The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not be current. This website may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of any third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney, accountant or credit counselor to obtain advice with respect to their particular situation. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or not act on the basis of information on this site. Always seek personal legal, financial or credit advice for your relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney or advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective employers.
Credit.com receives compensation for the financial products and services advertised on this site if our users apply for and sign up for any of them. Compensation is not a factor in the substantive evaluation of any product.
Teaching is one of the most underpaid and underappreciated professions. Two out of three Americans agree that teachers deserve to be paid more. If you’re a public school teacher, you’re probably all too familiar with the fight for higher wages. [1]
Whether you became a teacher to work with kids, share your passion for a certain subject or make a difference for future generations, it’s unlikely that you do it for the salary. But with the growing gig economy and the availability of remote work, you can supplement your income to make well above the average teaching salary.
In the past, pursuing National Board Certification, graduating with an advanced degree or getting a part-time summer job were the only options for boosting your income. Now, teachers are becoming millionaires by selling lesson plans, teaching students overseas or freelance writing—all thanks to the Internet and social media.
Take 32-year-old Hadar Hartstein, for example. Over the past six years, she’s sold a variety of teaching materials online like lesson plans, flash cards and ideas for classroom activities through her business Miss Kindergarten. And she’s earned more than $1 million. [2] It’s undoubtedly a lot of work to create so many offerings, but if Hadar’s Miss Kindergarten story tells you anything, it’s that selling lesson plans online is a great side hustle.
To learn more about how to earn extra income, check out these five ideas and pick one that suits your strengths and interests.
New online marketplaces provide a hub for educators to buy, sell and share lesson plans and activities for the classroom. Some of the most popular platforms include Teachers Pay Teachers, Teacher Lingo and Etsy. According to Adam Freed, an executive board member and former CEO of Teachers Pay Teachers, two-thirds of teachers in the U.S. are active members of the site. [3]
You can offer as much variety as you’d like or specialize in creating one type of resource. The beauty of online platforms is that you can create the things you enjoy and source other types of content from fellow teachers.
Whether you’re design-savvy or not, you can create beautiful educational resources using anything from basic word processing tools to design software like the Adobe Creative Cloud.
However you choose to make your products, print a few versions for yourself to test out since colors can often look different on paper than the computer screen.
Before deciding which platform is best for you, consider factors like how much it costs to join, how much the site keeps per transaction and how often you get paid.
[4][5]
Once you’ve decided on a platform, it’s time to post your offerings and let the world know. Sharing is the first step to success:
If connecting with kids is your passion, there’s no reason you can’t extend that beyond the classroom. There are plenty of ways to use online learning platforms to educate kids who aren’t in your immediate area.
Teaching English as a second language (ESL) to students in in another country is a great way to make part-time or even full-time income. One of the most commonly used platforms, VIPKid, was ranked number one in Forbes’ 2018 Top 100 Remote Work Companies Report. The students typically range in age from 4 to 12 years old. If this is something that interests you, be sure to consider your schedule since hours need to be compatible with those of the country the child you’re teaching is in.
[6][7]
Tutoring is a natural extension of the skills you already have. Online tutoring companies or schools offer remote positions for teachers seeking work they can do from home. You can also take an entrepreneurial approach and create your own tutoring business. The average hourly pay for tutoring ranges from $10 to $40. [8] Pay varies depending on the subject matter and your expertise, but taking the entrepreneurial path typically pays more.
The biggest challenge is finding students to tutor. So, here are a few tips for advertising your services:
If you prefer to stick with online tutoring, here are a few platforms you can use:
In the past, you needed a deal with a publishing house to publish a book, but with the popularity of eBooks, self-publishing is a great option for aspiring writers. If you feel like you have something to share, offer it as in eBook! Digital products like e-books do require work upfront, but with the right marketing strategy, sales keep coming one your book is done.
Nonfiction is the most obvious route for teachers looking to offer an informational product. Maybe you have a teaching method that you’re really passionate about, or maybe you have a unique experience as a teacher. Those are great topics for an eBook. Here are a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing:
You can use whatever platform you want to create your book, but there are a few specialty tools out there made specifically for creating eBooks. Also, check out step two of selling teaching resources for some additional tools you can use.
No matter how you create your book, there are two formats to export it in depending on which publishing platform you choose. Use .mobi for Amazon and .ePub for the other stores. If you have a website, you can also offer a .pdf version of your book for people who subscribe to your site via email.
If writing and formatting an eBook feels like too much commitment right now, consider writing freelance articles. There are plenty of teaching blogs and websites that pay contributing writers for their work. You can write about e-book-worthy topics, but in a more bite-sized format.
Teachers are expected to teach future generations about money, but as a teacher, you need money management tips as much as the next person—maybe even more considering that, as a teacher, you might earn less than professionals with similar education levels. [9] From taking advantage of special discounts to finding free or cheap ways to get classroom supplies, there are plenty of ways to spend less and save more.
By selling your teaching resources or tutoring services, you can build a personal brand, connect with the larger teaching community and make some extra money all at once. The same reasons you became a teacher mean you probably put your students first. but it’s important that you take care of you—and that includes your finances. If you’re not sure where you stand, check your credit score for free to make sure you’re in good financial standing, or at least know what you need to work towards.
At publishing time, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is offered through Credit.com product pages, and Credit.com is compensated if our users apply and ultimately sign up for this card. However, this relationship does not result in any preferential editorial treatment. This content is not provided by the card issuer(s). Any opinions expressed are those of Credit.com alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer(s).
Note: It’s important to remember that interest rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products frequently change. As a result, rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products cited in these articles may have changed since the date of publication. Please be sure to verify current rates, fees and terms with credit card issuers, banks or other financial institutions directly.
Sources:
1 PDK Poll Teaching: Respect but dwindling appeal
2 Business Insider Teachers are making millions selling their lessons plans online
3 PBS NewsHour Why teachers selling lesson plans have sparked debate
4 Teachers Pay Teachers Payout Rates and Fees
5 The Work at Home Wife 5 Places to Sell Teaching Materials Online
6 WeAreTeachers 12 Rewarding Ways Teachers Can Work From Home
8 PayScale Average Tutor Hourly Pay
9 Money These 7 Charts Explain the Fight for Higher Teacher Pay
10 U.S. Department of Education Public School Teacher Spending on Classroom Supplies
March 11, 2021
Personal Finance
March 1, 2021
Personal Finance
February 18, 2021
Personal Finance