Exploring Alternative Jobs with a Teaching Degree
If you’re dreaming of a career beyond the classroom, you might be wondering what it takes to make the transition. You might be thinking, Do I really need another degree? Thankfully, while further education can be beneficial, it’s not always necessary. In fact, there are many alternative jobs with a teaching degree you can explore.
Some educators choose to pursue another degree to move beyond the classroom, but for many, the cost, time, and effort required for such programs can be overwhelming, especially for teachers already stretched thin trying to balance care of students, family, and their personal lives.
Adding additional responsibilities and challenges without a clear path to improvement can further increase stress and burnout.
What if there was a way to leverage your existing skills and experience to create new income streams and career opportunities?
You can work flexibly in education without needing another degree. As an educator, you have expertise, knowledge, experience, and a diverse skill set that can open you up to a variety of career opportunities.
In this blog post, we’ll explore just some of the many flexible jobs you can get with a teaching degree that can help you supplement your income and grow professionally — all without the need for another degree.
The Benefits of Flexible Work in Education
As an educator, there are many flexible work opportunities, whether you’re currently teaching in the classroom or you’re looking to transition into a new full-time career. These opportunities can include freelance, part-time, or full-time roles with education companies or education organizations.
And because there are so many alternative jobs with a teaching degree, you may not even need additional training or experience to start working beyond the classroom.
Working flexibly in education has many personal and professional benefits, including:
Increasing your income: Whether you’re looking to supplement your current teaching income or replace it entirely, extra income from working flexibly can increase your financial stability, help you meet your financial goals, and/or enjoy more financial freedom. Some opportunities might start as a side hustle and have the potential to grow into a significant revenue source or even a full-time opportunity for you.
Leveraging your strengths and skills, along with your passion for education: By working flexilby in education (rather than taking on a side job in retail, Uber, bartending, etc.), you’re able to utilize your many transferable skills in meaningful work. You can increase your impact in education beyond the four walls of your classroom.
Enjoying flexibility: Many alternative jobs with a teaching degree allow you to set your own schedule, working around your teaching commitments and your personal life. Most of them can offer the freedom to work remotely from anywhere, whether you prefer to work from the comfort of your home, a coffee shop, or wherever you choose!
Enhancing your professional growth and boosting your experience: Using your teacher expertise in new ways leads to an expanded skill set and professional growth. The experience you gain will enhance your resume, which can lead to further career opportunities and advancements.
Expanding your network and opening yourself up to new opportunities: As you collaborate with professionals outside your immediate circle and school community, you expand your professional network, make connections, and open doors to new possibilities.
5 Alternative Jobs with a Teaching Degree
By working flexibly in education, you can supplement your income, grow professionally, and enjoy a more balanced lifestyle—all without the need for another degree.
Remember that you already possess a wealth of transferable skills that are highly valuable. Your communication skills, adaptability, problem-solving, time management, and leadership skills are just some of the many skills and qualities in-demand beyond the classroom.
Here are some of the many possibilities for jobs with a teaching degree other than teaching:
Curriculum Development
If you love creating and implementing engaging lessons and learning experiences, curriculum development might be the perfect path for you! This role involves designing a wide array of educational materials including lesson plans, assessments, courses, and programs for schools, educational publishers, or online learning platforms.
Your classroom experience already gives you invaluable insights into what really works and what doesn't in real educational settings.
Want to know more about this potential option? Explore Exciting Curriculum Development Careers (Beyond The Classroom) or check out our Curriculum Development Foundations Program if this path interests you.
Education Writing
If you love to write and have been told you “have a way with words,” educational writing might be your calling. From writing education blogs/articles to copywriting to grant writing, there's consistent demand for well-written copy in the education sector. As an educator, you have the ability to explain complex concepts in clear and engaging ways.
A few examples of places that hire educational writers include The Educator’s Room, Education Week, and Edutopia.
Want to know more about this alternative job with a teaching degree? You can find out more details in Should I Be an Education Writer?.
Education Consulting
Your teaching experience has given you a wealth of knowledge that schools, districts, and educational organizations highly value. As an education consultant, you could advise on a wide variety of topics including teaching strategies, student engagment, classroom management, or educational technology.
Education consulting allows you to share your expertise beyond the classroom and make a real difference in the lives of educators everywhere.
Want to explore the possibilities in this area? Read our blog post about How to Get Started as an Education Consultant for ideas.
Instructional Coaching
Do you enjoy mentoring other teachers? Instructional coaching might be an excellent fit for you! As an instructional coach, you'd work with fellow educators to improve their teaching practices, implement strategies, and enhance student learning outcomes.
Instructional coaches support other educators while using their unique teaching skill set. They can make a significant impact on the field of education by sharing their talents, experience, and leadership skills with other educators bringing a fresh perspective and strategic ideas. If you want to continue working with educators but don’t want to lead a classroom, this is one of the best alternative jobs with a teaching degree.
Our How to Get Started as a Teacher Coach podcast episode will explain exactly how to get started on this career path! You can listen on the go, wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts.
Education Business
Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit? Have you dreamed of creating your own business? Then starting an education-related business could be an exciting journey for you.
There’s no one better suited to create positive change in the education system than teachers. Starting an education business gives you the power to make the change you want to see and truly solve problems. Your teacher expertise and knowledge will be invaluable when creating a high-quality educational product, program, or service.
There are many business options for teachers including creating and selling teaching resources, offering tutoring services, developing educational apps or software, or even opening a specialized learning center. Your understanding of educational needs and student challenges positions you well to identify and fill gaps in the market.
At Educator Forever, we’ve supported many educators to embrace entrepreneurship to create their own path to financial stability and fulfillment. Our Education Business Foundations Program is a great place to explore this path and set yourself up for success.
Which Alternative Jobs With a Teaching Degree Are Right For You?
One of the best parts about taking on flexible work is the ability to experiment with different roles and areas without the long-term commitment of another degree.
Here are some steps to guide you:
Explore: Engage in a bit of self-reflection on your interests and strengths. Which of the flexible work options aligns best with your passions and skills? Which excite you and feel aligned to your career and personal goals? Start small – you don't need to make a dramatic career change overnight. Just begin by exploring one area that interests you the most. You can also explore the right career path for you by taking our free 2-minute quiz or by further exploring the Educator Forever blog.
Network: Connect with educators who have successfully ventured into these flexible work options on platforms like LinkedIn or in The Educator Forever Network.
Reflect: Regularly assess your experiences and feelings about the side jobs you undertake. Consider: Are you enjoying the work? Do you feel fulfilled? Are you learning and growing? Reflecting on this will help guide you to your next step, whether you choose to change direction or step further into a certain career path.
Remember, the goal is to build upon your existing expertise (and interests) rather than starting from scratch. You can always explore online courses, workshops, webinars, or professional development programs that target any further specific skills needed for your area of interest.
Ready to Expand Your Impact and Income Beyond the Classroom?
The path to a rewarding, fulfilling career as an educator doesn't necessarily require another degree. By leveraging your existing skills and exploring flexible work opportunities within education, you can gain valuable experience, additional income, personal growth, and new possibilities.
You can impact education on a broader scale and create the career and life you envision. The world of education is vast and full of incredible opportunities – Are you ready to explore them?
Educator Forever has helped thousands of teachers like you identify their unique skills, learn how to apply them to flexible new careers, and get the clarity and confidence to go after what they want. We’re here to support you, too, as you explore alternative jobs for teachers.
The Beyond the Classroom Starter Kit offers you instant access to all of the support and guidance you need to discover the right career for you.
This includes:
✨ Our signature Beyond the Classroom Course
✨ How to Earn More as a Teacher Course
✨ 2 months of membership to the Educator Forever Network
You’ll benefit from:
✅ Step-by-step guidance as you discover your career possibilities, gain clarity, and learn exactly how to find and land flexible jobs in education
✅ Empowering live group calls (every week!) for career guidance and job search support
✅ Exclusive access to ongoing wellness, creativity, skill growth, and co-working sessions, along with special career-related workshops designed for transitioning teachers
✅ Instant access to exciting, flexible job leads on our private jobs board, along with expert support at your fingertips
✅ An incredible, supportive community of like-minded educators cheering you on as you expand your impact and income in education
Sign up now to empower yourself and take your education career to the next level!
About the Author
Evonne Hall is the Program Coordinator at Educator Forever. She has spent the majority of her career in the field of education, working in public, private, homeschool, and virtual teaching roles. In 2016, she began teaching ESL online as a side hustle and grew to love the flexibility of teaching online in a variety of teacher marketplaces.
Evonne enrolled in the Beyond the Classroom course and discovered the additional ways educators could use their superhero skills. She began working in the field of curriculum development, working with TPT sellers and online ESL companies to create individualized and group offerings. With the confidence she gained, she honed in on her zone of genius to help teacherpreneurs build and grow their dream businesses. While Program Coordinator is her primary job function by day, Evonne also enjoys gardening, reading good books, and anything organizing-related.