Teachers don’t get into teaching to become rich. They work hard for minimal pay because they’re committed to helping kids learn and grow. And they often find themselves in a position where they need (or want) to make some extra income. If you want to supplement your teaching income, here are 15 ways for teachers to make extra money from home.
Before staying home with my kiddos, I was a 5th-grade teacher. I barely made enough money to cover my expenses and was always looking for ways to add to my income.
At that time, there weren’t many options for teachers to make money from home unless they had an advanced degree to teach online at the collegiate level.
Fast forward just a few years later, and now there are TONS of options for teachers to work successfully from the comforts of home.
If you want ways for teachers to make extra money from home, this list of money-making opportunities is for you!
15 Ways for Teachers to Make Extra Money
Here are 15 terrific opportunities to make extra income from the comfort of your home.
1. Make Extra Money Tutoring Online
As video conferencing takes center stage, tutoring online has never been more accessible! Many families are now well-versed in using tools such as Zoom and GoToMeeting. And, even better, most kids now have the experience of virtual learning under their belt.
Another major benefit of tutoring from home via video conferencing is the immediate availability to speak with parents and students.
Below are a few ways you can start tutoring from home:
- If you currently teach: Inquire with your district about allowing you to offer pay-based tutoring from home for your students who may be struggling.
- Advertise Locally: Put your tutoring services out there via Facebook groups (mind the rules of these groups before you advertise), Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or other local spaces where you know parents may frequent.
- Care.com: Create a tutor profile, set your hourly rate, and advertise your amazing teaching services! The average rate is $19 per hour, but some tutors can make $40+ per hour.
- Course Hero: Connects students with tutors to get help with homework in various subjects. No teacher certification is necessary, but certain credentials are to prove that you’re knowledgeable in the areas you specify.
- Tutor.com: A service of the Princeton Review, this site offers 24/7 tutoring on a range of subjects and testing, including K-12, higher education tests, and business subjects. Tutors can set their schedule but must work at least five hours per week. Pay is based on the subjects you teach.
2. Create and Sell Printables From Home
Turn those amazing worksheets and printables you make for your students (or your own kids) into passive income. One of the things I loved about being a teacher was creating engaging resources for my students. Little did I know that it could become a lucrative side hustle!
Etsy is one place you can do this. And if you enjoy making a wide range of printables and graphics, you can make a decent passive side income from your Etsy shop.
Alternatively, Teachers Pay Teachers is an online community where you can post and sell your printables and other resources (even lesson plans!). One thing to remember is that this teacher-to-author-based platform is all about sharing quality work.
The very first item you post must be listed as a freebie for the community because it sets the stage for your account to grow and opens the door to pricing out your other work.
Simply create a profile and begin selling those beautifully designed printables to start making money from home – even while you sleep!
Here’s how:
- Create your profile on Teachers Pay Teachers (there are two seller account levels. You can use the FREE level unless you want a higher commission).
- Post your first (free) worksheet or resource on the platform to get started. Make sure the product you’re offering for free is still high-quality and worth paying for.
- Create or find resources you’ve already created to post as a mixture of paid and free items. The recommended ratio is publishing one free resource for the community for every 8-10 paid products you post.
- When you post your paid items, be sure to check their guidelines; you want to get paid for all of that hard work!
- Watch your account grow! Over time, these little printables will bring in big cash. Sell page-by-page or create entire packets to post at a higher price.
Want to learn more about creating and selling printables online? Check out the E Printables Side Hustle Course!
3. Make Money Scoring Test Papers Online
During the school year, I would often do most of my grading at school before or after the students had come and gone.
I knew that usually, by the day’s end, I wouldn’t have the energy to correct papers after a long day of lessons, meetings, and the like.
So, you can imagine how excited I was to find that I could earn extra money on the weekends, over the summer, and on other seasonal breaks scoring papers.
With this opportunity, I could grade assessments in the wee hours of the night or during the day in my yoga pants while making money from home!
If you like correcting papers and assessments, this money-making opportunity is definitely for you. Here are some other specifics about this work-from-home gig:
- Teaching experience is not required.
- Many companies look for an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree as a prerequisite.
- You may need to take one (or multiple) qualification tests before you’re hired.
Here are some companies you can check out if you’re looking to get your feet wet in correcting papers from home:
- Write Score: This company hires scorers year-round and uses assessment data to promote learning. As a Write Score contractor, you’ll read and score student responses. You’ll need to have a 2-year college degree and pass individual requirements.
- Literably: Offers another flexible position where you can set your own hours. As a Literably scorer, you’ll evaluate oral recordings of elementary students, much like that of a transcriptionist. You’ll listen to student audio recordings and transcribe errors. Pay is based on your performance, speed, and accuracy.
- ETS: Hires part-time scoring professionals for a variety of testing programs. As a scorer, you’ll evaluate samples such as written and verbal responses. Their hiring process (and workload) vary during the year.
For more opportunities to score papers at home, learn more about scoring papers online.
4. Teach ESL Classes At Home
Regardless of any previous experience as an ESL teacher (English as a Second Language), as long as you’re fluent in English, you can easily extend your teaching reach while making money from home as an ESL teacher.
Generally, each company hiring to teach English from home has different requirements (some have very few). Here’s the overall scoop on this work-from-home teaching opportunity:
- For teaching conversational English online (you get paid to simply talk to others), a degree or certification may not be necessary.
- Not all companies require dual language skills, but teaching experience and certain degrees (Bachelor’s or above) may be required.
- Some companies allow you to start with a provision that you obtain a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate in a specified time frame.
- Pay will vary from company to company, but on average, the rate is about $15-$20 per hour.
One of the many benefits of working from home as an ESL teacher is the experience you’ll gain working with students from around the globe. There are a variety of possibilities for making money from home as an ESL teacher.
Here are some companies looking for individuals to teach students English from home:
Cambly: This unique platform pays you to simply talk with students privately. While you chat with students, Cambly automatically tracks the time you tutor. The pay is $0.17 per minute, which comes out to about $10.20 per hour when speaking to adults or $0.20 per minute ($12 per hour) on Cambly Kids. Money is delivered every Monday via PayPal. To begin, you’ll need:
- To be a native English speaker from the US, Canada, UK, New Zealand, South Africa, or Australia.
- A computer or laptop with a webcam and internet connection.
Lingoda: An online language school that uses a virtual classroom where teachers connect with small groups of adult students. Lingoda provides your teaching materials, and you can take advantage of a flexible schedule that works for you (there are no minimum hours). Here are some other details to know:
- Teachers must be native speakers.
- You must hold a certification to teach the language.
- Pay is based on skills and experience.
5. Get Paid to Answer Questions Online
Want to get paid simply for what you know? Putting all of that knowledge to good use can pay off more than just in the classroom.
Whether you’re an expert in a particular subject, love to help others find solutions, or both, you can make extra money from home by answering questions online.
Here are a few sites that will pay you to do so:
- JustAnswer: This site pays you to answer everyday questions that are posted online. One major benefit of working with JustAnswer is flexibility. They operate 24/7, which means you can answer questions whenever it works for you and your schedule. Depending on your area of expertise and how much you work, you can earn up to $7,000 of extra money a month.
- PrestoExperts: Get paid to answer questions related to health, technology, business, and more. Sign up as an expert, and PrestoExperts will connect you with individuals who need help with or have questions about your subject. You can choose to answer questions by email, chat, or call. You’ll be able to set your fees and accept the work based on your availability.
- Maven: Allows you to monetize your knowledge via short online consultations. You can answer questions online or on the phone. Signing up is easy, and you can set your hourly consulting rate based on your field and experience.
- HelpOwl: Answer questions and earn points for completing specific tasks. With HelpOwl, the point system converts into gift cards you can exchange online.
6. Start a Blog to Make Extra Money
Do you love to write? Why not start a blog? Creating a blog around a niche you love (perhaps a teaching blog on a particular subject or age group) can certainly bring in money over time. You can make money with a blog through:
- Affiliate links
- Sponsorships
- Ad revenue
- Sell your own printables and products
It’s important to note that while you can make good side money with a blog, it doesn’t happen immediately and can take a while to get to that point. Want more information on how to get started? Learn how to start a blog and make money from it.
7. Create an Online Course
Another great way to extend your teaching expertise and make money from home is through online course creation. Have a solution to a problem that others could benefit from? Create a course and make money from it!
Online course platforms such as Udemy and Uscreen are great places to start, but you can also check out this article for additional resources on creating your own course.
8. Accept a Freelance Writing Assignment
If you have a way with words, try making some extra money as a freelance writer. You can do this in several ways, from writing social media posts or blog posts to writing podcast notes or being a ghostwriter.
Pay varies based on what you do and the online platform you use to find assignments. Check out ProBlogger, BloggingPro, and Writers Work for job postings.
9. Start a YouTube Channel
If you have ideas to share with the world, YouTube can help you do it. Similar to blogging, there’s no magic wand to wave and start making good extra money quickly. However, once you start getting some traffic and followers, you can monetize your YouTube channel and make good passive income even while you sleep. Learn more about how to start your own YouTube channel and monetize it.
10. Make Extra Money as a Pet Sitter
Pet sitting (and dog walking, too) is one of the best side hustles that give as much or more in return for what you put into it. Furry cuddles and a trimmer waistline are just a couple of the benefits you’ll receive in addition to pay as a dog walker or pet sitter.
Set your pay rates and do it as much or as little as you want in order to make the kind of side money you want. You can sign up with companies like Rover and Wag or start your own pet sitting business from home scratch. Learn more about pet sitting to see if it’s a good fit for you.
11. Rent Your Stuff
Do you have stuff that other people need? Rent it out and make some passive income! Some great examples of things you can rent out include:
- Land for campers
- Home (or portion of your house) on Airbnb
- Garden space
- Storage space
- Boat
- Car
Read more about how to rent your stuff for money to see what you may have that you can rent to others and make some side income.
12. Do Online Transcription Work
Transcribing spoken content into written content is one of those great side hustles you can do on your own schedule and scale it as big or small as you want. General transcription covers things like closed captioning or transcribing interviews. There’s also medical transcription and legal transcription for anyone who knows (or is willing to learn) the terminology of the profession.
You’ll need excellent listening and typing skills as well as a computer. Check out companies like CrowdSurf, Rev, and TranscribeMe to get started, or learn more transcription work here as a way for teachers to make extra money.
13. Be a Freelance Proofreader
If you have an eye for detail, proofreading may be the ideal side gig to bring in some extra money. As a proofreader, you can set your own hours, work as much or as little as you want, and make good money.
Proofreaders make an average of $21 per hour, with top proofreaders earning $36.72 per hour, so this side gig has growth potential. If you’re interested in becoming a proofreader, sign up for this free training from Proofread Anywhere.
14. Participate in Market Research
Market research is a broad field that ranges from taking online surveys to doing affiliate marketing. Some people may find online surveys tedious after a while, but if you enjoy doing them, you can make decent side money. Check out survey sites such as User Interviews, Respondent, and Survey Junkie to start earning.
15. Make Extra Money as a Virtual Assistant
Do you love spending time on social media? Are you great at answering emails or being organized? Consider becoming a virtual assistant specializing in social media management, graphic design, or even food photography for blogs! If those areas don’t appeal to you, virtual assistants can also perform tasks such as bookkeeping, data entry, editing, and making travel arrangements.
This side gig offers a lot of flexibility so that you can find tasks you enjoy doing – and make some extra income too. Find jobs on sites such as Great Assistant, BELAY, and FlexJobs.
Conclusion
With a surge of work at home opportunities for teachers, it’s a great time to start earning money doing what you love! From online tutoring, course creation, scoring papers, and more, you can choose from an array of different ways for teachers to make extra money to supplement or replace your teaching income. If you’re looking for more remote jobs for educators, sign up for our free newsletter, and get remote job leads sent directly to your inbox.
Originally published June 1, 2020. Content updated June 2023.
