Get Paid to Teach English Online: Earn $30/Hour Teaching (Top 11 Sites that Pay)

This, however, cost the companies a lot.

Recruiting instructors can also be challenging.

But the internet has made it easier and cheaper for these companies to get their employees “English Ready”.

Through what is known as “Virtual Classrooms,” companies can have teachers from anywhere in the world teach their employees English without having to spend thousands of dollars sending the employees to traditional schools or classrooms.

This also holds true for individuals who are trying to compete for jobs in a global economy. Knowing English is a great asset to have on your resume especially if you’re looking to be employed by global brands.

On the other hand, for teachers – or really anyone who knows English and can teach it – this creates an awesome opportunity to make extra money from home.

In most cases, you will be teaching through Skype.

“What if I can’t speak any other language but English?”

Just knowing English could be enough in most cases. English instructors, in many cases, do not need to speak a second language.

For most students in advanced levels, students will simply need a native speaker who can help them with the accent, cultural understanding, and correct word usage.

Advanced students already have the ability to understand English, but they still need a native speaker to help them further with their English by listening and explaining the complexities of the language.

Finding Online English Teaching Jobs

There are different ways you can look for English teaching jobs that allow you to work online.

You can even use online tutoring sites that pay you to teach students anything from math and science to art and English.

But if you are looking for the easiest and quickest ways to get a few clients, the following 3 websites are some of the best places to look.

1. EF (Education First)

This is one of the biggest private education organizations in the world.

On this platform, you get to teach adults and Chinese kids between 6 to 10 years old.

Their classes are broken down into 25-minute blocks. Your classes are usually held early weekday mornings and late weekend nights.

Of course, as long as you meet the qualifications, you can teach from anywhere in the world.

You can earn up to $20 per hour!

2. VIPKID

This platform has been featured on some of the top sites, from Forbes and Huffington Post to Wall Street Journal and even Education Week.

VIPKID is basically a platform that connects freelance teachers with Chinese students.

You can set your own schedule. Although the company recommends you make yourself available for at least 7.5 hours of teaching per week.

I read a few reviews online and some of the teachers say they make upwards of $2000 a month teaching on VIPKID.

So if you’re looking to get started in getting paid as a freelance teacher, I would say start with this one.

Please note that you do need a University degree to qualify as a teacher.

Make sure to submit the five-minute application so you can get in quickly.

Important:

The video interview is the biggest part of this whole process. So if you want to speed things up, as soon as you complete your application, schedule your video interview.

You have to set and confirm a time for the interview. Usually, the interview happens within a few days. A VIPKID teaching team member will do the live video interview with you.

One thing you want to keep in mind is that most of the support team (based on reviews, they have a very friendly staff) are based in China so because of the different time zones, during the interview process, you may sometimes receive emails early in the morning or late at night. Overall, they have very friendly staff that are very helpful, so the whole thing should go smoothly.

This little reminder applies to most companies that require live video interview. So make sure to get that underway no matter which of these companies you apply for.

3. TutorABC (Also known as iTutorGroup)

TutorABC firm is a Taiwan-based company and is currently looking for English teachers.

You’ll be teaching beginners, intermediate, and advanced students.

You do not need to know Chinese since you’ll be an instructor to students who already know some English.

TutorABC has its own virtual classrooms which you can log into before the start of your session.

You do need a University degree to teach.

4. 51 Talk

HAWO American Academy, the company behind 51 Talk, is the biggest online English education platform in the world. Its goal is to make high-quality education for Chinese kids accessible and affordable. They also began operating in Philippine in 2012.

To become a teacher you will have to fill out their online application which includes providing your teaching certificate and qualifications.

As a teacher, you will teach 45-minutes group classes to Chinese students.

As for pay, based on estimates by Indeed.com, average English as a second language teacher earns between $18.93 to $22.00 per hour.

5. Say ABC

Say ABC is a company headquartered in Beijing. They provide international learning experience for China’s 5-12 year old children.

You can earn up to $21 per 40 minutes (the length of each class is 40 minutes).

They have classes throughout the day, so you can set your own hours and easily work something into your own schedule.

You do have to have a Bachelor degree or above (or be a final year student) as well as a computer with a fast internet connection and audio/video capability.

To get started, click the link above and fill out the online application. Then there will be a 30 minutes interview followed by signing the contract. After that, you’ll be ready to start making money as an English teacher for Say ABC.

6. QKids

Qkids is a little different in that it is focused on teaching English as a second-language to kids between 5-12 years of age.

They are looking for college students, school teachers, stay-at-home moms, and anyone who likes to teach from home.

Requirements:

• You must be a native English speaker based in the United States or Canada.
• You must have a degree or be currently enrolled in a university program.
• You must be available to teach a minimum of 6 hours (12 classes) per week.

The good thing is that they offer paid training before orientation.

You can earn between $16 to $20 per hour.

7. VerbalPlanet

This is a website that allows you to create your own teaching profile.

VerbalPlanet, however, can be strict as they first need to approve your profile. The firm approves profiles based on a teacher’s experience and qualifications.

After your profile has been approved you can start setting your rates and proceed to find students who need your help.

It is recommended to start with a smaller fee, somewhere between $10 to $20 US dollars for every 45-minute lesson to attract students.

You can start building a good reputation after getting your first few initial students and charge more.

8. Cambly

If you like interacting with people from around the world and make money at the same time, this is an awesome place to start.

They are looking for tutors to chat with students from around the world helping them learn English in formal settings.

You can set your own schedule.

Work as little or as much as you like.

Best of all, you can work from anywhere in the world.

This is a great way to turn your free time into a money making side hustle.

You earn around $0.17 per minute.

You are paid through PayPal.

9. Italki

An online marketplace for languages, Italki provides that virtual classroom capability for both students and freelance teachers.

Teaching English through Italki

Getting started with Italki is pretty easy and quick.

Here is what you need to do in order to get started:

1. Register at the site which is free.
2. Make a curriculum.
3. Set your rate for teaching.
4. Hang around and wait for students.
5. Start teaching once you get clients.
6. Collect your money!

Aside from putting together teachers and students, Italki also keeps a good number of online language resources for free that you can use.

These online resources also help obtain consumer traffic for its marketplace.

After looking at teaching prices available, I discovered that a handful charge about $15 for half an hour.

Definitely a reasonable price in exchange for talking to a student for 30 minutes.

This actually may make you want to never talk without getting paid!

10. Englishunt

This is a service aimed at teaching English to Japanese and Korean students through virtual classes online.

They have different programs so based on their needs, they hire teachers for various positions.

For example, at this time (at the time of writing this post) they are hiring for their phone tutoring programs.

Different programs have different requirements. Generally, you’ll need an ESL certificate or teaching certification (in any subject).

They pay also depends on the program.

For their phone tutoring program, the pay is around $2 per 10 minutes. But for their virtual online classes, you can expect around $14.50 per hour.

This is a part-time position where you work up to 12 hours a week.

11. Gogokid

This is a platform that “creates a connection between children in China and the world by providing a global learning experience.”

Basically, you’ll be teaching English to Chines students on the internet.

To get started, you need to go through the application process.

• Step 1: Complete an online application (Sign up + Basic Information)
• Step 2: Schedule an interview
• Step 3: Attend an orientation
• Step 4: Submit the paperwork
• Step 5: Sign the contract

You can expect between $14 to $25 an hour teaching English through Gogokid.

You receive the payment for the last month before the 15th of the current month. PayPal is the primary payment method.

Note

Because these positions are very popular, they fill quickly. So some of these sites frequently stop accepting new teachers for a short time here and there. If the link doesn’t work, check back with the site often so you can apply once they open up the application again.

Your Turn

Do you know of any other site good for finding online English teaching jobs?

Are you a teacher who makes money by teaching English to foreign students on the Internet?

Or do you perhaps work with one of the sites mentioned above? If so, what has your experience been like?