Remote teaching has opened up incredible flexibility for educators — but it’s also introduced new challenges. With rising living costs, limited contract hours, and stagnant salaries, many remote teachers are looking for ways to supplement their income without leaving the comfort (and chaos) of home.
The good news? Teaching online equips you with a unique blend of tech skills, communication abilities, and instructional experience — all of which can be easily translated into income-generating side hustles. From creating digital products to tutoring students across the globe, you already have what it takes to succeed in the gig economy.
In this guide, we’ve gathered 14 flexible, realistic side hustles perfect for remote teachers. These ideas are designed to work around your existing teaching schedule, draw on your current expertise, and generate extra income — whether you’re looking to cover bills, save for a big goal, or simply have more financial freedom.
1. Online Tutoring (Beyond the Classroom)
Tutoring is a natural extension of teaching. Whether you specialize in SAT prep, ESL, reading intervention, or math support, parents are constantly searching for reliable, certified educators to help their children excel.
Platforms like Wyzant, Outschool, and Preply let you set your own rates and schedule. As a remote teacher, you already have the digital teaching tools and classroom management skills — all you need is a profile and a subject area you love.
This side hustle can scale as much as you want, with opportunities to build long-term client relationships and even expand into micro-courses.
2. Create and Sell Teacher Resources
If you’ve built effective lesson plans, worksheets, or classroom activities, you’re sitting on potential gold. Websites like Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) or Etsy allow you to sell your teaching materials to other educators worldwide.
This passive income stream works while you sleep. Start with a bundle of your best resources, then refine based on what sells. Design doesn’t have to be fancy — Canva or PowerPoint are more than enough to make great-looking materials.
Over time, your shop can generate recurring income and become a creative outlet.
3. Curriculum Writing or Editing
Many education companies, nonprofits, and startups need help developing or reviewing curriculum. If you’re great at aligning materials with standards, writing assessments, or crafting student-friendly content, this gig could be perfect.
Sites like Edutopia, Twinkl, and FlexJobs often list these types of freelance opportunities. You can also reach out directly to edtech companies with a pitch or portfolio.
This is a high-leverage side hustle for teachers with strong writing and editing skills — and it’s entirely remote.
4. Educational Blogging or YouTube Channel
Share your teaching experience, tech tips, or classroom management hacks by starting a blog or YouTube channel. You can monetize through affiliate marketing (e.g., EdTech tools), ads, sponsorships, or even selling your own digital products.
Start with what you know — maybe classroom organization, using Canva for lessons, or how to teach phonics online. The more specific and helpful your content, the more traffic and income potential you’ll build over time.
It’s slower to grow, but incredibly rewarding for educators who love teaching others.
5. Virtual Academic Coaching
More than just tutoring, academic coaching involves helping students develop study skills, organization habits, time management, and even motivation. Many overwhelmed teens (and their parents) are willing to pay for this kind of support — especially in remote learning environments.
You can offer packages or ongoing coaching sessions through Zoom. As a teacher, you already know how to guide students — this just goes deeper than the content.
Market your services via local Facebook groups, parent forums, or your personal website.
6. Sell Digital Planners or Productivity Tools
Remote teachers often master organization — so why not monetize that skill? You can design and sell digital planners, class schedule templates, grading trackers, or parent communication logs on Etsy, Gumroad, or your own site.
These products are easy to create using Canva or Google Sheets and can appeal to other teachers, parents, or even students.
Once built, they can generate income for months or years with little ongoing work.
7. Freelance Writing for Education Blogs
Do you enjoy writing? Education blogs, parenting sites, and edtech platforms frequently hire teachers to write articles, guides, and how-to posts.
Look for freelance gigs on sites like ProBlogger, Upwork, or niche directories. Writing samples from your own blog or a short portfolio can help you stand out.
This hustle pays per article and is ideal if you like writing about teaching, learning strategies, or classroom technology.
8. Assessment Design and Scoring
Companies like Pearson, ETS, and Measurement Inc. often hire educators to write or score standardized test questions. This could include essay scoring, test item creation, or performance-based evaluations.
Most positions are part-time, flexible, and remote — and they usually require a background in education or a teaching license.
This can be a seasonal gig (especially around exam cycles), but the pay is reliable and well-structured.
9. Affiliate Marketing for Education Tools
As a remote teacher, you likely use digital tools like Zoom, Canva, Google Classroom, or educational games. Many of these companies offer affiliate programs that reward you for sharing links with your audience.
If you have a blog, email list, or active social media, this can become a passive income stream. Share your honest reviews, tutorials, or recommendations and include affiliate links.
Over time, commissions can grow — especially if you build trust with your audience.
10. Launch an Online Course for Teachers or Parents
You can create short online courses for other teachers (e.g., “How to Use Canva for Education”) or parents (e.g., “Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home”). Use platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, or Gumroad to host and sell your course.
This is a scalable hustle — you build the course once, then sell it repeatedly. It requires some upfront effort but can lead to long-term passive income and thought leadership.
Courses under 2 hours tend to sell well when they solve a specific problem or need.
11. Proofreading and Editing
Teachers are naturally good at spotting grammar mistakes, sentence structure issues, and clarity problems. Turn that into income by offering proofreading and editing services to students, writers, or small business owners.
You can start on freelancing sites or promote your services locally. Even simple jobs like reviewing resumes or scholarship essays pay well and require little prep.
Plus, you already have the red pen (digitally or physically)!
12. Sell Webinar or Workshop Access
If you’re confident on camera and have niche expertise, consider running a paid webinar or online workshop for teachers, parents, or students. These can be live sessions or pre-recorded and promoted over time.
Popular topics include:
Classroom tech integration
Online behavior management
Creative lesson planning
Parent-school collaboration tips
You can charge a flat rate or sell tickets through platforms like Eventbrite or Zoom Events.
13. Create Teaching Printables for Parents
Parents need help too — especially when trying to support remote learners. You can create printable worksheets, educational games, reading logs, or math challenges for at-home learning.
Sell these on Etsy or bundle them as lead magnets for your blog or email list. These materials don’t need to be elaborate — just useful and age-appropriate.
You’ll be serving a different audience (parents), but the need is real and growing.
14. Remote Educational Consulting
If you’ve worked across multiple schools, led PD sessions, or supported curriculum development, consider consulting. Remote districts, edtech startups, and even homeschool networks often hire experienced teachers to advise them on pedagogy, tools, or strategy.
This can be part-time or project-based and pays well for experienced professionals.
LinkedIn is a great place to network and position yourself for this kind of role.
Final Thoughts
Remote teaching already shows that you’re adaptable, tech-savvy, and self-motivated — the perfect traits for running a successful side hustle. Whether you want to generate passive income, turn your expertise into products, or serve a new audience, there are countless ways to earn more without compromising your teaching.
Start small, choose a hustle that excites you, and use your skills in new and creative ways. Your knowledge doesn’t stop at the virtual classroom — and neither should your income.
Frank
