The number of students going to school online has been growing at or near double digit rates for the past several years, and is expected to continue expanding. Colleges and universities will continue to need more instructors, both part-time and full-time, who can teach courses online.

Jobs for post-secondary teachers in general—including both online and traditional teachers—are likely to grow by 15 percent through 2018, faster than average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The growth projection stems from an expected increase in the college-age population, plus adults returning to school to improve career prospects—a trend especially common during troubled economic times. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't separate online instructors from traditional ones. The median annual earnings of all post-secondary teachers in 2008 were $58,830. The middle 50 percent earned between $41,600 and $83,960. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,870, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $121,850.

Educator pay, both online and non-online, varies depending on such things as field (for example, medicine and law faculty make more than humanities faculty); level of education and experience; and where the educator is employed (by a two-year or four-year school, public or private school, or corporation or other institution.).

Many online instructors work on an adjunct, or contract, basis, and are paid per course. The common salary range for online instructors who teach at the college level is $1,500 to $2,500 per semester-long course. If the instructor also develops the course or writes course assignments, pay may be higher. Course development fees typically run from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on the level of development.

Some online adjuncts work on a part-time basis, while others teach multiple courses for multiple schools and work enough hours to be considered full-time. Some of these full-time online adjuncts report earnings in the $100,000-plus range.

Online instructors also sometimes work as corporate trainers; they may be paid more and be paid per student rather than per course.

Teachers who use the Internet to teach courses "at a distance" are online educators. These teachers interact with students through email, message boards, online "blackboards," chat rooms, or even, in some cases, virtual realms such as Second Life, rather than face-to-face. Their students could be from around the country or even the world.

Online educators need to be able to translate traditional course material in ways that are understood in the online environment, where teachers can't rely on eye contact or other facial cues to determine whether students are understanding and maintaining interest in a lesson.

Some online teachers post video or audio lectures or other multimedia reference material online, as well as provide easily downloadable text materials. Some courses are set up so that all students attend a chat room at the same time and hear, see, or read a professor's words simultaneously, with live discussion via message board. Other courses do not have any shared "real" time, but provide material that students can download and study at their own pace.

Online teachers are expected to promptly answer students' emails and message board questions, as this is the only form of access students have to teachers. Papers and other assignments are transmitted digitally between teacher and student.

Needless to say, online teachers must be comfortable with Internet technology.

To become a college instructor, teachers in almost all cases—whether online or not—need at least a master's degree. Many have Ph.Ds in their specialty field.

Certificates. Certificates are not required to become an online instructor, but can provide additional training that may enhance a teacher's online competency and prove attractive to an employer. Increasingly, colleges and universities are offering certificates in online education and/or degrees in education with an online emphasis. These educational credentials ranged from certificates in teaching online to master's degrees in distance education design and development

Entering the Field. The best way to start in online education is as an adjunct. However, if you have not already done so, you should first take an online course yourself, so you can understand what it is like to be an online student. Also consider a certificate program or additional training in the specific needs of online students.

Apply to schools that have online programs to see if they need an adjunct instructor for any courses you might be qualified to teach. Once you teach an online course, you will know if you wish to continue as an adjunct or seek a full-time online education position.

It can be difficult to find online teaching jobs and competition is often fierce. Online instructors recommend contacting schools that offer online courses to inquire about availability, rather than waiting for job postings from those schools. Or, consider suggesting online courses that you can teach to schools that may not already have them, such as a community college in your area.

Instructors can also search for jobs and post their availability at GetEducated.com's Online Education Careers page.