Career change from teacher to sales
Yes, you can move from teaching into sales, and teachers often make the switch more smoothly than they expect, because explaining, listening and managing a room of mixed motivations are the core of a good sales conversation. The safest way to do it, in Australia and the US alike, is to learn the skill and test it in your holidays and evenings before you resign, then move into an entry role such as remote appointment setting, closing or edtech sales. Be ready for a different pay structure: many remote sales roles are commission-heavy, and results take time.
Why so many teachers are looking at sales
I started out as a primary school teacher in a small town. If teaching is taking more out of you than it gives back, you’re not imagining the pressure, and you’re not alone in wondering what else is out there.
In Australia, AITSL’s National Trends: Teacher Workforce report (June 2026) found that 36% of the teacher workforce intended to leave the profession at some point before retirement (2024 survey data), with workload, work-life balance and work-related stress the top three reasons. AITSL is careful to note that intentions don’t always turn into actual departures. In the US, RAND’s 2025 State of the American Teacher survey found that 16% of teachers intended to leave their jobs, down from 22% in 2024, and that teachers reported working 49 hours a week on average, ten hours more than they were contracted for.
None of that means you should leave. It means it’s reasonable to ask whether your skills could work somewhere with more flexibility, and to answer that question carefully.
Teaching skills that transfer to sales
Good selling isn’t pushing. It’s helping someone understand their situation, showing them an option that genuinely fits, and supporting them to make a decision. That should sound familiar.
| What you do as a teacher | What it’s called in sales | How it shows up on a call |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosing where a student is stuck before you teach | Discovery and qualifying | Asking good questions to understand the buyer’s goals and problems before mentioning the offer. |
| Explaining a tricky concept three different ways | Presenting the offer | Explaining what’s being sold in plain language that fits the person in front of you. |
| Parent-teacher interviews and hard conversations | Handling objections | Staying calm and curious when someone says “it’s too expensive” or “I need to think about it”. |
| Behaviour management and reading the room | Rapport and tone control | Noticing hesitation, adjusting your pace and keeping the conversation on track. |
| Lesson planning and assessment records | Pipeline and CRM admin | Logging notes, follow-ups and outcomes so no lead slips through. |
| Setting clear expectations and next steps | Asking for the decision (closing) | Ending each call with a clear yes, no or booked follow-up. |
The skill most teachers need to build is the last one: directly asking for a decision that involves money. That feels unnatural at first, and it’s learnable with practice and role play.
The honest differences (read this before you resign)
Commission instead of a steady salary
As a teacher, your pay arrives on schedule, including through school holidays in Australia and, in many US districts, spread across the summer. Many remote sales roles are commission-heavy or commission-only, which means your income depends on sales actually closing. In Australia, the Fair Work Ombudsman says an employee can only be paid commission-only when an award or enterprise agreement allows it, so many remote closer and setter roles are set up as contractor arrangements instead. In the US, contractor roles mean handling your own tax too. Always ask which one you’re signing.
Rejection is part of the job
Students don’t usually tell you “no thanks” to your lesson. In sales, most conversations won’t end in a sale, and that’s normal. Teachers who do well learn not to take a “no” personally.
No built-in holidays
Sales doesn’t stop for school terms. Some roles let you block your calendar around your own family, which many mums (moms in the US) love, but you aren’t paid to be away. If you work commission-only, a week off is a week without commission.
What the pay data looks like
There’s no reliable public data for “ex-teacher in remote sales”, so the closest comparison is inside sales (selling by phone and video). On Payscale, total pay for an Inside Sales Representative in the US runs from roughly US$38,000 to US$76,000 a year (10th to 90th percentile, updated July 2026), and for an Inside Sales Representative in Australia from roughly AU$52,000 to AU$92,000 (from a small sample of 110 profiles). Pay varies widely, and commission-only roles can land well below or above that. For comparison, RAND’s survey put the average US teacher base salary at roughly US$73,000 in 2025, so this is not an automatic pay rise. Our breakdown of how much remote closers make goes deeper.
My own path wasn’t quick either. My first taste of sales was network marketing in 2014. In 2017 I was a fitness coach who relocated to Sydney broke. In 2020 I moved into remote sales and made $440 in my first month. That’s my result, not a typical one, and a good reason to build this up before you leave teaching.
Wondering if your teaching skills could work in sales? Book a free call with the She Sells team and talk it through honestly.
A step-by-step plan to switch without quitting first
- Get clear on your why and your numbers. Work out what you need each month and how long you could manage on a lower or irregular income. That tells you how cautious your transition needs to be.
- Learn how remote sales actually works. Understand the two main entry roles: setters start conversations and book calls, closers run the longer sales call. Our guide to remote closer vs appointment setter explains which suits which personality.
- Practise in your evenings. Role play discovery questions and objections with a friend, record yourself, and listen back. Teachers are used to feedback, so use that.
- Use school holidays as a test run. A two-week block in the Easter or summer break is a good time to take on a trial setter role or a short contract and see how you feel making calls all day.
- Start part-time if you can. Some setter roles run evening or weekend shifts, especially if the business sells into another time zone. AU teachers working with US businesses often find early-morning slots that fit before the school day.
- Track real results for a few months. Look at calls, bookings and commission actually paid. Decide based on those numbers, not on a single great week.
- Plan your exit around the school calendar. When the numbers support it, resign in a way that respects your notice period and your students.
How to reframe your teaching résumé/CV for sales
Hiring managers in sales want evidence that you can talk to people, handle pressure and hit targets. Translate your experience into that language:
- Swap teaching jargon for outcomes. “Differentiated instruction” becomes “tailored my communication to 25+ different people every day”.
- Highlight difficult conversations. Parent meetings, conflict resolution and reporting all show you can stay calm when someone pushes back.
- Show numbers where you have them. Improvements in results, attendance or enrolments you helped with show you work towards targets.
- Mention tools. Learning platforms, spreadsheets and parent communication apps show you can pick up a CRM quickly.
- Add your sales practice. Any training, role play or trial work you did over the holidays goes near the top.
- Write a short headline. For example: “Former primary teacher moving into remote sales: strong communicator, calm under pressure, coachable.”
Remote sales roles that suit ex-teachers
Appointment setter
Setters reach out to or respond to interested leads, usually by message or short call, and book them in with a closer. Conversations are shorter and the pressure of asking for the sale sits with someone else, so it’s a gentle starting point. See appointment setter jobs from home for what these roles look like.
Remote closer
Closers run the main sales call, often 45 to 60 minutes, for coaching programs, courses, services or software. It suits teachers who enjoy structured conversations and are comfortable asking for a decision. Many closing roles are commission-only, so check lead flow before you start.
Edtech sales
Companies selling learning platforms, tutoring or school software value people who understand classrooms. These roles are often salaried with commission and more corporate in style, so expect a formal hiring process.
Red flags to watch for
Be wary of any “opportunity” that asks you to pay to start working, pays you mainly for recruiting other people, or promises a set income. A genuine employer or client pays you to do the work. Paying for your own training is a separate, eyes-open decision. If you’re starting from zero, our guide on how to get into sales with no experience walks through the basics.
Where She Sells fits
She Sells trains women for remote closing and appointment setting, and the team works in Australia and the US. “She Launches” is the foundation program with live coaching, role play and frameworks (it doesn’t include direct placement). “She Soars” is the career program through the She Sells Cert III in Remote Sales certificate: once you’re certified, our recruitment team works with you to land a role within 90 days, or your money back. You can compare them on our programs page or check the FAQ.
I went from the classroom to over $10M in online sales, but it took years, practice and a few false starts. If you’re a teacher thinking about sales, test it first, keep your eyes open about commission, and give yourself time.
Want to see if remote sales could work for you? Book a free call with the She Sells team. No pressure, just an honest chat about whether it fits your life.
Frequently asked questions
Are teachers good at sales?
Many are, because teaching builds the same core skills: asking good questions, explaining clearly, reading people and staying calm under pressure. The main new skill is comfortably asking for a decision that involves money, which improves with practice and role play.
Can I try sales while I’m still teaching?
Yes, and it’s the safest approach. Use evenings to learn and practise, then use school holidays to test a trial setter role or short contract. Only resign once you’ve seen a few months of real results.
Will I earn more in sales than teaching?
Not necessarily. Pay in sales varies widely and many remote roles are commission-heavy or commission-only, so income can be lower than a teaching salary while you build skills. Look at public pay data and the actual terms of any role before deciding.
What sales jobs suit former teachers?
Remote appointment setting is a common starting point, remote closing suits teachers comfortable leading longer conversations, and edtech sales suits people who want to use their classroom knowledge. Each has a different pay structure, so ask about base pay, commission and lead flow.
How do I explain leaving teaching in a sales interview?
Keep it positive and forward-looking. Explain which parts of teaching you loved, such as helping people make progress, and how sales lets you use those skills with more flexibility. Mention any sales training or trial work you’ve done to show you’re serious.
Results vary. Nothing here is a promise of income. See our earnings disclaimer.
