Find a Job You Really Want In
More and more workers are moving toward remote jobs, and K-12 teachers are no exception. Plus, schools are increasing the number of online classes they offer, which means more opportunities for teaching from home.
In this article, you’ll learn how to find an online teaching job, the requirements you’ll need to apply, and what the pay and flexibility look like for these roles.
Key Takeaways
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You can find online teaching jobs on job boards, at local schools, via your colleagues’ connections, and at online teaching institutions.
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To get an online teaching job, you’ll typically need a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate.
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You’ll need to have excellent communication and computer skills, as well as patience and a working knowledge of the courses you’re teaching to be an online teacher.
How to Find an Online Teaching Job
When it comes to finding an online teaching job, there are a number of sources that can help you. These include:
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Third-party job boards. Along with in-person teaching jobs, third-party job board websites often list remote teaching job openings.
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Local schools. If you have connections at a local school, ask if they’re in need of a teacher for online classes. Even if they don’t need one immediately, they might reach out in the future or know of another school that’s hiring a remote instructor.
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Your colleagues. Even if you haven’t worked with them in a while, reach out to your past coworkers and classmates to see if they know of any openings for remote teachers.
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Online teaching institutions. Going directly to the source can be a great way to find online teaching jobs, and there are many companies that operate online schools nationwide.
If you choose to go with this last method, here is a list of organizations or online teaching institutions to start with:
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K12. K12 is an entirely remote learning institution. It provides an educational program for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. This gives children that are homeschooled the opportunity to be a part of an advanced learning institution.
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VIPKID. It is dedicated to helping ESL students improve their English. To become a VIPKID teacher, you will need at least two years of teaching experience, a bachelor’s degree, and you must be authorized to work in either the United States or Canada.
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Kaplan. Many people recognize Kaplan as a college-level instruction for college prep. With this program, you will be able to help students test prep for the SAT, ACT, and AP subjects.
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Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. This institution is dedicated to catering to some of the brightest minds. They specialize in helping gifted children develop their skills in math, science, and liberal arts.
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Connections Academy. Connections Academy offers students an opportunity to attend a high-quality education tuition-free. While working for Connections Academy, you will be given a chance to work either one on one with your students with a full classroom.
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EduWizardS. EduWizardS is an online tutoring platform. Here you will work with individual students and help them excel and become well-prepared in any given subject.
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California Virtual Academies. This institution is dedicated to California residents. If you choose to work there, you will be able to give your students an innovative and challenging educational environment. Keep in mind that if you choose to work for this institution, you will need to be certified as a teacher in the state of California.
Requirements For Work-From-Home Teaching
Each teaching position will have different education and skill requirements, but there are a few in each of these categories you’ll typically need across the board.
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Education Requirements
Before pursuing your career as an online teaching professional, you must receive the proper education. Just like any educational profession, you must take the time to earn either an associate’s, bachelor’s degree, or higher.
Keep in mind that to be a licensed teacher, you will need at least a bachelor’s. With an associate degree, you can find a job as a teaching assistant or a substitute teacher.
If you still do not have the necessary credentials to become an online teacher, another alternative is to become an online tutor. Even though many professional tutors have a four-year degree, you can get a job with a high school degree or a GED.
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Certification and Skill Requirements
Most, if not all, institutions will require you to have a teaching certification from your state. However, if you are interested in being an educator, keep in mind that it is not just about earning a higher degree. Working with children is not always an easy task. A person needs to be patient, caring, and understanding.
As a teacher, you will need to connect with your students to make engaging and relatable lessons for them, even if you work online. To work as a teacher, you will need to possess excellent communication skills, at least one year of experience, and working knowledge of the courses you will be covering.
Because you will be working from home, you will also need to have an understanding of computers and the online platform. Many institutions will provide their teachers with the proper technical training so that they may be able to design different courses and multimedia experiences for their students.
How Much Can a Teacher Make Working From Home?
One of the many perks of being an online teacher is the ability to choose your own class sizes. Many online instructors may earn from $5 to $15 for each student with the ability to have up to a maximum of twenty students.
This is not the only payment alternative. Many online teaching positions can be paid on a salary basis. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, someone with a bachelor’s degree and who is adequately certified can earn around $40,000 to $60,000 a year. If you are going by an hourly rate, the national average is $22.
Remember that your salary will largely depend on your completed education level if you choose to pursue a teaching career. As mentioned above, a teacher’s salary depends on the amount of experience and the level of education they have received. Keep in mind that this also changes from state to state. Below you will see the average salary of online teaching professionals:
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Tutor. Though many tutors have a bachelor’s degree, you can get a job with a high school degree or a GED. An online tutor’s average salary is around $30,000, which is roughly about $15 an hour. As a tutor, you will be working one on one with a student in various subjects. Your job is to offer support to the student and make sure that they complete their assignments and project and are well prepared for any test or presentation.
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Associate Degree. With an associate degree, you can find a job as a teaching assistant or a substitute teacher. With this degree, you can earn up to $40,000.
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Bachelor’s Degree. With a bachelor’s degree, you can earn an average of up to $50,000.
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Master’s Degree. With a bachelor’s degree, you can earn an average of up to $60,000.
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Doctoral Degree. With a bachelor’s degree, you can earn an average of up to $70,000.
It’s essential that once you earn your degrees, you focus on the next step. Earning your teaching certificate is a critical step in achieving a higher salary. Before you accept any compensation offers, make sure you do the proper research on what they offer in other teaching institutions.
The Flexibility of a Work-From-Home Teaching Job
One of the most alluring qualities about working from home is the ability to set your own hours. If for any reason you are unable to teach at what many consider regular business hours such as a 9 to 5, you will have the option to work evenings or even weekends.
There are many benefits to having flexible hours, including:
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We all have an energy cycle. Working from home can give you the chance to work during the hours when you feel the most active.
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Because you will be working remotely, you will be able to connect with students from different parts of the world.
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Having this type of flexible schedule gives you the opportunity to spend more time with your family.
Challenges of Working From Home
Even though you will have a flexible work schedule, try to balance your job and your home life. The last thing you want is to feel trapped at work. Keep in mind that working from home takes a lot of self-discipline and motivation. Because you will be able to set your own hours, focusing can take a great deal of inner strength.
One of the things that make working from home difficult from time to time is the fact that there is no physical separation between your workspace and your leisure space. If you choose to do this, you will need to create a designated work area and make sure that there is a change in scenery from one room to the next. Not doing so can cause unwanted stress and anxiety.
Final Thoughts
Teaching online is not a new concept.
However, online teaching has become the new frontier for teachers, students, and parents alike with the pandemic’s rise. Due to current circumstances, everyone has needed to adapt to a world of social distancing and virtual classrooms.
Because of safety concerns, many schools have decided to venture off into the world of virtual teaching. If you are a teacher and you are worried about the prospect of teaching online, do not worry—many have gone as far as to describe the work to be similar to that of teaching the traditional way.
Online teaching, also known as e-learning or distance learning, focuses on teaching students from the safety of one’s home. Like in a traditional classroom, you will need to prepare lesson plans, assessments, class activities, and homework. You will also need to monitor the student’s progress and design assessments to test their skills.
Before teaching at any institution, make sure you have done the proper research. With the right credentials and experience, you will be able to find a good teaching job online.
Author
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.
