Work from Home Jobs for Teachers Leaving Education

If questions like “work from home jobs for teachers leaving education” are filling up your search history, you’re one of many. There are plenty of educators looking to transition from the classroom to home-based work, using their skill set in roles that promise both freedom and potential for a higher income. And fortunately, there’s no shortage of options!

Some teachers leaving education prefer to stay in a familiar environment, like online tutoring, curriculum development, and educational consulting. Others prefer to expand their expertise in entirely new industries, where skills like communication, organization, leadership, and problem-solving can transfer naturally.

Regardless of what you’re looking for, there’s something to inspire and excite you, which is exactly what I’m covering today. Below, I’m sharing the best work from home jobs for teachers leaving education. I’ll discuss why each is a good option, explore careers you’ve probably never thought of, and share some commonly asked questions from people in the same boat you’re in right now. Let’s get started!

Your Teaching Skills That Transfer

You may be leaving education, but you’re taking years of valuable experience with you. The trick is learning how to describe that experience in terms employers outside the classroom can immediately recognize. Here’s what matters most:

• Instructional Design: Lesson planning involves identifying learning goals, organizing information, creating materials, and assessing whether people understand them. On your resume, terms like instructional design, learning objectives, training materials, and learning assessment can communicate those skills beyond K-12 education.
• Project Management: Managing lesson plans, testing schedules, classroom projects, events, and competing deadlines requires serious coordination. Instead of simply listing classroom management, highlight experiences with project planning, scheduling, deadline management, and cross-functional coordination when those terms describe your work.
• Public Speaking and Facilitation: Teachers present information and lead groups every day. Frame that experience as presentation, group facilitation, training, or public speaking, depending on the job you’re applying for.
• Differentiation: Adjusting a lesson plan for students with different abilities and learning styles is also experience tailoring information to different audiences. Resume phrases such as audience adaptation, personalized learning, and content customization can make that connection clearer.
• Stakeholder Communication: Communicating with parents, administrators, colleagues, support staff, and students requires adjusting your message for different priorities. Depending on your experience, you can describe this as stakeholder communication, cross-functional collaboration, relationship management, or client communication.

Don’t simply replace education terminology with corporate buzzwords, though. Look at the job description you’re applying for, identify the skills that genuinely overlap with your teaching experience, and use language that shows you’ve already put those skills into practice.

Work From Home Jobs For Teachers Leaving Education

Once you start looking beyond the classroom, you’ll find that there isn’t just one path for former teachers. Some work-from-home jobs keep you closely connected to education, while others let you use the same skills in a complete different way.

Here are a few options to consider based on your experience, interests, and income goals:

Online Teaching and Tutoring

Online teaching and tutoring can be one of the most straightforward transitions because you’re using skills you already have. Depending on the role, you might tutor students one-on-one, teach small groups, provide test prep, or teach a specific subject online.

Pay varies considerably by subject, platform, credentials, and whether you work for a company or find your own clients. Tutors commonly charge by the hour, while some online teaching positions offer a set hourly rate or salary. Getting started may be as simple as having teaching experience and subject-matter expertise, although certain companies or positions require a teaching license or degree.

Curriculum Development

If lesson planning was one of your strengths in the classroom, curriculum development is another natural direction to head. Curriculum developers create and revisit lessons, assessments, instructional materials, and other educational resources for schools, publishers, EdTech companies, and learning platforms.

Some curriculum development positions are salaried, while freelance and contract roles may be by the hour or project. Requirements vary, but teaching experience, curriculum planning skills, and familiarity with sample lessons, learning materials, or curriculum projects can help demonstrate what you can do outside your own classroom.

Freelance Writing and Blogging

Teachers who are strong writers can also turn that skill into remote freelance work. You’ve spent years explaining difficult subjects, learning about new topics, and hitting strict deadlines, all of which can naturally translate into writing expertise. Educational publishers, websites, and curriculum companies hire freelance writers frequently to create everything from articles and lesson plan materials to educational resources and marketing content.

Freelance writing income varies widely because writers may charge by the hour, project, or word. You don’t necessarily need professional writing experience to start, but you will need strong writing samples. Your teaching background can give you useful niche in subjects you already know well, and you can expand into other industries as you build your portfolio and experience

Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant

Sleep consulting offers a different way to use the communication, education, and problem-solving skills you developed as a teacher. Pediatric sleep consultants often work directly with families, helping parents understand age-appropriate sleep practices and develop routines and strategies that work for their children.

Unlike a traditional salaried remote position, sleep consulting is typically a self-employed career, so income depends on factors such as your pricing, number of clients, services, and how quickly you build your business. Teachers interested in this path will need specialized training in pediatric sleep as well as the business basics required to work with clients independently.

The Center for Pediatric Sleep Management offers training for those who want to become certified pediatric sleep consultants, as well as the skills you need for building a sustainable, meaningful career. These careers can also be done from home, but they offer very different working styles. Consider whether you want the structure of working for an employer, the flexibility of freelance or contract work, or the independence of building your own business when narrowing down your options.

Related Article: Work From Home Jobs for Former Teachers

How to Replace a Teacher Salary

One of the biggest concerns when leaving education is whether your next job can realistically replace your teacher salary. The deference depends heavily on the path you choose.

Salaried positions that build directly on your teaching experience can offer the clearest route to comparable pay. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $77,440 for instructional coordinators, although pay and requirements vary by position. Other remote roles, such as online tutors with a general median wage of $43, 350, require time to reach an income similar to what you earned in the classroom.

Tutoring, freelance writing, virtual assistant work, and other independent careers can become full-time income sources, but earnings ultimately depend on your rates, workload, experience, and ability to find consistent clients. If you choose a freelance or self-employed path, it may make more sense to build your client base before leaving your teaching position rather than expecting to replace your salary immediately.

Equally important? Benefits. A new salary that looks comparable on paper may feel different once you account for health insurance, retirement contributors, paid time off, taxes, and other benefits that you previously received through your school district.

There isn’t one standard timeline for making the transition. Some teachers move directly into full-time remote positions, while others spend months building new skills, creating a portfolio, applying for jobs, or growing freelance work on the side. Give yourself room for that transition, and base your income goal on your actual salary and benefits rather than a generalized national average.

Work From Home Jobs For Teachers Leaving Education No Experience

Are you dreaming of a job that lets you stay cozy at home while still earning a decent paycheck? Work from home jobs for teachers leaving education with no experience might just be your ticket to freedom and flexibility. Whether you’re craving more family time or simply want a change of pace without sacrificing income, these entry-level remote roles could be your perfect match. Let’s make this transition as smooth as possible.

Virtual Assistant Roles: Leverage Your Organizational Skills

Did you excel at planning lessons and organizing your classroom? Transition those skills into a virtual assistant role! Companies value your ability to manage schedules, handle communications, and keep projects on track. As a teacher, you’re used to multitasking and meeting deadlines, making you a prime candidate for these positions.

Customer Service or Support Jobs: Your Communication Skills Are Key

Consider a career in customer service or support. Teachers possess exceptional communication skills, perfect for roles that require clear and empathetic interactions with customers. These jobs often offer flexible schedules, allowing you to work around personal commitments. Your ability to explain complex ideas in simple terms is invaluable here. So, why not use those skills to help others while building a new career path?

Content Creation: Turn Your Creativity into Cash

Are you creative? Platforms like YouTube or Pinterest offer incredible opportunities to leverage your creativity. Create educational content, DIY projects, or even tips for classroom management—anything that showcases your skills and passions. Content creation not only gives you a platform to express yourself but also attracts an audience, which can be monetized over time. It’s a fun and fulfilling way to transition from teaching.

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Companies That Hire Former Teachers 

Online Tutoring and Coaching Platforms

VIPKid Global

Connects teachers with students around the world for English language learning using a structured curriculum. VIPKid Global hires strictly remote positions, but you must be eligible to work in the U.S. or Canada and cannot live in California, Connecticut, New York, Washington Sate, or Washington D.C.

Chegg Tutors

Offers flexible tutoring opportunities in numerous subjects, catering to a wide range of student needs. Chegg Tutors only hires remote positions and doesn’t coordinate or hire for local, physical, or in-person tutors or teachers for face-to-face classrooms.

TutorMe

Provides an online platform where educators can tutor students across different subjects, focusing on personalized learning. TutorMe hires remote positions only, where tutoring lessons occur through the platform’s digital lesson space. In this position, you would operate as an independent contractor rather than under a salaried position.

Curriculum Development and Educational Publishing

Khan Academy

Employs educators to develop course materials and instructional videos that make learning accessible worldwide. Khan Academy offers both remote and in-person positions, with some opportunities operating on a hybrid setup where you can work from their headquarters. Because of this, make sure you select the right one when applying.

Pearson Education

A leading learning company that offers content creation roles for educational materials spanning multiple grades and subjects. Pearson Education, similar to Khan Academy, offers various types of positions. This incudes remote opportunities teaching from Pearson Online Academy or Connections Academy, test scoring roles that require you to work in person, and campus ambassadors, which is hybrid.

Scholastic Inc.

Known for publishing educational materials and children’s books, it frequently hires teachers for content development and literacy programs. Scholastic Inc. offers remote, in-person, and hybrid options, ranging from account executives and associate editors to customer service representatives and on-site administrative staff. When applying, make sure you check that the role is fully remote.

EdTech and Learning Platforms

Canvas by Instructure

Hires educators to help design and improve their educational software, ensuring it meets classroom needs. Depending on your role, team, and location, Canvas by Instructure hires hybrid, online, and in-person. A majority of jobs, including product management and region-specific sales jobs, are offered online. Always double check when applying!

Blackboard Inc.

Seeks former teachers to contribute to their e-learning platforms, providing insights into user experience and curriculum effectiveness. Blackboard Inc., now part of Anthology, hires remote, in-person, and hybrid roles. Generally, corporate or administrative roles are in-person, while technical support and customer service positions are offered online.

Coursera

Offers positions for educators to create and curate online courses that reach adult learners and professionals globally. Unlike other options on this list, Coursera is incredibly flexible and lets employees choose where they want to work. While some roles do still require occasional in-person meetings, a majority operate on a flexible workplace model.

Corporate Training and Development

LinkedIn Learning

Utilizes educators’ skills in developing professional development courses aimed at enhancing job skills across various industries. LinkedIn Learning offers online, in-person, and hybrid positions depending on the specific role and your geographic location. Each job listing will explicitly state where it’s located, so always check this before applying.

General Assembly

Employs teachers in roles that support career training programs, particularly in tech and business fields. General Assembly, because it’s shifted to focus on corporate B2B training, offers a significant amount of in-person positions. However, roles like Data Analytics often require you to come into the office, so double check the requirements before sending in your application.

Skillshare

Engages teachers in creating engaging online classes on a variety of creative and business topics for lifelong learners. Skillshare is a fully, 100% remote company, meaning they don’t typically offer in-person positions. They do, however, offer a hybrid option, allowing certain employees to work from an office space if they choose to do so.

Specialized Tutoring and Education Services

Kaplan

Provides roles for teachers in test preparation services, offering support for students facing major exams like SAT, MCAT, and GRE. Kaplan hires an equal amount of both in-person and remote workers, ranging from positions like remote content writers to local test prep instructors. Make sure you’re applying for an at-home role before submitting your application.

Rosetta Stone

Hires linguistic experts and teachers to help develop language learning software and tutor in specific languages. A majority of Rosetta Stone’s positions, including support staff, instructors, and online language tutors, are structured as remote or flexible contract positions.

Mathnasium

Seeks instructors to provide math tutoring that is tailored to individual student needs, utilizing a unique teaching approach. Mathnasium offers online and in-person jobs, so make sure to double check this before getting set on a position. Certain virtual instructors can teach completely at home, while others are often expected to operate on a hybrid or in-person structure.

These organizations value the diverse skills that teachers bring, such as curriculum design, classroom management, and subject matter expertise. Exploring these opportunities can lead to fulfilling careers that leverage your teaching background in new and exciting ways. Whether you aim to stay close to education or branch into corporate training, there are numerous paths available for former teachers.

Best Remote Jobs for Former Teachers

YouTube Video: From Former Elementary School Teacher to Thriving Sleep Consultant:

If you’re a former teacher looking to harness your educational skills in a new remote role, here are some of the best opportunities where your teaching expertise will shine:

Instructional Design and E-Learning Development

There’s a booming demand for professionals in instructional design and e-learning development. As education shifts towards digital platforms, your ability to craft engaging and educational content is invaluable. These roles involve creating instructional materials and courses for online learning environments, perfect for teachers who are skilled in curriculum planning and educational theory. Many transition smoothly from traditional teaching to impactful roles in corporate and educational settings. 

Educational Consulting and Coaching

As an educational consultant or coach, you can offer insights and guidance to educational institutions or private clients looking to improve learning outcomes. This role taps into your expertise in pedagogy and classroom management, allowing you to advise on best practices, curriculum implementation, and student engagement strategies. Former teachers often find these roles fulfilling as they continue to impact education on a broader scale.

Writing and Editing for Education Publishers

Writing and editing for educational publishers is another excellent remote job option for former teachers. Your understanding of what captivates and educates students can help you excel in creating and refining educational content. Publishers often seek former educators to write textbooks, design lesson plans, or edit scholarly material, ensuring it’s pedagogically sound. Plenty of teachers have channeled their passion for education into writing, contributing significantly to educational resources that reach a global audience.

Each of these roles not only offers the chance to work remotely but also aligns perfectly with the skill set developed through years of teaching. By transitioning into these areas, former teachers can continue to influence and inspire learners in diverse and meaningful ways.

Making the Move Out of Teaching

As you can now see, there’s truly a substantial market for teachers who are looking to leave education and work at home. Whether you want to transition your skills into a similar field or expand your expertise to something entirely new, you have the freedom, opportunity, and now, the knowledge, to do so. If you interested in learning more, I have a full guide dedicated to second jobs for teachers and work-from-home jobs for retired teachers, giving you other ways to discover more opportunities. And if sleep consulting caught your eye, you’re in the right place.

At The Center for Pediatric Sleep Management, we train aspiring pediatric sleep consultants to confidently support families while building a business of their own. Our comprehensive, self-paced certification course covers sleep science, child development, multiple sleep training techniques, family coaching and communication, and the business skills you need to launch and grow your practice. You’ll also receive mentorship, lifetime access to course materials, and ongoing community support as you build your new career.

Read my article, “What Does a Sleep Consultant Do?” to learn more about what to expect in this field. Prefer to talk it through? Schedule a discovery call with me, Jayne Havens, and we’ll figure out if this work is right for you. You can also download our free ebook, Launching Your Career as a Sleep Consultant, and explore at your own pace.

Cheering you on,

Jayne Havens

Jobs For Teachers Leaving Education FAQs

What Job Can I Get If I Leave Teaching?

Former teachers have a range of job opportunities available, including roles in instructional design, corporate training, educational consulting, and curriculum development. Additional options include freelance writing or online tutoring, where you can transfer your skills from the classroom directly to your new position.

How To Get A Job After Leaving Teaching?

To transition into a new job after teaching, update your resume to highlight transferable skills such as communication, organization, and leadership. Network with professionals in your desired field, consider further education or certifications relevant to your new career path, and leverage job search platforms and recruitment agencies that specialize in career transitions.

What Companies Want To Hire Former Teachers?

Companies in the education technology sector, like Pearson and Khan Academy, as well as corporate training departments within large corporations, often seek former teachers. Other potential employers include instructional design firms, publishing companies, and organizations that value strong communication, instructional, and interpersonal skills.

What Remote Jobs Can A Teacher Do?

Teachers can transition to remote jobs such as virtual tutoring, online course instruction, and telecommuting roles in curriculum development. Other remote opportunities include freelance writing and editing educational content, educational consulting, or becoming a customer support specialist where teaching skills can be effectively utilized.

What To Do If I Want To Quit Teaching?

If you’re considering quitting teaching, start by assessing your career interests and skills to identify new job opportunities. Update your resume to reflect relevant skills for your new career path, network with professionals outside education, and explore job openings in fields of interest. Consider consulting a career coach to help navigate the transition and take advantage of professional development courses to enhance your qualifications for non-teaching roles.