The Internet has opened up many opportunities for online tutors and teachers, some of which pay quite well. And more growth appears to be on the way.
According to Danielle Babb and Jim Mirabella (Mirabella is a former Air Force officer and graduate of the Air Force Academy), in their new book, “Make Money Teaching Online: How to Land Your First Academic Job, Build Credibility, and Earn a Six-Figure Salary,” online learning is growing so rapidly that more than “50 percent of the academic leaders in higher education now see [it] as a critical long-term strategy.”
The growth of online learning has been a boon for tutors and teachers who, until the spread of the Internet ,were confined to local jobs and students. Now, however, even if you’re living in an out-of-the-way place, if you have expertise that’s in demand, and you know where to look (and, of course, this is something you want to do), there’s no reason you can’t join the online teaching and tutoring ranks, too.
But First, Adequate Internet Access is a Must
Whether we like it or not -- the marketplace makes the rules -- the days when we could work from home using a dial-up Internet connection are rapidly coming to an end. A dial-up connection is an antiquated way to upload or download files, graphics, and other work-related data. In fact, the phrase “must have high-speed Internet” appears more and more in telework-job leads of all kinds.
Online teaching experts recommend cable or DSL for home-based workers. However, satellite and wireless are also options for teachers or tutors who work without an intermediary school or agency (or freelancing), and help students one-on-one.
Pros and Cons
Online teaching and tutoring isn’t for everyone. You’ll need to be patient, committed to helping others, and prepared to do things occasionally that you won’t be paid for -- like answering unscheduled e-mails or discussion board posts, or getting drafted for volunteer duty by your college or university.
Moreover, pay may vary widely. According to ESL expert Sue Swift, general-purpose ESL teaching may net $25-$50 per hour, and Jim Mirabella observes that adjunct professors have the potential to earn more than $100,000 per year. On the flip side, it’s doubtful you can make much per hour as a homework tutor if you have to compete with tutors from India and other developing nations, and you must ensure that your students pay on time – regardless of their location.
Current Types of Online Tutoring and Teaching
Online education embraces a wide array of topics, themes and curricula. Here are just a few of the many areas and roles where teachers and tutors can apply their expertise:
-- Teaching English as a foreign language, or ESL
-- Teaching people to play musical instruments (piano, for example)
-- Offering homework help to younger (pre-college) students
-- Teaching college and graduate-level courses (as an “adjunct professor,” for example)
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