Accent Training as a Side Hustle for Teachers, SLPs, and Voice Coaches: Boost Your Income

Accent Training as a Side Hustle for Teachers, SLPs, and More

Accent training can be a fulfilling full-time career, but it doesn’t have to start that way. In fact, it’s an excellent side hustle for teachers, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), actors, and voice coaches alike.

Why Accent Training Makes a Great Side Hustle

Accent training is a specialized skill, which means it commands higher hourly rates. For those in teaching or therapy, it’s a fantastic way to earn extra income without interfering with your current responsibilities. With little to no paperwork, no dealing with insurance, and no IEPs, accent training is a low-stress job that offers flexibility and independence.

Ideal for Evening or Weekend Sessions

Many of my students prefer evening or weekend sessions, which means you can add a few clients outside of regular working hours. With the high average session rate of $85-$100 for new teachers and $150+ after some experience with real students, you can significantly increase your income by working just a few nights a week or on weekends.

Minimal Startup Costs

All you need to get started is a computer and a reliable internet connection. No expensive equipment or special certifications are required.

SLPs: Balancing Traditional Therapy and Accent Training

As an SLP, I began offering accent training while still working in Early Intervention. Having a balance between working with young children and motivated adults who wanted to improve their communication helped me maintain job satisfaction and energy. Working with adults who chose to improve their speech reminded me of why I love being an SLP.

Eventually, I transitioned to full-time accent and pronunciation coaching. The emotional impact of working with children, combined with a lack of support from my employer, made it difficult for me to continue in that field. However, accent training allowed me to work with motivated individuals and maintain a healthier work-life balance.

Teachers: Stand Out with Accent and Pronunciation Training

The competition among English teachers and tutors is fierce, and the rates for private ESL sessions are often low. By adding accent and pronunciation coaching to your skill set, you can differentiate yourself from the crowd and charge higher rates. This will allow you to see fewer students while still maintaining a comfortable income, preventing burnout, and providing better quality instruction.

You already have many of the skills needed to teach accent modification. Much of the work is simply listening to your students, identifying pronunciation errors, and practicing together to correct them. If you’ve ever corrected someone’s grammar in your head, you’re already halfway there!

Why People Seek Accent and Pronunciation Training

English is the world’s most spoken second language, with approximately 1.5 billion speakers globally. While not every ESL speaker needs to focus on accent modification, many choose to do so for various personal or professional reasons, such as:

• Improving work performance
• Earning a promotion
• Reducing phone anxiety
• Becoming a more effective public speaker
• Gaining confidence for social situations or special events
• Making content more accessible for audiences (e.g., social media videos)

At the end of the day, the goal of accent or pronunciation training is to help students be easily understood and communicate with confidence.

The Perfect Time to Become an Online Entrepreneur

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people have realized the benefits of online coaching. Virtual lessons are just as effective as in-person training, and they offer greater flexibility and convenience for both teachers and students.

And although AI learning and coaching apps are becoming more readily available, our students still need the boost of confidence that only comes from working with a real-live person.  

Passively watching a YouTube video or clicking though an app doesn’t lead to strong learning or a mastery of skills. Speakers need to engage in real conversations with real humans, ask questions and get immediate answers, and try out the skills they've acquired to get lasting results.  And some of our students who have previously tried to improve with on-demand videos or apps have learned this the hard way! 

So, if you’ve ever thought about turning accent and pronunciation training into a side hustle or full-time career, now is a great time to start.

Ready to Get Started?

Check out our Dos and Don’ts of Accent Training for more information.

Got questions? Join our Facebook group for Accent and Pronunciation Pros and connect with like-minded professionals!