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Best Jobs For Former Instructors [2026]

By Chris Kolmar
Jul. 13, 2022
Last Modified and Fact Checked on: Jan. 24, 2026

Best Jobs for Former Instructors in 2026

As we move into 2026, the landscape for instructors remains challenging, with many educators reassessing their career paths. The confidence in traditional teaching roles has waned, prompting a shift in how instructors view their professional futures.

While the number of individuals pursuing degrees in education remains steady, the application rates for teaching positions have declined significantly. This has left many instructors contemplating their next steps.

So, what career paths are these former instructors pursuing?

To find out, we analyzed the resumes of former instructors to uncover the most common jobs they transitioned into after leaving the field. From our analysis of thousands of resumes, we focused on the top 100 jobs.

This article highlights some of the most fascinating career shifts that former instructors have made.

Top Career Options for Former Instructors

  1. Adjunct Professor Jobs

  2. Assistant Professor Jobs

  3. Adjunct Faculty Jobs

  4. Graduate Research Assistant Jobs

  5. Principal Jobs

  6. Graduate Assistant Jobs

  7. Program Director Jobs

  8. Lecturer Jobs

  9. Special Education Teacher Jobs

  10. Program Coordinator Jobs

While some of these roles may appeal more than others, they all reflect the diverse pathways available to former instructors seeking new opportunities.

The complete list of jobs can be found below.

Detailed Ranking of the Most Common Jobs for Former Instructors

Rank Job Title %
1 Teacher 1.44%
2 Substitute Teacher 1.29%
3 Adjunct Instructor 1.05%
4 Adjunct Professor 0.99%
5 Internship 0.89%
6 Sales Associate 0.74%
7 Assistant Professor 0.73%
8 Research Assistant 0.73%
9 Consultant 0.72%
10 Registered Nurse 0.66%
11 Adjunct Faculty 0.61%
12 Owner 0.6%
13 Administrative Assistant 0.57%
14 Teaching Assistant 0.56%
15 Customer Service Representative 0.49%
16 Manager 0.47%
17 Project Manager 0.46%
18 Director 0.45%
19 Volunteer 0.45%
20 Graduate Research Assistant 0.42%
21 Program Manager 0.4%
22 Tutor 0.37%
23 Office Manager 0.36%
24 Server 0.35%
25 Supervisor 0.35%
26 Assistant Manager 0.33%
27 Principal 0.29%
28 Graduate Assistant 0.29%
29 Program Director 0.29%
30 Lecturer 0.28%
31 Special Education Teacher 0.28%
32 Operations Manager 0.27%
33 Coordinator 0.27%
34 Program Coordinator 0.27%
35 Sales Representative 0.27%
36 Associate Professor 0.26%
37 Team Leader 0.26%
38 Faculty 0.25%
39 Professor 0.24%
40 President 0.24%
41 Coach 0.24%
42 Graphic Designer 0.24%
43 Educator 0.24%
44 Cashier 0.24%
45 Graduate Teaching Assistant 0.24%
46 Research Scientist 0.23%
47 Associate 0.23%
48 Specialist 0.23%
49 Technician 0.22%
50 Case Manager 0.22%
51 Executive Director 0.22%
52 General Manager 0.21%
53 Writer and Editor 0.21%
54 Owner/Operator 0.2%
55 Research Associate 0.2%
56 ESL Instructor 0.2%
57 Assistant Director 0.2%
58 Online Instructor 0.2%
59 Training Specialist 0.2%
60 Security Officer 0.19%
61 Lead Instructor 0.19%
62 Personal Trainer 0.18%
63 Teacher Assistant 0.18%
64 Editor 0.17%
65 Mathematics Instructor 0.17%
66 Trainer 0.17%
67 Fellow 0.17%
68 Office Assistant 0.17%
69 Vice President 0.17%
70 Systems Administrator 0.16%
71 Instructional Designer 0.16%
72 Research Fellow 0.16%
73 Chief Executive Officer 0.16%
74 Counselor 0.16%
75 Assistant 0.16%
76 Data Analyst 0.16%
77 Curriculum Developer 0.15%
78 Math Teacher 0.15%
79 English Instructor 0.15%
80 Academic Adviser 0.14%
81 Technical Support Specialist 0.14%
82 Business Analyst 0.14%
83 Administrator 0.14%
84 Chairperson 0.14%
85 Founder 0.14%
86 Mentor 0.14%
87 Account Manager 0.13%
88 Human Resources Manager 0.13%
89 Analyst 0.13%
90 Store Manager 0.13%
91 Lead Teacher 0.13%
92 Nurse Practitioner 0.13%
93 Research Assistant Professor 0.13%
94 Web Developer 0.13%
95 Human Resources Coordinator 0.13%
96 Driver 0.13%
97 Attorney 0.13%
98 Certified Nursing Assistant 0.13%
99 Writer 0.13%
100 Massage Therapist 0.13%

Most Common Jobs for Former Instructors

  1. Teacher

  2. Substitute Teacher

  3. Adjunct Instructor

  4. Adjunct Professor

  5. Internship

  6. Sales Associate

  7. Assistant Professor

  8. Research Assistant

  9. Consultant

  10. Registered Nurse

These positions represent valuable opportunities for former instructors, utilizing their skills while providing pathways to new career trajectories.

Methodology for Identifying the Best Jobs for Former Instructors

Our analysis utilized information from a database of over 7 million resumes, focusing on those that included instructor roles in their work history. We then examined the subsequent job titles that appeared in their career paths, ranking them by frequency.

To highlight the most intriguing career options, we filtered the ranked list for positions that:

  • Appeared in fewer than 1% of all new jobs
  • Were not included in the top 100 most common jobs in our database

This approach allowed us to identify not only the typical career shifts but also the unique paths that former instructors have taken.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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