Is teaching online the new digital nomad work of choice?

So, you’re searching for digital nomad work? We can hardly blame you. Traveling the globe while earning a living is no longer a pipe dream. Thousands make it work every year and we think TEFL is set to become a huge part of that. Cue this guide, which takes a look at some of the reasons why teaching English online is a great option for would-be location independents in the coming decade…

Teaching online is BOOMING

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: This is the golden age for online teaching. There are now more schools working entirely digitally than ever before, and we’re seeing oodles of new online TEFL academies pop up almost every month.

That’s a little down to the way the world was going anyway. However, the COVID-19 pandemic nudged things over the edge and online English learning has gone from strength to strength throughout 2020/21.

Don’t take our word for it. Here are a few stats:

• 900% – The amount by which online learning has grown since the turn of the millennium. It’s now the fastest growing sector of the whole education industry.
• $325 billion – Sadly this isn’t the amount you can expect to earn as an English teacher. It’s the projected value of the online teaching industry by the year 2025.
• 90% – The proportion of US corporations that are now using at least an element of online learning in their career development.
• 2 billion – A quarter of the world’s population. The estimated number of people around the globe who will be looking to learn English online by the end of 2021!

That means LOADS of jobs

An increase in online learners means one thing is totally certain: A spike in demand for online English teachers. Thems market basics, folks. More people want something; more people are needed to deliver that something.

We’ve seen a crazy increase in the number of positions available in this part of the English-teaching world. Where before the pandemic there was a trickle, now there’s a veritable cataract.

And it’s not just one sort of job that’s out there, either. There are all sorts. You can teach young Chinese learners in the Far East. It’s possible to tutor exam and business English on a one-to-one basis. You can work with schools in Eastern Europe or Peru or even in the USA.

Flexibility and workloads

One hallmark of digital nomad work is that it’s almost always done on a freelance basis. That offers untold flexibility, but it’s sometimes not ideal when it comes to the bottom line.

It’s common for nomads to spend loads of their time ensuring that there’s a steady stream of work coming in. That’s good and all but remember – you don’t get paid for hunting clients.

Thankfully, TEFL teaching online isn’t quite the same. It’s not currently that hard to bag enough hours with a school to turn your work into a full-time position. On the contrary, schools are often skewed in the other direction, with more students than available teachers. (Remember that 2 billion stat?)

However, online TEFL teaching still offers that golden flexibility that nomad workers crave. You can chop and change the hours you want to work on a weekly basis with some employers. So, tutoring grammar and vocab isn’t mutually exclusive with a spontaneous globetrotting lifestyle. You can do both.

Pay rates and perpetual travel

One key feature of digital nomad work is that it needs to pay enough to keep you traveling and exploring. Online TEFL work most certainly can offer that.

The truth is that this part of the industry is still really finding its feet when it comes to salaries. There’s a wild variation in hourly rates between different schools and for different sorts of teachers…

For example, non-native teachers working with Eastern European schools can start on as little as $4/hour. On the flip side, native teachers with experience can score up to $30/hour with the top-end employers.

The key for you will be negotiating something that works for the places you want to travel to. Bear in mind that you won’t need so much to live in Bulgaria as you will to live in the UAE; Mexico has a far cheaper cost of living than France. It’s not just how much you pocket, it’s what leaves your pocket, too.

End of the pandemic

COVID-19 has been the one defining feature of the travel industry in the last year. And by ‘defining’, we mean it totally ruined it!

But with vaccine programs in full swing around the globe and border restrictions set to ease, there’s likely to be ample opportunity to get exploring ASAP.

What’s more, we don’t expect demand for online TEFL teachers to fall any time soon. That means this sector could be one of the star digital nomad work options in the coming decade and beyond.

If you’ve taught English online as part of your digital nomad work, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Or, if you’re ready to get qualified to live the location-independent life in 2021/22, be sure to check out our Master Course, which is specifically designed for those who want to teach online.