Teachers in the US have several realistic part-time remote options: online tutoring, teaching small classes on course marketplaces, scoring standardized tests and essays, writing curriculum and assessment items, and teaching English to learners abroad. Most are contractor work with flexible hours and pay set per session, per class or per item. Before you start, check your district’s outside-employment policy and the timing – many of these jobs peak in summer and at the start of the school year.
Part of our trail on part-time remote jobs.
Which part-time remote jobs suit teachers?
Online tutoring
One-to-one or small-group sessions in a subject or for test prep. Platforms such as Varsity Tutors and Skooli connect tutors with students and handle booking and payment; some require subject tests, a background check or a teaching credential. You can also tutor privately, which pays more but means finding clients and handling payments yourself.
Teaching on course marketplaces
Platforms such as Outschool let you design and teach your own live online classes for children. You set the topic and price; the platform takes a share of what families pay, so check the current terms. It suits teachers who enjoy designing short courses around a passion – coding, creative writing, chess, a science topic.
Test and essay scoring
Testing companies such as ETS and Pearson recruit scorers and raters for standardized tests and state assessments. Scoring is often seasonal and done from home after training and a qualification test; a bachelor’s degree is commonly required and teaching experience in the subject is an advantage.
Curriculum and assessment writing
Publishers, education companies and online course providers hire teachers on contract to write lessons, assessment items, answer explanations and teacher guides. Work is project-based with deadlines rather than set hours.
Teaching English online
Conversation-practice platforms such as Cambly connect native speakers with learners abroad. Pay is lower than academic tutoring – Cambly’s own listing has stated about $10.20 an hour for standard English tutoring – but there are no minimum hours.
How do these jobs pay?
| Work | Paid by | Flexibility | What decides income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutoring platform | Session hour | High – you open slots | Bookings, subject demand, your ratings |
| Private tutoring | Your own hourly rate | High | Finding and keeping clients |
| Course marketplace | Share of class fees | High | Enrollments, class size, price |
| Test scoring | Hour or item; seasonal | Medium – scoring windows | Season length, accuracy on calibration |
| Curriculum writing | Item or project | Medium – deadlines | Speed and quality of drafts |
| English conversation | Minute or hour | Very high | Hours online, student demand |
Platform pay rates change often; check each platform’s current tutor or scorer page before applying rather than relying on old figures.
What should you check with your school district?
- Outside employment policy: some districts require you to disclose second jobs.
- Tutoring your own students: many districts prohibit paid tutoring of students you currently teach.
- Use of materials: don’t sell or reuse lesson materials created for your district without checking who owns them.
- Equipment and time: never do paid work on school devices or during contract hours.
When is the best time to apply?
- Spring: test-scoring programs recruit and train for spring testing seasons; apply early.
- Summer: the best time to build a tutoring profile, write curriculum and create a first online class.
- August–September: demand for tutoring rises with the new school year.
- Before exams: SAT, ACT and AP prep demand peaks in the weeks before test dates.
Tip: a short introduction video and a clear subject list on tutoring profiles make a big difference to bookings. Mention grade levels and the curriculum standards you know.
What about taxes on tutoring income?
Most of this work is independent contractor income. Nothing is withheld, so set aside money for income tax and self-employment tax, and consider quarterly estimated payments. The basics – including the home office rules that apply to the self-employed but not to employees – are in the tax section of our part-time remote jobs guide.
Watch out: “online teaching” offers that require you to pay for a certificate before you can see any students, or that recruit by text message, are not how tutoring platforms hire. Check unfamiliar offers with our scam checklist.
More on this trail: the full overview of part-time remote work in the US is in our guide to part-time remote jobs.
