How to Become an Online Teacher

If you love teaching but hate the commute, you’d probably make a great candidate for an online teaching job. Of course, online teaching is about more than just saving gas money. Teaching online is convenient, flexible, and may even be the fastest-growing job sector in higher education today.

More and more colleges, universities, and private companies are turning to the web as a credible outlet for education, training, and certification. Educators, grad students looking for extra work, and qualified experts can look to online education for promising employment opportunities and the prospect of a brighter future.

Online teaching jobs allow educators to widen their job searches. Discover the qualifications you’ll need to teach remotely, how to become an online teacher, and how to find online teaching positions.

Successful online teaching applicants bring several key qualifications to their work. Many hold backgrounds in education or child-focused work. Most positions also require a college degree. An online teacher typically must possess:

The process of pursuing online teaching is similar to that of traditional teaching. Here’s how to become an online teacher.

Now that you know how to become an online teacher, consider the different types of online educators to help you determine the right path for you. Some specialize in tutoring, while others work in K-12 education. Colleges also hire online instructors. Each role comes with different education and certification requirements.

Online teachers may benefit from earning online teaching degrees. A master’s in teaching online, for example, familiarizes students with online teaching technology.

Online tutors instruct learners in many academic subjects. Tutors can specialize in areas like standardized test preparation, college-level tutoring, or elementary and secondary tutoring. The educational requirements depend on the role.

Most tutors hold college degrees. Standardized test tutors typically need scores in the 95th percentile or higher. Experience in education or tutoring helps people land online tutoring jobs.

Many tutors work through private tutoring companies. These tutors pay a portion of their earnings to the company, which connects them with clients. Other tutors are self-employed educators and recruit clients themselves.

Schools may hire tutors to work in writing or tutoring centers. Educators seeking tutoring jobs can search for local tutoring companies, contact schools, or start their own tutoring businesses.

K-12 school districts continue to rely on online teachers to educate students and run online academies. The requirements for K-12 online teaching jobs vary depending on the school.

Public K-12 schools generally require teachers to possess licensure or certification. Each educator must complete an approved teacher training program, student teaching experience, and a background check to receive their teaching credentials. A bachelor’s in education or a master’s in education generally meets the requirements.

Private schools may hire online teachers who do not possess licensure. These educators typically need degrees in their subject areas or teaching degrees. Private schools also look for candidates with experience in the field. Candidates can typically find jobs for online teachers at the K-12 level posted through schools or school districts.

Online ELL instructors educate non-native English speakers in grammar, writing, and communication. They may work with international students preparing to attend American colleges or ELL learners at K-12 schools in the U.S.

An ELL instructor typically needs a bachelor’s degree in English, communication, or education. Experience as a tutor or teacher helps candidates stand out for ELL instructor jobs. The position typically does not require any certifications.

Several private companies hire English language instructors to teach online courses. Depending on the position, instructors may work irregular hours. For example, ELL instructors working with students in Japan or China need to teach online during standard school hours in Asia.

Many private education companies hire online teachers to educate elementary students in core subjects, prepare high schoolers for the SAT or ACT exam, and teach college-level classes. Depending on the company, instructors might teach a GMAT prep course for future MBA students, lead a group of English language learners through grammar exercises, or teach core writing skills to middle schoolers.

The requirements and qualifications vary depending on the role. Private education companies that specialize in standardized test courses set minimum scores for instructors. Postsecondary educators typically need college graduates. Prospective applicants should research local private education companies to learn more about the job requirements for online teachers.

Online adjunct professors teach college-level courses. They work at two-year community colleges, universities, and trade schools. An adjunct professor typically needs a graduate degree in their field, though some schools allow adjuncts with 18 graduate hours to teach. Competitive positions may even require doctorates. Unlike public K-12 teaching jobs, adjunct professors generally do not need licenses or certification.

Depending on the role, adjuncts may teach 1-4 courses per term. Some adjuncts work at multiple colleges. Adjunct pay varies widely, so prospective adjuncts should research per-course rates during their job search.

Colleges typically hire adjuncts directly. Online instructors can look for job postings in their field. Teaching online opens up new possibilities for adjunct professors, who may have a full-time job and decide to teach during their off hours.

Rather than limiting their job search to one local area, they can search nationally or even internationally. Possessing doctoral degrees or prior teaching experience can help adjuncts stand out.

Fortunately, many schools and private companies post their openings online. A prospective online educator can conduct a national job search rather than limiting themselves to local schools and employers.

When looking for online teaching jobs, focus on the specific role and teaching area. For example, online tutors or ELL instructors apply for different jobs than online K-12 teachers or adjunct professors.

Experienced online teachers often look back at their first class and wish they had made different choices. Even educators with in-person teaching experience can benefit from the following tips for first-time online teachers.

You can search for online teaching jobs if you already have your teaching certification. If not, you’ll need to become certified through your state to teach your desired grades or subject areas online. States typically require online secondary teachers to have a bachelor’s degree, have student teaching experience, and pass teaching examinations to become certified.

Online schools often have their own platforms for teachers to connect with their students and manage assignments. However, some teachers also use independent teaching platforms to create online courses or teach groups of students outside of the traditional school system. VIPKid and Preply are two examples.

Some educators set up paid virtual tutoring sessions with families outside school hours. Others use online tutoring platforms, like Wyzant, VIPKid, and Tutor.com. These platforms allow tutors to create profiles to connect with students who need help in specific subject areas.

Teachers can take advantage of several interactive Zoom features when teaching their classes. For example, the whiteboard feature allows teachers and students to collaborate on their screens for brainstorming or planning. Teachers can also enable chat so students can ask questions or communicate with one another, create polls to gauge interest or thoughts, and make breakout rooms to separate the class into groups. Use Zoom’s guides for educators to get help setting up your classroom.

Many online teaching jobs require at least some teaching experience. However, some platforms require certification but allow experience from alternative educational paths, like tutoring or mentoring. Others, like Outschool, Wyzant, and Tutor.com, only require you to be knowledgeable and passionate about what you teach on the platform.

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by TheBestSchools. Page last reviewed May 3, 2024.