Last updated on April 13th, 2022 at 10:39 am
Do you have a passion to teach others? Or maybe you’re looking for a side hustle to make some extra income. If either of these applies, you should think about becoming an online educator. With minimal startup effort, you could qualify to teach adults or children on a myriad of different topics.
What is an Online Educator?
An online educator is pretty much what you might imagine. It is a person who has expertise or a degree in a subject and teaches others over the internet. With the right digital age tools, qualifications, skills, and motivation – there’s no limit to the number of opportunities available to anyone wanting to teach online.
The requirements for becoming an online educator vary wildly. For example, some companies may hire you to teach students English as a second language without a college degree if you have enough applicable experience. On the other hand, to get an online gig in business technology or business management, you may be required to have a master’s degree in business or technology.
Is Teaching Online a Realistic Job?
Thanks to advancements in communications technology coupled with the “new norm” of pandemic living, learning, and working – yes, you can absolutely succeed at teaching online. In fact, according to e-learning statistics, 98% of universities have moved their classes online and 80% of non-collegiate educational facilities are preparing their students to learn online. Additionally, 98% of businesses are taking advantage of online teachers and teaching resources to train employees.
In light of these impressive statistics, you can imagine that teaching online can definitely be a reality. Furthermore, the trends for online teaching are on the rise. To date, the pandemic has revolutionized online digital learning to such an extent, that the World Economic Forum predicts online teaching will grow into a $350+ billion-dollar industry by 2025.
What Do You Need?
To teach online, you’ll need a reliable internet connection, a computer, or a desktop, online teaching certification and in some instances, you may need a smartphone with a teaching app. You may also need software for special education management which will help you organize and track student progress. In many online teaching scenarios, you may also be required to have video conferencing capability either through your smartphone or via a desktop camera.
To teach online, you’ll need a reliable internet connection, a computer, or a desktop, and in some instances, you may need a smartphone with a teaching app. You may also need software for special education management which will help you organize and track student progress. In many online teaching scenarios, you may also be required to have video conferencing capability either through your smartphone or via a desktop camera.
Deciding Who and What to Teach
Before you start applying for online teaching jobs or marketing yourself as an online educator, you need to get a clear idea about who and what you want to teach. For instance, if you’re full of energy and passion, you may want to inspire young kids or teenagers. Alternatively, teaching adults might be a better option if you’re looking for a more mature teaching setting.
But what can you teach? The beauty of the internet is that the sky’s the limit as to what teaching services you can provide. If you’re scouring online jobs in the field of education, you might notice that teaching English is one of the most in-demand positions. However, that doesn’t mean you’re limited to teaching English. Depending upon your expertise, training, and educational background, you can pursue anything from a math career online to teaching business to business professionals on how to improve sales or marketing.
What if You Don’t Have a Degree?
Ideally, a college degree is required to teach online. Most online educators are required to have a bachelor’s degree to teach. But don’t give up hope if you don’t have a degree. As mentioned, the highest demand for online teachers is teaching English as a second language. In this instance, there are many companies that will hire you to teach English to students of all ages without a degree or with a minimum of an associate’s degree.
Other opportunities are available if you want to teach online without a college diploma. For example, you can bootstrap your own consulting and mentoring business online where you teach people much-needed life skills. From managing finances to business consulting, there are countless people looking for experts to teach them how to make their lives easier. So, if you have a load of experience in a specialized field, you can start your own online tutoring service and teach others your skills without a degree.
Is Teaching Online Worth It?
As of 2022, salaries for online teachers range anywhere from $28,500 – $61,500 per year. Of course, that figure will shift depending upon your educational background, work experience, and for whom or where you work. The benefit of being an online educator is that, in most cases, you can make your own hours which can help you control how much money you want to make.
At the end of the day, determining if online teaching is worthwhile is contingent upon your background and needs. If the idea of inspiring young minds is attractive to you, or you have a desire to make a difference in people’s lives through education – then you may find teaching online to be a satisfying and rewarding career path or side hustle.
