It’s widely understood that teachers today deal with inadequate compensation. Findings from the Economic Policy Institute regarding teacher pay indicate that teachers make 19% less than other college-educated workers. Unfortunately, many teachers even leave their jobs within just a few years of taking them for this very reason.

Another option that some teachers consider, however, is the pursuit of supplemental work. While teachers are often overworked, to begin with, those who can establish more of a divide between teaching and free time can use that spare time to pursue second jobs or “gigs” on the side. And in fact, Pew found in 2019 that 1 in 6 teachers have begun to do just that. It may not always be ideal, but it often helps teachers create a cushion that protects them both economically and mentally.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the possibilities that teachers have in terms of supplemental work and side gigs.

Tutoring

Yes, this is still teaching –– but it’s teaching one student or a small group of them at a time, and it’s typically separate from the “day job.” Jobs in tutoring can actually be quite lucrative, with some industrious teachers amassing far more than they might in ordinary positions –– even up to $100,000 in the best of cases! But even if you don’t take it that far, there are lots of advantages to this kind of side gig.

First, you’ll be able to set your own schedule according to what you can handle. Second, you’ll set your own rates (often making more per hour than in traditional teaching). And finally, it’s worth noting that the students who go for tutoring tend to have a higher intrinsic motivation for learning –– which means they’ll pay more attention and are more likely to absorb the material. That can make the work more rewarding for both of you. Even if you have no work experience, you can look for online tutoring jobs on Jooble.

Writing

There are virtually innumerable writing careers that you can pursue as part-time work in your free time. Indeed, as of 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that there were more than 123,000 jobs for “writers and authors” in the U.S. alone. These jobs stretch across fields like web content writing, technical writing, grant proposals, and more, providing plenty of opportunities for teachers who are good with their keyboards.

Those who prefer research and structured writing might lean toward technical opportunities, while teachers who value creativity and subject variety can find plenty to do in online content writing. Whatever you might lean toward personally though, the bottom line is that companies and individuals alike often need people to come in and help them create quality content, and a lot of teachers are well equipped to do just that. Just remember that this will likely be contract work, meaning you’ll need to secure jobs one by one and negotiate rates each time.

Selling Your Materials

Remember all of those worksheets you slaved over during summer break? We know they took a long time to make. Furthermore, if you multiply those hours over the last few years, it’ll add up to an alarming amount of time you’ve spent outside of teaching hours preparing your own material. The good news though is that there are quite a few websites on which you can share your material with other teachers and get paid for it –– such as TeachersPayTeachers, Educents, and Teacher’s Notebook, to name a few.

Notably, you can also buy material from other teachers in order to save time on preparation, which will leave you with more time to do what you love –– or tackle another side job instead.

Selling Classroom Items

While the previous point concerns worksheets and other intellectual property you’ve created, there’s also no shortage of teachers in need of physical materials. Flashcards, clocks with moving hands, bulletin board decorations, and even homemade natural play-doh are things that teachers need (depending on what level they teach, of course) –– and they’re willing to pay for them.

Provided you have materials that belong to you, and not the school you teach at, you can open up a shop on Etsy, sell your materials through social media, or even set up a kiosk at a local market. Any of these can offer a great way to show off your crafty skills while also making some money and helping out your fellow teachers.

Grading Papers

Yes, grading papers can get tiresome even in your day job. But when you’re being paid specifically to grade a few more on the side, it can become a much more appealing task.

Platforms like Measurement, Inc., Write Score, and ETS will all pay teachers to assess and score various types of assignments. Each option is unique; Measurement requires a bachelor’s degree in a particular subject for you to start grading work, for instance, whereas ETS will in some cases require a valid teaching certificate for those who wish to grade standardized tests. With plenty of different options out there though, teachers have plenty of opportunities to grade papers for supplemental income.

At the end of the day, being a teacher is hard, and it’s even harder when you’re not properly compensated. Luckily, there are quite a few fun side jobs that can help you supplement your income during your time out of the classroom. Find the right opportunity to work on your own time for some spare funds now and then, and you may just find that your lifestyle as a teacher improves.

We hope this has been helpful, and please feel free to peruse the blog for more interesting teaching and classroom content!

Do you have any side jobs that bring in extra income? Share in the comments.

About the Author: Riley Jeanne is a life coach and an up-and-starting mompreneur. Formerly a language teacher, she has then shifted her focus to coaching and guiding individuals through their career and overall personal development. She meets a wonderful variety of people through her coaching and loves to write about her interactions and experiences.

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