Devlin Peck
Looking for jobs in education that don't involve teaching? Whether you're a burned-out teacher ready for a change or an education major exploring your options, there are more career paths than ever before.
In 2025, 46% of teachers reported feeling burned out. And with AI reshaping how people learn and work, new roles are emerging across the education sector every year.
Below, we'll walk through 25 non-teaching education careers — complete with updated 2026 salary data, degree requirements, and remote work potential — followed by a step-by-step guide for making the transition.
Many of these roles are ideal jobs for teachers leaving the classroom who still want to work in education or learning-focused industries.
And if you’d like to expand your search beyond education, you can view our full list of the 50 best jobs for former teachers.
Leaving teaching can feel like a leap. But with teacher burnout near record levels and salaries that haven't kept pace with the cost of living, thousands of educators are discovering fulfilling careers that still let them make an impact on learners (often with better pay, more flexibility, and improved work-life balance).
Here are 25 of the best options in 2026.
Average salary: $93,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: High
Instructional designers create engaging, effective learning experiences for organizations across every industry, from Fortune 500 companies to universities to government agencies.
It's the single most popular career pivot for former teachers, and for good reason. The work draws directly on the skills you already have: breaking down complex topics, designing materials that hold attention, and thinking critically about how people learn.
The difference? You'll typically earn significantly more, enjoy stronger work-life balance, and have access to remote positions that simply don't exist in K–12. According to Glassdoor, the average salary reached $93,000 in 2026 (with senior instructional designers clearing well over $100,000).
There are some new skills to pick up, like working with authoring tools (Articulate Storyline 360, Rise 360, etc.) and applying adult learning theory, but most teachers find the learning curve manageable. And you'll still get the rewarding feeling of helping people learn that probably drew you to teaching in the first place.
You can work in corporate learning, higher education, healthcare, government, nonprofits, or as a freelancer. Many positions are fully remote.
How to break in: Self-teach with YouTube and build a portfolio with 1–3 sample projects. Portfolios are everything when breaking into this field. Alternatively, you can invest in structured training. I run Peck Academy, a licensed career school that’s specifically designed to help people become instructional designers (many of our graduates are former teachers).
If you’d like, you can bookmark my free, in-depth guide on how to become an instructional designer.
Average salary: $68,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: Medium
If you love the act of teaching but want out of the K–12 system, corporate training might be your most natural move. Corporate trainers (sometimes called L&D specialists) often deliver employee training programs: everything from onboarding new hires to leadership development workshops.
The core skill set is nearly identical to teaching: presenting complex information clearly, reading the room, adapting on the fly, and assessing whether learners actually understood the material. The key difference is that your "students" are adults, the pay is better, and summer break is replaced by actual PTO you can take year-round.
You can work in-house for a single company or for a training consultancy that serves multiple clients. Some roles are hybrid or remote, especially when training is delivered virtually.
Transferable teaching skills: Lesson planning, classroom facilitation, assessment design, differentiation.
Average salary: $109,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: High
Learning experience designer (LXD) is essentially a modern title for instructional design roles that emphasize learner-centered experiences.
In many organizations, the terms instructional designer and learning experience designer are used interchangeably. The work is largely the same: designing effective learning programs for employees, students, or customers.
The “LXD” label usually signals that the role takes inspiration from UX design and behavioral psychology, focusing more deeply on how learners interact with content and how learning connects to real-world performance.
In practice, LXDs still create many of the same deliverables as instructional designers:
If you’re exploring instructional design as a career, you’ll likely encounter both titles in job postings. The skills and portfolio expectations are typically the same.
Average salary: $114,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: Medium
Educational consultants work with schools, districts, and education organizations to improve teaching practices, implement new curricula, and enhance learning outcomes. It's a natural step for experienced teachers who've developed expertise in a specific area, whether that's literacy instruction, STEM education, classroom technology, or school improvement.
The role leans heavily on skills you've honed in the classroom: curriculum development, assessment strategy, data-driven decision making, and the communication skills needed to work with everyone from first-year teachers to superintendents.
What makes consulting appealing is the variety. Instead of teaching the same grade level year after year, you'll work across multiple schools and projects. Many consultants work independently or for consulting firms, which gives you more control over your schedule.
Best suited for: Teachers with 5+ years of experience and a recognized area of expertise.
Average salary: $95,000 | Degree required: Bachelor's in education | Remote potential: Medium
Curriculum designers develop the frameworks, scope and sequences, and instructional materials that teachers use in their classrooms. If you've ever been frustrated by poorly designed curriculum: for example, materials that don't scaffold properly, assessments that don't align to objectives, or pacing guides that ignore reality, then this role lets you fix that at scale.
The work requires strong knowledge of learning standards, backward design, and how curriculum translates to actual classroom practice. Your teaching experience is a genuine competitive advantage here, because you know what works (and what doesn't) when the door closes and you're alone with 30 kids.
Curriculum design roles exist at school districts, state education departments, curriculum publishers (like McGraw-Hill or Amplify), and edtech companies. Some are remote-friendly, and freelance opportunities are growing.
Note that this job title also heavily overlaps with instructional design, especially in the corporate world. So if you’d like to become an instructional designer, you can also incorporate this keyword into your job search.
Average salary: $91,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: High
This is one of the most underrated career paths for former teachers, and one of the fastest-growing in the education technology sector.
Customer success managers (CSMs) at edtech companies help schools and districts get the most value from the products they've purchased. That means onboarding new clients, running training sessions, analyzing usage data, and building long-term relationships with educators and administrators.
Think about it: who better to help teachers implement a new learning platform than someone who's actually been in the classroom? Edtech companies like Clever, Canvas, Nearpod, and dozens of others actively recruit former teachers for these roles because you understand the customer's world.
Salaries in edtech CSM roles range from $65,000 to $110,000 depending on experience, with many positions offering remote work and performance bonuses.
Transferable teaching skills: Relationship building, training delivery, data analysis, empathy for educators.
Average salary: $134,000 | Degree required: Master's in education or educational leadership | Remote potential: Low
Principals are the instructional and operational leaders of their school communities. Moving into administration means shifting from direct instruction to strategic leadership: setting the vision, managing budgets, hiring and developing staff, and creating a culture where students and teachers can thrive.
It's a significant step up in both responsibility and compensation. The average principal salary exceeds $100,000, with experienced principals in larger districts earning considerably more. But the job demands are real: long hours, high-stakes decisions, and accountability for outcomes you don't directly control.
The transition typically requires a master's degree in education leadership and administrative licensure, though requirements vary by state. Most aspiring principals also benefit from several years of classroom experience.
Best suited for: Teachers who find themselves drawn to school-wide issues — culture, systems, professional development — more than lesson planning.
Average salary: $126,000 | Degree required: Master's in education policy, public policy, or related field | Remote potential: Medium
Policy researchers shape educational systems by analyzing data, evaluating program effectiveness, and informing the decisions that legislators and administrators make. If you've ever been frustrated by policies handed down from people who've never set foot in a classroom, this role lets you bring your practitioner perspective to the policy table.
The work requires strong analytical and writing skills. You'll spend your time reviewing research, running analyses, and translating findings into recommendations that non-researchers can act on. Roles exist at think tanks (like RAND, Brookings, or the Education Trust), state education agencies, university research centers, and advocacy organizations.
Fair warning: If you love the fast-paced, people-facing nature of teaching, policy research can feel slow. The impact is real but often measured in years, not semesters.
Average salary: $79,000 | Degree required: Master's in school counseling | Remote potential: Low
School counselors support students' academic, social-emotional, and career development. It's one of the most direct ways to continue working closely with young people while leaving behind lesson planning, grading, and large-group instruction.
The role draws heavily on the empathy, coaching, and relationship-building skills you developed as a teacher. You'll also need training in counseling theories, crisis intervention, and developmental psychology, which is why a master's degree is required in most states.
What many former teachers appreciate about counseling is the depth of relationships. Instead of managing 30+ students at once, you work with individuals and small groups on issues that really matter to them.
Growth outlook: The BLS projects 5% growth for school counselors through 2032, faster than average.
Average salary: $135,000 | Degree required: Master's or specialist degree in school psychology | Remote potential: Low
School psychologists specialize in assessing and supporting students' cognitive, behavioral, and emotional needs. They conduct evaluations, develop intervention plans, and work with families and teachers to support students with learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, and mental health challenges.
This is one of the more specialized transitions on this list. You'll need a graduate degree (typically an Ed.S. or equivalent) and supervised fieldwork. But the investment pays off. School psychologists earn more than most other school-based roles, and the field has significant demand due to ongoing staffing shortages.
Best suited for: Teachers who are deeply interested in the "why" behind student behavior and learning differences.
Average salary: $68,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: Medium
Academic coaches work one-on-one or in small groups with students to help them develop effective study strategies, set goals, and overcome learning barriers. Unlike tutoring (which focuses on specific subject content), coaching takes a broader approach to how students learn.
If the mentorship side of teaching was your favorite part (the breakthrough moments when a student finally "got it") coaching lets you focus on that exclusively, without the classroom management, paperwork, and committee meetings.
Many academic coaches work in higher education, private practice, or for coaching organizations. Some roles are remote, especially those serving college students or adult learners.
Average salary: $104,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: High
Education project managers oversee initiatives aimed at improving learning outcomes. For example, this includes anything from implementing a new district-wide curriculum to launching a statewide assessment program or rolling out an edtech platform.
Teaching actually prepares you well for project management. Coordinating lesson sequences, managing timelines, communicating with stakeholders, juggling competing priorities — that's project management. The main new skills you'll need are formal methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall) and tools (Asana, Jira, Monday.com).
A PMP certification can boost your earning potential significantly, and many PM roles in education and edtech are fully remote.
Average salary: $170,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: High
Edtech consultants help schools and organizations evaluate, select, and implement technology solutions that enhance learning. If you were the teacher everyone came to for help with Google Classroom, interactive whiteboards, or learning management systems, this role monetizes that expertise.
The work involves needs assessments, vendor evaluation, implementation planning, and training…in other words, a blend of technical knowledge and people skills. In 2026, with AI tools rapidly entering classrooms, this role is more in-demand than ever. Schools need someone who can separate genuine innovation from hype, and a background in actual teaching gives you instant credibility.
You can work for consulting firms, edtech companies, or independently. Rates for freelance edtech consultants range from $75 to $200+ per hour.
Average salary: $84,000 | Degree required: Master's in counseling | Remote potential: Medium
Career counselors guide students and adults through the process of exploring career options, developing job search skills, and making informed decisions about their professional futures. You'll use the same active listening and mentoring skills that made you effective in the classroom.
In 2026, career counseling is more important than ever. Rapid changes in the job market, driven by AI, remote work, and shifting industry demands, mean people need guidance navigating careers that didn't exist five years ago.
Career counselors work in high schools, colleges, workforce development organizations, and private practice. The reward of watching someone you've coached land a fulfilling career is hard to beat.
Average salary: $124,000 (base + commission) | Degree required: No | Remote potential: High
Education sales reps work for companies that sell products and services to schools. Think textbooks, software platforms, assessment tools, professional development programs, and more. This might sound like a stretch from teaching, but it's one of the most common (and well-compensated) pivots that former educators make.
Why? Because schools buy from people who understand their problems. When you've been in the classroom, you can speak credibly about how a product actually helps teachers and students. Don’t think of it as just “selling.” It’s consulting
Base salaries in education sales are solid ($60K–$80K), and with commission, top performers regularly exceed $100K. Most roles are remote with some travel to conferences and school visits.
Transferable teaching skills: Presentation skills, relationship building, understanding of school budgets and decision-making processes.
Average salary: $74,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: High
Admissions coaches help students navigate the college application process…from choosing schools and writing essays to preparing for interviews and evaluating financial aid packages. It's a growing industry driven by increasingly competitive admissions and families willing to invest in expert guidance.
The work is deeply personal and rewarding. You're helping students at a pivotal moment in their lives, and your teaching experience gives you an intuitive understanding of how to motivate and support young people through high-stakes situations.
Many admissions coaches work independently or for boutique consulting firms. The role offers significant flexibility and strong earning potential, especially if you build a private practice.
Average salary: $75,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: Low–Medium
Academic coordinators work with teachers and administrators to develop, implement, and evaluate academic programs. They often oversee curriculum alignment across grade levels, coordinate professional development, and analyze student performance data.
If you're drawn to the systems-level work of education, such as making sure everything connects and functions across a department or school, then this role lets you focus on that full-time. You'll use your understanding of instruction, assessment, and collaboration every day.
Most coordinator roles are based in schools or district offices, though some positions at education organizations or nonprofits offer more location flexibility.
Average salary: $64,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: High
Grant writers help schools, districts, and education nonprofits secure funding by crafting compelling proposals. It's a role that rewards strong writing, attention to detail, and the ability to translate a school's needs into language that resonates with funders.
If you were the teacher who wrote thorough lesson plans, thoughtful parent communications, or detailed IEPs, you already have the writing chops. The main learning curve is understanding the grant landscape: funding sources, compliance requirements, and proposal formats.
Grant writing can be done as a full-time employee or on a freelance/contract basis. Freelance grant writers with education expertise are in high demand and can command premium rates.
Average salary: $73,000 | Degree required: Master's in library science (MLS/MLIS) | Remote potential: Low
Modern librarians do far more than shelve books. They curate digital and physical collections, teach information literacy, support research, integrate technology into learning, and serve as a hub for their school or community's intellectual life.
For teachers who are passionate about literacy, research skills, and creating a love of learning, the role of librarian offers a calmer, more autonomous work environment. There's also growing demand for librarians who can help students navigate the information landscape in an age of AI-generated content and misinformation.
The master's degree requirement is the main barrier to entry, but many programs are available online and can be completed part-time.
Average salary: $83,000 | Degree required: Bachelor's in early childhood education or child development | Remote potential: Low
Preschool directors manage the day-to-day operations of early childhood education programs. Their tasks include staffing and curriculum oversight, compliance, parent communication, and budget management.
If you're passionate about early childhood development and ready to move from the classroom to the director's chair, this role lets you shape the entire learning environment. You'll draw on your teaching experience while adding leadership and operational skills.
The early childhood sector continues to expand as states invest in pre-K programs, which means growing demand for qualified directors.
Average salary: $81,000 | Degree required: Bachelor's in human resources or business administration | Remote potential: Medium
HR specialists in education handle everything from teacher recruitment and onboarding to professional development, employee relations, and compliance. Modern education HR is strategic work — attracting and retaining great teachers is one of the biggest challenges facing schools today.
The communication, conflict resolution, and people management skills you built in the classroom translate directly. You understand the educator experience in a way that most HR professionals don't, which makes you a valuable asset in school district HR departments.
Average salary: $70,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: High
Tutoring is the most accessible entry on this list, as well as one of the most flexible. You can tutor locally or online, full-time or as a side gig, for a tutoring company or independently. Your deep subject knowledge and experience explaining concepts to learners of all levels are exactly what's needed.
The rise of online tutoring platforms (like Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, and Tutor.com) has dramatically expanded the market. You can build a full-time income tutoring remotely, especially in high-demand subjects like math, science, and test prep.
Earning potential tip: Private tutors who market themselves directly (rather than going through platforms) typically charge $50–$150/hour depending on subject and location.
Average salary: $51,000 | Degree required: No (though a bachelor's in education or related field is preferred) | Remote potential: Low
Museum educators design and deliver educational programs for museums, science centers, zoos, botanical gardens, and cultural institutions. If you love teaching but crave a more creative, less structured environment, this could be a great fit.
The work involves developing curriculum-aligned programs for school groups, leading tours and workshops, creating hands-on learning experiences, and sometimes training docents and volunteers. You'll use your instructional skills in a completely different context.
Average salary: $99,000 | Degree required: No | Remote potential: High
Technical writers in the education space create documentation, training manuals, help guides, and knowledge bases for edtech products, educational software, and institutional systems. If you have a knack for making complicated things simple…which, as a teacher, you almost certainly do, then technical writing can be a well-paying, remote-friendly career.
The growing edtech industry means constant demand for writers who can bridge the gap between developers and end users (who are often teachers and students). Your unique perspective as a former educator makes your writing more useful and empathetic.
Average salary: $126,000 | Degree required: No (but technical aptitude is essential) | Remote potential: High
This is the newest role on the list and one of the most exciting. As AI tools flood into classrooms and corporate training programs, organizations need people who can evaluate, implement, and govern these technologies responsibly.
AI & learning technology specialists help schools and companies answer questions like: Which AI tools actually improve learning outcomes? How do we train teachers to use AI effectively? What policies do we need around student data and AI-generated content?
If you're a teacher who's been experimenting with ChatGPT, AI-powered tutoring systems, or adaptive learning platforms, you're ahead of the curve. This role combines pedagogical expertise with technical curiosity, and the demand is growing faster than the supply of qualified candidates.
How to position yourself: Start building experience by piloting AI tools in your current teaching role, documenting results, and sharing what you learn with colleagues or online.
Making the leap from teaching to a new career is more manageable than it feels. Thousands of former teachers have done it successfully, and you have more transferable skills than you probably realize. Here's how to approach it.
Before you start applying anywhere, take time to reflect on what drew you to teaching and what's pushing you away from it. Do you love helping people learn but hate the classroom management? Do you miss having creative autonomy? Is flexibility or salary your top priority?
Your answers will help you narrow down which roles on this list are the best fit. A quick exercise: rank these in order of importance to you — salary, flexibility, impact on learners, creativity, autonomy, career growth — and see which jobs align.
Teaching builds an extraordinary range of skills that are valuable across industries:
Map your specific experience to the career you're targeting. The more concrete you can be, the stronger your resume and interviews will be.
Stop describing yourself as a teacher. Reframe your experience using the language of the role you want. For example:
Same experience. Different framing. Your LinkedIn headline should reflect where you're going, not where you've been.
For many of these careers, especially instructional design, curriculum design, and technical writing, a portfolio matters more than a degree. Build 1–3 sample projects that demonstrate your capabilities in the new role.
If you're transitioning to instructional design, for example, create a sample eLearning module, a facilitator guide, and a needs analysis document. Hiring managers want to see that you can do the work.
You can also explore my full guide to creating an instructional design portfolio.
You usually don't need a new degree, but structured training will help you learn industry-specific skills faster and signal to employers that you're serious.
For aspiring instructional designers, I run Peck Academy, a licensed career school built specifically for this transition. Our graduates include former teachers like Robert, Daniel, and Maggie who've successfully made the switch. If instructional design interests you, grab our free roadmap to see the steps involved.
For other career paths, look for professional certifications (PMP for project management, CSM for customer success) or industry-specific bootcamps.
Join communities where people in your target career spend time. LinkedIn groups, Slack communities, professional associations, and local meetups are all fair game. Don't just lurk. Contribute, ask thoughtful questions, and build genuine relationships.
Former teachers who've already made the transition you're considering are your most valuable contacts. They understand your background and can introduce you to opportunities.
Absolutely. Many of the highest-paying roles on this list, such as instructional designer, corporate trainer, customer success manager, and edtech consultant, don't require a teaching degree or certification. Your skills and experience matter more than your specific credentials.
School principals and AI & learning technology specialists top the list. Instructional designers, learning experience designers, and educational technology consultants all average $85,000–$109,000. Education sales reps with commission can exceed $100,000.
Instructional design, LXD, technical writing, grant writing, edtech consulting, customer success, tutoring, and education sales all have strong remote work options. Roles that are typically on-site include principal, school counselor, librarian, and preschool director.
It depends on the role. For careers like instructional design, corporate training, or customer success, many teachers make the switch in 6-12 months with the right preparation. Roles requiring graduate degrees (school counselor, school psychologist, librarian) take longer. The key is starting your preparation while you're still teaching.
That's a personal decision. But the data is clear: former teachers in roles like instructional design consistently report better work-life balance, higher job satisfaction, and increased earnings. The skills you built in the classroom don't go to waste; they become the foundation of your next career.
The right non-teaching career for you depends on your interests, strengths, and what you want your work life to look like.
If instructional design is on your radar and you want the flexibility, creativity, and higher earning potential that come with it, I can help. I've spent years helping teachers make this transition through Peck Academy, a licensed career school for aspiring instructional designers.
Or, if you’d like to explore my full free guide to becoming an instructional designer and beginning your self-teaching journey, that’s a completely viable path, too.
