The Best Jobs for Former Teachers

In a typical year, 8% of the teaching workforce calls it quits. If you’ve been pondering becoming part of that statistic, we understand how stressful it must be to decide to leave a career you’ve surely invested so much time and energy in. If you feel lost and unsure about your next move, keep reading. This article will help you understand how to quit teaching and find jobs for former teachers that align better with your needs.

Why Teachers Quit

If you are considering leaving teaching, you are not alone. The National Education Association, the nation’s largest union for teachers, estimates that 55% of educators are ready to leave the profession. Here are some of the top reasons why:

Pay

The most common reason for this deep dissatisfaction is what is considered by 60% of educators as an inadequate pay and benefits package. The salary for a teacher averages only $43,130 per year. Add to this that most teachers aren’t paid during summers and other school breaks, and it’s easy to see how challenging this can be.

Stress

Pay is not the only concern, though. Stress and burnout can really take a toll on teachers’ mental and physical health. Unrealistic expectations and constant overload can make work-life balance extremely challenging for educators. In fact, 80% of teachers report that the added responsibilities and time due to a lack of personnel are very stressful.

Lack of Resources

One of the chronic issues schools face is budget cuts. Lack of funds to buy necessary tools and supplies can really make a teacher’s job more difficult and stressful. Many even resort to spending their own money to cover the cost of classroom necessities.

Feeling Undervalued

Dealing with disrespectful behavior from some children and teenagers daily is no joke. When instead of providing support, parents and school boards end up criticizing educators, it can make you feel extremely discouraged and helpless. We don’t blame you if you’re thinking about looking around for jobs for former teachers and quitting teaching.

What Can Teachers Offer?

Once you come to the realization that you want to leave your job, you’re likely going to ask yourself a lot of questions. For example: “What jobs for former teachers can I access with my current set of skills?”, “Do I have to go back to school?”, “Will I lose another 3 to 4 years in the process?” The truth is teachers have a great deal of highly marketable skills that you can leverage to enter other fields.

For a start, working with children who are often easily bored, teachers usually have, or quickly develop, excellent communication skills, emotional intelligence, and negotiation skills. Creativity, multitasking, and time management are other crucial capabilities that teachers need to survive in the classroom.

You’ll also have the following highly transferrable skills:

• the ability to train people
• active listening
• problem-solving

As a teacher, you should consider yourself a valuable candidate and rest assured that companies that hire former teachers not only exist but are plentiful in every sector.

How to Choose Your Next Career

The idea of picking a new career after teaching can be scary. However, with careful evaluation, it’s easier than you think. Here are our top tips for deciding what’s best for you:

• Make a pros and cons list of what you did and didn’t love about your job as a teacher. This is very subjective and can include anything from your salary, the age group you taught, your schedule, your free time, and more. By doing this you’ll understand what is really important to you and be ready to look into other options that respect that.
• List the skills you have and which ones you’d like to keep using. Don’t think about any specific role yet, simply write down what you can do, and after that you can see what jobs call for these.
• Start looking into other careers and requirements. Here you can search for jobs for former teachers for which you already have the skills or that you can easily transition into. Below we list a few examples. Remember, however, that you should never exclude any opportunities before considering if you could in fact be a match.

What’s the Best Career Change for Teachers to Choose?

Leaving your teacher job doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have to give up teaching altogether. If sharing knowledge is your passion, there are plenty of jobs for former teachers that allow you to maintain this but that are less stressful and easier to handle. These include:

1. Adult Education Teacher

Average salary: $21.91 per hour ($45,594 per year)

This is one of the best jobs for former teachers where you’ll still work in some kind of school. The responsibilities are essentially the same but without the stressful behaviors, kids can exhibit. In this role, you’ll support adults 18 and older in classes to complete their education or learn additional skills such as a new language. You’ll plan lessons, prepare tests and grade students just like you would do in your old role.

Find adult education teacher jobs on Monster.

2. After-School Program Director

Average salary: $48,210 per year

After-school program directors play a crucial part in academic support. These professionals organize and hold enrichment activities for children such as arts and crafts, specific clubs, sports, and homework help. Because of the more creative and less restricting nature of after-school programs, these roles are interesting alternative jobs for teachers.

Find after-school program director jobs on Monster.

3. Museum Educator

Average salary: $45,725 per year

This could be one of the best jobs for ex teachers who taught history of art you could ever have. You’ll get to spread your knowledge about what you love without the stress of achieving certain classroom metrics by the end of the year. You’ll also meet and connect with people of all ages and backgrounds.

Find museum educator jobs on Monster.

If you’d like to keep helping children and teenagers in the education system, albeit not as a teacher, consider one of the following positions:

4. Academic Advisor

Average salary: $43,326 per year

Academic advisor is one of the best jobs for former teachers who enjoy working one to one with students, but without the constraint of a classroom. As an academic advisor you’ll provide students with guidance for their academic life and help them shape their future. Your academic advisor resume will include responsibilities such as assisting students in picking courses, choosing internships, strategizing to achieve the best grade, and more.

Find academic advisor jobs on Monster.

5. Education Consultant

Average salary: $64,450 per year

Education consultants advise school boards, government officials, teachers, and parents who homeschool their children on the best programs and curriculum to deliver based on students’ needs. Your goals in this job are to improve educational quality, suggest classroom management strategies, train teachers, and more. An educational consultant is one of the perfect jobs for ex teachers since having been on the other side you’ll have a valuable perspective on what doesn’t work and how to help solve it.

Find education consultant jobs on Monster.

6. Principal

Average salary: $71,967 per year

School principals are great jobs for former teachers looking to grow in the industry without directly teaching. They are leadership positions in which you manage both the administrative and human operations of a school. You’ll coordinate processes, establish, and maintain budgets, ensure your school follows regulations, and be the go-to contact for teachers and the rest of your staff.

Find school principal jobs on Monster.

On the other hand, maybe you’ve realized that this is not the industry for you at all and are wondering what jobs for teachers leaving education are an option for you with your current skills and without starting completely from scratch. Here are some interesting career changes for teachers that you could pursue:

7. Librarian

Average salary: $48,729 per year

Are you organized, love to read, and like the idea of working in a peaceful, quiet setting? Among the jobs for former teachers that you could go for, we must mention the librarian. You’ll be responsible for selecting, acquiring, cataloging, and maintaining the library’s collection of texts. You’ll often work alone, but you’ll also need excellent customer service skills, which you’ve already mastered through teaching. Make sure you mention this and the other transferrable skills that teaching has given you when you write your librarian cover letter.

Find librarian jobs on Monster.

8. Editor

Average salary: $24.36 per hour ($50,693 per year)

Editors read and improve the content by fixing mistakes and enhancing clarity and coherence. Sounds familiar? To become an editor or copywriter you’ll benefit from taking a copywriting course to target your skills to the new industry, but besides that, as a former teacher you already have much of what it takes.

Find editor jobs on Monster.

9. Translator

Average salary: $22.04 per hour (45,865 per year)

Among the jobs for former teachers that you could choose from, a role as a translator is an excellent option if you were a foreign language teacher. You speak the language to a proficient level, are used to switching from one language to another, and you know the culture and customs, which are all perfect skills for moving into a translation career. In your translator resume, add your familiarity with the latest technologies used in the industry and you’ll be set to start.

Find translator jobs on Monster.

10. Public Speaking Coach

Salary: $34,939 per year up

As a former teacher you’re certainly used to helping students to present ideas and information better. A public speaking coach does the same with adults that want or need to improve their speaking or presentation skills, whether it’s for work or personal growth.

Find public speaking coach jobs on Monster.

11. Event Planner

Average salary: $21.1 per hour ($43,909 per year)

One of the ideal jobs for former teachers that might surprise you is an event planner. As a teacher, you’ve already organized trips and various activities, managed budgets and dealt with very demanding clients. If you can gracefully handle a crowd of eight-year-olds, then birthdays, weddings, and anniversary parties can’t be that much more difficult, right?

Find event planning jobs on Monster.

12. Nonprofit Manager

Average salary: $44,879 per year

Similar to an event planner role, nonprofit roles are great jobs for former teachers because you already possess the necessary core skill set. We’re talking about time management, organization, resourcefulness, people management and administration. Plus, like teaching, these are fulfilling roles that make a difference.

Find nonprofit jobs on Monster.

13. Project Manager

Average salary: $85,037 per year

Project manager is probably one of the most lucrative and relatively easy-to-achieve alternative jobs for teachers. In fact, good teachers are already excellent leaders who guide a team to an objective. To become a project manager you need to be determined and organized, plus pursuing a specialized course will give you all the hard skills you need to be successful in this job.

Find project manager jobs on Monster.

14. Real Estate Agent

Average salary: $76,977 per year

In a real estate agent role, interpersonal skills are everything. Your experience as a teacher in dealing with people of all ages certainly qualifies you for this job. If you love working with people, you’ll enjoy building up trust with property buyers and sellers, just like you would with children and their parents. Just remember that to become a real estate agent in most states you have to pass a licensing exam.

Find real estate jobs on Monster.

15. HR Manager

Average salary: $67,544 per year

To work in human resources, you’ll need to upskill to learn about the industry software, specific regulations, and procedures. However, we’re sure that when the time comes, you’re going to rock your HR interview because you already have all the transferrable soft skills necessary to be successful. Communicating effectively, people skills, and creating a positive environment are all things you’re already practiced in as a former teacher.

Find HR manager jobs on Monster.

How to Quit Teaching and Transition to a New Role

Whichever role you end up choosing, your next step is to understand how to transition as smoothly as possible into your new career. You’ll need to first check your contract to see what obligations you have towards the school and if you can leave your job before the end of your contract.

Sometimes schools will ask you to stay until the end of the school year, other times they’ll only require you to stay until they find a substitute. Whenever possible, try to find a compromise as the school managers will likely be your references for any of these future jobs for former teachers that you might take on.

Unless your physical and mental health is threatened, announcing your departure, and completing the year can be beneficial to both the school and you. The school will have time to find a replacement and you’ll be able to start preparing for your next role with the financial cushion of your current position. During this time, focus on:

• learning all about your next career
• writing a powerful resume
• building a new network as well as leveraging your current contacts
• finding the best companies suited to your needs and aspirations

Choose Monster to Help You Find Jobs for Former Teachers

Are you ready to find jobs for ex teachers? Before jumping in to apply to positions, get a free resume assessment with Monster. Our resume experts will help you present your existing skills and experience as valuable transferrable assets for a new career. Be unforgettable to recruiters and companies thanks to support from Monster.