21 Lucrative Summer Jobs for Teachers
Wondering what the most lucrative summer jobs for teachers are? There are plenty of ways to make some extra dollars while school is out for a few months. Here are the best jobs for teachers who don't want to twiddle their thumbs all summer.
1. Tutor
Spend your summer tutoring children either online or in person. You can tutor children in any subject, particularly the subject that you teach during the school year. You can find tutoring jobs on tons of online tutoring job boards such as Care.com and Varsity Tutors. A tutor can earn about $26,970 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2. Bartender
Bartending can be a fun way to spend your summer months — especially if you bartend at a bar where your friends often frequent. You can even make the big bucks by picking up weekend and latenight shifts, when crowds tend to be on the larger side. Bartenders earn about $22,550 per year, which amounts to about $10.84 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
3. Server
Serve food at a local restaurant in your area during the summer. You can pick up breakfast, lunch or dinner shifts, depending on what fits best with your schedule — you may have other summer obligations or, simply, want to hit the beach during the day. Servers can earn a decent pay, especially if you work hard and treat your customers well enough to get good tips. A server earns about $21,780 per year, which amounts to about $10.47 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
4. Rideshare Driver
There's a whole host of ridesharing apps out there today, such as Uber and Lyft. Driving a rideshare car means you can make your own hours, cruise around and meet new people. You can even spend your summer catching up on all the podcasts you were meaning to listen to all year but had no time to do so in between teaching, lesson planning and meeting with parents. Drivers earn about $25,980 per year, or about $12.49 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
5. Librarian
If you're already used to being around books and students, consider a job as a librarian for the summer. Most libraries are open early, which means that you'll have to be there early, too — but you should be used to it since you're used to getting up early every day during the school year. Then you can spend your summer days reading, getting book inspiration for the year ahead and helping students and others who come into the library. Librarians earn about $59,050 per year, or about $28.39 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
6. Blogger
Catch up on blog posts over your summer off. You can blog about anything you want — such as the subject that you teach (maybe you have a history blog, for example), or just teaching in general. Bloggers can earn money through advertisements and affiliate marketing on their sites, as well as through paid sponsorships and partnerships on social media. How much you earn, of course, depends on how much time and effort you put into monetizing your blog. Learn more about how to blog here!
7. English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) Tutor
Teach English to non-native English speakers for the summer. Like tutoring, you can do this in person or online. There are tons of platforms that seek ESL teachers, such as VIPKid, SayABC and PalFish. Again, a tutor can earn about $26,970 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The same goes for ESL tutors. Of course, how much you earn largely depends on how many hours you put it — and some ESL tutors can earn even a little more than other tutors, since they specialize.
8. Proofreader
Proofreading is a great way to earn an extra income for the summer. You can help novelists proofread their books, magazines proofread their articles or students proofread their academic papers. Proofreaders (editors) can earn $59,480 per year, or about $28.60 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
9. Transcriptionist
Spend your days doing transcription work that, for many, can be almost therapeutic. All you have to do is listen to interviews, podcasts, scripts, e-books, medical works etc. and write down what you're hearing. Of course, it's easier said than done — and transcribing audio into text can take a very long time. But you can earn a lot of money doing this kind of work. A medical transcriptionist, for example, earns about $34,770 per year, or about $16.72 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
10. Virtual Assistant
If you don't want to have to leave the house too much, you don't have to. You can spend your summer working from home (or your pool in the backyard!) by taking a virtual assistant gig. You'd be responsible for all sorts of routine clerical and administrative duties. And, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you can earn $38,880 per year, or $18.69 per hour, doing it.
11. Food Delivery Driver
Deliver food to hungry customers. Drivers don't only earn an income, but they also earn tips. Food and beverage delivery drivers can earn about $21,750 per year, or $10.45 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can even sign up to do this on your own time through apps like TaskRabbit and UberEats.
12. Summer School Teacher
Just because school is out doesn't mean that all the students have the summer off. So teach summer school. You can earn an extra income filling in at the same school where you already spend your time during the school year. What you earn depends on the school and its needs. But high school teachers already earn about $60,320 per year on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — and you can add some extra dollars to that by taking up some summer hours, too.
13. Dog Walker
Sign up for apps like Wag!, which exist for people who love dogs and want to merely walk them for some extra cash. Like rideshare apps such as Uber, you can make your own hours and just walk a stranger's dog whenever you feel like going for a stroll. Your income depends on how often you get out there to walk some pups.
14. Video Game Tester
Summer is meant for relaxing. After all, you have off for a few months, and the chances are that you don't want to take another job that'll eat all your energy before the upcoming year. So why not chill at home and just test out some video games for an extra income? Video game companies need people to test out their games and inform them of any glitches and critical feedback. On average, female video game testers make an average of $62,500 annually, according to a 2011 salary survey conducted by Game Developer Magazine.
15. Plant Caretaker
When people go on summer vacation, they will likely need someone to come by their homes to water their house plants or take care of the garden out back. Sure, this kind of job may require a lot of manual labor, but it usually just requires dropping by once a day or every few days to water or rotate any plants that need more sunlight. You can likely earn at least an exta $20 an hour, depending on the number of plants/size of the garden, the number of days they're on vacation and how often they need you to drop by.
16. Pet Sitter
If you love animals, you can spend your summer pet sitting while other people go on summer vacation. In other words, while they're on vacation, you can have yourself a staycation — possibly even in their home, which they might give you for a week or two, while they're away. They'll do this so that you can watch, feed, walk and play with their pets (Read: You can get paid to play with puppies for the summer). You can easily find tons of pet sitting jobs on sites like Petsitter.com, for example. Pay, of course, depends on the animal, the requirements and the length of time that you're needed.
17. Lifeguard
Spend the summer out in the sun lifeguarding. You already have experience watching over children or young adults, so you're a trustworthy, responsible candidate for open positions at your local beach or pool. Lifeguards can earn about $24,420 per year, or about $11.74 per hour, which is some solid pocket change for the summer.
18. Camp Counselor
Again, if you already have experience leading children or teenagers in the classroom, you have just what it takes to lead them outside the classroom, too. Consider a summer job as a camp counselor to engage with the community and get to know some of your students even more. Recreation workers like camp counselors can earn about $25,060 per year, or $12.05 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
19. Golf Course Caddy
If you're a big golf fan, or just like hanging around the local country club, take a gig as a golf course caddy for the summer. Caddies can typically earn at least about $100 for each 18-hole round or "loop," but most clubs set a flat caddying fee and the real pay is via tips.
20. Housesitter
Like a plant or pet caretaker, you can be a housesitter for the summer. Even if a family doesn't have any plants or pets (but more likely if they do), they may hire someone to watch and clean their house while they're away on vacation. You can find housesitting gigs online on sites like HouseSitter.com, and pay depends on your responsibilities and duration of stay. (Some homeowners may offer you their home free of rent for the summer in exchange for housesitting, instead of money, but others will offer both.)
21. Cleaner
Clean houses or buildings for some extra dollars over the summer. Cleaners and janitors can earn about $26,110 per year, or about $12.55 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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AnnaMarie Houlis is a feminist, a freelance journalist and an adventure aficionado with an affinity for impulsive solo travel. She spends her days writing about women’s empowerment from around the world. You can follow her work on her blog, HerReport.org, and follow her journeys on Instagram @her_report, Twitter @herreportand Facebook.
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