9 High-Paying Platforms To Get Paid To Teach English Online

By the end of this article, native English speakers who are interested in teaching online for money will know the best high-paying platforms where they can register to teach students the English language.

You now don’t have to travel overseas to teach English – the internet has made it easy for you to make money teaching children in countries like China, and other Asian countries. Because English has become a universal language and the language of the internet – everybody wants to learn it. Therefore, that becomes a piece of good news if English is your mother tongue.

Can you get the chance to teach the English language if it is not your first language? Yes – some companies accept that, but natives are always given the trump card because it’s believed they can teach the language better than anybody else.

Even though you’re close to getting paid to teach English online, here are a few requirements you have to meet.

Requirements Needed To Become an Online English Tutor

Before you can get hired by companies to teach English online, you have to meet the following requirements:

1. Must have an English teaching certificate.

There are two teaching certificates available – which are the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages certificate(TESOL) and the Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate(TEFL). You must enroll in a course to get one of the certificates – World TESOL Academy has some very affordable courses.

2. Must have a bachelor’s degree.

This is not a strict requirement but having a bachelor’s degree in any area of study will increase your chances of getting accepted by most companies.

3. Own a computer.

Obviously, you should have a laptop or a desktop computer before you can English teach online. The only platform that allows you to teach online via your smartphone or tablet is the PalFish app. For the rest, you need a laptop or a desktop computer.

4. Have access to a steady internet(High-speed internet).

You can be in the US or Australia and be teaching kids in China. That’s a long distance so high-speed internet is a must-have to ensure smooth teaching.

5. Own a headset microphone.

A good headset promotes smooth teaching and learning. If you’re asking what’s the best – well, online tutors usually use the Yealink wireless headset.

How Much You Can Earn Teaching English Online

The average annual salary as of November 2022 for an ESL teacher was $40,948. That is an hourly rate of about $19.69, and $787 per week. However, salaries may vary depending on the online teaching company you work for – as well as the number of hours you decide to work. But usually, you don’t have to work for less than 7 hours per week.

Websites That Pay You To Teach English Online

These are the best websites you can teach English online for money from any location you’re in the world.

1. Italki

Image Source: Italki

Italki is one of the best high-paying websites where you can teach English online for money. Italki doesn’t make it compulsory to have a bachelor’s degree before you can teach. In fact, you only need a TESOL or TEFL certificate and you’re good to go.

When you register to teach at Italki, you’re joining a staff of over 10,000 teachers. There are two teaching roles: Professional and Community. To join as a professional teacher, you need to show proof of your expertise and language fluency(must be a native). But to join as a community teacher, no proof is needed – you only have to be a native English speaker.

Facts About italki

Class sessions can last for 30 and 90 minutes.
No bachelor’s degree is needed.
There are teachers for many international languages – including Catalan, Afrikaans, Mandarin, Spanish, etc.
Italki deducts no commission for trial lessons but deducts a 15% commission on all earnings after that.

Italki Teachers Pay

According to Glassdoor, community teachers earn $21 on average and professional teachers earn $29 on average per class session. But the minimum amount teachers earn on italki is $10 per hour.

One thing you should know is that teachers set their own hourly rates. Once teachers have earned a minimum of $30, they can cash out via the following payment methods:

PayPal
Payoneer
Bank Transfer through Payoneer
Hyperwallet.

2. VIPKid

Image Source: VIPKid

VIPKid is one of the most popular online teaching websites around. The platform was launched in 2013, and it’s based in Beijing, China. Unlike italki where you can become a teacher without a degree, VIPKid has a strict requirement that you should have a 4-year university degree in any field. Moreover, you should have a minimum of two years of experience in tutoring, coaching, or teaching.

Again, VIPKid accepts teachers from only Canada and the U.S., so if you’re originally from Australia, the U.K., or New Zealand – you still cannot teach on VIPKid. Nevertheless, if you meet these requirements, you can teach kids from around the globe how to speak the English language.

Facts About VIPKid

Besides the degree, teachers must have a TESOL certificate.
Class sessions last for 25 minutes.
Teachers are supposed to clock at least 7 hours and 30 minutes of teaching every week.
The platform gives teachers a 6-months contract.

VIPKid Teachers Pay

VIPKid pays its teachers hourly, and the average amount ranges between $14 and $22 which includes incentives. The more hours you teach, the more money you earn. Not to forget that apart from teaching, teachers can refer students to VIPKid to make extra money. VIPKid doesn’t pay huge money but it’s normal – considering that even the base pay is between $7 and $9 per hour.

Therefore, if you take many classes per month, earning $2,000 – $3,500 is totally feasible. Teachers are able to withdraw their earnings at the end of every week or month via direct bank transfer, or PayPal.

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3. Cambly

Image Source: Cambly

There are thousands of students who come to Cambly to practice English, you can help them get better. Becoming a tutor or teacher on Cambly isn’t strict like VIPKid and other websites. Over here, you only have to be a native English speaker from countries like Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Ireland, and South Africa.

Moreover, no prior teaching experience is needed – in fact, Cambly doesn’t even ask for a TESOL or TEFL certificate. So if you want stress free sign-up process, consider Cambly.

Facts About Cambly

No bachelor’s degree is needed.
Easy signup process.
Natives from all English-speaking countries can teach.
Tutors don’t get bonuses.
Teaching on Cambly is not contract-based.
No minimum work requirements.
Lessons are 1-on-1.

Cambly Tutors Pay

Teaching on Cambly will earn you $10.20 per hour – because the platform pays $0.17 per minute(this is the rate when you teach adults). However, if you decide to teach kids using “Cambly Kids”, you shall earn higher – $12 per hour.

Cambly pays via PayPal every Monday. The good thing about Cambly is that you set your own schedule – you teach whenever you want.

4. Qkids

Image Source: Qkids

On Qkids, teachers are paid to teach children how to speak English. The site is an excellent platform to teach if you grew up speaking the English language. Teachers are allowed to work on a part-time basis, setting their own schedules for teaching.

Qkids only accepts teachers from Canada and the United States. Teachers have to hold a university degree in any area of study and a TEFL certificate.

Facts About Qkids

Teachers must be from the U.S. or Canada.
Qkids requires that teachers have a TEFL certificate.
Teaching sessions last for 30 minutes.
Teachers get bonuses.
Teachers can refer other teachers to Qkids and receive about $100 for each person.
Teachers have to clock a minimum of 6 hours of teaching.
A 6-month teaching contract is given to all teachers.

Qkids Teachers Pay

English teachers on Qkids earn between $16 and $20 per hour. But the base hourly rate is $8. Teachers who get the base pay are those with less experience. Besides the main salary, teachers get $1 bonus for teaching 15 lessons in a single week – as well as an additional $1 for teaching performance. Qkids pays directly to teachers’ bank accounts.

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5. EF Teach Online

Image Source: EF Teach Online

EF Teach Online started in 1997 and it’s available in more than 100 countries. The platform has students from all over the world. You can make money teaching kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years how to speak English. The website accepts teachers from only the U.S. and U.K.

Facts About EF Teach Online

Each lesson lasts for 30 minutes.
No teaching experience is needed.
EF wants teachers who are proficient in English; the C2 level.
Teachers work on a part-time basis.
EF requires that teachers have a TEFL certificate and bachelor’s degree.
Teachers who teach from the hours of 6 am to 8 am EDT on weekdays, and 9 pm to 10:30 pm on weekends get extra money.

EF Teach Online Teachers Pay

Frankly speaking, there’s money to be made at EF. The base hourly rate for teachers is $13.25. Moreover, the average pay is about $18 per hour. Apart from this, if you’re able to complete a minimum of 60 lessons per month, you shall earn about $2.30. EF is one of the best online websites to teach English. So if you’re from countries like the U.S. and U.K, this website is for you.

6. Preply

Image Source: Preply

Preply is an online language-learning website with more than 32,000 tutors. Thousands of students come to Preply to learn languages like English, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, and more. One thing that makes Preply unique is that teachers are able to attend webinars to enhance their skills. Again, teachers have the freedom to set their own working hours.

Facts About Preply

Preply requires no TEFL or TESOL certificate before you can teach English.
No degree is needed.
Natives and non-natives can teach English on the platform.
There are no minimum working hours a teacher should clock per week or per month.
Classes can happen via smartphone or tablet.
Class size can be 1-6 students.
Preply charges an 18 – 38% commission on all earnings, but charges zero commission for trials.

Preply Teachers Pay

Tutors earn $10 – $38.90 per hour. According to the company, tutors who are consistent make an average of $550 per week. Money earned on Preply can be cashed out through the following payment methods:

PayPal
Skrill
Transferwise
Payoneer.

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7. English Hunt

Image Source: English Hunt

Englishunt Inc is another website for teaching English online. It was founded in Seoul, Korea in the year 2000. Englishunt is mainly used by kids in North and South Korea, and Japan to learn.

The company has its branch in the US that focuses solely on online education or teaching. Tutors who work for Englishunt need no teaching experience to teach. They only have to show their university degree and ESL certificate.

Facts About Englishunt

No teaching experience is needed.
Tutors set their own schedules.
Classes can be conducted via smartphone.
Live video class teachers must have a 4year degree.
The site gives flexibility to teachers.

Englishunt Teachers Pay

So tutors on Englishunt make $14.50 per hour on average. There are some bonuses that teachers who teach regularly may receive. Being able to teach for about 6 – 12 hours per week is okay. Even so, tutors cannot work more than 15 hours a week on Englishunt.

8. MagicEars

Image Source: MagicEars

Your teaching experience can help you get high pay on MagicEars. The website also pays attention to your university degree – it just has to be from any area of study. MagicEars gives you the platform to teach students in China and other countries how to speak the English language.

The class is online, and it lasts for only 25 minutes. Like most of the websites already mentioned, you need an ESL certificate. If you don’t have the certificate, you can enroll in a 120-hour TESOL program while on the website of MagicEars. At the time of writing this article, the program was only $20.

Facts About MagicEars

The site requires teachers must have a degree and an ESL certificate.
Only teachers in the United States and Canada can apply at MagicEars.
Each lesson is 25 minutes long.
If you refer other teachers to the website, you receive up to $95 for each.
Teachers get only a 6-month-long contract.
The site suggests that teachers should complete a minimum of 10 lessons per week.
Teachers who teach during surge hours receive incentives in a form of cash.

MagicEars Teachers Pay

MagicEars pays its teachers an average amount of $26 per hour – but the base pay is about $10 per hour. Teachers who receive base pay are those with less teaching experience – but over time, their income amplifies as they gain experience.

9. Verbalplanet

Image Source: Verbalplanet

Verbalplanet is the only website on the list that allows teachers to create their own profiles. Tutors basically have control over their accounts on Verbalplanet. When you create your account on Verbalplanet, you have to submit your ESL and degree for assessment.

Once you get accepted, you can set your hourly rate, and more. Verbalplanet is big – there are so many languages that can be learned there – it’s not only English.

Facts About Verbalplanet

Class sessions are 40 minutes long.
Live classes are done via Skype, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams.
Tutors set their own hourly rate.
Tons of languages can be learned on Verbalplanet.

Verbalplanet Teachers Pay

The hourly rate of every teacher is different on Verbalplanet. Over here, teachers set their own rates. Usually, those who charge high are those with enough teaching experience. While I was on the site, I saw teachers setting hourly rates between $12 and $50.

Because there are many teachers on Verbalplanet, the competition will surely be high. Therefore, the best way to get many lessons is to set your hourly rate lower than the competition.

Benefits Of Teaching English Online

Here are some of the positives you shall enjoy if you decide to teach English online:

1. Good Pay

Teaching English online can fetch you about $2,000 per month or even more, depending on the number of classes you complete. Making this amount of money without having to leave your couch is very interesting.

2. Free Ride Lifestyle

You get the chance to set your own working schedule, this makes you the master of your own time. Also, you can travel to Puerto Vallarta tomorrow and still be able to teach for money as long as you have your laptop and internet access.

3. The Side Job Thing

You can treat teaching online as a side job and nothing will go wrong. So if you like your day job, you will be able to keep it and at the same time teach English online. For those who want to make extra money every month, this is a perfect side hustle idea.

Final Words

There’s nothing nicer than teaching someone how to speak your language, and now you’re doing it to earn money in return. If working on your own schedule has always been your dream, this side job can make that dream your reality.

In General, making money has now become easy because of the internet – you just have to put in some effort, and you shall succeed. If you don’t have an ESL certificate, get one now for just less than $100. Once you get it, apply to the websites that have been listed and start teaching English for money. I’m wishing you more dollars and freedom! Cheers!

Manuelo

Manuelo is an entrepreneur and a personal finance nerd. He is the founder of Dollars And Freedom. An expert in side hustles, online gigs, and everything about making money. His works have been featured on major financial publications, such as Business Insider, GoBankingRates, Investopedia, Entrepreneur, and more. When he’s not busy with his blog or writing for others, you’ll catch him hanging out with loved ones or reading books on stoicism and self-development.