Top 9 Platforms to Make Money Teaching English Online from Home
If you are not completely deterred by the idea of teaching the language you are fluent in, such as English, to others, then you are in luck! Even though this might not make you a millionaire, it might just be enough to get you on that trip you’ve been planning for months!
Here are 9 top platforms to teach English online from not just anywhere, but HOME.
Most language teaching platforms require teachers to possess recognized teaching certificates of teaching English to international students, with the internationally recognized Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) being the most common one. Examples of other certificates are TESOL (internationally recognized), CELTA, DELTA, Teaching Credential (issued by the state), to name a few. In this article, these various certificates will be referred to as “Certificate.” In 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Education required all online English teachers who teach Chinese students to have a 120-hour TESOL certificate.
To learn more about TEFL, visit: https://digiteachonline.com/the-6-best-online-tefl-courses/ and https://oetjobs.com/tefl-certification/
1. VIPKid
Best For: Educated native English speakers with 1 year’s teaching experience who have or are willing to obtain teaching certifications, love an absolute flexible schedule without minimum time commitment, and teaching kids from China 1–1.
Base pay: $14–18 USD/hour (Average pay $22/hour)
Students: Children age 5–12
Certificate is Preferred
Bachelor Degree or Above Required
One year of teaching experience or the equivalent in mentoring, tutoring, or alternative education Required
Pros:
- 100% flexible self-designed schedule, can book schedule 1 month in advance
- Partnership with TESOL to provide a 120-hour TESOL certificate course for its teachers in the training process for $19 (original price is $119). You can also obtain the certificate on your own.
- Only 25 minutes per class
- No max or min amount of hours required to work.
- 1–1 teaching if you enjoy such style
- Teaching materials provided
- Teach from anywhere online
- Bonus structure:
$1 bonus for punctual finish and arrival to all classes
$0.50 bonus per class in any month where 30–44 classes are being taught.
$1 bonus per class in the month where you teach 45+ classes
$2 bonus for classes booked on short-notice (less than 24 hours).
$5 bonus if a student signs up with you after finishing a trial class.
Cons:
- You are your own to make sure classes are booked. You might not be guaranteed to have classes booked on the day that you’re available
- Harsh cancellation policy: Maximum of 6 cancellations per month. The contract will be terminated id exceeded. There is also a $10 pay deduction for any period absent without giving VIPKid more than 2 hours’ notice.
2. Qkids
Best For: Educated and certified native English speakers in the US or Canada with limited teaching experience and flexible schedule, love teaching kids from China in small classes with fun animated materials.
Base pay: $8 USD/LESSON
Students: Children ages 4–12
Certificate is Required
Bachelor Degree or Above Required — last semester with senior standing
Eligible to legally work in the U.S. or Canada
Pros:
- Flexible schedule, can book schedule 1 month in advance
- Teaching materials provided
- Fun to teach! Will be teaching through Qkids patented and interactive gaming-based learning platform with animated characters and games incorporated in the curricula.
- Each in-lesson time is 30 minutes, not too time-consuming
- Candidates without a certificate can qualify for a fast track TESOL voucher to be completed before signing the contract.
- No costly penalties for missing classes. You will only lose points that count toward your attendance bonus
- QKids schedules the classes for you based on your availability.
- You’ll be assigned a trainer to help you improve, refer you to teach higher-level classes, and even vouch for you there is an unfair rating.
- Class size varies from 1–4 students if you prefer small class size
- Bonus structure:
$1 bonus for each class if you have attended 15+ classes that week.
$1 bonus for your rating from the parents.
Cons:
- Must live and work legally in the US or Canada
- Must work a minimum of 6 hours (12 lessons) per week
- Can only teach in the US and Canada, not just anywhere
- Inconsistent schedule due to company controlled lesson booking. You can have a full schedule for one week and only one or two classes the next.
3. iTutorGroup
Best For: Teachers with experience but without certificates or degree, looking for a flexible schedule and low time commitment
Base pay: $8–11 USD/hour or lower with total potential up to $40 per hour
Students: Children and Adults
Certificate is Preferred
Either: TESOL/TEFL/TESL certificate (or equivalent) + Bachelor Degree or Above Required
Or: At Least 1 year Recognized Teaching Experience Required
Pros:
- Flexible self-designed schedule
- A low commitment of 5 peak hours per week
- Operated for 22 years in the industry
- Various lesson types: 1–1, group class, Chinese classroom, demo lessons, and seminar
- Teaching materials provided
- Teach from anywhere online
- Worldwide student base ranging from children to adults from over 135 countries
Cons:
- Low base pay to start off
- Poor communication channels
4. Cambly
Best For: Beginners seeking low barriers to entry, Native English speakers from US, UK, Canada, and Australia
$10.20 USD/hour
Students: Children and Adults
Certificate is Preferred
Bachelor Degree NOT Required
Pros:
- No experience needed
- No university degree required
- No TEFL certificate required
- Set your own schedule
- Teaching materials provided
- Teach from anywhere online
- Worldwide student base from children to adults
- Repeated students allowed for continued bonding
- Relaxed, informal settings for any topics chosen
- Video recorded online classes
- Safety protocols (i.e. Immediate ban for inappropriate behavior)
Cons:
- Native English speakers required
- Native speakers born in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia only
- Relatively low pay rate
- Unstructured courses can be led to ineffective chit-chat
- Need to maintain high cultural sensitivity and stay open-minded
5. Amazing Talker
Best For: Teachers with previous English-teaching experience and want to be their own bosses
Set your own price.
Total range: $16.00 — $70.00 USD/hour
Private lessons: $15–28 USD/50 mins, Trial Lessons: $6–10 USD/25 mins
Students: Children and Adults
Certificate is Preferred
Bachelor Degree NOT Required
Previous Teaching Experience Required
Pros:
- No university degree required
- No TEFL certificate required
- Set your own tuition fee! Potential high pay rate if approved
- Comprehensive training on how to set your tuition fee
- Advantageous to experienced teachers
- Teach from anywhere online
- Worldwide student base from children to adults
- Can teaches more than 54 languages
- Automated student-teacher matching according to teachers’ background and students’ learning needs
- You design your own teaching material (If you love the flexibility and the preparation process)
- Courses are divided into a 25-mins trial lesson and 50-mins private lesson
Cons:
- Teaching experience required
- Prepare your own teaching material (If you have less spare time and prefer readily-designed materials)
- Need to maintain high cultural sensitivity and stay open-minded
6. BlingABC
Best For: Experienced US, UK, Canada, and Australia natives who seek high base rate and enjoy teaching children in China
Base rate: $21–27 USD/hour according to qualifications
Students: Children
Certificate is Preferred
Bachelor Degree or Above Required
At Least 1 Year Teaching Experience with Kids Required
Pros:
- High earning potential with a high base rate and the possibility of up to $51/hour for teachers with exceptional backgrounds and teaching performance
- Advantageous to experienced teachers
- Teaching materials provided
- Teach from anywhere online
- Operated for 25 years experience in the industry
Cons:
- Native English speakers required
- Native speakers born in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia only
- Limited student base in terms of age
- Limited student base in terms of geographic location
- 1 teacher to 3 students (If you prefer one-on-one teaching or more options)
7. ZebraEnglish
Best For: Certified and experienced teachers who love teaching children in China online
$16 — $24 USD/hour.
Students: Children
Certificate is Required
Bachelor Degree or Above Required
At Least 1 Year Teaching Experience Required
Pros:
- Advantageous to experienced and certified teachers
- Relatively high base rate
- Teach from anywhere online
- Open to non-native teachers from the US or Canada.
Cons:
- Must have kindergarten to high school (K-12) ESL experience
- Need to commit to teaching students regularly for the long run
- Not open to beginners without the certificate
- Not open to beginners with zero teaching experience
8. Class 100
Best For: Educated beginner English Speaker (native and non-native) from China, South-east Asia, North America, and the UK, enjoy teaching Chinese students aged 3–18 years old online
Ordinary teacher basic rate: $6–9 USD/class (plus incentives)
Star teacher base rate is $7–9 USD/class
Certificate is Preferred
Bachelor Degree or Above Required
Pros:
- Readily available teaching materials
- Open to beginners without a certificate
- Non-native friendly!
- Teach from anywhere online
Cons:
- At least 9 hrs/week
- Class Size: 30–40 (If you prefer a smaller class)
- Not open to beginners without a degree
- Limited student base in terms of geographic location
9. iTalki
Best For: Teachers without degree or experiences but have certificates, enjoy teaching various languages to various types of students 1–1 worldwide
$8.50 iTalki Credits per lesson
Up to $80 USD/hour.
Students: Children and Adults
Certificate is Required
Bachelor Degree or Above Preferred
Pros:
- Flexible self-designed schedule
- You design your own teaching material (If you love the flexibility and the preparation process)
- One-on-one teaching
- You can teach any language
- Teach from anywhere online
- Worldwide student base from children to adults
- There are 2 types of teaching profiles: Professional teacher and Community tutor. You must show certifications to be considered a professional tutor
Cons:
- iTalki charges a 15% commission on student-teacher transactions
- Prepare your own teaching material (If you have less spare time and prefer readily-designed materials)
