Continue reading to find out if teachers are paid during the summer and how taking time off affects their pay.

Do teachers receive pay during the summer? Whether they have just started their first teaching job or are thinking about becoming a teacher, this question is on the minds of many people. Knowing if you will receive pay during summer break is crucial because it is a lengthy period of time to go without one.

In the United States, many private and public school teachers have the summer months off. Therefore, not working over the summer results in no income. But if they choose a 12-month pay structure, teachers may be paid during the summer.

To learn more about how teachers are paid, continue reading.

Do Teachers Get Paid in the Summer?

No, if they are not actively teaching during the summer, teachers are not paid. Most teachers, however, have the choice to divide their pay for ten months of work over a full year.

This is not the same as getting paid for summertime off because their employment contract only allows them to be paid for a certain number of working days annually.

There is a common misconception that teachers receive a paid two-month summer vacation each year. As you’ll see further down, not only do they not get paid during the summer, teachers are expected to do a lot of unpaid work during the summer and other breaks to prepare for being in the classroom.

The majority of teachers, however, take advantage of the option to divide ten months’ pay over twelve months. The ability to manage their personal finances better can be aided by having a consistent income throughout the year.

Imagine if your job paid you for ten months and you just got nothing for the last two months of the year. It is very challenging to budget for recurring monthly costs like rent, utilities, food, and transportation that you still need even when you are unemployed.

Example of a 12-Month Pay Option

A teacher will receive less each month but will still get paid during the summer if they choose a 12-month payment option because their annual pay will be spread out over that time.

For example:

• Annual teacher salary: $70,000
• Monthly salary over 10 months: $7,000/month
• Monthly salary over 12 months: $5,833/month

How Do Teachers Get Paid over the Summer?

When deciding whether teachers are paid over the summer and how frequently paychecks are distributed, different states and local school districts are allowed to apply their own rules.

The San Diego Unified School District, for instance, gives employees a choice between three pay structures: a 10-month pay structure, an 11-month pay structure, and a 12-month pay structure.

Depending on whether they are 10-month teachers or 12-month employees, Montgomery County Public School employees in the state of Maryland may also be eligible for summer pay.

We live in North Carolina, where teachers may be paid on a 10-month or 11-month pay schedule. For undertaking extra duties, such as serving as instructors for the early college program, they may also be eligible for special additional pay or stipends.

As far as “how” of do teachers get paid in the summer works, there are two options. Teachers who receive summer pay can either:

• Get it all in a lump sum at the start of the summer
• Divide the sum into several paychecks and distribute them over the course of the summer.

Whether it makes sense to get paid all at once or in installments over the summer depends in large part on how financially responsible you are.

If you’re good at budgeting and you don’t anticipate any unexpected costs over the summer, then you might take the lump sum. The money can be used to pay bills one or even two months in advance, or it can be saved in a different account at your bank until you need it.

On the other hand, you might do better taking regular paychecks each pay period if you believe a lump sum might be a temptation to spend. In this way, you won’t have to worry about receiving a sizable sum of money one day and then wondering where it all went the next.

What If a Teacher Works Extra in the Summer?

Throughout the summer, jobs will be available at some schools. Sports, camps, summer school, and other activities are examples of some of these.

A teacher will be paid more if asked to work during this time. The salary a teacher is paid for a year is typically not going to include any of these bonuses or extras.

This is one of the reasons some educators opt for the 10-month salary and then push themselves to take on additional duties over the summer. As a result, a lot more money will be made overall each year.

Some educators desire those eight weeks off to unwind and reenergize before the start of the new school year. Others are more concerned with keeping their income constant throughout the year.

There are two ways to look at the summertime break that teachers get: either as a chance to relax or as a chance to ramp things up and earn some extra cash. Each teacher will decide on this in their own unique way.

How Do Teachers Make a Living in the Summer?

Many teachers use the skills they’ve acquired in the classroom to support themselves during the summer by working side jobs. Even retired teachers may look for ways to supplement their teacher pensions or Social Security benefits if they are qualified to do so after they have put down their chalk for good.

Education-related jobs are some of the most well-liked summertime employment options for teachers.

For instance, instructors might accept a summer job instructing in the district’s summer school. According to ZipRecruiter, the average teacher salary for summer school jobs is $3,223. Therefore, working for two months could earn you an additional $6,000 in cash.

Additionally, a lot of teachers choose to work at day camps or summer camps or to instruct summer courses at their neighborhood community college. Since many parents are willing to pay for a teacher’s expertise to help their child avoid the summer slump, offering services as a private tutor is another option.

An additional lucrative summer job for teachers is online teaching. With Outschool, teachers can lead live Take classes on just about any subject with Zoom and earn an extra few hundred or even a few thousand dollars each month.

Teachers may also make money with a site like Teachers Pay Teachers. Online marketplace Teachers Pay Teachers lets teachers buy and sell educational resources.

As a result, if you’re a history teacher, you might design history lesson plans for elementary school students. Or if you teach language arts, you might sell grammar worksheets you create with a tool like Canva.

This can be a great way to create a passive stream of income since you can create your materials once and sell them multiple times to different buyers.

It’s possible, however, that you may want to do something that’s completely unrelated to working with kids to make extra money over the summer. In that case, here are a few other summer jobs for teachers you might consider:

• Becoming a virtual assistant
• Starting a blog
• Selling printables or other hand-made items on Etsy
• Freelance writing
• Online proofreading jobs
• Online transcription jobs
• Selling low-content books on Amazon
• Flipping items for cash

All of these methods involve earning additional money online. You might also consider offline side hustles, like walking dogs, driving for DoorDash, or becoming an Instacart shopper.

Conclusion: Do Teachers Get Paid in the Summer?

Do educators receive pay during the summer? Should they be paid during the summer? In light of the year-round dedication, they show, yes.

Despite the fact that teachers aren’t paid during the summer, having the option to choose a 12-month payout of their salary is a great perk that will help them smooth their income and simplify budgeting. To increase your income, you can also look into various teaching side businesses that you can engage in over the summer or the entire year.