Written by Admin Alex · Fact-Checked by M.Ali · Info Verified October 2026
We review and update this article regularly as new information becomes available.
TL;DR: The best side hustles for teachers reuse classroom skills: tutoring, test prep, exam scoring, curriculum writing and selling resources online. During the school year, pick flexible evening or weekend work like online tutoring. Save bigger commitments such as AP scoring, summer school or camp jobs for the summer break. About 1 in 6 public school teachers already works a second job, and federal data show they earned roughly $6,090 from school-year side work in 2020-21.
The best side hustles for teachers turn skills you use daily, like explaining, planning and grading, into paid hours that fit the school calendar. Tutoring and exam scoring pay the most reliably. Selling lesson resources can grow over time, but most sellers earn modest amounts. Below are 20 options, sorted by when you have time, with honest pay and the policy checks most lists skip.
Key Terms in One Line Each
- Side hustle: paid work you do on top of your main teaching contract.
- Outside employment policy: district rules on what second jobs staff may hold and whether they must be disclosed.
- Conflict of interest: a situation where private pay could influence your public duties, such as tutoring your own students for money.
- Work made for hire: a copyright rule under which materials created as part of your job can belong to your employer.
- Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT): an online marketplace where educators sell lesson plans and classroom resources.
- AP Reading: the annual June event where teachers score Advanced Placement exam free-response answers for ETS.
- Self-employment tax: Social Security and Medicare tax owed on freelance profit once net earnings reach $400.
Teacher Pay and Second Jobs: The Numbers
Teachers pick up side work for a clear reason. Pay has risen, but slowly. Here is what the official data show.
| Statistic | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, high school teachers | $72,040 | May 2025 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Median pay, kindergarten and elementary teachers | $63,820 | May 2025 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Average public school teacher salary | $74,495 | 2024-25 | NEA Rankings and Estimates (via NPR, April 2026) |
| Average starting teacher salary | $48,112 | 2024-25 | NEA (via NPR, April 2026) |
| Public school teachers with a non-school job during the school year | 17% | 2020-21 | NCES data, Pew Research Center analysis |
| Public school teachers with a non-school summer job | 16% | 2020-21 | NCES data, Pew Research Center analysis |
| Average earnings from school-year outside jobs | About $6,090 | 2020-21 | NCES data, Pew Research Center analysis |
| All U.S. workers 20+ holding multiple jobs | 4.6% | 2020-21 | BLS, cited by Pew Research Center |
Teachers hold second jobs at more than three times the rate of the overall workforce. Among first-year teachers, 35% worked a summer job.
Side Hustles for Teachers at a Glance
Pay below is what platforms or employers publish, or what you set yourself. Where no reliable figure exists, the table says so.
| Idea | Typical pay | Startup cost | Time needed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private tutoring (Wyzant or local) | Your rate; Wyzant keeps 25% | Low | 2 to 6 hrs/week | Any subject teacher |
| Online tutoring company | Listings from about $15/hr | None | Flexible | Teachers who want booked students |
| Outschool classes | 70% of class price | Low | Flexible | Creative elementary teachers |
| Online ESL (Cambly) | $10.20/hr ($12 kids) | None | Any hour | Filling odd gaps |
| Test prep tutoring | Your rate, often premium | Low | Seasonal peaks | Math and English teachers |
| Selling on TPT | 55% to 80% of each sale | Low | Front-loaded | Organized planners |
| Curriculum writing | Per project | None | Project based | Experienced teachers |
| Freelance edtech writing | Per article or word | None | Flexible | Strong writers |
| Coaching and club stipends | District stipend | None | Seasonal, heavy | Teachers who like sports or clubs |
| Test proctoring | Flat fee per session | None | Some Saturdays | Low-effort weekend cash |
| State test scoring (Pearson) | $17.50/hr (Texas listing) | None | Scoring windows | Certified subject teachers |
| AP Reading (ETS) | $30/hr | None | About a week in June | AP and college teachers |
| Summer school | District hourly rate | None | 3 to 6 weeks | Steady summer income |
| Summer camp roles | Median $17.58/hr (recreation workers) | None | Full-time summer | Active teachers |
| Driver’s education | Varies by state and school | Certification fees | Summer and weekends | Patient, calm teachers |
| Summer nanny or tutor-nanny | Set by family | None | Full-time summer | Elementary teachers |
| Instructional design contracts | Project rates | Portfolio, software | Project based | Teachers eyeing a career change |
| Adult ed or community classes | Per course | None | Evenings | Teachers with a niche skill |
| AI training and data tasks | Varies widely | None | Flexible | Subject experts |
| Amazon Mechanical Turk | Median about $2/hr (2018 study) | None | Flexible | Almost no one |
School-Year Side Hustles: Evenings and Weekends
During the school year, your scarcest resource is energy. Choose work you can cap at a few hours and cancel without penalty.
1. Private Tutoring
Tutoring is the most natural fit. You set your rate and schedule, and parents trust a certified teacher. On Wyzant, tutors keep 75% of their posted hourly rate, and 100% for students they refer themselves. Local tutoring through word of mouth avoids fees entirely. The catch: never tutor students currently in your class for pay. Many districts discourage or ban it outright.
2. Online Tutoring Companies
Companies like Varsity Tutors match you with students, so you skip marketing. Tutors work as independent contractors, and recent listings have advertised rates starting around $15 an hour. That is low for a certified teacher. Treat it as a way to build reviews, then move clients to your own rates where the contract allows.
3. Teaching Classes on Outschool
Outschool lets you design your own live or self-paced classes for kids. Teachers receive 70% of the class price, and parents pay a separate marketplace fee. Payouts arrive through PayPal about a week after a class starts.
4. Online ESL Teaching
Platforms such as Cambly pay $0.17 per minute, or $10.20 an hour, and $12 an hour on Cambly Kids. The pay is low, but you can log on for 20 minutes between other tasks. It suits teachers who want small, flexible earnings rather than a real second income.
5. Test Prep Tutoring
SAT, ACT, PSAT and state exam prep usually commands higher rates than general homework help. Demand spikes before fall and spring test dates. Math and English teachers have an edge, since parents pay for proven score gains. Offer fixed packages, such as eight sessions.
6. Selling Resources on Teachers Pay Teachers
TPT lets you sell worksheets, unit plans and slide decks. According to TPT’s published seller terms, Basic sellers keep 55% of each sale plus pay a $0.30 transaction fee per resource. Premium sellers pay an annual fee, keep 80% and pay a $0.15 fee only on small orders. Most sellers earn modest amounts, and income builds slowly over years.
Before you list anything, check your district’s intellectual property policy. Materials created as part of your job may count as work made for hire and belong to the district. Build products on your own time and your own devices to keep ownership clear.
7. Curriculum Writing
Publishers, edtech companies and your own district hire teachers to write lessons, assessments and pacing guides. Pay is usually per project. A small portfolio of sample units helps you land outside contracts.
8. Freelance Writing for Edtech
Edtech companies need blog posts, help articles and lesson content from people who know classrooms. Teachers bring credibility that general writers lack. Rates vary widely, so pitch with a short sample on a topic the company already covers. Our guide to online side hustles covers more remote writing options.
9. Coaching and Club Stipends
Coaching a team or running a club pays a district stipend. The trade-off is time: a sports season can eat most evenings and weekends. The per-hour rate is often lower than tutoring.
10. Test Proctoring
Testing centers and organizations that run SAT, ACT and certification exams hire staff for test days. You check IDs, read instructions and monitor rooms. Pay is usually a flat fee per session. It is low-effort work for a few Saturdays a year.
11. Remote State Test Scoring
Pearson and other testing firms hire certified teachers to score state assessments remotely. A September 2026 Pearson listing for Texas scorers offered a starting rate of $17.50 an hour. It required a bachelor’s degree and three years of Texas teaching in the subject. Scoring runs in short windows, so check eligibility rules for your state.
Summer Side Hustles for Teachers
Summer is when teachers can take on full-time or intensive work. Book these early, since many fill by spring.
12. AP Reading With ETS
Each June, ETS hires AP Readers to score free-response answers. Readers earn $30 an hour for training and scoring, both onsite and at home. Invitations go out from January through May, and acceptance depends on exam volume and past performance.
13. Summer School
Your own district is often the easiest summer employer. Summer school runs three to six weeks, usually mornings only. Pay follows a district hourly rate, which is often listed in your contract or salary schedule.
14. Summer Camp Roles
Day camps and overnight camps value teachers for directing, teaching activities or supervising counselors. BLS reports a median wage of $17.58 an hour for recreation workers, a group that includes camp counselors, as of May 2025. Director and specialist roles pay more.
15. Driver’s Education Instructor
Many states let certified teachers add a driver’s education endorsement. You can then teach classroom sessions or behind-the-wheel lessons in summer and on weekends. Requirements and pay vary by state, so start with your state’s education or motor vehicle department.
16. Summer Nanny or Tutor-Nanny
Families will often pay more for a summer caregiver who can also prevent the “summer slide.” Combine childcare with daily reading and math practice. You set the rate with the family, so agree on hours and duties in writing.
17. Instructional Design Contracts
Companies need people to turn training into clear courses. Lesson planning maps directly onto this work. BLS reports a median salary of $77,440 for instructional coordinators in May 2025, which shows where this path can lead. Start with short summer contracts and learn a tool like Articulate or Canva.
18. Adult Education and Community Classes
Community colleges, libraries and recreation centers hire instructors for evening and summer courses. Think GED prep, adult ESL or a hobby. Pay is usually per course.
Low-Barrier Options (With Honest Caveats)
19. AI Training and Data Tasks
AI companies hire subject experts to write and check answers that train their models. Teachers with strong subject knowledge can qualify. Work is often irregular, and pay varies by project and platform. Read reviews before signing up, and never pay to join.
20. Amazon Mechanical Turk
MTurk pays for small online tasks like surveys and data labeling. It is easy to start but pays poorly. A 2018 data-driven study of MTurk workers found a median of about $2 an hour, and only 4% earned more than $7.25. A teacher’s time is worth far more elsewhere.
Check Your District Policy First
This is the step most side hustle lists leave out. Read your contract and board policy before you start.
- Outside employment rules: some districts require you to disclose second jobs or get approval.
- Tutoring your own students: many districts ban or discourage paid tutoring of students in your current class. Minnetonka Schools’ Policy 541, for example, says it “may well be a conflict of interest.”
- School time and equipment: never do side work during duty hours or on a school laptop.
- Intellectual property: lessons made for your job may belong to the district. Ask before selling them.
- Using your title: some districts limit using school names or logos in your marketing.
Taxes on Teacher Side Income
Most side hustles make you self-employed. The IRS says you owe self-employment tax once net self-employment earnings reach $400 in a year. That tax is 15.3% for Social Security and Medicare, on top of income tax. Your W-2 withholding will not cover it.
- Set aside 25% to 30% of side income for taxes.
- Track expenses like software, materials and a portion of your internet bill.
- Consider quarterly estimated payments if you expect to owe $1,000 or more.
Separately, the educator expense deduction lets eligible K-12 teachers deduct unreimbursed classroom costs. The limit was $300 for 2025 and rises to $350 for 2026. It applies to your teaching job, not your side business.
How to Fit a Side Hustle Around Teaching
- Cap your hours. Pick a weekly limit, such as five hours, and protect it.
- Avoid report-card weeks. Pause new clients during grading crunches and conferences.
- Batch the work. Do one long session on Saturday rather than five short ones.
- Use summer to build. Create TPT products or a portfolio in summer, then sell during the year.
If you want ideas that work after any day job, see our list of remote side hustles. Organized teachers also do well as a virtual assistant.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best side hustle for teachers?
Private tutoring is the best fit for most teachers. It uses skills you already have, needs no startup cost, and lets you set your own rate. Test prep tutoring usually pays more than general homework help. For summer, AP Reading at $30 an hour is one of the most respected options.
What are good summer side hustles for teachers?
Strong summer options include AP Reading, summer school, camp jobs, driver’s education, tutor-nanny roles and instructional design contracts. Summer allows full-time hours, so pick work with a set schedule. Apply in winter or early spring, since many roles fill well before June.
What online side hustles can teachers do from home?
Online tutoring, Outschool classes, ESL teaching, selling on TPT, remote test scoring and freelance edtech writing all work from home. Online tutoring and scoring pay soonest, while TPT income builds more slowly.
Can teachers tutor their own students for money?
Usually no. Many districts ban or strongly discourage paid tutoring of students in your current class because it creates a conflict of interest. Tutoring students from other schools or grades is generally fine. Check your district’s board policy and ask your principal if unsure.
How much do teachers make on Teachers Pay Teachers?
Most sellers earn modest amounts, and a small share earn substantial income. Basic sellers keep 55% of each sale, while Premium sellers keep 80% after an annual fee. Income depends on product quality, the number of listings, and years of steady uploading.
Do teachers need permission to have a second job?
It depends on your district. Some require disclosure or approval for outside employment, while others only ban jobs that conflict with your duties. Read your contract and board policies on outside employment and conflicts of interest before you start.
How many teachers have a second job?
About 1 in 6. NCES data analyzed by Pew show 17% of full-time public school teachers worked a non-school job during the 2020-21 school year. Another 16% worked one over the summer. That compares with 4.6% of all U.S. workers holding multiple jobs.
Do I have to pay taxes on side hustle income as a teacher?
Yes. All side income is taxable. Once your net self-employment earnings reach $400 in a year, you also owe self-employment tax of 15.3%. Save part of each payment and consider quarterly estimated tax payments.
What side jobs can teachers do on weekends?
Weekend options include tutoring, proctoring on SAT and ACT dates, driver’s education lessons, Outschool classes and freelance writing. Proctoring is the lowest-effort choice.
Bottom Line
The best side gigs for teachers reuse what you already do well: explaining, planning and scoring. Match the work to the calendar, with light, flexible tasks during the school year and bigger commitments in summer. Most importantly, read your district’s outside employment and intellectual property rules before you earn your first dollar.
This article is for general information only and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Pay rates, platform fees and district policies change. Confirm details with the platform, your district, or a qualified tax professional before acting.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, High School Teachers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 data.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, 2025 data.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Instructional Coordinators, 2025 data.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Recreation Workers, 2025 data.
- Pew Research Center, About 1 in 6 U.S. teachers work second jobs, 2025 (NCES data).
- NPR via KPBS, Inflation is sucking the life out of teacher pay raises, report says (NEA Rankings and Estimates), 2026.
- ETS, AP Scoring General FAQ, 2026.
- Wyzant, Fee structure for tutors, 2026.
- Outschool, Teacher Earnings and Payments, 2026.
- Cambly, Prospective Tutors FAQs, 2026.
- Pearson, Associate, Scoring Service listing, 2026.
- Hara et al., A Data-Driven Analysis of Workers’ Earnings on Amazon Mechanical Turk, 2018.
- Minnetonka Public Schools, Policy 541: Tutoring of Students.
- K-12 Dive, Educators raising intellectual property concerns over Teachers Pay Teachers, 2018.
- IRS, Self-Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare Taxes), 2026.
- NATP, Educator expense deductions bring bigger breaks in 2026, 2026.
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