In celebration of back-to-school this month, I wanted to write a post for the teachers serving on the education front line daily. Being a teacher in today's world is no easy feat - it requires passion, dedication, and boundless energy. All for less than exciting pay.

Many K-12 teachers need a second (or third) source of income to get by. According to the National Educational Association, the average starting salary is $42,844 and the average public school teacher salary is $66,745.

Keep in mind this is a range across the United States, so depending on your state it may fall below or above these averages. For example, in South Carolina, these numbers drop to $38,929 for a starting salary and $54,814 on average. New Jersey has some of the highest stats, $55,143 for a starting salary and $79,045.

It's all relative though - rent, taxes, utilities, and food are all more expensive in New Jersey than it is in South Carolina.

Another item to note is that while teacher salaries went up this year on average (2% and 2.5% respectively), it's nowhere near keeping up with inflation.

While the Consumer Price Index (CPI) only increased 4.0% from May 2022 to May 2023, it's not the whole picture. Looking back two years, from April 2021 to April 2023, the cost of all items increased 13%.

That's a huge disconnect between salary increases and inflation. The disconnect has gotten so bad that the National Education Association confirmed that on average, teachers are making $3,644 less than they did 10 years ago when adjusted for inflation. This is a huge hit to the wallet for those who are patiently guiding our children every day.

The silver lining in teacher compensation is the schedule. Between summers off, holidays, and a decent punch-out time daily (some as early as 2:30 p.m.) - a teacher's schedule allows a bit of spare time to earn some extra cash on the side.

The Top Side Hustles for Teachers

a dog walker is holding the leash of four dogs, who are all sitting — Photo by Matt Nelson on Unsplash

Here are the 8 top side hustles that are a perfect match for teachers, equipping them to thrive both inside and out of the classroom:

Tutoring
Curriculum Creation
Online Courses & Virtual Workshops
Freelance Writing
Art Creation
Pet Sitting and Dog Walking
Photography
Invest in Real Estate

Elevate learning beyond the bell with tutoring

Tutoring is a natural extension of teaching and is in high need. Leverage your experience to provide personalized guidance to students who need extra help outside the classroom. This could be in a subject area that you teach day-to-day, or something completely different.

You can typically make more per hour the more specialized the topic is, but it may be harder to find clients.

For example, you may be able to find more students needing help with geometry, but there will be much more competition against other tutors. With more competition comes lower rates for tutors.

On the other hand, you can charge much more for tutoring services in advanced robotic manipulation but will find fewer students in this field. It's a trade-off that you'll need to consider.

The best way to get started is to advertise in your local network through word-of-mouth, or online through social media and tutoring platforms.

According to care.com, you can make $19 per hour on average as a tutor.

Share your curriculum creation prowess

Without realizing it, your curriculum (or lesson plans) is a treasure trove of lesson plans and activities. This is extremely valuable. Tap into education platforms and your network to get the word out. New teachers especially may be interested in purchasing a curriculum to use as a resource in their early years.

Another option is to sell directly to parents. With homeschooling on the rise, there is a growing need for tailored curriculums. As talented as parents are, most of us are not professional educators and would opt to purchase one directly from an expert.

While there are many platforms to sell curriculums and lesson plans - including your website - I would start with Teachers Pay Teachers. It has a ton of traffic and is a great place to conduct competitive research, launch your product, and connect with customers.

Showcase your knowledge with online courses and virtual workshops

Technology has truly revolutionized the education landscape. With a desire to learn and be entertained simultaneously, customers around the globe are seeking high-quality content. Teachers have a leg up over the competition for this side hustle as they strike this balance daily in the classroom.

If you can hold a crowd, consider creating an online course or holding a virtual workshop. Topics can include anything from foreign language, mathematics, classroom management, or teaching methodologies. Share your experience and help others grow, all while earning a bit of cash on the side.

Success will depend on your topic area and how much work you put in (along with a bit of luck). There are a ton of tools and platforms out there to choose from for creating your course or workshop.

I'd recommend starting with either Teachable or Thinkific. Both are easy-to-use platforms and can help you get to market extremely quickly.

Put pen to paper and earn extra cash through freelance writing

If you have a knack for the written word, consider freelance writing. Even with the rise of AI, there is a strong need for actual human writers. Why? Put simply, companies ranging from news outlets to small household brands are looking for quality content to connect with customers on a human level.

AI hasn’t been able to connect on a human and emotional level, meaning there is still a large opportunity to earn cash in this area.

As an educator, you have a unique perspective. Consider writing about your experience as an educator, your daily journey, parenting, and more. Write for other companies and platforms, start your blog, or create an e-book. The opportunities are endless.

According to Indeed, freelance writers make roughly $23 per hour on average in the US.

Unleash your creative side through art

This is one of my favorite side hustles on this list - and the one I'm horrible at. If you're an artist, you are sitting on a gold mine. From painting and crafting handmade products to building furniture, there is a huge opportunity to make money with your art.

Consider setting up a shop with Etsy or creating your e-commerce store with a platform such as Shopify.

Similar to platforms such as Teachable and Thinkific, Shopify will provide speed to market if you're selling a physical or digital product. At its core, Shopify is an e-commerce platform. Everything is built in service of optimizing your store, from website speed to inventory management.

To get the word out, showcase your work through social media platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram. Attend regional shows and advertise on the Facebook marketplace.

Art inspires people to live better lives, and because of that, you can charge a pretty penny.

Unwind with furry friends by pet sitting or dog walking

This one may be surprising to see on this list, but hear me out. The pet sitting and dog walking industries are massive - the pet sitting market alone is estimated to reach $5.14 billion globally.

While dog walking is growing a bit slower, it's estimated to reach a market size of $1.3 billion by the end of 2023.

The low barrier to entry and decent hourly wage (between $15-$18 on average) makes this an easy-to-start and lucrative side hustle.

This side hustle offers flexible hours, which should work well for teachers. This is one of the only side hustles on this list that leads to time outside, which may be a welcome break from the classroom.

If you own a dog and are already taking walks regularly, this is a great way to earn some extra cash for an activity you do for free.

Offer your services through word-of-mouth or set up shop online. Advertise services at schools, dog parks, and local doggy daycares.

Increase your income while capturing moments with photography

With the rise of mobile phones, everyone is a shutterbug on some level. There's even a subset of photography now called iPhoneography. While iPhones are amazing at capturing photos, there's still a high demand for professional photographers. There's a wide range of opportunities to capitalize on.

I'd break this side hustle into three categories of photos:

Personal moments

Consider this route if you love getting personal with your customers. You can specialize in moments such as weddings, graduations, and birthday parties. If you live somewhere with a good amount of tourism, consider offering photo sessions to travelers who are visiting. There are tons of ways to advertise your services in this area, including with TripAdvisor and Airbnb. It's a fun way to meet new people and show off your local area.

Professional

There's a ton of opportunity here, and you'll likely be able to pay more as your customers have larger budgets. Think of events such as corporate or school headshots, real estate listings, imagery for small business websites, and even ad campaigns. I've personally seen brands pay photographers thousands of dollars for a single day of taking photos.

Mass appeal

While I would argue this is the least personal of the three, there's an opportunity to make a ton of money. From stock photography to taking photos for mass publications, there is ample opportunity. If you're photos gain in popularity, you can even consider selling them as printables.

Take some time to figure out what you'd enjoy capturing and focus on that niche when creating your book of business.

Buy, rent, or flip real estate to increase your net worth

This side hustle is a bit harder to get started as it requires more cash upfront. Let's break it down a bit.

Buying

You have to live somewhere right? Our parents and grandparents typically advised that your home is one of the largest and best investments you'll make in your life and that renting is just throwing money away.

While there's some truth to that as homes are very expensive and can be your largest investment - I don't believe it's the best investment. Between high-interest rates and home values leveling off, renting may be a better option for you.

Depending on where you live, the all-in cost for renting may be lower than purchasing a home, freeing up more funds to invest for the future.

Property typically goes up in value, but keep in mind that the "buy and hold" method takes time to see a return on your investment. The same is true for commercial real estate.

Renting

There are a few ways to make money renting out real estate. There's a huge market for renting out extra space, whether it's a room on Airbnb or renting out your garage for someone to use as storage space.

If you can afford a second property, even better. You can rent property out on either a long-term or short-term basis. Consider furnishing the property and renting it to tourists, travel nurses, or students.

Flip

Flipping a home is a very lucrative path, but possibly the hardest in this side hustle. You essentially buy a home that needs some TLC, fix it, and sell it for a profit. Sounds simple enough right? In reality, there can be hidden issues and costs that you aren't aware of until after you purchase the home. Not a huge deal if you're a contractor or a DIY enthusiast. A bit harder for some of us who are more comfortable with hands-on keyboards.

BRRRR Method

The BRRRR method is a powerful strategy for anyone who decides to pursue real estate as a side hustle. BRRRR stands for Buy, Renovate, Refinance, Rent, and Repeat. Essentially, you buy a home that needs work, fix it up so it's worth more, refinance to get your cash back (and hopefully a better interest rate), rent it out, and repeat.

It's a powerful strategy in setting up a real estate portfolio, you essentially use the same initial set of capital to continue purchasing multiple pieces of property.

Bonus: REITs & Crowd-Funding

A bonus route to consider is investing in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or through crowd-funding platforms such as Fundrise. These are more passive options and require minimal capital (Fundrise requires a minimum of $10 to invest).

Your side hustle journey begins now

With the above 8 side hustles tailored for teachers, you're at the cusp of a new chapter in your journey. Many teachers I know personally are invested in their careers not for the money, but for the impact they have on the next generation.

But unless you're already independently wealthy, a teacher's salary likely won't cut it.

Whether you decide to pursue tutoring or start your rental empire, each venture is an opportunity to empower yourself beyond the classroom. Your skills are valuable and have the potential to transform your life both personally and financially.

Take that first step and start today - your side hustle journey begins now.

Unlocking Financial Potential: The Top 8 Side Hustles for Teachers