Say hello to more summer income! I’m here to show you 12 real ways for teachers to earn extra income this summer without taking weird surveys or training in an entirely new field.
I’ll also show you the platforms and methods to avoid (as vetted by teachers already making the income).
Let’s jump in!
Best Ways for Teachers to Make Extra Money in the Summer
1) Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)
Average Income: $15-$25 per hour
Average Monthly Income: $2000
Teaching English as a second language is a surefire way to earn more money this summer, but it’s best done with platforms that take you, the teacher, seriously.
VIPKid is a fantastic option for online teaching, not least because you set your own working hours and the pay is pretty good (around $19-$22/hour).
Related: How I Make $4,400 a Month On VIPKID (Even as a Beginner Teacher!)
I’ll be honest, I DON’T recommend sites such as:
- QKids
- or Magic Ears
The reality isn’t quite what is advertised on all those other blogs. Many current teachers on the platform say if the student doesn’t show despite booking the slot, you don’t get paid.
If the parent doesn’t like a part of the lesson, you don’t get paid, even though you’ve already delivered it. It just seems like there are too many ways for them to get out of paying you your hard-earned cash.
VIPKid is a good source of income, plus it’s:
- An easy job! They have a set curriculum to follow, so you don’t have to do any of the heavy lifting
- Zero lesson planning (yay!)
- Classes are only 25 minutes long, so if you have a difficult student, you likely won’t have to deal with them again
- You earn ‘independent contractor status’, so you’re eligible for tax deductible expenses e.g. computer, internet, headphones, mouse etc
- Fully remote job
- Students come to you, and if you consistently get good reviews, you’ll be recommend more by VIPKid
- It’s actually really fun!
- Looks great on a Resume or CV
Related: Best Companies that Pay You to Teach English Online as a Second Language
2) Tutoring and Test Prep Instruction
Average Income: $20-50 per hour
Average Monthly Income: $2300
Already being a teacher, you have a solid background to make this idea a roaring success.
As one reddit user commented, ‘I do Tutored By Teachers tutoring! It has a base pay of $30/hr, all virtual using pre-made lessons. Most of my kids don’t even show up, and they still pay you as long as you are present.’ Silver linings, I guess!
It looks as though these smaller companies always have positions open, especially in broad subjects i.e. English, Maths or in subjects that have test prep involved i.e. GRE etc.
Related: The Best Companies that Pay You to Tutor Online (& Ones to Avoid!)
Where to Find Reputable Jobs:
- Tutor.com – tutoring for K-12, Higher Education and US Military families, offers around $30-$40 an hour for general subjects, $45-$65 an hour for heavier subjects like math
- Superprof.com – one of the highest rated tutor companies in the US and UK, earn between $20-$80 an hour, depending on subject and expertise
- Local tutoring agencies
- Upwork, Fiverr & Freelancer – many tutors offer pay as you go classes on these platforms and earn a decent $1,000+ a month in the summer
- Sky-Learner.com – teach languages to students online, no minimum time commitment and you set your own schedule
3) Selling Digital Downloads on Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT)
Average Income: Varies, but top sellers can earn six figures annually
Average Monthly Income: $2400
Have some basic Canva skills? Then you can easily pull in $500+ a month by selling educational resources, lesson plans, and fun packs to other educators!
The average seller with just 10 listings makes around $100 a month, whilst someone with 50 listings makes around $500-$1000 a month.
Related: 17 Easy Ways to Make Money Using Canva [Real Business Ideas]
This is fairly passive; once you’ve created and listed the item, it then requires just basic maintenance and customer service.
Best-Selling Categories to Sell in Right Now:
- Lesson Plans – including objectives, goals and assessments
- Fun Classroom Activity Packs
- Worksheets and Printables – Printable materials for students to practice various skills such as math problems, grammar exercises, or vocabulary building
- Interactive Games: Digital games or activities that make learning fun while reinforcing educational concepts.
- Assessment Tools: Quizzes, tests, or assessments designed to measure student understanding of specific topics or skills.
- Visual Aids: Posters, charts, or graphic organizers that help visually reinforce key concepts.
- Specialty Materials: Resources tailored to specific subjects, grade levels, or educational needs, such as special education materials, STEM resources, or foreign language resources.
- Digital Resources: PowerPoint presentations, Google Slides, Canva packs, or other digital resources that teachers can use to present information or aid discussions in the classroom.
Real Success Story:
- Kristin Rivera, a full-time teacher – earns an extra $112,000 per year selling digital resources on TPT.
Related: 21 Printables That Sell Like Crazy Online!
4) Professional College Development and Instruction
Average Income: $500-$4000 a unit, depending on duration and audience size
Depending on your qualifications (e.g. advanced degrees, industry experience, niche expertise, etc.) online teaching at a college pays extremely well.
On average across the US, one 3-unit semester class pays $8k.
In some cases, all you have to do is grade, participate in discussions (20% of students responded to each week), and write up some weekly announcements, and leave the teaching to an in-house instructor.
Where to Find Jobs:
- Local School Districts
- Educational Conferences
5) Selling Digital Educational Packs on Etsy
Average Income: Varies, but successful sellers can earn $500-5,000+ per month
Similar to TPT, Etsy is a fantastic place to sell resources you’ve used or made for your classroom!
Bonus though, unlike the other ideas, you’ll continue to earn income beyond Summer.
Once you’ve set-up your listings, this is practically a passive source of income. Last summer I made an extra $11,000 profit from just 15 listings selling educational resources for homeschoolers.
And if I could do it with a full-time job, plus a Youtube Channel, plus 2 other blogs, trust me when I say it’s absolutely do-able and a great way to earn money!
Success Story:
- Dalila of Montessori Marbles – makes an extra $3000 a month selling Montessori themed printables on Etsy.
Related: 17 Digital Products that Sell Like Crazy on Etsy (Backed by Data)
6) Writing and Editing Resumes
Average Income: $75-$100 per resume
Average Monthly Income: $2600
Have great attention to detail? Know your way around Canva or a similar graphic design software? Then you could make an easy $500+ a month during the Summer.
The average recruiter spends just 10 seconds looking at a resume before they decide to trash or take it forward.
If you can help someone spruce up their resume, highlight their best skills and aid them in personalizing it for the job at hand, you’re onto a winner.
Most resumes and CV only take 2 hours to edit, BUT seen as most people don’t know what to edit, they’re more likely to pass it off.
Pro Tip: For more money, bundle your services to include a Cover Letter and overall resume re-design too.
Psst, you don’t need to be good at design yourself – purchase a template from Etsy and start working with it. Not only does this make you look good, but it also makes your client look professional! Simple.
Where to Find Jobs:
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- LinkedIn ProFinder
- Resume Writing Service Companies
7) Teacher Influencing
Average Income: Varies, but successful influencers can earn $1,000-10,000 per sponsored post
I’ll be honest, this isn’t the easiest path to making more money, but it’s quite sustainable long term, especially for brand deals, sponsorships and affiliate income throughout the school year.
The creator economy will be worth a staggering $84 BILLION by 2028, up $32 billion since 2020. Not only are teachers earning bank by creating cute little reels of their classroom and teacher lifestyle, but they’re also using their platform to sell their own materials, resources and even classroom decor packs.
Some have even added on a Youtube channel for a triple whammy.
Huge potential to make a major 6 figure plus income here, though you’ll need some patience. The average creator begins to see returns 4-5 months after starting.
Where to Start: Build a strong online presence on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Reach out to companies for brand deals.
Related: How to Make Serious Money on Youtube (Even as a Beginner)
8) Camp Counsellor
Average Income: $300-500 per week, plus room and board which are typically free as a counsellor.
If you’re seeking something a little more fun, outdoorsy and aren’t too worried about how much you make, camp counsellor positions could be perfect.
Typical roles in these camps include:
- Looking after the wellbeing of campers
- Maintaining overall atmosphere of camp or club
- Creating fun activities
- Taking part in the activities yourself
Where to Find Jobs:
- US Summer Camps – Summer Camp USA, State University Summer Camps, Churches, YMCA, Seaworld, Golf Clubs/Country Clubs
- UK Summer Camps – Camp Cooper, XUX, UK International Soccer, Britannia English Academy, Kings Young Learners (recently advertised for a camp centre manager for £750 a week), Ultimate Activity Camps, Bell Educational Services
- Europe Summer Camps – Young Austria, Camp California (in Croatia), YMCA Europe
9) Outdoor Sports Teacher
Average Income: $15-$30 per hour
If you want to be more active and specialize in sport, there are a ton of summer jobs that focus on sports education.
Take this position for example, you can work as a Summer Soccer Coach to young children with very little experience and still make $25 an hour.
All you need is enthusiasm, a bit of skill to teach kids some tricks/manoeuvres and of course a background screening (DBS in the UK), but seeing as you’re already a teacher, you’ll likely have this.
Where to Find Jobs:
- Local sports clubs
- Community Centres
- Summer Camps
10) Blogging
Average Income: Varies, but successful bloggers can earn $1,000-10,000+ per month through advertising, sponsored content, and affiliate marketing.
I can attest to this being successful! I run two blogs outside of this one, and let me tell you, they’re great earners, especially for ad revenue and sponsorships.
The average teacher blogger makes around $750 a month in the first 6 months, BUT after that, once your traffic has grown, you can easily pull in $1,000-$3,000+ a month!
If anything this is a little on the conservative side based on my own experience and what I’ve seen from my friends who are teacher bloggers too.
Where to Start: I’ve written an entire blog post on ‘How to Start a Successful Blog’, it’s long, but covers everything you’ll need to know. So grab a hot beverage and join me for a follow along.
11) Investments
Average Income: Depends on investment strategy, but passive income can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month.
I make around $6,750 passively from stock and dividend investments – this has grown from just $500 a month back in 2021.
I occasionally trade forex too, but I don’t have the time to watch the markets as much as I used to, so I stick to more passive routes now.
Is it as fast as all these ‘trading gurus’ tell you? No, you will not get rich overnight, but if you play it the way I do for myself, a slow but steady build with a combination of low, medium and high risk investments is the best way to build a fortune.
Having a diversified portfolio is best too – so you’ll want a mix of bonds, cash and US/Non-US stocks too. Not all one or the other.
12) Freelance Writing
Average Income: $50-200 per article or project
I’ve written an entire blog post on how to find high paying freelance writing gigs, even if you’re doing it as a side hustle (and regularly update it, too).
The average freelance writer can easily make $500-$1000 a month with a little bit of effort, this is especially true if you target local business websites (see my article for more detail).
Related: How to Become a Freelance Writer with Absolutely No Experience! (Step by Step Plan On How I Did It!)