If you are a teacher, it’s never early to start planning ways to make money during the summer. There are legitimate summer jobs for teachers that let you supplement your income.
Many opportunities have minimal requirements and allow you to earn up to $25 per hour, sometimes more. Better yet, many side jobs for teachers can be done in your spare time throughout the year.
Read on for summer job ideas and gigs that teachers can pursue to earn extra cash.
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Best Summer Jobs for Teachers
Does not receiving a salary in the summer put you in a financial bind? Or does the idea of making extra money sound enticing? Here are 11 awesome summer jobs for teachers to earn cash.
1. Deliver Meals
Delivery app gigs are an increasingly popular way to make money on the side. Drivers pick up meals from restaurants and deliver them to customers.
Some platforms deliver items beyond food, providing additional opportunities.
DoorDash is a service that allows contractors to deliver meals to customers. You can work on your own schedule and get paid weekly.
It’s possible to get paid $23 per hour while on a delivery for DoorDash, making it one of the best side hustles for teachers.
To start driving for DoorDash, you must meet the following requirements:
- Your car must have at least two doors (some cities allow delivery by scooter or bike)
- Have a valid driver’s license
- Pass a background and DMV check
- Have valid insurance
- Own a newer smartphone
Learn more: Read our DoorDash driver review to learn more.
2. Deliver Groceries
Another one of the best part-time summer jobs for teachers is buying and delivering groceries to busy families. Instacart Shopper is the top grocery delivery service to work for if you want to make a decent income.
The service is in over 4,000 cities nationwide. It hires shoppers and delivery drivers to serve people who use their app.
*Related: If you’re looking for other food delivery jobs, read our guide on alternatives to Uber Eats to find additional opportunities.
You can pick your schedule in advance depending on your availability. The app also lets you choose which areas you work in. This is helpful if you don’t want to drive too far.
Earnings, including tips, can earn $20+ per hour.
Whenever someone requests to have their groceries delivered, you receive a notification. Once you accept an order, you can begin your pickup and delivery route.
You must meet the following requirements to deliver for Instacart:
- Be 18 years or older
- Have a valid driver’s license and insurance
- Agree to a background check
- Own a current smartphone
- Have access to a vehicle
- Be able to lift up to 40 pounds
Learn more: Read our review of Instacart Shopper to learn more.
3. Proofreader
You already get paid to grade papers. Why not make money on the side as a freelance proofreader?
Proofreading is different from editing. As a proofreader, you review content for spelling and grammatical errors before a company makes it public.
You can either get clients locally or find them online. According to the Editorial Freelance Association, the average proofreader can charge up to $35 per hour. As a new proofreader, you can expect to earn at least $20 per hour.
Getting started as a proofreader is simple, but it does take some time to grow a client base.
Our friend Caitlyn Pyle offers a free course, Proofread Anywhere, that teaches you how to become a professional proofreader. In the course, Caitlyn offers a 76-minute workshop you can take to learn how to make money as a proofreader. She also offers tips on how to grow a client base.
Learn more: read our review on how to become a Proofreader to learn more.
4. Virtual Assistant
If you’re interested in online summer jobs for teachers, consider becoming a virtual assistant (VA). VAs are a growing need as more companies operate online.
VAs help small businesses function by managing a wide range of responsibilities, including:
- Email management
- Project management
- Invoicing
- Social media marketing
Specialized skills aren’t necessary to become a VA, but they can increase your earning potential. You can expect to earn $15 to $20 per hour as a VA. It’s possible to earn up to $35 if you have advanced skills.
Finding clients takes time, so consider $10K VA as a resource. In her free webinar, our friend Kayla Sloan shares tips on how to land clients and increase earnings. Kayla earns $10,000 per month as a virtual assistant, proving that this can be a lucrative way to make money.
Learn more: Read our review on how to become a virtual assistant to learn more.
5. Start A Blog
Blogging is one of the best side hustles for teachers since it offers flexibility. It can even be in any niche you like.
Blogging won’t help you get rich quickly. However, it can be an excellent way to build a stream of income long-term.
It’s not unheard of to earn thousands of dollars per month as a blogger, but it does take time to reach that level of success.
You can make money blogging in various ways, including:
- Sponsored advertising
- Affiliate marketing
- Display ads
If you’re a tech novice, have no fear. You can still start a blog and make money. Bluehost is a hosting company that launches your site with just a few clicks. They provide 24/7 support and will give you one domain name free for a year.
All of this is available for an affordable $2.95 per month.
Learn more: read our review on how to start a money-making blog to learn more.
6. Freelance Writer
When it comes to summer jobs for teachers, freelance writing is a terrific way to make extra money on the side. Similar to proofreading, many businesses need quality content.
As a freelance writer, you can create content in various forms, including:
- Blog posts
- Email blasts
- Speeches
- White papers
Blog posts are a common form of content businesses want. Rates vary, but it’s possible to earn $100-$200 per post.
As an educator, you will find there are companies that hire teachers for their experience or background. This can help you earn more.
If you don’t know where to find clients, our friend Holly Johnson offers a free introductory course called Earn More Writing. In it, she shares tips on how to find good clients and charge more. She has used these tips to earn six figures per year as a writer.
Learn more: Read how to write articles for money to learn more.
7. Walk Dogs
Do you love pets? If so, the on-demand space offers the opportunity to make money walking dogs.
Pet owners use Rover for various needs, including:
- Walks
- Boarding a pet in your home
- House sitting
Rover was established in 2011 and has become one of the largest networks for pet owners. According to the Rover website, some sitters earn up to $1,000 per month. Users take home 80 percent of their earnings.
Learn more: read our review of the best dog walking jobs to learn more.
8. Babysitting
If you don’t mind extra time with children, one of the top summer jobs for teachers is working as a babysitter. Babysitting is a classic way to earn cash on the side. As a teacher, you have all the skills needed to care for children.
Reports indicate the average babysitter earns $15 per hour for one child and $20 for two. While lower than some of the other opportunities, babysitting gigs can be fairly lucrative.
You can advertise services on Facebook Marketplace, let friends know you’re seeking clients, or use Care.com to find gigs. The latter allows you to create a profile so clients can leave feedback. This can help you land more gigs.
9. Teach English Online
People who can teach English are always in demand around the world. If you have these qualifications, you can teach English online:
- Fluent English speaker
- Bachelor’s degree
- Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification
EF Education First is one of the most respected platforms to teach English online. Classes usually have less than seven students. The platform provides all the course materials.
Teachers can start earning up to $20 per hour with this opportunity.
You must have the following to teach students online:
- A computer
- Reliable internet
- HD external or integrated camera
- A headset with a microphone
Learn more: Read our review on how to teach English online to learn more.
10. Sell Lesson Plans Online
Teachers Pay Teachers is a site that allows educators to sell lesson plans, assessments, and resources to other teachers. The site allows you to set your own prices.
You can sell your materials year-round or solely in the summer. This way you can increase your earnings or save the plans you make throughout the year to have an income stream during the summer.
According to the Teachers Pay Teachers website, some teachers have made $50,000 in a single month. How you price the lesson plans and teaching material is up to you. They simply ask that your content is original and that you are the owner.
11. Data Entry from Home
Are you a fast, accurate typist? If so, another option for an online summer job for teachers is working as a data entry specialist.
Specialized skills aren’t usually required for this role. Jobs can include the following:
- Coding
- Data entry
- Data processing
- Transcribing
- Word processing
You can earn up to $30 per hour with this opportunity if you can accurately type 50 words per minute.
Learn more: Read our review of the best data entry jobs to learn more.
Summary
It’s common to think second jobs for teachers should include something with children. Those are certainly opportunities, but it’s possible to look beyond that and try something new.
There are many ways for teachers to make money during the summer. From part-time jobs to working from home, there is something for everyone.
What are some other summer jobs you’ve seen be successful? What’s your favorite way to make money on the side?
*Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries completed, time of day, location, and expenses. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery (from the time you accept an order until the time you drop it off) over a 90 day period and includes compensation from peak pay, tips, and other incentives.
It’s nice to read the other options for teachers to make money during the Summer. As a teacher, I don’t really feel like teaching during Summer break.
But…
Unfortunately, most of these ‘extra jobs during the summer’ ideas sound good on the surface, but the reality is you probably won’t make $25.00 an hour right off the bat – or ever, therefore not making what you think you might make.
An example: they may pay $25.00 an hour but you may only work 1 hour a day because there is no work for the remainder of the day.
Another thing to understand: it might take a long time before you start to make any money, as is the case with proofreading or Teachers Pay Teachers you cited in your post.
Or you might start out at way less than $25.00 an hour because the wage is indicated as UP TO $xx.xx an hour.
Last year, I tried Shipt (grocery shopping / delivery similar to Instacart). I didn’t quite make the $22.00 an hour rate they “advertise” because it actually took me 1.5 hours to do one shop. AND I only did two shops a week because that’s all that was available. Maybe if I lived in a more populated area I would have been able to shop more.
Anyway…sorry to burst anyone’s bubble because the ideas listed in this post are pretty good ways to make extra money if you’re willing to put in the time…just not all they’re cracked-up to be.
That’s a fair point on the not teaching during the summer Kat. However, I would have to disagree on your other point. Most of these jobs will allow you to earn in the low to mid $20s per hour. Something like the babysitting, likely not, but many of the others will. Yes, more populated areas likely result in earning more but not substantially more.