29 Jobs in Education That Aren’t Teaching (2024)

Want to work in the field of education, without necessarily doing the teaching? You’re not alone.

While teaching isn’t for everyone, there are so many jobs other in education that contribute to learning in a meaningful way.

These jobs in education that aren’t teaching contribute to the behind-the-scenes areas of learning that don’t involve the direct front-lining that classroom teaching does.

These educational-related jobs are suited for:

• Teachers who are simply looking for a change, or for a side hustle to complement their teaching career
• Anyone passionate about education who wants to contribute to it without necessarily being a classroom teacher
• People who want to get into the education field, with or without the bachelor’s degree required to be a teacher (many of these jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree, but not all)

Some of these jobs require or find classroom teaching experience to be an asset, while others can be pursued without having a teaching background at all.

So, let’s jump in – education-related jobs that aren’t teaching.

Education-Related Jobs (That Aren’t Teaching)

1. Instructional Designer

Instructional designers design courses, learning materials, training manuals and student guides.

It’s a great job for someone who enjoys teaching but wants to do more behind-the-scenes educating rather than the in-person instructing part of it.

Instructional design can be done freelance, or you can be hired in-house by a company, in a variety of industries – educational institutions (often colleges or universities), healthcare, government, military and more.

Being an instructional designer may be a good opportunity for introvert teachers, who love teaching but want to work more on a solitary basis.

Instructional Designers Job Requirements

There are degrees in instructional design, but you can be an instructional designer without having a degree in it. (A background in education may be an asset.)

Read more about becoming an instructional designer here.

2. Curriculum Developer

A curriculum developer is also sometimes called a curriculum designer. It involves identifying the key learning goals and developing a plan for learning.

As a teacher, you’re already well familiar with the school curriculum, but being a curriculum developer means designing curriculum for other programs as well; it’s not only limited to public education.

They often work for governments, but sometimes also for private schools and higher education institutions.

Curriculum Developer Job Requirements

Being a curriculum developer often requires a Master’s in Education, and teaching experience is seen as an asset.

3. Educational Consultant

A job as an educational consultant (or education consultant) can mean a couple of different things. Education consultants can work for school boards, government departments, universities or not-for-profit organizations.

Working as an education consultant in one of these capacities often means evaluating the current curriculum and recommending improvements, and being a part of ongoing professional development for teachers and instructors.

Although many education consultants are hired by companies and organizations, it is also a self-employed position as well. Education consultants are hired by parents to help them make decisions about their child’s education.

For example, parents who have a child with special needs are looking for support and an advocate to help them navigate the school system.

Educational Consultants Job Requirements

To be hired as an educational consultant by a governmental organization, a master’s degree in education plus classroom teaching experience is often preferred.

For any of the above (being employed or self-employment) classroom teaching experience is often seen as an asset when it comes to education consulting, as it uses many transferable skills to teaching.

A quick Google search will show you some results of people who offer education consulting services to families, and job descriptions from institutions that hire them in your area.

4. School Board Human Resources

Every school board or district has a Human Resources department, for which it is often an asset to have a CPHR (Chartered Professional Human Resources) to work there.

Human Resources for school boards are responsible for different functions of the education board, including:

• Recruiting and staffing; interviewing and onboarding new employees
• Performance management and appraisals
• Employee relations, health and safety, payroll management and much more

Human Resources Job Requirements

There are generally two ways to pursue a career as a CPHR. It can be through a degree program, or it could be through a diploma which involves on-the-job training.

A degree is seen as an asset for being a CPHR, but its not always required – I have heard of people getting hired to Human Resources without the CPHR degree. A background in education may be an asset when it comes to working as a school board CPHR.

5. Student Exchange Program facilitator

There are many jobs working for student exchange programs. I can also tell you from experience that it’s a rewarding way to contribute to an educational experience for students and youth.

Depending on where you live, there are exchange programs for all ages; usually starting from middle school up to university. Sometimes the exchange programs are private institutions that are affiliated (or at least approved) by the school board, and sometimes exchanges are organized between post-secondary institutions.

I worked for a student exchange program before being hired as a teacher. I gave presentations in schools advertising about the exchange opportunities, and I also escorted a group of students to Paris.

Requirements for working for a student exchange program

There aren’t usually requirements for working in student exchange. When I was hired by one, I highlighted on my resume that I had done a student exchange in the past and spoke the target languages of the countries that the particular program offered exchanges to. (However, this wasn’t a requirement.)

6. Creating + Selling Educational Materials

Selling educational materials that you’ve made is not an ’employment’ position, but it would allow you to be self-employed and generate a passive income (once you get it up and going.)

Different ways to generate a passive income from the creation of teacher and learning resources can include:

• create and sell curriculum-based educational materials on places like Teachers Pay Teachers or other platforms
• create educational videos for YouTube, and eventually earn income from the ads
• Create a teacher or learning-related blog (like this one!)

To do any of the above, you have to have the nack or enjoyment for whatever you’re creating. If you’ve always enjoyed creating worksheets or learning resources for your students, then why not sell them?

Pro Tip: While this can eventually lead to a full-time career, it may take a while to generate enough passive income to earn a livable income. It can be done part-time alongside any career, or as a remote summer job if you work as a teacher.

7. School Board Trustee

School board trustees can also be called school board governance, depending on where you live.

This is an elected position that involves representing the desires and values of parents and the community within the school board.

School board trustees may attend school board meetings, voice thoughts and concerns, communicate with people in various positions of the school board, and vote on matters pertaining to education.

Since this is an elected position, there aren’t any specific requirements. You can generally convince people that you’d be a good trustee by having a background or specialization in something education-related and understanding the needs of the school board and community.

8. Private School Owner or Director

Starting a private school looks much like starting up any brick-and-mortar business. You rent out space, make branding and marketing decisions, and hire employees (teachers) to teach classes.

Another option similar to this is starting a tutoring agency. You could start an online or brick-and-mortar tutoring business, or you could start your own virtual tutoring business and hire tutors to teach virtually.

If you want to be hired to manage a private school, then a background in working with children and/or management is usually preferred. You need to have decent business skills, as running a business is a completely different gear change from teaching.

9. Teacher Virtual Assistant

Yes, believe it or not – a teacher virtual assistant is a thing. Virtual assistants (VAs) provide support to professionals and business owners – and in this case, to teachers.

VAs are hired to take care of a number of menial tasks (which tend to be easy, but are time-consuming) including:

• creation of resources and materials
• social media management
• bookkeeping and filing
• responding to emails

Teacher VAs specifically can help with lesson planning, and finding. While I don’t know how many teachers hire one, being a VA for a teacher is a fun way to contribute to education without having the full workload of classroom teaching.

10. Director of a Childcare Centre

A background in education is an asset (but not required) to be a manager or director of a childcare centre. It’s also sometimes called a childcare director.

Childcare centre managers need to use many transferable skills that are also used in teaching, such as leadership, communication with parents, and ensuring that requirements and procedures are upheld.

Managing a childcare centre will be similar in many ways to managing a private school – except often, childcare centres receive some government subsidy and adhere to certain licensing regulations.

Childcare Director Job Requirements

To become a Childcare Director, you often need a high school diploma at the bare minimum, as well as experience working with children and managing employees.

Pro Tip: Opening up a home daycare is another alternative to teaching or working in a private childcare centre setting

11. Community or School Librarian

Being a librarian is somewhat linked to education because you’re responsible for the books that people of all ages consume; whether educational or fiction.

Librarians select books, manage the library, and run programs and classes to engage the community. They work at school libraries, private institution libraries or community libraries.

If you love reading, then being a librarian may be perfectly suited to you as you often get to read book reviews, find out about new books, and make decisions about what to add to your collection.

Librarian Job Requirements

Requirements to become a librarian depend on where you work. School librarians often need to be a teacher first. To work for a library outside of the school system, then you may need a degree in library science.

12. Teacher Union Representative

Working for the teacher’s union means contributing to education by supporting its front liners – teachers.

While teachers’ unions (or unions in general) have a negative connotation for some people, I found as a teacher that our unions were very much functioning in the best interests of the students.

While our unions advocated for better working conditions for teachers, improving the education was the common goal. Union workers are knowledgeable and passionate about education and teacher well-being.

If you see how better working conditions, work-life balance and teacher rights and pay contribute to a better learning environment and experience for all students, then you may be a great union worker.

It’s a job that requires passion, motivation and great communication skills.

Requirements for working for a Teacher Union

Working for a teacher union may differ depending on where you live. Where I live, to be a union representative, you are elected by teachers. However, there are also support roles within the teacher union too.

13. Tutor

Tutoring is technically teaching but under very different circumstances. I tutored for years before becoming a teacher, during my teaching career, and continued to after I left teaching.

Part of what I like about tutoring (as opposed to teaching in a classroom is):

• Working with preferred age group. I generally worked with adults as a tutor
• Being able to work online, or in person

Tutors can be hired by a tutoring agency or business where they are paid hourly. More often than not, they are self-employed. Read my post on how to start a tutoring business.

14. Youth Services Officer

Being a youth services officer involves working with young people who are in trouble with the law.

The goals of a youth service officer are to provide support and education to young offenders and take actions that help towards keeping them from re-offending.

It can make a meaningful difference in the lives of youth to help them better their futures.

Youth Services Officer Requirements

Requirements to become a youth services officer may require a relatable university degree, or a background in working with children and/or social work.

15. Engagement facilitator

Engagement facilitators are also sometimes called student or community facilitators. Student engagement facilitators often work in a particular area – for example:

• special needs student facilitator
• Indigenous student facilitator

There are also many job openings for ‘community’ or ‘youth’ engagement facilitators’ who are responsible for facilitating opportunities for youth to participate in their community.

They are responsible for providing programs to engage students in particular categories, and advocating for inclusion and accommodations if necessary.

Requirements to become an engagement facilitator

Requirements can vary, but it helps to have a background working or volunteering in the community, social work, teaching, or another related background.

16. Guidance Counsellor or Career Advisor

Guidance counsellors often work at high schools, and career advisors at universities.

At the high school level, they help students make course selections that would put them on a certain career path.

At the college or university level, they offer career guidance, such as:

• organizing student co-op programs for real-world job experience
• administering personality tests to help students make career choices
• one on one career counselling or advising

Guidance Counsellor or Career Advisor Job Requirements

Requirements to become a Career Counselling often requires a Master’s Degree. A school guidance counsellor

17. Educational performer

If you’ve spent any time working in a school, you may have been lucky enough to watch education-focused performers.

If you have a talent or interest in the performing arts, then this might be an fun idea for a business. There are people who deliver skits, plays or musical performances that have an educational component, that allow them to be invited to perform in schools.

Similar to a student exchange program, educational performances are usually a part of a private business that is approved by school boards. Schools then reserve performances which are usually paid for by the school budget.

18. Student counsellor or psychologist

Depending on where you live, school counsellors are offered at the elementary, high school, and the college or university level.

They contribute in a meaningful way to student success by helping students work through challenges; personal and academic.

Being a counsellor of any kind requires a background in counselling; often a master’s degree.

19. Education-related writing

If you’ve always dreamed of being a writer, there are many ways you can use writing skills to contribute to education that you may not have thought of.

A few examples of education-related writing include:

• curriculum and standardized test writing (more on writing standardized tests below)
• writing education-based articles for media publications
• copywriting for education-based materials, technology and resources
• children’s book author
• starting a teaching or learning-related blog

Being a writer of any kind doesn’t usually have specific requirements, whether its freelance or hired in-house. Read my post on becoming a freelance writer

20. Museum Educator

Another meaningful way to contribute to education, especially for kids, is to work at a museum, or even an art gallery.

Museums and art galleries hire people to run workshops, lead field trips, and take charge of other educational programs that the museum runs. It’s an important way for museums to engage the community; especially young learners.

21. Student Affairs positions

Student Affairs at the university or college level is centred around services for students.

Student Affairs oversees services such as admissions, housing, academic advising, career services, counselling and student activities and events.

To get a position in Student Affairs at a post-secondary institution, you usually need a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education or a related fields, plus skills in counselling, administration, and communication.

22. Corporate trainer

Corporate trainers are responsible for training and running professional development and ongoing training for employees of a company.

They identify learning gaps in employees and implement training to help them develop their knowledge and skills.

Corporate trainers can work for businesses and companies in a number of sectors. A bachelor’s degree is often required, and additional education (especially related to the field, or to teaching) will give you an edge in the application process.

23. Standardized Test Writer

Regardless of what opinions you have on standardized tests,

Writing standardized tests may not be a full-time position – it can often be done as a side hustle to teaching, or another career.

There are local standardized tests administered by school boards, and organized by province or state you live in.

But there are also international tests, such as the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) or tests geared at adults in many different subject areas.

24. School Principal

I debated whether or not to include a principal in the list of these education-related jobs that aren’t teaching because it’s undoubtedly something that many teachers have thought of.

Here are a few things to keep in mind about being a principal:

• It’s challenging to be a good principal
• It can be equally as stressful as teaching
• You generally need to have classroom teaching experience

Effective principals are ones that inspire and empower teachers to do the best that they can do, so that the student body can receive the highest quality of education as possible.

Principal Job Requirements

Advanced degrees are seen as an asset for being a principal, but not usually required. There may be a principal qualification course that is needed.

Where I live, teachers who have been teaching for at least 5 years can take a principal qualification course (PQC) to qualify as a principal.

25. Artificial Intelligence Training

If you’ve done any job searches in the last couple of years, you may have seen that there are positions involving training artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots popping up.

These AI training positions are found at tech companies, research institutions, and small business startups.

Requirements for AI chatbot training roles varies depending on the industry – whether its technology, psychology, education, or business. Experience in that field is imperative because you cannot train a chatbot without having direct knowledge yourself.

26. Speech and Language Pathologist

Being a speech and language pathologist (SLP) is a career that involves working with people of all ages; mostly children.

SLPs get to better the academic, educational, career and also personal confidence outcomes for people by helping them with various speech challenges.

SLPs work in groups or one on one with people with challenges such as stutters, articulation (pronunciation) errors, and even accent reduction for immigrants.

SLPS can either be self-employed with their own practice, work for a school board, or they work in the private sector for a speech service centre.

SLP Job Requirements

Becoming an SLP can be a challenging endeavour, as it’s a specialized skill that is high in demand but also competitive. You need to have an advanced degree specific to speech and language.

27. Driver Education

Working in driver education can either mean working for a driver training centre, or working for a drive test centre. By working for either, you’re contributing to road safety and ensuring the integrity of the

Some of the jobs can include:

• Administering drive tests
• Teaching driver education courses
• One-on-one driver instruction (this can include basic driving, or education on driving larger vehicles or upgrading licences)

Launching a career in driver education can mean starting your own small business as a driver education centre, or being hired by the government to work at a drive test centre.

It goes without saying that you need to be a licenced driver yourself, and it helps to have a good driving record as well.

28. Exam proctor

Exam proctors supervise people (students and adults) while they take tests. They are essential for ensuring the integrity of the testing process. They are hired by a number of companies and institutions, including:

• Colleges and universities
• Professional associations (for example, law, police training, and others)
• Government agencies
• Testing centres

Normally, its a part-time job or side hustle in addition to a regular job, as there aren’t normally enough tests to fill a full time schedule.

Exam proctor requirements

To be an exam proctor, you often need a high school diploma at the bare minimum, as well as any specific requirements for the institution or field for where you’re being hired.

29. Worldschooling Retreat Facilitator

If you’re a parent, you may have heard of a popular movement called “un-schooling”, and also worldschooling, which is similar.

There are many families that don’t put their children into regular schools and instead choose to home school (or unschool) or world school, which is similar but involves travelling.

Worldschooling retreats are offered to families with children who are world-schooling their children. Retreats are often several weeks long and designed to provide an educational experience for kids (and/or their parents) in a particular region.

As a parent who travels a lot with my kids and world-schools them part-time, I am very familiar with these retreats and opportunities.

This would be a self-employed position and require an investment in a training program you hope to run. It could be language, cooking or art lessons.

Other Education-Related Jobs

I’ve listed 29 ideas above, along with what you need to know about getting into those education-related positions. But there are countless ways to contribute to education or work in the school system that don’t involve being a teacher. Here are some additional ideas.

• Summer camp director or counsellor
• Instructor of any type of lessons – piano, scuba diving
• Life coach – usually, they work with adults but there are life coaches for kids too
• Social worker or therapist
• Substitute teacher

When it comes to education jobs that aren’t teaching, the sky is really the limit! There are countless ways to contribute to the education and development of people’s careers, academics and personal lives.

Final Thoughts on Jobs in Education that Aren’t Teaching

My hopes are that this article shines the light on the numerous ways that there are to contribute to education without being a school teacher.

While we often think of teachers as the main component of education (which, they are, in many ways) – there are so many other ways to contribute to learning; helping people of all ages with betterment in their personal and academic lives.

If you’re passionate about teaching but classroom teaching isn’t your dream, I hope you now know of lots of other ways to get involved in education.