29 Best Side Hustles for Teachers in 2025

If you’re looking for side hustles for teachers, you’ve come to the right place.

Teaching is a rewarding and challenging job, with different levels of pay. I worked for almost a decade as a teacher while being a single mom.

While teaching paid decently enough for me to make ends meet, it wasn’t enough to afford the luxuries that I wanted for myself and my family – organic food, extra (hired) help, travel, and fun experiences.

I spent years researching different side hustles for teachers that I could work on at my own pace to increase my income, and I dabbled in several of them.

Eventually, in 2023, I turned my side hustle into my full-time job. I left teaching, and now work full-time as a blogger.

Whether or not you’re here to find a side hustle to complement or replace teaching, I’m here to share with you some side hustles that you could start right now to increase your income as a teacher.

The beauty of these side hustles is that they can be done part-time, in addition to teaching full-time. While some of them may require that you acquire some extra skills or training, many of them use the transferable skills that you already have as a teacher.

So let’s get started – the best side hustles for teachers!

29 Best Side Hustles for Teachers

Here are the best, most rewarding side hustles to do alongside a teaching career.

1. Freelance writer

There are many kinds of writing that you can earn money from on a freelance basis. Even with the rise of AI, there is still a lot of money to be made as a freelance writer.

I have worked as a freelance writer (in the last year) for several clients, and I know several other bloggers who hire freelance writers to help with content production.

There are different types of writing. Here are the different types of freelance writing that you can earn an income from:

Content writing (for blogs, publications)
Ghostwriting. A lot of content writing is also ghostwriting, which means you aren’t given credit for the piece but are paid to write it
Copywriting which is a form of writing to sell, with a call to action. Copywriting can be an in-house job, or can be done freelance

To earn money as a writer, there has to be some part of you that enjoys the writing process. If writing has been a hobby that for you that you’ve done on your spare time, then you might have potential to earn money from it.

Does the idea of being a freelance writer spark your interest? Read my post on how to earn money as a freelance writer.

2. Mystery shopper

Mystery shopping has been a thing for several decades. How it works is you sign up with a mystery shopping agency.

They post mystery shopping assignments and you apply for the ones that you are able to do. As a mystery shopper, you’re an independent contractor.

It’s not the kind of job that you’ll get rich off of, but it’s one way to bring in some extra cash.

I’ve been mystery shopping on and off for 15 years, including when I was a university student, a single mom and a teacher. It was some good extra pocket cash.

Read my guide on becoming a mystery shopper here.

3. Social Media Manager

Social media managers look after the social media accounts for businesses. They help these businesses interact with the public and establish trust through social media.

Whether its Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok or Pinterest – a social media manager posts content to business accounts, replies to comments and messages, and sometimes creates simple graphics to be used for posts.

Posting to social media may sound really easy, but its actually a lot of work for people who are busy with the main aspects of their business. Having an active, professional-looking social media account benefits them in a lot of ways

It establishes and improves their public image and trust
It helps people find out about them
It helps generate more revenue

Social media manager was one of the jobs I started doing as a side hustle as a teacher. You can make anywhere from an extra $500-$1500 per month as a social media manager (even more if you’re doing it full time.)

If you want to be a social media manager, then I recommend taking an online course to learn how to get started or reading my tips here.

4. Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant who provides remote services to assist business owners with some of the tedious tasks that come with running a well-functioning business.

Many small to medium-sized business owners look to hire virtual assistants that work remotely, often from home.

Virtual assistants do things like:

Send and reply to emails
Schedule appointments or make travel arrangements
Make phone calls
Upload and format content to a website
Create simple graphics, or do video editing

You could almost think of a Virtual Assistant as a remote secretary, as the job is usually a freelance position. You can charge anywhere from $25-$40 an hour as a virtual assistant, depending on what skills and experience you bring to the table.

As a virtual assistant, you can have as many clients as you like. If you’re also working full time as a teacher, you might want to start with just one client at a time to see what the workload is like before taking on more clients.

5. Wedding officiant

Being a wedding officiant allows you to contribute in a meaningful way to one of the most memorable, happy days of people’s lives.

It’s also a great side hustle for teachers because weddings typically happen on weekends, with the a good chunk of them being in the summer months. This makes it a great summer job for teachers.

If you enjoy working with people and have decent public speaking skills, then being a wedding officiant might be a great way for a teacher to earn extra money in a meaningful way on weekends.

Click here to read more about starting a wedding officiant business.

6. Photographer

You already know that a professional photographer takes quality, eye-catching photos of various things, from people, events, real estate and tourist attractions.

There are two ways to make money as a freelance photographer:

Take and edit good quality photos, and sell them as stock images, which can earn you a passive income
Become a family and lifestyle photographer

Staring a business as a family or wedding photographer allows you to work primarly on weekends and evenings.

In addition, you can sell photography that you own the right to on:

Of course, decent skills in photography are a necessity when it comes to making money from photography, but there are ways to learn and improve your skills if its something you’re interested in.

There are online (pre-recorded) photography classes that you can take on Udemy, and even free lessons and tips on YouTube.

7. Open a shop on Etsy

If you’re crafty, and you see something thats popular (such as scrunchies, or rustic wooden signs)- learn how to make it.

Here are some ideas of physical products that people buy:

bathbombs
homemade beauty products, such as lotions, lip balms and hair care
wooden furniture and designs
unique, homemade jewelry
handmade clothing – check out Dear Aspen, who is doing very well selling homemade clothing for kids
digital products, like birthday invitations and templates

You can sell your products in the local community, or online – or both. The more outlets you have to sell your product, the better.

A friend of mine earns the majority of her full-time income on Etsy. There are people earning anywhere from a few dollars, to a few thousand dollars per month on Etsy, so the sky is the limit.

8. Blogger

Many people think of a blogger as someone who keeps a sort of online diary; but in reality, you can make decent money as a blogger if you know what you’re doing.

The types of blogs that earn the most money are wellness, travel, parenting, tech and science. You can make anywhere from an extra thousands of dollars per month as a blogger.

(However, its important to know that takes time and investment before the money can start trickling in.)

Blogging was the career I ultimately decided to pursue full-time. It took me 3 months of hard work to start making my first dollars as a blogger, but now that I have left teaching, I am close to replacing my teaching salary with it.

To make money as a blogger, you need to have:

decent writing skills
knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO)
keyword research skills
knowledge and expertise in the topic that you’re blogging about

It takes time to earn money from a blog – but if you love writing, you could chip away at it during the evenings and weekends when you’re not teaching.

9. Tutor (online or in person)

If you love teaching, then tutoring is a rewarding way to connect with students who want to learn and help them make great progress.

As a tutor, you can tutor kids, or adults – or both. I personally preferred to work with adults when I was doing tutoring as a side hustle as a teacher.

It was a nice change of pace from working with kids, and my paying adult students were always very motivated to learn.

Depending on where you teach, it may not be recommended for you to tutor your own students or students who attend the school you teach at.

If you’re interested in taking on some tutoring clients, then I would look for tutoring jobs online, or for in-person clients outside of the district where you teach.

Read my post on how to start a tutoring business, or how to start teaching English online.

10. Editor

You likely already edit written work, so why not get paid extra for it? Teachers often have an eagle eye when it comes to attention to detail, and have better than average spelling and grammar.

While certain softwares like Grammarly exist, professional editing goes beyond just correcting grammar and spelling. It requires being able assess the quality of the text, and how to improve it. You need to be able to look at the ‘big picture’ which teachers often are quite good at.

As an editor, you can offer your services on Fiverr or Upwork, or on social media where you can connect with potential clients.

There are a variety of clients that look to hire an editor – larger bloggers, authors, and other publications.

Doesn’t being an editor sound like its right up your alley? Read more about becoming an editor here.

11. Babysitter

I know that babysitting likely sounds like a teenagers’ job, but hear me out. Many parents are looking for someone older, and more responsible to look after their children, especially if its for a long day or overnight.

Nowadays, sadly there are many families raising their kids without the support of extended family. Getting a break as a parent once in a while is vital to the family’s mental health, and often, the parent’s marriage too – that’s where hired help comes in.

If you love kids and want to support families, then consider offering part time child services on weekends, evenings and even during school holidays.

Even if you have kids of your own, you could get paid to take in extra kids on evenings or weekends.

As a babysitter, you could promote your services on parent Facebook groups, or join a platform such as Care.com or Canadiannanny (for Canadians.)

Pro Tip: I would avoid offering childcare services to families of students, or in the same neighbourhood as the school you teach at. Instead, look for clients in a different neighbourhood.

12. Pet sitter

If you love pets, then consider boarding dogs at your home, or walking dogs in the evenings or weekends.

Many people are looking for reliable people they can trust (not just with their pets, but in their home when they’re not there.)

Petsitting is a great way to get out of the house, get some exercise, and spend time with furry friends – but you can also care for them in your own home, if you’re able.

Like babysitting, you can promote yourself as a pet sitter in similar ways – social media, and on platforms dedicated to them, such as Rover which is available in US, Canada, UK, and several European countries.

Pro Tip: Another underrated pet-care area is looking after small animals like guinea pigs, hamsters and fish. Many pet-sitters offer dog care, but it would be worth it to branch into these other pets too to have a larger client base.

13. Sell pre-recorded online courses

As a teacher, you already have the skills in designing and creating course content, and educating an audience. Why not make some passive income from it?

If you’re really good at something, you can teach others how to do it from a course that you pre-record and sell online. This generates a passive income stream that you can earn even when you’re at work.

There are many platforms that allow you to create and sell your own pre-recorded course. You have to put the initial time into creating it, but once it’s live – its available for hundreds to buy:

While most side hustles for teachers pay for your time spent, creating and selling courses involves an upfront effort, but once it’s done – you can make money while you’re sleeping.

Take a look on some of the platforms mentioned above to see what courses are out there. Maybe there is something that you could teach, too.

14. Life coach

Many of us were called into the teaching profession because of an innate desire to help others succeed. This is what makes a life coach one of the best side hustles for teachers.

A life coach is like a personal trainer – but for life. You get to inspire people, help them set realistic but life-changing goals, and hold them accountable for sticking to their plan of action to achieve them.

As a life coach, you get to be a major reason why people are able to make huge change in their lives.

A life coach doesn’t currently former professional designation, so you could decide at any point you’re a life coach and begin promoting your services.

However, I would recommend taking a course on how to be a life coach first. In addition, you could consider hiring a life coach for yourself to help reach a personal goal – this might help you gain insight and develop your own stye as a coach.

Full disclosure: I have never hired a life coach, although I’ve thought about it. Several books helped me to break out of my comfort zone and pursue my dreams instead – but I haven’t let go of the idea of hiring a life coach one day.

15. Start a YouTube channel

You know how your students are always saying they want to be a YouTuber? Well, now you can impress them by beating them to it. (Just kidding.)

In all seriousness, making money from YouTube is a real thing that you can do with basic video-editing skills and something relevant to create content on.

As a teacher, you could make educational videos that teachers use in their lessons. Or, make videos related to a different interest or talent you have.

The average amount of money that people earn on YouTube is $18 per 1,000 views. A medium-size YouTuber could get 10,000 views on a single video in one day day. That’s $180 per day per video – not bad for a side income.

While it generally takes months to build up to earning that amount, you can also supplement it with affiliate marketing – selling paid products attached to your videos.

I started my YouTube channel about 6 months ago and it has yet to be monetized, but my subscriber count continues to increase and I don’t think I’ll have to wait too long to get to 1,000 subscribers and be able to finally make a side income off of my videos.

16. Write and sell an e-book

Selling an e-book is kind of similar to recording an online course and selling it – the only difference is that you’re writing, instead of talking or creating video content.

Like an e-course or YouTube channel, if there’s a topic you’re an expert in or are particularly good at – an ebook is another way that you can ‘sell’ some of your knowledge and expertise.

If you’re new to publishing books, then publishing on Amazon or Kindle might be the best way to go, because people trust these platforms and might be more likely to buy from them over a third party.

E-books can be anywhere from 5,000 – 20,000 words long, and you can charge anywhere from $5 to $20 per ebook depending on how long it is. If you enjoy writing, then selling an e-book might be a fun side-job to teaching.

17. Instructional designer

As teachers, many of us are already default instructional designers, because we create a lot of our learning materials from scratch. This is one of the many ways to work in education without being a teacher.

While the job of a teacher is mostly about delivering the lessons to students, instructional designers are the ones who create course content for educators, such as student manuals, training materials and student guides.

There are university degrees in instructional design, but you don’t need a degree in order to be paid as an instructional designer. In fact, having been a teacher first is an asset when it comes to starting instructional design as a side hustle or even full-time career.

Like a copywriter, instructional designers can be hired in-house, but it can also be as a done freelance position. This blog post can you fill you in more about what being an instructional designer entails.

Rather than be hired for instructional design work, another option is to create learning content to sell on a platform like Teachers Pay Teachers.

18. Cook or bake tasty meals and treats

If you have a talent for baking, making charcuterie boards or cooking, you might be on to something that can make you some extra income as a teacher.

People love to pay someone else to make their food these days, because everyone is so busy – and less face it, somehow, food tastes better when made by someone else.

An example of one of my vegan charcuterie boards

One of the side hustles I tried out as a teacher was making vegan charcuterie boards. It was very popular, and I had a lot of interest for people wanting plant-based grazing boxes and boards for their small functions

Ultimately, I decided that the food service industry wasn’t for me, and decided to pursue other teacher side hustles that were more up my alley, like writing. (I still make my vegan charcuterie boards for fun though.)

However, if you’re a food person, then this is a great opportunity. People that don’t have the skill in cooking or baking struggle to make high-quality dishes for themselves, and its a treat for them to pay someone else.

Good to Know: If you’re going to be making food from home, then there might be certain requirements of your kitchen. Be sure to look into your local laws for home food prep.

19. Nutritionist

A nutritionist is someone who helps people make healthy diet choices; especially for the purpose of weight loss, or for getting enough of each food group.

Like a life coach and photographer, there is no formal accreditation as a nutritionist. (For a dietician there is – but not for a nutritionist.) So, it is a job that you could do on your spare time as a side hustle to teaching.

So, if you already work as a health teacher, or if you consider yourself to be a health nut and know a lot about nutrition, you could potentially make money as nutritionist.

Most nutritionists that I see coach people online. So, it is a like a life coach -except you’re helping people make healthy eating choices. Some nutritionists are also good at putting together nutritious recipes.

20. Create and sell learning materials

Creating learning materials is very similar to an instructional designer, which we discussed earlier.

However, as I mentioned, you don’t need to start an official business as an instructional designer in order to be paid for your hard work in creating learning materials.

There are platforms where you can sell learning materials you’ve made -specifically, ones for the classroom:

You probably already have lots of good content and materials that you’ve already created, so why not make some extra money from them?

I have been a casual Teachers Pay Teachers seller since 2019, and I can see that its one of many good side hustles for teachers. I’ve sold products that I made for myself anyway, so I didn’t spend any extra time making them for TPT.

Since I’ve uploaded those materials, I have random money trickling in from educators buying them.

21. Actor

Nope, I’m not joking about this one. Actors are needed in a variety of capacities – stage, and television.

As teachers, we are used to being in the spotlight and ‘on stage’ so if this aspect of teaching has always come easily to you, then maybe you’d enjoy being paid as an actor

Local theatres look hold auditions for upcoming performances.I even knew someone (not a teacher) who broke into doing TV commercials in her 40s.

If you want to consider acting, then look up your local theatres to see when they run auditions. Consider hiring an acting agent (which is free, but they take a percentage of your earnings)

22. Graphic designer

Graphic designers can be hired in-house, but also work on a freelance basis. Freelance designers create logos and help businesses with their branding.

Like with an instructional designer, there are university degrees in graphic design, but you don’t need a degree – especially if you plan to do it on a freelance basis.

Freelance graphic designers sell their services on Fiverr and Upwork. They also sell templates that they created on places like Etsy.

Like with a freelance writer, most people won’t care where you got your degree, or if you even have one in graphic design. They want to see your work and what you’re capable of.

23. Start a solar panel business

There’s a lot of extra income to be made with solar panels, in designing them, and having them on your house.

Solar panels use renewable energy, which is the sustainable way of the future. So, by getting involved as a side hustle – you’re helping the planet too.

There are a lot of ways to work in the solar panel business as a side hustle, from selling to installing, designing, to selling.

If you don’t have any special skills in technology, architectural design or roofing, then you could consider being a solar panel salesperson, which are generally paid by commission (but to the right clients – solar panels aren’t generally a hard thing to sell.)

If you’re interested, read this helpful blog post from experts about starting a career in the solar panel industry.

24. Entertainer at events

If you’ve been on Pinterest or Instagram lately, you know that this generation of parents take their kid’s birthday parties very seriously.

And as a parent myself, I can tell you that hosting birthday parties is a lot of work. That’s why lots of parents are looking for extra help and entertainment for their kid’s birthday parties.

Clown, a princess, or even come as a face painter, or henna tattoo artist – but the best part is that these kinds of side hustles aren’t limited just to birthday parties. You can usually find these kinds of people being paid to be at festivals, and other events.

I have known two teachers personally who who were entertainers as a side hustle. One was a magician, and the other was a clown and face painter.

The best part about these kinds of gigs is that you mainly only need weekend availability – which makes it one of the best side hustles for teachers.

25. Yoga instructor

Yoga instructors can earn money from:

teaching in local studios
offering online yoga classes
opening up a space in their home for yoga classes

It takes time to become a certified yoga teacher, and I would only recommend going this route if you have a background in practicing yoga recreationally.

But, if you’re interested in teaching yoga and bringing some calm into people’s lives (including your own) then this might be a very worthwhile side hustle business that you can be passionate about.

26. Travel Agent

It doesn’t cost people any money to hire a travel agent, but you earn a commission when you book trips for them.

Travel agents can work as little or as much as they want – often from home. They make recommendations and book trips for their clients.

Travel agents can work with clients worldwide, but the requirements for becoming certified as a travel agent will depend on the area where you live.

Sometimes they specialize in a specific place or type of vacation. For instance, a friend of mine works as a Disney travel agent and books clients every week to Disney World and Disney Cruise vacations.

27. Website Builder

If you’re the techy teacher that coworkers are asking for help, then you might already know how to build a website.

Building a website from scratch isn’t difficult, but a lot of people don’t know how to do it.

If you know code, you can make very decent money building websites. If you don’t know code, but your knowledge extends to being able to build WordPress templates then you can still make money from people who know a lot less than you.

28. Personal Trainer

Personal trainers and fitness instructors is a viable part-time income for teachers looking to earn some extra money on the evenings and weekends – which is when the majority of the world is working out.

Fitness classes happen on evenings and weekends, and personal trainers can work around a client’s schedule. (As a teacher, you can focus on clients who have compatible availability.)

Being a fitness instructor or personal trainer generally requires a certification, but it generally doesn’t take a lot of extra time to earn a certification. You may be able able to combine this side hustle with being a nutritionist as well.

If you veer towards the health and fitness industry, then a side hustle based on exercise might be for you. Look into what it takes you get certified in your area.

29. Housekeeper

I’m trying to stay away from jobs like cleaning, and Uber driving on this article – . However, I think housekeeping might be a really nice side hustle for a teacher.

For those of us who are introverts and enjoy the idea of just keeping our head down and working -cleaning can be a very therapeutic activity.

If you’re good at cleaning, and if you’re a trusting person, then people want to hire you to clean their home, or help them organize their stuff.

30. Offer in-person lessons in the community

As a teacher, you’re already an established trusted figure in the community. If you were to launch a side business providing lessons (to kids, or to adults) then you by default have more trust than someone random beginning to offer lessons.

If you have talent in any of the following areas, then you could potentially start a side hustle teaching a variety of skills, such as:

any kind of musical instrument (piano, guitar, violin or ukelele)
artistic abilities, like drawing or crafting
singing
a second language (similar to tutoring)

Sharing a skill you’re good at and passionate about can be a great way to connect with others, and is one of the best side hustles for teachers.

Benefits of Side Hustles for Teachers

A side hustle is something you can:

earn an additional income
engage with another area that interests you
do flexible summer or weekend job
turn into your full-time income one day (if you choose to)
be a backup plan in case you ever need or decide to leave teaching unexpectedly.

Which Side Hustle is Right for You?

There are a few things you’ll need to take into consideration when it comes to choosing the best teacher side hustle.

Your interests and experience
What skills and talents you can offer (that you would enjoy)
How much investment, effort and time vs how much you could potentially earn

As someone who has tried many side hustles for teachers over the past 5 years, this is my advice to you:

Look for a side hustle that you enjoy and are genuinely interested in.

I tried a few side hustles where the journey to achieve the income I wanted felt like an additional chore. It’s much easier to have success if you’re pursuing something that you enjoy. Reading books on career change can help with this process.

Whether your side income is meant to eventually branch into a separate career, or if you just want to make an extra income on the side to teaching, then it will be more sustainable if it comes naturally to you and you enjoy doing it.

I recommend reading over the list and seeing what sparks your interest. What have you always wanted to do? What would you do, if time and money weren’t an issue?

Side Hustles for Teachers FAQ

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about starting a side hustle and how much you can earn from a side hustle

How can I make an extra $2,000 a month?

There are many ways to earn an additional $2,000 a month. You can earn this from photography, having a successful monetized YouTube channel, affiliate marketing or blogging. It will generally take time to reach this income level with a side hustle, so you need to be patient and keep working towards that goal.

What is the easiest and most profitable side hustle?

‘Easy’ is a relative term – different skills for side hustles come easily to different people. If you know coding, you can make good money building websites. If you have video editing abilities and skill in a certain area, you could earn good money from a monetized YouTube channel.

Final Thoughts on Side Hustles for Teachers

I don’t doubt that you’re a great teacher, but if you’re anything like me – you likely have a ton of other skills and talents up your sleeve besides teaching. This is why I chose to include a variety of side hustles for teachers on this list – not just ones that are strictly teaching or childcare-based.

Some teachers are happy to do additional paid teaching in their spare time, but if you’re looking to do something completely different – the sky is the limit.

Although teaching is generally a very secure job, having a side hustle is never a bad idea.

Regardless of the direction you decide is most up your alley- I hope that this list has filled you with inspiration and ideas for side hustles for teachers.