

As a teacher, you know how to hold your own in a room full of kids. Put your expertise to work part-time through babysitting on nights and weekends or during summer break when parents need daytime childcare. If you have children of your own, this is a great way to be with your kids all summer while still earning extra income.

To find babysitting gigs, you can sign up on platforms like Care.com. You can also babysit for friends, family or the parents of the children you teach.

Becoming a local tour guide

Turn your knowledge into a lucrative part-time job as a tour guide. This is one of the best side hustles for teachers in big tourist cities where there’s a demand for enthusiastic, engaging tour guides. 

As a tour guide, you can expect to lead tours of up to 50 people on foot around town. Since most tours happen on the weekends, this side hustle won’t conflict with your work as a teacher. 

To get started as a tour guide, you can sign up via Tours By Locals, Withlocals or Airbnb Experiences. 

Freelance writing or proofreading

English teachers and grammarians can excel at freelance writing or proofreading. Freelance writers and proofreaders largely work according to their own schedules, so as long as you can keep up with client deadlines, this is a great side hustle for teachers who love to write. To find clients fast, you can sign up via online marketplaces like ProBlogger or UpWork.

Taking online surveys

Surveys are ideal for teachers who have some free time without the capacity for a part-time job. Companies pay consumers to take surveys about their lifestyles and shopping preferences, so as long as you’re OK with disclosing this information, online surveys are a popular way to earn extra cash.

Sign up for sites like Swagbucks, InboxDollars or MyPoints to take surveys and earn money for every completed response. This won’t generate as much income as the other side hustles in this guide, but you can earn money while you sit on the couch and watch TV, which is great for exhausted teachers.

Supplement your income with side hustles for teachers

Teachers often look for side gigs to supplement their income in ways that won’t conflict with their full-time job. If you’re looking for a second job, these are some of the best side hustle ideas for teachers:

• Online seller

• Airbnb host

• Delivery driver

• Rideshare driver

• Blogger or podcaster

• Virtual assistant

• Pet- or house-sitter

• Babysitter

• Tour guide

• Freelance writer or proofreader

• Online survey taker

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