Online education is growing by leaps and bounds. People are becoming more and more comfortable with turning to the digital world for activities that used to be limited to the physical world, education included. Many adults are returning to school to advance their education in order to improve their job prospects. But if you have a job, a family, and other commitments, attending school daily can be very difficult. Online classes are the answer to this problem.

But online classes still need teachers, and this means that a whole new job market is opening up, as schools search for people to lead these classes. Anyone can become an online teacher. If you already work in education as a teacher, counselor, or tutor, it can be very easy for you to make the switch. The field is not limited to these individuals, though. Professionals from any job can find work teaching classes in their area of expertise.

Before you embark on a new career, you doubtlessly want to know what your potential earnings could be. For full-time teachers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not separate online from traditional teachers in their report, so it can be difficult to pin down exact numbers. The middle 50 percent of all post-secondary teachers earn between $42,000 and $85,000. Certain fields (such as IT, medicine, and law) bring in more money than others. Increasing your level of education can also increase your salary.

Online teaching is an exciting career with lots of opportunities. It can be a full-time career or you can use it to supplement other income sources. Either way, it is fulfilling and rewarding. In the following chapters, we will look at online schools in more depth, review what it takes to become an online teacher, help you land your first job, and then teach you what you need to know to excel in this new field. So, let's get started!