If you’re on the hunt for the best online English teaching jobs, look no further. This list shares the best companies to teach English online and how to start earning money online.
Teaching English online has grown into one of the easiest ways to earn money online for native speakers, and it gives people the freedom set their own schedule and live anywhere in the world.
I started my own online teaching journey after leaving my English job in South Korea. I applied to teach English online with PalFish and it ended up being a way for me to supplement my freelance writing income and grow my travel savings fund. While there are def pros and cons to teaching online, ultimately I recommend it to those interested.
So if you’ve always been curious about how to become an online English teacher or how to work online anywhere, you’ve come to the right place!
This guide will share everything you need to find the best companies to teach English online.
*This list is meant to be a helpful resource sharing the various online teaching jobs out there. Be sure to do your own due diligence and properly vet each company to ensure it’s a good fit for you.
A quick note about major changes in the online teaching world:
As of the end of July 2021, new laws have come into effect in China directed towards China’s after-school tutoring industry. The new laws have made it illegal in China for companies to hire foreign-based teachers (teachers that live outside of China) to tutor children online.
This means that some of the most prevalent teaching platforms that were once regarded as the best companies for teaching English online no longer hire foreign teachers. This list shares the most up-to-date opportunities for online English teachers outside of China.
Read More: 14 Platforms to Teach English Online to Korean Students
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, if you click my links and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Learn more on my disclosure page. Thank you for your support!
Teaching English Online Basic Job Requirements
1. Be a native English speaker.
First and foremost, you need to be able to speak English to teach English (obvi!) Many companies, however, vary on the specifics.
Some companies only hire citizens of native English speaking countries. So if you have a passport from the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, you’re already looking like a great candidate.
Some companies only hire UK and US applicants, or only teachers with accents from North America (the US and Canada). And some companies don’t care where you’re from, as long as you can prove you have a ‘neutral’ accent and a native level of English speaking ability. Be sure to check the requirements!
2. Have a TEFL certificate or a teaching license / qualification.
Secondly, having some sort of teaching qualification is a major requirement for most online teaching platforms. Which makes sense, they want to make sure their teachers have some kind of formal teaching training under their belt.
If you don’t have a teaching license, then they’ll want to see that you have a TEFL certificate! You have countless options when it comes to getting certified – from premium to cheap courses there’s something to fit your budget. I’ll cover that in the next section below.
3. Hold a Bachelor’s degree (for some).
Some online English platforms require their teachers to hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher to be hired. Often it can be in any field and doesn’t need to be specifically in education, although that’s always a plus.
If you don’t have a Bachelor’s degree, however, there’s still hope! You can still teach English online without a degree – you just need to know where to look! This list shares multiple companies that hire English tutors without a degree, and I cover them in depth in my guide linked above.
4. Have some experience teaching.
Having some form of teaching experience under your belt is another typical requirement. Many companies want to see at least 6-months or one-year, but some have it as only a preferred specification.
Any teaching or tutoring experience will only strengthen your application or profile as a tutor. If you’re a newbie, I recommend reaching out to local schools or non-profits to inquire about potential volunteer tutoring opportunities in your communities. But again, it’s not always required.
How to Get TEFL Certified to Teach English Online
So what is a TEFL certification? It’s a document you receive after completing a training course to teach English as a foreign language. There are a few options when it comes to choosing the best TEFL course, but ultimately for online English teachers something cheap and online is fine.
I often recommend iTTT TEFL or PremierTEFL to aspiring online teachers. These are all reputable TEFL providers and each have their own pros and cons that provide the professional qualification needed to succeed as an ESL teacher.
For those interested in getting TEFL certified with iTTT, you can save 20% off any TEFL Course with my special link!
The Best Companies to Teach English Online
While there are numerous reputable companies to teach English online, this first half of my list are ultimately the best teaching English online jobs IMHO, in terms of pay and job quality. You can count on these English learning platforms to be reliable.
1. Cambly – Tutor Adults or Children Online Without a Degree
Pay: $10.20/hour regular classes, $12/hour Cambly Kids
Requirements: must be fluent in English, no degree, certificate, or experience necessary
Nationalities hired: any, but native English speaker
Teaching hours: 24/7
Cambly is one of the few online platforms where you only need to be a native English speaker in order to teach English online. While having related experience or a TEFL certificate can help you stand out amongst tutors, Cambly is great for first-time teachers or those curious if ESL teaching is right for them.
Tutors can apply to teach adults or with Cambly Kids, both of which require separate approval process. Tutors may teach solo or group classes, that can last 15, 30, or 60 minutes long.
Apply to teach with Cambly here.
2. Twenix – Teach Professional Adults Based in Spain and Italy
Pay: Up to $16/€15/£14
Requirements: Must be fluent in English, no degree, TEFL certificate or experience necessary.
Nationalities hired: Any, both native & non-native speakers are welcome.
Teaching hours: 24/7
Twenix offers 26-minute online one-to-one English conversation classes for adults in Spain and Italy. It provides great flexibility for teachers; you can work as much or as little as you choose. You simply open slots in your schedule, and the system matches you with students.
No setup or self-marketing is needed – once hired, you can start earning immediately. What’s more, Twenix supplies all lesson materials, requiring minimal preparation and no homework grading. It’s ideal for both full-time and part-time work.
Apply to teach with Twenix here.
3. EF Education First – Teach English to Chinese Students of All Ages Online
Pay: $10 base, plus bonuses, rate set by EF Education First
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, and TEFL certificate
Nationalities hired: US and UK
Teaching hours: 17:00 – 21:00 M-F and 09:00 – 21:00 S-S, China Standard Time
EF Education First is a company that’s been around for over 50 years. First specializing in connecting teachers in the UK and US with teaching gigs abroad, today they’ve jumped on the online teaching bandwagon.
EF requires an online background check for applicants and has a more rigorous interview process than others. Lessons run for 25 minutes, and you can apply to teach adults online – or in China, if you’re itching to go abroad!
Apply to teach with EF Education First here.
4. italki – Practice a Foreign Language with International Adults
Pay: $9 – $15/hour, set your own rate
Requirements: native speaker, no TEFL certificate required unless ‘Professional Tutor’
Nationalities hired: any, but must be native level for the language you teach
Teaching hours: 24/7
italki is a multi-language learning platform that connects prospective students predominantly from Russia, Brazil, the US, and China with native speakers of the language they wish to learn.
There are two ways to teach or tutor with italki – as a “community tutor” or “professional teacher” – each with their own set of job requirements and pay scale.
As a community tutor, you don’t need formal training and to receive payment for conversational language exchanges. But as a professional tutor, you do need to have a degree or TEFL and you teach structured lessons for higher pay.
You set your own rate on italki, but community tutors, on average, make about $9-$13/hour, and professional teachers make $15-$19/hour. italki takes a 15% fee from all payments.
Apply to be a teacher with italki here.
5. Skimatalk – Teach English Online to Japanese Students + Business Professionals
Pay: $7-$10+/hour, set your own rate
Requirements: native English speaker, no degree or TEFL required
Nationalities hired: US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland
Teaching hours: 24/7
SkimaTalk connects Japanese adult professionals with a native teacher from native speaking countries. You don’t need to have a degree or teaching certificate, but to be competitive as a teacher, you must maintain great reviews from students and have an active profile on their online platform.
Learn more about applying to be a teacher with SkimaTalk.
6. Verbling – Native Speakers Teaching Their Native Language Online
Pay: $15-$20/hour, set your own rate
Requirements: verifiable teaching experience
Nationalities hired: any, but a native speaker of the language you wish to teach
Teaching hours: 24/7
Verbling is an online English learning website based out of Sweden. They currently hire native speakers of 62 languages such as Spanish, Japanese, Urdu, Tagalog, and more.
You don’t need to have a degree or to be EFL certified, although it’s preferred, and they do want to see verifiable teaching experience on your resume plus proof you’re a native speaker of the language you wish to teach.
All lessons are one-on-one via video chat, and teachers have the freedom to set their own rates minus a 15% commission fee taken by Verbling.
Apply to teach with Verbling here.
7. Preply – Teach English + Other Subjects Online
Pay: $10 – 20/hour, set your own rate
Requirements: experience in subject tutoring, no degree or TEFL certificate required
Nationalities hired: any, but must be native-level speaker
Teaching hours: 24/7
Preply is a platform where teachers of all subjects can teach students online. There are 55 subjects taught on Preply, ranging from languages to university subjects, hobbies, and art.
Teachers are responsible for creating their own lesson plans for the one-hour classes, and for setting their own hourly rate. You don’t need a degree or to be certified to tutor on Preply, but a TEFL certificate or teaching experience will make you a more attractive tutor to choosey students.
Apply here to teach with Preply.
8. Voxy – Business Professionals and Career-Related English Instruction
Pay: $15+ / hour, rate set by Voxy
Requirements: three years of teaching experience, certified English teacher
Nationalities hired: native English speakers
Teaching hours: 13:00 – 18:00 + 09:00 – 12:00 EST, M-F and weekends
A company based out of New York, Voxy targets international business professionals who wish to advance their English in career-focused instruction. Voxy ascribes to task-based learning, meaning teachers should help students learn via meaningful language tasks and activities.
As a Voxy teacher, you need to be available to teach at least 10 hours per week, including 2-4 hours on the weekends. Your hourly pay is based on your teaching experience, qualifications, and interview.
Apply here to be an online English teacher with Voxy.
9. Learnlight – Online Foreign Language Trainer
Pay: $12 – $14/hour, rate set by Learnlight
Requirements: foreign language certificate (TEFL, FLE, etc.), two years’ language teaching experience, proficiency in the language taught
Nationalities hired: any
Teaching hours: 06:00 -9:00 / 12:00 – 15:00 / 17:00 – 20:00 / 22:00 – 01:00 (UTC/GMT)
Learnlight is another excellent platform for teachers interested in teaching a foreign language. They hire language teachers specializing in Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Mandarin, German, Portuguese, and more, and even offer training and orientation to applicants who are offered a position.
You must be able to commit to a fixed schedule with Learnlight for a minimum of one year and at least ten hours per week, so this position isn’t as flexible as the other online teaching jobs in this list.
Start teaching online with Learnlight here.
10. Fluency Tutors – International Students Learning English Online
Pay: $15 – $20/hour, rate set by Fluency Tutors
Requirements: TEFL certificate, six months of online teaching experience, degree not required
Nationalities hired: US, Canada, UK
Teaching hours: 24/7
Fluency Tutors is another Canada based online teaching platform. Students are typically from China, Russia, and the US, and they don’t mind if teachers are living or traveling abroad, as long as you have a quiet place with stable internet.
To be hired, they want teachers who are certified and have at least six months of online teaching experience.
Sign up to be an English teacher with Fluency Tutors.
11. Lingoda – Teach Adults Your Native Language
Pay: €11/hour lesson, rate set by Lingoda
Requirements: foreign language or TEFL certificate, two years of teaching experience, but no degree required
Nationalities hired: any
Teaching hours: 24/7
At Lingoda, you can teach more than just English online; you could also teach Spanish, French, or German if you’re a native speaker or have the appropriate certificate to teach them.
All lesson materials are provided for you in PDF format, and class sessions are for one hour. Your classes may be private or in groups of up to five students.
Become a teacher with Lingoda here.
12. Nil English – Teach Korean Students of All Ages
Pay: $10 – $15/hour, probationary rate paid per 10 minutes
Requirements: Bachelor or Associate’s, TEFL certificate preferred
Nationalities hired: U.S. and Canadian citizens
Teaching hours: After school and weekends Korean Standard Time
Nil English is known for being a laid-back company that connects Korean students with American and Canadian teachers. Their classes range from 10, 20, 30, to 60 minutes long and are taught one-on-one on Skype, Zoom, or phone video chat, depending on the student’s preference.
The application process appears quite simple and is a Google form that asks for your personal information, education level, contact info, and computer equipment. There’s also a section that asks for your availability. Nil English hires teachers with American and Canadian citizenship only.
Apply to Nil English here.
13. Engliphone – Teach English to Korean Adults and Business Professionals
Pay: $13.50, $17-$20/hour
Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree, TEFL certificate, Windows PC
Nationalities hired: U.S. and Canada
Teaching hours: After school and weekends Korean Standard Time
Engliphone is a well-reviewed teaching platform that hires teachers without a college degree or a TEFL certificate. They also require teachers to be available for a minimum of 15 hours a week, broken up into four-hour shifts or more. You’ll also need to have a PC as their software is incompatible with Mac and the iOS operating system. The students are primarily business professionals and adults.
To apply, email them at [email protected]
14. Rype App – Teach A Foreign Language Online
Pay: $9-$11/hour, rate set by Rype
Requirements: previous teaching experience
Nationalities hired: any
Teaching hours: 24/7
Rype App is an affordable platform for students to learn foreign languages like English, French, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Mandarin, and more in a one-on-one setting. Lessons are in 30-minute increments, paid via PayPal each month.
To be accepted as an English teacher with Rype, you need to have previous teaching experience online or in person, and a reliable internet connection.
Apply to teach with Rype here.
15. Amazing Talker – Tutor Adult Language Learners
Pay: $18 – $76/hour, rate set by you
Requirements: certificate/fluency in the language you wish to teach, experience preferred
Nationalities hired: any, but must be native English/language level
Teaching hours: 24/7
Amazing Talker allows tutors to set their own rates and claims that top tutors can make as much as $76 per hour! While that’s probably not the norm and depends heavily on years teaching and certifications, you can still expect to make around $18/hour, which isn’t too shabby.
Lessons are usually 50 minutes long, while trials for new prospective students are just 25.
Sign up to teach with Amazing Talker here!
16. Open English – Teach English to Students from Latin America
Pay: $10 – $14 / hour
Requirements: must be native English speaker from North America, no degree or TEFL required but preferred
Nationalities hired: US and Canada
Teaching hours: 24/7
Open English focuses on teaching English to students from all over Latin America. They have all lesson materials already prepared for teachers making it easy to get started.
They require teachers to commit to at least 10 hours per week and to have a North American accent from the US or Canada. They give preference to native English speakers who can speak Spanish and Portuguese, but it’s not required.
Apply to teach with Open English here.
17. EnglishEverywhere – Teach Business or Personal English Online to Japanese Adults
Pay: $14.50 – $16.40/hour
Requirements: native English speaker, no degree required, TEFL and experience preferred
Nationalities hired: any, but native English level ability required
Teaching hours: After work hours and weekends in Japan
EnglishEverywhere is one of the best places to teach English online to Japanese students without a degree. Teachers are responsible for planning their own lesson plans and leading one-on-one lessons with school-aged students.
The key requirements include having a TEFL or TOEFL qualification as well as having some teaching experience. Teachers also need to be proficient at using Skype on PC, have availability to respond to work emails within 36 hours, and pass the E&E interview process.
EnglishEverywhere pays teachers ¥800 ($7.25) per 30-minute class for the first ten classes in a month. After ten lessons, teachers are paid ¥900 ($8.19) per 30-minute class. Payments are made through PayPal on the 25th of each month.
Learn more about EnglishEverywhere.
More Online Teaching Job Options to Consider
I believe in the power of options, so I wanted to include a few more companies whose names I’ve seen floating around the online ESL teaching community. They’re not the big players by any means, but could be a great stepping stone for beginners or those with a specific interest in teaching people from particular countries.
- EineTeacher: Korea-based online teaching company
- CafeTalk: Japanese, Korean and Chinese students
- EnglishDom: Russia-based EFL teaching, apply via email to their HR department ([email protected])
Read More: 10 Platforms to Teach English Online to Japanese Students
Do you have any personal experience teaching with the companies above? I’d love to hear about it below!
