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The Internet has drastically changed many everyday activities, and education is no exception. With geographical distances no longer an issue, many students are taking advantage of distance learning opportunities as offered by high schools, universities, junior colleges, and private providers. Classes usually include those courses needed for formal academic credit rather than extracurricular activities, but as online education expands, everything from tax preparation to violin lessons can be found on the Internet.

Online teachers mostly work in higher education, including colleges, universities, and vocational schools, but are becoming increasingly more popular at the high school level, as well. Online teaching is an emerging field with limited available data, but skills, salaries, and training are similar to those of teachers at the high school level or professors in post-secondary education.

Skills and Work Hours for Online Teachers

Online teachers must be able to communicate material clearly even without live student interaction, prepare lesson plans, give specific and relevant feedback, grade papers and exams in a timely manner, and be able to deal with a significant amount of virtual correspondence. They must also be tech-savvy and be able to easily navigate the Internet, the online communication tools, and the content management systems of their employers. Online teachers traditionally have flexible schedules, as many classes are self-guided and do not require teacher presence at a particular time, while other class formats are taught over live Internet connections. Many online teachers have full-time careers in the field they teach, such as business, math, or health care, and they may teach online classes part-time.

Online Teacher Salary: 2009 Fact and Figures

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not specifically track online teacher salaries. 2009 data from the BLS shows that the mean annual wage for high school teachers, both in the classroom and online, was $52,200 as of 2009, while the median wage for college professors in 2009 was $64,680. The highest-paid high school teachers, those in the 90th earning percentile, earned more than $82,000.

The states of Arizona, Hawaii, and Montana have the highest concentration of high school teachers. In 2009, high school teacher salaries were the highest in New York ($68,010), Illinois ($67,960), and Alaska ($67,640). The top-paying industries were secondary schools, universities and colleges, and technical and trade schools. Some online classes are paid on a per-class basis, which can vary greatly between institutions.

The following metropolitan areas offer the highest high school teacher salaries:

• Nassau-Suffolk in New York ($83,560)
• Chicago-Naperville-Joliet in Illinois ($74,530)
• Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine area in California ($73,890).

Online teachers at the post-secondary level may be able to earn significantly more, although wages vary from subject to subject. Top earning post-secondary teachers could make more than $128,330, the BLS reports, with the highest wages in Massachusetts ($115,130), New Hampshire ($87,820), New York ($87,780), California ($84,930), and the District of Columbia ($84,270).

Online Teacher Training: Online and Campus Options

As the field is relatively new, there is no state-mandated certification for online teachers. Depending on the institution, a master's degree in the particular field, significant relevant work experience, and previous on-campus teaching experience is typically required to teach online classes at the college level. Online teacher training is also available online through distance-learning master's degrees. Voluntary certification is available in more than 25 subject areas by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Candidates can start the process online and take applicable exams at computer-testing centers across the nation.

According to the BLS, the projected growth in employment for high school teachers is about as fast as average, while the projected growth for college professors is 15 percent.

If you have a passion for teaching, are highly Internet-proficient, and would like to earn a solid salary while working from home, then becoming an online teacher might be a fantastic choice for you.