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There are tons of jobs for retired teachers available. Many of them don’t require work as a substitute teacher either, believe it or not (though this is a very viable option and one of the jobs I’ll mention below). Whether you’re looking for a part-time job or a full-time job, there are tons of options for retired teachers to take advantage of in the workforce.
Keep reading to discover these 24+ best jobs for retired teachers..
Why retire from teaching?
Why would you want to retire from teaching? The reasons can vary a lot and can range from age to pursuing other interests, health reasons and more…
- Age: Some teachers may retire when they reach a certain age, typically between 55 and 65, depending on their country and educational system.
- Health: Health issues or disabilities may make it difficult for teachers to continue working in the classroom.
- Financial reasons: Teachers may retire when they reach a certain number of years of service and become eligible for retirement benefits, or when they have saved enough money to support themselves in retirement.
- Burnout: Teaching can be a demanding and stressful job, and some teachers may retire because they feel burned out or no longer enjoy their work.
- Career change: Teachers may retire to pursue a new career or interest outside of teaching.
- Personal reasons: Some teachers may retire to spend more time with family or pursue personal interests and hobbies.
- Educational policy: Changes in educational policies, such as changes in curricula or teaching methods, may prompt some teachers to retire if they feel they can no longer effectively teach in the new system.
First, one of the chief reasons why teachers retire is due to age. We are all getting older and as you near retirement age, it’s time to retire. Retiring from teaching doesn’t have to mean a full retirement. There are retirement-friendly jobs including passive income opportunities you can pursue while retired. We will cover those in this article!
Along with age can sometimes include health-related reasons, like becoming disabled. Disability and health conditions can strike at any age though but, this can be a good reason to retire from teaching.
Next, for financial reasons you might want to leave the teaching field. If you want greater financial independence or the ability to do things in life that you can’t pursue because of your teaching career, it might be time for a career switch.
Teaching can lead to burnout. I’ve been burned out many times as a writer and content creator. It can happen in any profession and I can easily see how it can hit teachers. When this happens, making a pivot and going for a different career might be the best path.
Then, there’s career change and personal reasons. It might just be time to move into a different career field. Maybe you don’t like teaching as much, or it never really made you happy.
And then lastly, changes in policy within the educational system can be a reason why you want to leave teaching. You might not agree with new policies and can’t see yourself teaching under these new conditions.
Whatever your reason, there are teaching alternative careers you can pursue. Here are 24+ of them, to get you started…
24+ Best Jobs for Retired Teachers
These jobs are:
- Tutor
- Freelance writing
- Editor
- Substitute teacher
- Virtual Assistant
- Content Creator
- Community college instructor
- Autism spectrum disorder mentor
- Camp counselor
- ESL teacher
- Proofreader
- Online instructor
- Course creator
- Author
- Sell ebooks
- Sell lesson plan
- Writing coach
- Consultant
- Teacher coach
- Sell digital products
- Sell on Etsy
- Podcaster
- Blogger
- Social Media Manager
Let’s dive in!
1. Tutor
Working as a tutor seems like a pretty logical choice for retired teachers. Tutors are people that are skilled in study subjects like science, math, English and other topics.
Tutors help students with these subjects so that they can learn the subject and Excel in school.
Tutoring is a logical fit for retired teachers. You’re going to be using your teaching skills to help students individually and their study subject. You’re going to use a lot of what you did in your teaching gig and apply that to tutoring. This is a great job because it’s flexible, you can do it part-time or full-time and is closely related to teaching.
There are in-person tutoring jobs and online tutoring opportunities as well. You want to take a look at what you’re looking for and a job after retirement and it’s going the online or in-person route is best for you.
Some places to find tutoring jobs: Tutor.com or Cambly.
2. Freelance writing
Freelance writing is one of the best jobs for retired educators. You can make money online writing about your passions or topics you’re an expert in.
Freelance writing can be a good fit for retired teachers, especially English teachers. You’ll have a lot of knowledge about the subject that you taught in school and you can easily use that to apply it to writing opportunities.
For example, a retired history teacher could write about history topics or a retired psychology teacher could write about psychology-related topics.
Writing is a very lucrative career option. People like it because it’s extremely flexible, it’s high-paying, and you can get a lot of enjoyment out of freelance writing.
As a freelancer, you’ll work with clients one-on-one to create content around the topic that you’re writing about. It’s not unusual to have multiple writing assignments per month and you may also have multiple clients that you work with throughout the month.
Some places to find freelance writing jobs: Upwork, Fiverr, or Problogger Job Board
3. Editor
Editing is about proofreading and reviewing documents to identify and correct ears and grammar, spelling, punctuation, and readability. You may be working with a style guide and you’ll want to ensure that the document meets the requirements of the style guide.
Editors are well-organized and detail-oriented. They are quality writers and they have the ability to review other writing to identify errors, fact-check, and ensure the voice and tone matches the requirements of the writing assignment.
You may work with writers one-on-one to give direction and feedback. You may be the last step in the publishing process before a piece of writing content gets published so your role is very important.
This would be a natural fit for English teachers but, a teacher in any subject could possibly work in editing.
Places to find editor jobs: Upwork or Fiverr
4. Substitute Teacher
Substitute teaching can be flexible and part-time. Basically, you can take on a day or more of teaching when you want, generally. This is perfect for retired teachers who may want to teach part-time.
Places to find substitute teaching jobs: Your local school district website
5. Virtual Assistant
What is a virtual assistant?
A virtual assistant (VA) or an online assistant is someone who provides administrative and organizational support to a company or individual, typically via phone or email.
VAs handle a variety of tasks such as scheduling appointments, organizing travel arrangements, and maintaining calendars.
Most VAs also have experience in data entry and tend to be proficient with Microsoft Office programs like Word and Excel. Virtual assistants are most often hired by businesses (e.g., marketing agencies) but can also be hired by individuals looking for the services of an experienced VA.
The skills you need:
- Excellent communication skills—you’ll be communicating with clients over the phone or through email often so it’s important that you convey your message effectively without sounding rushed or unprofessional
- Computer literacy—being able to use Microsoft Word proficiently will help you land this job more quickly than if your computer skills are lacking —— it also pays off later when it comes time for billing!
Places to find virtual assistant jobs: Upwork or Fiverr
6. Content Creator
A content creator is someone who creates content for a blog, website, or social media.
They are also responsible for creating ebooks, course materials and videos. Content creators also create podcasts and infographics (a visual representation of data). Content creators may write white papers as well.
Content creation is not limited to just one type of business—it can be used in the marketing industry as well as the education industry.
Examples of content creators are: bloggers, podcasters, vloggers, social media influencers, authors, etc.
There are plenty of ways to make money creating content. You can even join Onlyfans and make money without showing your face.
Some ways you can make money with content creation include:
- Placing ads on your content (for example, monetizing your YouTube channel with YouTube ads)
- Selling products or services
- Sponsored content (or brand deals)
Places to find content creator jobs: Sponsored networks like Aspire or Activate
7. Community College Instructor
If you’re looking for a job that will allow you to share your knowledge with students and give back to the community, becoming an instructor at a community college may be perfect for you. Most instructors at community colleges are part-time, so they won’t take away from your time spent relaxing and enjoying life.
Community college instructors have the opportunity to teach a variety of courses.
For example, some may teach English or science, while others may focus on business or art history.
In most cases, community college instructors must have at least a master’s degree in their field of study (or related field). This is a good choice for jobs for teachers after retirement.
Places to find community college instructor jobs: Your local community college website
8. Autism Spectrum Disorders Student Mentor
One of the best ways to use your teaching career is to mentor students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD’s). This can be a very rewarding job because you can give back to the community in a very real way by helping children who are struggling.
Besides mentoring students with ASDs, you may also be interested in working for an organization that provides support for other students with disabilities.
If so, check out other positions at these organizations:
- The Arc of San Diego
- Autism Spectrum Learning Center (ASLC) at Renton Technical College
Places to find ASD student mentor jobs: Classifieds site, your local community site or college and school district websites, local church website
9. Camp Counselor
If you’re a teacher and you value time with kids, the camp counselor position is an excellent fit.
Camp counselors have to be creative and active, so they need a good imagination, too—qualities that many retired teachers possess.
Plus, as an added bonus for retirees who want to work with other teachers: It’s free!
Places to find camp counselor jobs: Classifieds site, job search sites like CareerBuilder or Indeed
10. ESL (English as a Second Language) Teacher
Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) is an option for many retired teachers and especially a solid option as jobs for retired English teachers.
It’s a great way to continue your career and make new friends while traveling the world. Although you don’t need any teaching experience or certification, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree in education with an ESL certificate (not necessarily teaching).
What you need to know about ESL jobs:
- The Job: ESL teachers work with students who are learning English as their second language. They teach them vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and other skills needed for communicating in English. Teachers can specialize in one particular age group or area of expertise such as business English or law office procedures. In some cases, teachers will even get paid to travel abroad!
- Work Environment: A typical day may involve working with individuals from different countries who speak different languages so it’s important that all participants understand each other clearly when speaking verbally during class time as well as listening carefully when reading written materials aloud together out loud together during class sessions; this includes yourself too because they expect their teacher(s) – especially if there isn’t much experience teaching adults before then – to also learn along side them too which means having lots patience but also being firm at times when necessary too which means setting limits on certain behaviors like playing around without paying attention while still being able to respect personal boundaries while showing empathy towards those who may feel uncomfortable socializing/being friendly yet still respecting one another’s differences.”
Places to find ESL teaching jobs: Google ESL teacher to find a bunch of sites that are hiring teachers like Magic Ears, VIPKid and others
11. Proofreader
Proofreading is a job you can do while you’re retired. In fact, it’s one of the best jobs for retirees because it doesn’t require a college degree or membership in any professional organization.
All you need is experience proofreading and some basic computer skills.
To get started in this field, start by proofing your own writing and then ask friends and family members if they need help with their documents. Once you’ve built up a portfolio of work samples, look for freelance gigs on sites like Upwork or LinkedIn’s ProFinder platform.
Places to find proofreading jobs: Upwork or Fiverr
12. Online Instructor
If you find yourself with too much time on your hands and want to make some money, consider becoming an online instructor for a university or private company.
- Work from home: This is one of the best jobs for retired teachers because you can do it from anywhere in the world. You will be expected to teach an online course once or twice a week, but don’t worry! Most universities have their own curriculum and materials that they supply to their instructors.
- Get paid per course: Not only can you work from home, but your income also depends on how many courses you teach and how well those students do on their exams (i.e., pass/fail). The more students pass their tests, the more money you make!
I’ve made over $10,000 from selling courses. This can be a passive form of income and top creators make up to $50,000+ per month from course sales! The sky’s the limit!
Places to find online course instructor jobs: Udemy or Skillshare
13. Course Creator
If you are an expert in a particular field, like teaching or knitting, and know how to teach others about it through video tutorials, then becoming a course creator is for you. Whether on Udemy or other similar platforms, teachers can earn some serious money from their courses.
The first step towards creating your own course is to choose the subject matter that you feel comfortable teaching and have expertise in. Next comes deciding whether your course will be paid or free; both options have their pros and cons when it comes to marketing strategies and earning potential.
Once you’ve decided on the content of your course(s), it’s time for planning—and this is where things get fun! A good plan will help ensure that everything gets done smoothly during production so there are no unexpected hiccups down the line when launching your new business venture (or even before).
This is like #12, online instructor but, you’ll be hosting the course yourself instead of on a platform like Skillshare. It’ll require more effort from you for marketing but, you can make a lot more money, too.
Places to find course creator jobs: You can start on course platforms like Thinkific or Teachable to build your course
14. Author
If you’re a teacher, you’re probably used to writing in some capacity. After all, if you’re teaching English or another language, writing is a big part of your job. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that this skill might lead to a career as an author.
In addition to being able to write well (something most teachers already have), there are some things that teachers need in order for their books and other writings following their retirement from the classroom:
- Editing services – Whether it’s hiring someone or doing it yourself, having an editor go through your work before publishing is essential! An editor can help make sure that your book reads well and makes sense. It’s also helpful if they are familiar with the grammar rules for whatever language(s) you’re writing about! If not, look for someone who knows those rules well enough so that they can explain them clearly when needed during editing sessions.
- A good cover design – A great cover will catch people’s eye at first glance on Amazon or iBooks etc., which means more potential buyers seeing what’s inside before making purchases based on whether they like what they see first!
Places to find author jobs: Upwork or Fiverr
15. Sell Ebooks
If you have experience with education and writing, you can create your own ebook and sell it online.
An ebook is a digital version of a book that can be read on any device, so it’s perfect for someone who wants to make money from home or travel the world! You don’t need to pay for printing costs or shipping books around the world—just upload your manuscript and watch the sales roll in.
If you’re not familiar with what an ebook is, here’s how it works:
First you write an engaging story about something related to teaching (like how to teach students math).
Then, once your work has been finalized, send it off for formatting so that publishers can sell them as ebooks later on.
Once this process has finished up completely, go ahead and upload all files onto marketplaces like Amazon KDP Select where people will buy them directly from their laptops/phones/tablets etcetera).
Places to sell ebooks: Etsy, Gumroad, Creative Market and others
16. Sell Lesson Plans
Selling lesson plans is an option for jobs for retired math teachers, jobs for retired English teachers and educators, in general. If you’re ready to step away from the classroom and still want to teach, sell your lesson plans. You can sell them directly to other teachers who will use them in their own classrooms.
You can also sell your lesson plans to parents who want help with their kids’ education at home or tutors who need materials for private lessons. If you’re looking for more established work, consider selling your material directly to schools that might be looking for new ways of teaching certain subjects or simply updating their curriculum.
Finally, another option is selling your material online through sites like Amazon or Etsy.
Places to sell lesson plans: Teacher to Teacher or Etsy
17. Writing Coach
Writing coaches are teachers who help students improve their writing skills.
Some writing coaches work in a classroom setting, others work from home as independent contractors.
Writing coaches must have extensive experience working with students and teaching writing, but there’s no need to be an expert on the subject matter you’re coaching on—anyone can become a writing coach if they have the time and desire to do so.
In order for you to become a certified writing coach, however, you will need several qualifications:
- You must have at least one year of teaching experience in an educational setting (such as elementary school or high school)
- You must possess excellent verbal communication skills
- You must be able to express yourself clearly and effectively when explaining how your techniques will help your clients achieve their goals
Places to find writing coach jobs: Social media groups and online communities like Reddit, Facebook groups, etc.
18. Consultant
As a consultant, you’ll be hired by different companies to provide expert advice on how they can improve their business.
You may be asked to help a company improve its marketing or sales strategy, or to assist in the development of an operations manual.
Another possible role for a consultant is to help make sure that the HR department is up-to-date with best practices in recruiting and hiring employees.
Places to find consultant jobs: Fiverr, Upwork, and networking sites/events
19. Teacher Coach
If you’re looking for a way to stay connected with the classroom, becoming a teacher coach might be just what you need. A teacher coach is someone who helps teachers improve their skills, and can do so in person or remotely.
Working one-on-one or in groups, teachers can learn from each other and from you as well.
This job is ideal if you have experience working with children and want to help others do the same!
Places to find teacher coach jobs: Upwork and Fiverr
20. Sell Digital Products
The first step to selling digital products is to figure out what kind of content you’re going to sell.
You could create a series of eBooks that teach people how to do things like use Word, or write lesson plans for teachers who are looking for ways to improve their skills. You can also sell online courses that help people learn new skills or solve problems in their lives.
One way to get started with this type of business is by selling your own products on platforms like Etsy and Amazon; however, if you’d rather not deal with customers yourself and would rather focus on creating value for other people instead, then it may be better for you to target businesses who want help building their own digital product offerings.
Places to sell digital products: Etsy, Creative Market, your own Shopify store
21. Sell on Etsy
Etsy is a great place to sell your handcrafted goods. It’s a marketplace for handmade items, vintage items, craft supplies and art. You can set up an Etsy shop in just minutes and sell on the go with their mobile app. I
f you’ve ever thought about selling your work at craft fairs in the past but didn’t want to deal with the hassle of setting up tables and lugging around large pieces of furniture from location to location, Etsy is a perfect alternative.
For teachers looking to retire who have been making crafts or doing other types of artsy projects at home—or any retired teacher who wants an easy way out of retirement—Etsy may be right for you!
Things to sell on Etsy: Crafts, supplies, clothes, coffee mugs, print-on-demand (POD) products
22. Podcaster
One of the most exciting ways to continue making money from teaching is to start a podcast. You can earn money from ad revenue, sponsorships and brand partnerships, as well as building a community around your podcast.
Many teachers are already familiar with this platform because it’s so easy to use. Plus, there are tons of free resources available online for creating podcasts (like Audacity).
But if you’re still new to podcasting or want some extra guidance in getting started you may want to check out our article on how I make money blogging about education in my spare time.
Places to start a podcast: Podcast hosting sites like Buzzsprout or Podbean
23. Blogger
Blogging is a great way to share your experience and knowledge with others.
- You can write about topics you are passionate about.
- If your blog gets popular, you can also make money from it.
You can start a blog for free or pay a monthly fee to have more features on the blog platform that you use.
There are many different free blogging platforms like WordPress, Medium, and Ghost which let you start a blog easily without having to know how to code HTML or JavaScript by hand.
Read about how you can start a blog and make money from it.
Places to start your blog: Siteground or Bluehost
24. Social Media Manager
Social media managers are one of the best jobs that can make you a lot of money.
If you’re the type of person who can find humor in almost any situation, this job is a great fit for you.
As a social media manager, your job is to create engaging content and work with other departments to make sure it gets posted on time. If your company has an Instagram account that needs updating every day or two, this could be a great way for you to use your creativity and stay active in retirement.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to become a social media manager, check out our article here!
Places to find a social media manager job: Job search sites like WeWorkRemotely or Indeed
25. Yoga Teacher
If you’re a fitness enthusiast or have a passion for yoga, why not become a yoga teacher. This can even be an example of 2nd careers for teachers. This is also an example of jobs teachers can do other than teaching!
You can work for a yoga studio, gym or fitness center. Or, you can start your own business!
Online Jobs for Retired Teachers
If you’re seeking online jobs for retired teachers, here are some viable career paths you can take. Working online has a ton of perks like the ability to work remotely, design your dream home office, work in cozy socks or pajamas, save money on your commute and eating out and more benefits.
Some of the best jobs for former teachers are online jobs! And, we’ve covered several of them in our roundup above, like:
- Social Media Manager
- Virtual Assistant
- Blogger
- ESL teacher
- Etsy seller
- Podcaster
My best advice for finding online jobs for retired teachers is to go after your passion.
Today, many in-person jobs are available in an online capacity. Search remote-only job boards to find these jobs that are hiring, in places like WeWorkRemotely, Remote, Remotive, Working Nomads, and others.
Retired teachers have many options for jobs outside of the classroom these days
Jobs for ex-teachers and jobs for retired teachers are abundant! There are plenty of things you can do for work and you can make a living doing something you love!
Teachers are highly-skilled professionals, so it’s no surprise that many find work outside of the classroom after retirement. If you’ve been thinking about what to do when you retire from teaching, here are some options for making money outside of teaching.
Wrap Up
The best part about these jobs for retired teachers is that you get to use your skills in a new way, which can often be more fulfilling than teaching. Plus, if you decide to start a business or freelance career after retiring from teaching, it’s best not to wait around!
The sooner you start working on your new business idea and earning money from it (even if it’s only part time), the more time you’ll have when retirement finally arrives.
