The 17 Best Jobs for Former Teachers

Teacher turnover rates shot up by 4 percent during the pandemic, according to research from the RAND Corporation. This shift could be a boon for many former teachers struggling with burnout, and the companies lucky enough to hire them.

Learn why teachers are leaving the profession, how skills from teaching careers translate to other fields and what careers are best for former teachers.

Reasons Teachers Quit

Workers in K-12 education have the highest burnout of any profession. Forty-four percent of them feel burnt out very often or always, according to a Gallup survey.

Chalkbeat, a nonprofit new organization reporting on education, spoke to 80 former teachers in a 2022 survey. Here are the most common reasons they gave for resigning:

• Respect. Teachers are falling in the ranking of America's most trusted professions, according to Gallup. Teachers feel less respected than ever.
• Support. Many teachers point to the pandemic, where they had to figure out remote learning with little help from administrators and parents, as a sign of poor support for the profession.
• Pay. Teacher salaries are famously low. One Indiana teacher took to social media to show his first paycheck for $1,300.
• Flexibility. Teachers are returning to the classroom while many jobs go remote. They also keep strict hours compared to other professions.

Transferrable Skills for Teacher

Teaching may seem very insular, like it doesn't prepare you well for other careers. But teachers develop many transferable skills that are valuable in other professions.

• Adaptability
• Attention to detail
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Decision-making
• Emotional intelligence
• Instruction
• Multitasking
• Patience
• Problem-solving
• Public speaking
• Research
• Organization
• Time management

Make sure to list these skills on your resume and improve your chances of getting a job outside the classroom.

17 Jobs for Teachers Leaving the Classroom

Here are 17 careers teachers can pivot to thanks to their experience in the classroom. Find out what to expect with each job, what you need to get them, the transferable skills they use and salary data from Glassdoor.

1. Academic Advisor

Primary duties: Help university students choose courses, set academic goals and graduate on time. Work with other administrators to communicate about curriculum.

Salary: $56,000

Transferable skills: Emotional intelligence, problem-solving and organization

What you need: A bachelor's degree and experience working with students

2. Administrative Assistant

Primary duties: Handle communications, scheduling and other routine items for a supervisor, such as a company president or CEO. Keep the supervisor's office efficient and running on time.

Salary: $44,000

Transferable skills: Attention to detail, communication, multitasking, organization and time management

What you need: Prior experience with administrative work

3. Curriculum Manager

Primary duties: Design and develop educational programs for students, company employees or customers, depending on your employer. Work with other stakeholders to decide what curriculum to offer.

Salary: $86,000

Transferable skills: Collaboration, communication, critical thinking decision-making and instruction

What you need: A bachelor's degree or higher in education

4. Communications Specialist

Primary duties: Manage public relations, internal communications and relationships with media contacts. Plan social media campaigns, write email newsletters and build other outreach channels.

Salary: $59,000

Transferable skills: Attention to detail, collaboration, communication and public speaking

What you need: Experience communicating with the public

5. Copywriter

Primary duties: Draft copy for marketing materials and edit written work. Write for social media campaigns, long-form blogs, email marketing and whatever else your employer needs.

Salary: $70,000

Transferable skills: Attention to detail, communication, critical thinking and research

What you need: A portfolio of written work to show employers

6. Corporate Trainer

Primary duties: Work with managers to create and execute training plans. Develop educational material for onboarding and professional development.

Salary: $61,000

Transferable skills: Collaboration, communication, instruction, research and public speaking

What you need: Education experience

7. Educational Consultant

Primary duties: Work with educators, administrators, parents and students to improve educational outcomes. Travel to different school districts, observe educational practices and provide recommendations for improvement.

Salary: $60,000

Transferable skills: Attention to detail, collaboration, communication and instruction

What you need: Education experience

8. Education Sales Representative

Primary duties: Sell education-related products and services. Build relationships with clients including teachers, administrators and educational institutions.

Salary: $96,000

Transferable skills: Adaptability, communication, emotional intelligence and organization

What you need: Experience with the educational products and services you sell

9. Grant Writer

Primary duties: Identify grant opportunities relevant in fields like education, childcare and research. Write proposals to earn grant money for your employer.

Salary: $57,000

Transferable skills: Attention to detail, collaboration, communication and research

What you need: Writing experience, knowledge of public funding

10. Instructional Designer

Primary duties: Design online courses for schools, universities and companies. Work with subject matter experts to determine course material and presentation.

Salary: $73,000

Transferable skills: Adaptability, collaboration, instruction and problem-solving

What you need: Education experience

11. Librarian

Primary duties: Help library patrons find and check out books, videos and other library material. Curate collections based on library themes and public interest.

Salary: $45,000

Transferable skills: Attention to detail, decision-making, research and organization

What you need: A master's degree in library science (MLS) from an accredited program

12. Nanny

Primary duties: Create a safe and enriching environment for children. Facilitate their academic and personal growth opportunities. A perfect job for stay-at-home parents.

Salary: $39,000

Transferable skills: Adaptability, patience, organization and time management

What you need: Experience working with children

13. Paralegal

Primary duties: Help lawyers with legal research, case planning and investigation. Interview and communicate with law firm clients.

Salary: $56,000

Transferable skills: Attention to detail, communication, research and organization

What you need: Paralegal certification

14. Principal

Primary duties: Manage teachers and other school administrators. Contribute to development and implementation of school curricula.

Salary: $100,000

Transferable skills: Adaptability, instruction organization and time management

What you need: Several years of teaching experience and a master's degree in education

15. Realtor

Primary duties: Help clients buy or sell properties. Follow the real estate market closely to give clients good advice.

Salary: $166,000

Transferable skills: Adaptability, communication, patience and public speaking

What you need: A real estate license

16. Test Item Writer

Primary duties: Write test questions and answer keys for school tests and quizzes, including multiple-choice, true-or-false and essay questions.

Salary: $94,000

Transferable skills: Attention to detail, communication, critical thinking and organization

What you need: Education experience and subject matter knowledge

17. Tutor

Primary duties: Prepare and teach lessons to improve students' academic abilities. Work with students to complete schoolwork and develop good study habits.

Salary: $43,000

Transferable skills: Communication, instruction, patience and time management

What you need: Education experience

Companies That Hire Former Teachers

If you're hunting for jobs outside teaching, focus on job opportunities rather than specific companies. However, be mindful that opportunities for former teachers are more bountiful in certain sectors:

• Education-adjacent companies. An entire industry has emerged from private businesses offering services that support education, like online learning platforms and teaching materials. These companies hire former teachers to develop and sell products and services based on their work experience.
• Technology. Tech companies deal with complicated subjects in a field that's constantly changing. They hire curriculum managers and instructional designers to keep their employees up to date on new developments, company policies and emerging technologies.
• Universities. If the K-12 education system isn't for you, you might do well in higher education. Academic advisors, educational consultants and grant writers can all draw on their teaching experience to enrich universities.

Former Teacher Jobs FAQ

Check out these common questions teachers have after leaving the profession.

What Jobs Can I Get with a Teaching Degree?

Besides teaching, you can:

• Become a school administrator, like a principal
• Work in an education-adjacent job, like academic advising, educational consulting, grant writing or test item writing
• Handle educational duties for a private company as a curriculum manager or instructional designer

What Are Good Remote Jobs for Former Teachers?

Instructional designers, grant writers and copywriters are remote-compatible. They're great choices for former teachers interested in becoming digital nomads.

Tutors can also use video calling to schedule remote visits with their clients, letting them work from anywhere.

How Should I Describe Teaching Experience on my Resume?

Hiring managers outside education don't see your teaching experience like other teachers or school administrators. Here are some tips for former teachers describing their work experience:

• Avoid teaching-specific terms. You didn't spend your prep period on lesson planning. Instead, you designed instructional material based on learning goals from your superiors.
• Emphasize outcomes. Don't talk about how you taught five classes and 150 students per academic year. Instead, demonstrate how you adapted your teaching methods to improve standardized test scores by 25 percent.
• Focus on transferable skills. The most valuable parts on your resume are transferable skills that apply across careers, like communication, problem-solving and time management. Use examples of times you exercised those skills, like using time management to get through a lesson plan within the allotted class period.

Are you ready to leave the teaching profession? There are plenty of jobs available for former teachers. Read more about the best job apps for ex-teachers looking for new opportunities.