How to pick a realistic side hustle as a teacher.

(Last Updated On: August 7, 2023)

I’m sure you’ve seen many lists like this before. When I was looking for something extra on top of teaching, I browsed dozens of these lists full of good ideas for what you could do with some spare time. The problem is, as teachers, we don’t have extra time. I’ve curated this list with that in mind.

Most realistic ideas:

1. Making and selling resources.

Teachers Pay Teachers was a godsend for me while I was a relief teacher. It saved me multiple times when I rocked up to a classroom and the teacher had not left any resources or tasks. It was quick and easy to buy and download something on my phone and quickly print it off before the day started.

This experience inspired me to make my own TpT store aimed at substitute teachers. I’ve put up a lot of stuff that I’ve created specifically for the store, but you don’t need to do this. I’ve put this option up at the top of the list because you could make some extra cash by uploading and selling the resources you’ve already made. This means that there is only a minimal additional time commitment on top of your day job.

A lot of teachers forget that if you work for a school, the school may own the rights to any resources that you create. I’ve made sure to spend the time making new resources for my store because I don’t want to risk selling something that I don’t own the right to. Check your contract to make sure that you own your resources before uploading stuff to sell that you’ve made while on the clock at your teaching job.

2. Tutoring.

This one takes some extra time, as you would be paid by the hour. However, if you already have the skills and understand the curriculum, this can be a good option. Online tutoring can be excellent as you can still keep an eye on kids or have dinner in the oven while you earn some extra cash. 

Young male teacher tutoring a student for his side hustle.
Tutoring students can be a great option for a side hustle for teachers as you already have all of the skills required.

There are a range of companies that you can work with, but your local public school system may also have options for teachers who want to do some casual work on the side. I’d definitely recommend getting in touch with a local social media group based on tutoring to see what people are doing in your area. You could, of course, use a big online company. Still, I believe the real benefit of tutoring as a side hustle for teachers is your familiarity with curricula, which can be very geographically based.

3. Professional Development.

When I started as a relief teacher, I found it hard to get good professional development. My school meets all of my needs in this regard now, but it was tricky as a sub. There’s a huge market for teacher professional development, and doubly so if you can do it online

Online is more of an initial time commitment than doing something in person, and again, I believe that the real value of this as a side hustle is that you can double up on what you’re doing during the workweek. If you’ve been trying a new way of teaching literacy, put up an event on Eventbrite for $15, post to your local social media groups, and get some people around to your place for an hour to learn what you’ve been doing!

See more: How to Present a Great Professional Learning Workshop

4. Writing for a website.

Young female teacher writing for her online side hustle while smiling.
Doing some extra writing on the side, especially if it’s about a topic that you know a lot about, can be a great side hustle.

Many teaching websites would be keen to have some freelance writers. Many people who aren’t teachers just don’t understand the profession and what it’s like to be a teacher, so we’re always looking for actual teachers to write articles. Keep in mind that it is a skill, and you may need to do a bit of learning. It can be quite an efficient way to earn some extra cash, especially when you don’t need to do as much research because you live this every day.

The maybe less realistic:

5. Starting a blog or website.

I’ve put this into the next category because it is a time commitment to get a blog or website up and running. You need to write a lot and wait at least six months before you can make any money, and then probably over a year before you’re making any reasonable money worth the amount of effort. Even then, if you don’t do it properly (or just get unlucky), you may have been working on it for a year and be making absolutely nothing.

There is more to creating a good blog or website than just being good at teaching, which is another reason why it’s a little less realistic. If you’re interested and have the time and patience to learn and build a good website, it’s a great option! But not everyone has those things. I find that it’s good to get my thoughts in order and build my professional skills; building this blog is certainly helping my teaching. Remember that this is less quick cash and much more of an investment. Like any investment, it may not pay off.

6. Monetising another skill or hobby.

This is an excellent option if you have another skill or hobby that you can monetise. I’m not assuming that you do, though, and if you’re overworked already, it’s probably a bad idea to turn something you love into work as well. Have a good think about whether you want to monetise your hobbies or if you need them to wind down and relax. This being said, having a bit more cash can help you relax as well!

Young male teacher being filmed cooking for his online side hustle youtube channel.
Monetising another skill that you already have can be a great side hustle for teachers. It’s easier if you’re already
interested in the skill!

A couple of skills that you can monetise are any art or craft skills. You could sell items online through a platform like Etsy or Facebook Marketplace or book a stall at a local market or fair. This is also an excellent option if you propagate plants, and I get crates of fruit to make jams for gifts every year through Facebook Marketplace, which is another option for a product you could sell. Photography is another hobby that is easy to monetise, especially if you look into selling stock photos. Most big stock photo companies have a platform through which you can upload photos and see if they get approved.

What I would generally not recommend:

7. Ridesharing, gig economy types of work.

While the suggestions that I’ve already made are great if you have skills, these kinds of apps and tasks more rely on you having spare time. If you’re time-poor, these options can suck up any remaining time that you have. I tried doing paid surveys through a couple of apps before and found that I was spending too much time to make so little money when I could have been relaxing and preparing for work the next day instead. 

The school holidays would be a good time to experiment with a few of these options. You’ll have a bit more time to test things out, and it might mean that you don’t need to have another job during the holidays. These gig economy types of options are great because they are flexible, and you can decide whether you want to make some cash or not day by day. 

Male teacher smiling while in the car driving for his ridesharing gig.
Working for a ridesharing company may not be the best side hustle for teachers as it takes up a lot of your time
for the amount of money that you can make.

8. Getting another job.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I firmly believe that getting another job is not a side hustle. I’m not saying that this is a bad option if you are struggling to make ends meet, but you need to recognise this as what it is. Side hustles are generally considered more flexible, more catered to your interests, and have the potential to be scaled at a later date if you’d like. Getting another job is a valid decision, but I don’t think it should be viewed as a side hustle. 

If you don’t need the cash of another job but are still considering one, think about whether  that is what you want to do. Your time is valuable, and you need to spend some of it on yourself if you have any spare. I’ve also found it a much better investment to focus on the career that you do have instead of just getting more work. Learning is a great way to invest in yourself, and while you may not see the financial benefits straight away, building your skills for the next promotion or pay rise are very real things that are worth spending time on. 

I know that I’ve been a bit pessimistic here, but I wanted to give you a realistic idea of what you could do. Having a side hustle feels great; it feels like you’re in control and don’t need to rely on your day job as much. However, sometimes the best investment you can make is in yourself and your career. By all means, have a side hustle. I do! But you need to make sure that you’re looking after yourself and don’t burn out.

Grind culture is unsustainable, especially if you have a job like teaching where you are already doing a lot of unpaid work and are time-poor. Be clever about it, and use those skills you’ve honed in the classroom instead of choosing an option that will just take up any time you have left for you.

Elise is an enthusiastic and passionate Australian teacher who is on a mission to inspire and support fellow educators. With over a decade of experience in the classroom, Elise leverages her expertise and creativity to provide valuable insights and resources through her blog. Whether you're looking for innovative lesson ideas, effective teaching strategies, or just a dose of inspiration, Elise has got you covered.

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