Why Teachers Need Side Hustles (Even If You Shouldn’t)

If you’ve ever thought, “I shouldn’t need a side hustle,” you’re right. You shouldn’t.

Teaching is already a full-time job that asks for your brain, your heart, your patience, and also your lunch break.

And yet, a lot of teachers still bring in extra income, not because they’re chasing hustle culture.

But because the bills keep coming in whether you want them to, or not.

This is one of those frustrating truths that can make you feel like you’re doing something wrong, even though you’re not.

Needing more money doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong or being greedy. The cost of living is rising faster than our paychecks are.

So let's talk about why teachers need side hustles, what can happen when nothing changes (no judgment!), and what a different approach can look like.

TL;DR Summary

You should not need a side hustle as a teacher, but many teachers do because pay often does not keep up with real-life costs.

When money stays tight, it can worsen burnout and turn normal emergencies into crises.

The right side hustle for you can give you cash plus peace of mind.

Start by reflecting on how fast you need cash and how much energy you have, then set boundaries so extra work doesn't drain you more.

Download the Side Hustle Starter Map for Teachers to pick one small next step this week.

This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Why teachers need side hustles (and why it’s not a personal failure)

To be clear, most teaching jobs don’t pay enough to match real life expenses.

Am I preaching to the choir?

That gap shows up in small ways at first, right?

You put off an ‘elective' dental procedure or pass on a coffee date with friends. You tell yourself next month will be easier.

Then it turns into bigger stuff. Holidays come, birthdays, so many things. The credit card bills start rolling in.

I started brainstorming side hustles when I'd look at the bank account and hope that rent wouldn't be due before the paycheck had cleared.

Or nervously checking for sneaky fees for overdrafts or dings on credit reports.

Seriously, isn't teaching stressful enough already? Why is it necessary to also underpay us on top of everything else?

I have my theories. But, woo-sa, breathe in, breathe out.

So, there can be that constant tight feeling in your chest when you check your account.

When you’re living with that kind of money stress, it can start to mess with everything.

Your sleep, your mood, your patience, and overall health are affected.

So when you look for extra income, it’s not because you’re doing anything wrong.

It’s because you’re trying to stay afloat in a system that keeps raising the cost of living without raising pay in a way that keeps up.

You’re allowed to be angry about that. It’s not fair. Teaching is labor-intensive, emotionally demanding, and usually incredibly underpaid.

Having to get creative just to feel more stable can feel insulting.

But needing a side hustle isn’t a character flaw.

A helpful reframe is this:

• You’re not money hungry, you’re trying to pay your bills.
• You’re not doing “too much”, you’re trying to reduce stress.
• You’re not failing, you’re protecting your future.

And you can do it in a way that is easier on your physical, emotional, and mental health.

This article from EdWeek talks about how most teachers work second jobs to make ends meet. As of 2021, that figure was already at about 60%.

We can make an educated guess that this number is even higher now, in 2026.

It also references complications with burnout that working multiple jobs can cause.

So I understand that this is not a simple decision. I avoided second jobs as long as possible for this very reason.

The real problem: cost of living keeps rising, but teacher pay doesn’t

Your budget isn’t the same as someone else’s, and that’s part of what makes this so exhausting.

Cost of living changes based on what country you live in, what state you’re in (if you’re in the US), and what city or area you’re in.

In some places, rent is about what you make each month.

In others, childcare costs as much or even more than a paycheck. Groceries go up, gas goes up, and even incidentals adds up fast.

Meanwhile, salary increases often don’t happen, or when they do, don't keep up with inflation.

So you’re left doing mental gymnastics every month, trying to stretch what you have without breaking.

This isn’t about being bad with money, or about somehow being a bad person.

(That's our society's culture and implicit messaging though.)

It’s that we, as teachers, didn't go into the profession for the money.

But we also deserve to have a decent quality of life, and to not have to worry about borrowing from one account to pay the light bill.

Or, dipping deep into another just to provide dinner for your friends or family.

Teaching already takes a lot, so you need an option that fits your energy

Teaching takes more than endless hours. It takes emotional energy, decision-making, and the cost of a neverending sense of responsibility.

So when someone suggests starting a side hustle, it can feel like somebody's telling you to work even more.

That’s not the point.

The point is to find something that helps you out, not something that pushes you closer to the brink.

Because the guilt loop is real:

You're tired and broke, and you feel guilty (whether or not that makes logical sense).

Guilt for not being the perfect teacher, or for needing to work extra jobs. You feel even more tired.

Protecting your energy has to be part of the plan.

What can happen if you do nothing: burnout, no cushion, and feeling stuck

When money is tight for too long, that stress can spill over into other areas of your life.

Again, this is no judgment here. You're not doing anything wrong.

But it makes a hard week feel worse. It makes small setbacks feel like proof that nothing will ever get easier.

It can even make you question whether teaching is sustainable for you long-term.

(Which, you definitely have every right to think about.)

And to be clear, this isn’t meant to scare you. It’s meant to be honest about what constant strain can do.

Because if nothing changes, you may end up paying in other ways.

Money stress can make burnout harder to manage

Burnout is already common in teaching. You’re doing way too much, with far too little time, support, or rest.

Now add financial distress.

When you’re worried about rent, debt, or how you’ll cover a surprise expense, it’s harder to recover after a long day.

Over time, that can contribute to a few things.

There's resentment (because you shouldn’t have to live like this), and overwhelm (because every problem feels urgent).

There can also be hopelessness (because it feels like nothing will change).

Without a cushion, emergencies can turn into crises

Most people don’t plan for emergencies because they’re busy surviving the present.

But life still happens.

A medical issue. A car repair. A family emergency. Something you can’t predict, and can’t ignore.

So many of us are living in that constant state of fear, and it makes sense why.

Our society's social net in the states is not strong, and there's a lot of pointing fingers telling people they need to work harder.

(Which is not accurate or sustainable, especially when people are working two and three jobs and still unable to pay rent or mortgage.)

But slowly building up a little bit of a buffer can help lower stress a degree or two.

And that’s a big part of why extra income is important.

What the right side hustle can give you: breathing room, confidence, and more choices

The side hustle(s) you pick out and stick with need to help increase your quality of life.

When you bring in extra money, even a little, it creates some space.

Space to handle problems, rest, or reflect.

And something else happens too.

You start remembering what you’re capable of outside of the classroom.

You’re a skilled professional with options, even if you've forgotten that over time.

Extra money buys margin: rest, therapy, fun, and fewer hard trade-offs

Extra income can go to the basics first, and that alone can improve your mood.

Think about what would change if you could:

• pay bills on time without holding your breath
• start a small emergency fund
• stop relying on credit cards for groceries or gas
• cover a co-pay or therapy session for your mental health
• say yes to dinner with friends once in a while
• actually rest on a weekend without as much worry

It’s about not having to choose between your well-being and your bank account every month.

A side hustle can be a creative outlet that builds self-esteem

Not every side hustle has to feel like extra drudgery that you loathe.

Sometimes it becomes a creative outlet.

Something that uses a different part of your brain than lesson planning and behavior management.

When you do something you enjoy and it pays you, it can actually be fun.

You get proof that your skills have value in more than one place, confidence from learning something new.

And satisfaction from seeing results.

It can feel energizing in a way teaching hasn’t lately, especially if you’ve been running on empty.

Of course, not every side hustle will make you enough cash overnight.

But do you, for example, like to draw at all?

Check out Cynthia's Digital Doodles Beginner's Guide. She'll walk you through five step-by-step projects for how to draw cute animals with Procreate.

I can't wait to learn how to do this! It sounds like so much fun to me. I haven't had a chance to, yet, but I know how great Cynthia's materials are.

It can also become an exit plan, or just remind you that you have options

Trying different side hustles can also help you think longer-term.

Maybe you’re not ready to leave teaching. Maybe you don’t even want to, and that's totally valid.

But exploring other passive income streams can give you a sense of choice and agency, especially if you’ve felt boxed in by your job.

It’s easy to forget how many transferable skills you already have! It's really true.

As a teacher, you’ve built strengths like communication, planning and organizing (even if it's hard for you).

Then there's problem-solving on the fly, leadership and teamwork.

Some career changes do require retraining. But you already possess a lot of soft skills, because you use them every day.

Even if your side hustle never becomes a full career shift, it can still give you something powerful: the reminder that you’re not stuck.

How to choose a side hustle without burning yourself out even more

If you’re already burned out, the worst thing you can do is pick something that demands constant output, energy, or availability.

You need a choice that fits your life as it looks today.

So you want to start with one step.

Start with two questions: how fast do you need cash, and how much energy do you have

Before you pick anything, ask yourself:

How fast do you need money? This week? Next month? Over the next semester?

How much energy do you have after school? Very little? Some, but not every day? More on weekends?

Your answers matter because they point you toward different types of options.

If you need money fast and your energy is low, you’ll make different choices than someone who has more time to build.

And yes, you’re allowed to choose smaller options.

The kind that feel manageable in the middle of the school year, during grading season, or when your mental health is not at its best.

Set guardrails that protect your time, health, and classroom boundaries

A side hustle should reduce stress, not pile onto it. Boundaries can be tough, but having them in place can help you.

A few simple ones that can protect you:

Cap your weekly hours so it stays contained.

Pick one project at a time so you don’t scatter your energy.

Avoid anything that makes you always on if you’re already overstimulated.

Keep start-up spending low until you know it works for you.

Watch for stress signals, like sleep getting worse or dread creeping in.

If you want help sorting through your options based on energy and timeline?

Use the free resource from Teach with ND: the Side Hustle Starter Map for Teachers.

It walks you through questions that make the decision feel clearer, especially when your brain is tired.

Wrapping Up

You shouldn’t have to do extra work to make teaching sustainable.

And yet, for many people, that’s the reality right now.

If you’re thinking about why teachers need side hustles, it’s probably because you’re feeling the squeeze.

You’re not failing. It's simply the way things are.

The right side hustle can give you margin, not more misery. A buffer for emergencies.

Money for therapy or rest. A reminder that you have options.

Your next step is to download the Side Hustle Starter Map for Teachers, then choose one small action you can take this week.

Take it a day at a time and re-evaluate.

You got this!