10 Best Jobs for Former Teachers in Related and Profitable Fields

Being an educator is a vocation and a craft that takes years to hone. However, many teachers find themselves feeling burned out or simply ready for a new challenge after years in the classroom ^[1].

If you’re an educator ready to start a new chapter in your career, you’re going to want to keep reading.

We’ve compiled a list of the best jobs for former teachers based on your experience and transferable skills. Scroll down to discover:

• Educators’ most desirable transferable skills
• Ten job roles that are perfect for ex-teachers
• The average salary for each role

Table of contents:

1. Instructional designer
2. Curriculum developer
3. Higher education consultant
4. Corporate trainer
5. Project manager
6. Real estate agent
7. Life coach
8. Business manager
9. Account manager
10. Customer success manager

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What transferable skills do former teachers have?

Throughout your career as an educator, you’ve built an impressive arsenal of skills. Many of these skills and competencies can be easily transferred to other job roles. So even if, at first glance, you lack the experience listed in the job description, you may just have the skills after all.

Before you begin job searching, get to know what transferable skills you bring to the table. That way, you can demonstrate to potential employers how you’ll use these skills in a brand-new role.

Here are some of the most coveted transferable skills former teachers have in spades:

• Emotional intelligence
• Leadership
• Communication
• Conflict resolution
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving
• Critical thinking
• Decision-making
• Time management
• Organization
• Creativity
• Multi-tasking

Interestingly, in a recent Forbes article about the soft skills companies value most, 11 of these competencies were mentioned. So, even if you lack direct experience, you already have the soft skills to thrive in a new role. Just remember to showcase how you intend to transfer these skills in your resume and cover letter.

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Top jobs for former teachers in 2024

New beginnings are exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Upskilling, entering a new industry, and learning a new skill set – there’s a lot to think about. To take some of the stress out of the job search, we’ve compiled ten jobs that suit your current skill set and require minimal retraining.

If you’re a former teacher looking for a new career, these jobs could be perfect for you.

1. Instructional designer

Instructional designers create and evaluate digital learning experiences. Their duties involve analyzing training needs, curriculum design, project management, and developing engaging multimedia learning materials.

As such, you must be a well-rounded professional with diverse skill sets to excel in this role.

It’s a great role if you want to utilize your creativity, from creating elearning storyboards to finding innovative ways to apply instructional design models.

Key transferable skills:

Coming from a classroom environment, you already have many valuable transferable skills. These include curriculum development, communication, adaptability, and the ability to design engaging lessons that cater to diverse learning styles.

Average yearly salary:

$70,629 USD ^[2]

Get the full lowdown on the life of an instructional designer.

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2. Curriculum developer

Curriculum developers design educational programs and supplementary learning materials. The role involves aligning the curriculum content with the latest educational standards while ensuring it’s engaging and effective.

Having classroom experience is a great benefit for this role, as you already understand what activities resonate with students.

Key transferable skills:

As a former teacher, you already have many of the core competencies this role requires. For instance, curriculum design, attention to detail, creativity, time management, and collaboration.

Average yearly salary:

$71,395 USD ^[3]

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3. Higher education consultant

Higher education consultants leverage their expertise to help educational institutions enhance their learning environments. In this role, they offer training, insights, and solutions to common issues educators experience.

This can include advising on solutions to fix systemic problems in schools or developing learning products for private companies in the education industry.

It’s ideal if you’re a former teacher and want to use your experience to effect real change in the system.

Key transferable skills:

As well as your classroom experience, your communication, leadership, problem-solving, critical thinking, and conflict management skills will help you excel in this role.

Average yearly salary:

$102,5500 USD ^[4]

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4. Corporate trainer

If you love teaching but you’re craving a more business-like environment, consider a career in corporate training.

Corporate trainers develop, deliver, and evaluate employee training programs, driving continuous learning in an organization. In particular, they focus on training to solve performance problems in the business.

It’s a fantastic role for former teachers to build upon their existing classroom skills and work in a more fast-paced, corporate environment.

Key transferable skills:

Educators make excellent corporate trainers thanks to their presentation, communication, and organizational skills. What’s more, you already know how to lead a lesson and adapt quickly when an exercise is falling flat.

Average yearly salary:

$60,511 USD ^[5]

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5. Project manager

Project managers oversee projects from start to finish. It’s their role to allocate resources, manage budgets, oversee timelines, and ensure that all tasks at every stage are completed.

As a result, project managers must be organized and skilled multitaskers.

Former educators tend to thrive in this role because you have the organizational, leadership, and interpersonal skills for the job.

Key transferable skills:

Project managers must have strong time management, communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills. These are soft skills that many former teachers already display.

Average yearly salary:

$79,424 USD ^[6]

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6. Real estate agent

Real estate agents help clients buy, sell, or rent properties. In this role, they offer expertise and guidance on market trends, negotiate on behalf of clients, and guide them through the process.

It’s an ideal career for former teachers with strong interpersonal skills who love a job where every day is different.

There’s a strong sales element to this role, so you must be willing to work toward KPIs and deliver results.

Key transferable skills:

As a former teacher, you have a strong background in relationship building, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving. All of these competencies transfer nicely to the world of real estate.

Average yearly salary:

$55,456 USD ^[7]

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7. Life coach

If one of your favorite aspects of teaching is helping your learners reach their goals, then life coaching may be the right career for you.

Life coaches support clients in achieving their goals by offering motivation, strategies, and guidance.

You must be a natural motivator with strong interpersonal skills to thrive in this role. In addition, it’s a great career choice if you don’t want to be stuck in a 9-to-5 office job.

Key transferable skills:

Your previous education experience means you already have strong communication and active listening skills, which are essential in this role. What’s more, your empathy, adaptability, and goal-setting abilities align well with the coaching profession.

Average yearly salary:

$54,843 USD ^[8]

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8. Business manager

If you’re an entrepreneur at heart and you’re craving something totally new, becoming a business manager could be the right move.

Business managers oversee the daily operations of a company, including budgets, staffing, and strategic planning.

While you will most likely have to develop technical skills to succeed in this profession, your teaching days have equipped you with the right soft skills.

Business managers need strong people skills, leadership abilities, and conflict management skills. Whether it’s a six-year-old in the classroom or a 60-year-old in a board room, you have the skills to de-escalate incidents and find solutions.

Key transferable skills:

As a teacher, you’ve developed strong strategic thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. All of these skills translate well into managing business operations.

Average Annual Salary:

$76,770 USD ^[9]

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9. Account manager

Account managers build and maintain relationships with clients, addressing their needs and ensuring they’re satisfied.

There’s a strong focus on sales and revenue generation in this role, with account managers working hard to upsell, cross-sell, and renew contracts.

To succeed in this environment, you must be able to meet demanding sales metrics and grow the business.

Key transferable skills:

Your ability to build relationships, communicate, and find creative solutions to problems will stand you in good stead in the account management profession. As will your capacity to handle stress and manage your time.

Average Annual Salary:

$63,695 USD ^[10]

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10. Customer success manager

If you love working with people but want a slightly less “sales-based” role than an account manager, customer success may be the profession for you.

Customer success managers (CSMs) nurture the relationship with clients and maximize the value that customers get from a product or service.

One of the biggest requirements in this role is the ability to build long-term client relationships. In addition, you’ll need deep knowledge of the product or service your company sells so you can provide solutions to customers’ problems.

Key transferable skills:

Transferable skills include communication, emotional intelligence, adaptability, creative problem-solving, and teamwork.

Average Annual Salary:

$120,400 USD ^[11]

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Keep the learning streak alive!

We hope our list of the best jobs for former teachers gives you some inspiration for your next big adventure. Whether you want to stay within the education sector or try something completely new, your years in the classroom will serve you well.

By identifying what transferable skills you bring to the table, you can better understand your value in the workplace and communicate that to potential employers.

Interested in a career in elearning? Get more free instructional design tips on our blog.