Teaching online courses is a great way to earn extra income. Teach online and gain flexibility over your work schedule of a type you never dreamed of as a traditional teacher. With more colleges and universities adding online courses every semester, career outlooks are bright. It’s time to get educated about how to land one of these dream online instructor jobs. Vicky Phillips, founder of GetEducated.com, reviews where to start your job search, as well as how to snag some of the higher-paying online instructor jobs.
Most Online Teachers Make $1-2K per Course
Online instructors are commonly paid per course, although some institutions may pay on a per-student or per-lesson basis. Typical “salaries” range between $1,000 and $2,500 per course, but with more education, and a few extra skills, you could qualify for higher-paying jobs.
How to Make the Big Bucks Teaching Online
Some teachers can command up to $5,000 per course, but you make this much teaching fluff or the liberal arts. Teaching hard tech courses or professional courses and having teaching experience on your resume can get you better pay.
- If you hold an advanced degree, such as a doctorate, you can definitely expect higher pay
- Similarly, if you teach graduate (rather than less advanced) courses, you will probably make a little more money
- Teaching in high-paying career areas, such as Information Technology or MIS, is another good way to boost your salary
- Being able to actually create online courses, rather than just teach them, is a very in-demand skill. Past experience teaching is always a plus
- Finally, if you are fairly tech-savvy and have strong organizational skills, make sure you market that you can can manage online teaching and training programs
Where to Find Online Instructor Jobs
First, check out the Get Educated free online teacher job board. Here you can post a listing as a current job-seeker as well as browse available online instructor positions. Call local colleges in your area. Many community colleges are adding online courses and two-year colleges tend to favor hiring local freelance instructors. Also, don’t limit yourself to just teaching college courses. Private training and tutoring companies are a good place to look, and they often pay better than colleges. Finally, start networking on LinkedIn. There are a host of LinkedIn professional groups for online teachers. These groups offer both free job postings and online teaching tips.