Teaching English Online — 4 Easy Steps with TEFL Jobs and Salaries
Teaching online is one of the best paying jobs you can secure for working independently. It is great for …
- New college graduates
- Stay at home parents
- Nomads who want to travel the world
- Early Retirees (though there is some age bias)
- People in-between jobs
- Those who just don’t want to go to an office
- Grad students or others pursuing degrees
With technology gaps closing and middle classes growing around the world, the online English teaching opportunities are growing every day.
Getting an online English teaching job is really quite easy. For those with 4-year degrees there are even more choices. For everyone teaching English online can be both lucrative and rewarding. We break it down into 4 straightforward steps that are clear and easy to follow.
TL;DR
For those who want the short and sweet version …
Teaching online is an easy way to make money fairly quickly. A bachelors degree in any discipline is ideal, but there are some programs that do not require a 4-year degree. Teachers make around $10-$15 per 1/2 hour course. The amount you make is a function of how popular you are with staff and students and your scheduling constraints. Some teach part-time and aim for $500-$1000 a month. Full-time well organized teachers can realistic make $2,000/mo.
The 4-step path to being able to teach English online is …
- Research — Learn the lingo, salaries, requirements and more. You can skim this and come back to it as needed.
- Get TEFL — You are going to need a TEFL or Celta certificate. This section will help select a course.
- Hiring Companies — Once you have your TEFL or Celta certificate you can select online companies for teaching positions.
- Apply and Interview — How to apply and prepare for the interview. Get hired at the best rate.
Step 1
Teaching English Online Qualifications, Salaries, Technology and more
Hey you’re applying for jobs as a teacher. Let’s grab a glass of wine and do a bit of homework.
In this section you will learn about …
- Qualifications needed to teach English online
- Salaries of online English teachers
- Technology needed to teach online
- Travel and teaching — match made in heaven
What qualifications are needed
Most online teaching jobs require a 4-year degree plus a TEFL, TESOL or Celta certification. But don’t stop there. Brush up on your grammar and vocabulary. The basic qualifications are …
- Bachelors degree (there are exceptions)
- TEFL, TESOL or Celta
- Desire to teach
Can I get an online English teaching job without a degree?
Teaching English Online Without a 4-year College Degree.
Yes, the following school will hire good candidates without a degree. Q-Kids wants a 2-year degree. A 120 hour TEFL from the best program you can afford is key to getting hired without a bachelor’s degree.
- Qkids
- Cambly
- PalFish
- SkimaTalk
- Lingoda
- Open English
There are many more companies that do not require a 4-year degree to teach for them in our List of Online Teaching Jobs.
What is the salary for online English teachers?
Online English Teacher Salary
Jobs teaching English online generally pay by the hour. But by the hour teaching. You won’t be paid for any prep work. Some pay a flat rate per class but you can always calculate the per hour rate for comparison purposes. The classes are usually under 1-hour. So a job that pays $20/hr and has 30-minute classes would pay $10 per class.
There are often bonuses of a few dollars here and there. Most employers have a sliding scale with some flexibility for very seasoned teachers. If you have been teaching for a while, ace that interview and dazzle them with a great lesson. Experienced teachers should always ask for more than the original offer. There is usually some room for good teachers.
Let’s look at a typical online English teaching job from a major employer …
VIPKID is one of the best known online English learning platforms Teachers at VIPKID make a base rate of $7-$9 USD per class. This is determined during your interview based on your interview performance and background. Here is a breakdown of the VIPKID pay …
- $7-$9 per class
- $1 bonus for starting and ending on time
- $1 bonus for more than 45 classes per month
Not private jet money for sure but you can make a few hundred to a few thousand per month. For a young family, recent grads living overseas and others, it is a significant amount of money.
Some example work profiles …
- 5 hours per week = $400/month
- 12 hours per week = $960/month
- 25 hours per week = $2000/month
Can I teach while traveling?
Teaching English Online while Traveling
One of the great things about teaching English online is that you can do it from anywhere. I have been a location independent worker for over 6 years. Most of the expats I meet are English teachers. Many work in local centers (a good option) and many either teach English full time online or supplement their local jobs with online teaching.
The big advantage is that you are living in very low cost of living areas like SE Asia but getting paid in USD. That 25-hour per week teacher getting $2k per month can not support a family in most US areas. In Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Mexico and many other places, you will live well. If you are a couple of teachers, you can live very well.
Just be careful that your living space has a quiet area and good Internet. Best to start in a modern hotel as you look for local space. Bring your phone and test the wifi when you look at apartments. Give yourself a few-month cushion of savings to get online or in-center jobs, housing, etc.
What technology do I need effectively teach online?
Computer and Other Technology Required
Most hiring companies will have a list of technology requirements. You can always borrow but do whatever you can to have it all in place before your interviews This will be a part of how your application is considered so don’t put this off until the last minute.
- Get your teaching tech in order.
- Find a quiet space.
- Test your setup.
Computer
Laptops are certainly handy and have built-in video. If you are going to travel as an online English teacher they are a required item. On the other hand, desktops are more reliable, less expensive, have more screen area, and are easier & cheaper to fix if you do have an issue. For laptops, a 13″ -15″ screen is typical. Larger screens definitely have their place but they start to defeat the purpose of a laptop – portability.
Most newer laptops or desktops will be powerful enough. Have a minimum of 4gb of RAM. If you are using an older computer go with at least 8GB of RAM. You will find you have a few windows and processes running so more memory helps.
Tablets and Phones — These are best used as additional tools.You may want to look something up as you are teaching. But don’t try to run a class or do the interview with mobile devices.
You will find having an external mouse vs. just a trackpad is helpful. A proper headset and WebCam, however, are must-haves.
WebCam
You want a decent webcam. This is the portal to your student and it makes the first impression. In a new MacBook or laptop, the built-in webcam is likely fine. For desktops or older laptops get a separate webcam. They are not expensive.
Headset with Boom Mic
Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to hear your student or your voice being hollow and of poor quality. You definitely want a separate headset. Do not really on the speakers of your laptop or desktop. Many companies recommend using the Logitech H390 or Sades A7. But equivalents are fine.
Definitely don’t try to use earbuds or cheap headphones — even if they have an inline mic. They can be used in a pinch or as a backup but are very undesirable.
Reliable Internet
In addition to the proper hardware, having high-speed and stable internet is essential to teach online. Most companies recommend a speed of around 20 Mbps, ideally, the computer is hardwired by Ethernet cable to the router. You can test your Internet speed at Okla.
Step 2
GETTING YOUR TEFL CERTIFICATION
The acronyms in the English teaching world can be confusing. You have … TEFL, TESL, TESOL, and CELTA courses to prepare you to teach English online or at language centers. Let’s break that down a bit …
- TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). This certification prepares you to teach in a country where English is not the primary language. Online teachers or in-country language centers for students in China, So Korea, Japan, Mexico etc.
- TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language). This certification is for people teaching English to foreigners in an English speaking country like teaching English to recent Spanish immigrants in New York.
- TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). This combines both TEFL and TESL. This is prepares someone to do both ESL and EFL teaching. Masters degrees are often a TESOL major.
- CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). This is a specific brand of TESOL-like program that is affiliated with Cambridge University. Some hiring companies prefer Celta due to its uniform curriculum.
For teaching English online a TEFL or CELTA is the typical certification.
How to Choose a TEFL Course
This can get overwhelming. There are so many schools. The programs range from 40 hours to 200+ hours. They can be done online, at universities, or at a language center. In fact, many take the TEFL in exotic places like Phuket, Thailand. Some curses have practical class-work with critiques of lesson plans.
The TEFL certification is further complicated by there be no consistent accreditation body so it is a bit like the wild-wild-West. And finally, many TEFL programs heavily use affiliate marketing to drive business. This means reviews and ads should be carefully examined. There is potential bias as bloggers are paid to promote specific companies.
It is best to go with a minimum of 100 hours of academic coursework and training. Often this is done as a 4-week in-person course but can be done on-line or part-time.
Be cautious with TEFL training. The industry is not uniform in quality, price, or accreditation
Premium In-person Training
It may be best to start at the top of the market. Which is a company like International TEFL Academy. They are a good-sized company with both on-line and in-country programs. There is something to be said for in-person training for many people. There is an energy to being in a group that helps with the learning process. Most of the country’s locations include 4-weeks of housing. Details vary by location so check the details. To give you an idea of the pricing and countries that have training …
- HCMC — $1,750
- Costa Rica — $1,799
- Arequipa — $1,550
- Florence — $1,465
- Prague — $1,500
- Crete — $1,500
- Chiang Mai — $1,395
- NYC — $2,795 (no housing)
- Chicago — $2,195 (sales to $1,995 — no housing)
You don’t need to pay this much. It will not get you a better job online. They may be able to open some doors for first in-country jobs. They are ideal for new college grads who have some family support. If anyone is more than a bit apprehensive about heading off to a faraway land, a larger program like this with support and backup may be preferred.
The other end of the spectrum is a low-cost online TEFL program to punch your ticket. These can start as low as $500. Be sure to get at least 100 hrs. Some have optional 20-hour classroom training with ESL students. This is not required to get a TEFL., particularly not for the online TEFL workers. But experience never hurts so if you get the chance … go for it.
For most Online English teacher employers every 100+ hour TEFL is viewed the same.
TEFL Courses and Resources
Here is a shortlist of TEFL classes to get you going.
- International TEFL Academy –– Classes in 25 locations around the world. Online courses available. Large 5,000 student per year center. Expensive but well done.
- MyTEFL offers accredited online TEFL courses. The classroom courses are in Thailand, Argentina, or Spain. They are very helpful with the post-course support of the hiring process.
- International TEFL and TESOL Training — an accredited TEFL course provider. Centers located in many countries around the world, from Guatemala to South Africa to Vietnam. They also have accredited TEFL online courses.
- The Language House TEFL— An accredited TEFL course provider located in Prague. The Language House takes a personal approach to their business.
- I-to-i TEFL Three decades old so they are reliable. They have sent nearly 200,000 graduates to teach around the world. They offer online and in-classroom courses and emphasize their internships and supported job placements from Spain to China.
- TEFL Worldwide Prague — A Prague-based American-run TEFL certification school. It offers month-long programs, The schools objective is to give students the opportunity to live abroad and interact with other students as they prepare to become educators.
- Maximo Nivel A large training and education company located throughout Latin America. They are a great option for those seeking teaching jobs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru or other parts of Latin America.
- TeachAway Teachaway is the University of Toronto’s accredited TEFL certification program. It is designed by professors and is well put together. This is styled as a distance-learning self-paced, online course. There are TEFL 100, 120, or 150 hour trainings. Good for academic types.
- Oxford TEFL offers both online and classroom training programs. The classroom programs are in several European cites and India. teacher training program offers both online and 4-week intensive course options in several European cities and in India. They also offer Czech and Spanish language courses in Barcelona and Prague.
Step 3
ONLINE TEFL JOBS
It is a big world made so much smaller with the Internet. English is the key to business and college opportunities for so many communities that there is a huge demand for English teachers.
Most of the online opportunities are to teach English to children in China, Japan or South Korea. Though there are a few Latin American opportunities.
This section has a list of some of the larger/better known online employers for English teachers. We have a country by country guide to over 200 online English companies that are hiring for more options.
Top 16 Online TEFL Companies
Cafe Talk Tefl Jobs
Japanese students are passionate when it comes to their own education and improving their skills. Many go to a prep school after normal school hours. Now, learning English online has also grown in popularity.
Cafe Talk is not just for learning English. Japanese students can take study music,art, fashion, chess and more. Classes are taught just with Skype.
Classes can last from 10 to 120 minutes depending on the students goals and teh lesson plan.
- High competition between tutors.
- 4-year degree required
- Instructors who speak Japanese, Chinese or Korean have an advantage
- Average pay per hour: $20+
Cambly TEFL Jobs
Cambly is a U.S. based tutoring service that offers English tutoring to global students. Students of all ages can hire tutors to help them practice and learn English. Students come from very diverse area not just northern Asia.
Getting an interview and hired is straight-forward as long as you meet the minimum requirements.
Cambly pays tutors per minute of teaching time. The current rate is $.017 per minute. This comes out to $10.20 per hour — so not the highest rate. They specifically have mobile tutoring sessions.
- You must be a native English speaker.
- There is often down time in between tutoring sessions.
- Headset, microphone, and webcam required for computer tutoring sessions.
- A smartphone with video chat capabilities is needed for mobile tutoring sessions.
- Bachelors degree preferred, not always required
DadaABC TEFL Jobs
DaDa teachers are among the better paid. You can make between $15 – 25 USD per hour depending on your performance in their interview. So definitely prep well for this interview. Having a white board or other props may help (if you can use well)
DaDa does not require US and Canadian teachers only like some schools. Native English speakers from all over the world are welcome.
You submit your monthly schedule to DaDa and the book classes for you. You do need to provide a 30-day notice of schedule changes. If DaDa does not fill your spot and you wait online for 30 minutes you will receive 1/2 pay.
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Chinese students K-9
- rates up to $25/hour
Elgo Biz TEFL Jobs
A Japanese company offering online English classes to Japanese students. The classes are typically 25 minutes in length.
Students often want to learn through conversational English, with topic lessons often centered around hobbies, travel, life, sports, music etc.
- Degree required
- Japanes students only
- Time zone issues make teaching at odd hours if you are in North America
- Average pay per hour:$20+
- Degree required
- Japanes students only
- Time zone issues make teaching at odd hours if you are in North America
- Average pay per hour:$20+
English First TEFL Jobs
English First (EF) offers both local teaching positions in Shanghai, China and online teaching opportunities for teachers located anywhere. They offer classes for both children and adults.
A nice benefit is that EF is a large company with offices in many cities for local support.
They accept the 40-hour TEFL for those looking to get started on a budget.
- UK or US only
- Bachelor’s degree required, and have a 40-hour minimum TEFL certificate.
- Rate — $12-$19 USD per hour
GoGo Kid TEfL Jobs
GoGo Kid is hiring teachers to work with students in China. Classes are one on one, ESL sessions so you get the chance to work closely with the student.
You want to build a relationship with the kids so that they request you for their next lesson.
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Only teachers from the United States and Canada.
- Rate is ~ $20+
Lingoda
Lingoda is a bit different. They offer classes in many languages. So unlike most programs this is not an English-only opportunity. They are looking for Spanish, German, French, and English native speakers.
LIngoda is based in Europe and teaches to small groups of adult students .
- Two years of teaching experience desired
- Bachelor’s degree not required
- ESL teaching certificate (note this is not TEFL)
- Native speaker of the language you would like to teach
- Hourly rate depends on your location, language you teach, and your qualifications.
Magic Ears TEFL Jobs
Magic Ears is focused on a teaching English to a younger Chinese student — aged 4-12. Since the students are younger the focus is on learning in a fun way.
Teaching is done in small groups of up to 4 students. Classes are 25 minutes long and just a lot of fun — it hardly feels like work.
- Many Bonus opportunities
- Can be slow to get through the hiring process
- Rate — $22+
Open English TEFL Jobs
For those looking to teach students not from northern Asia consider Open English who teach children to adults in Latin America, Open English teaches in small groups or one-on-one lessons. Spanish or Portuguese speakers have a strong advantage given the audience.,
The application process is a bit demanding with teaching knowledge tests.
- 24×7 classes
- Bachelor’s degree not required
- You need to be a US independent contractor and an American English native speaker.
- 24 hours per week maximum teaching load
- Rate ~$12 per class
Pagoda TEFL Jobs
PAgoda offers online English classes to Korean students. They are a leading company in the industry with over 30 years of experience. This is primarily for adults and professionals looking to improve their English.
You start with a split-shift with two sessions per day. One ending at 11:00 the other starting at 6:00pm.
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Full time or part-time
- Must be an English native speaker with a neutral accent and pass an oral exam.
- Rate $15
PalFish TEF Jobs
PalFish is a bit different from other English teaching jobs — it is an app. Native English speakers download the PalFish app and register, create a teacher profile, add a picture and some info about yourself. That’s it.
Students, mainly adults, can select you for a video chat. Teachers video chat with the students who want to practice conversational English.
You are paid to have casual conversations with them. Another unique feature is you set your own pay rate.
- No degree required
- Conversational not lesson plans
- You set the rate but averages $14
Qkids Teacher TEFL Jobs
Qkids, like Magic Ears, is geared at Chinese kids 4-12. Because of the younger age group emphasis is on a fun learning experience. Teaching is done on an interactive gaming platform with original characters. Add to this clever props and a 30 minutes class is just plain fun and goes by quickly.
Class size is limited to 4 students per lesson. You deal only with the kids , not the parents.
- Fun and unique way of using games to teach English.
- Bachelor’s degree not required
- The company only hires teachers from U.S and Canada
- Schedule set weekly
- Rate — $18+
SayABC TEFL Jobs
SayABC is a very popular platform for online English teaching to Chinese children. The classes are 40 minutes long and the students are from 5-12, you can help Chinese children with ages between 5-12 years old.
The company is very good at providing all the teaching materials and aids you will need for your lesson.
- Great online rates.
- You can can make your own schedule.
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Rate — $21+
Skima Talk TEFL Jobs
Skima is a bit of a hybrid between typical online English classes and Palfish. Like Palfish you register and can start teaching as students request you. The difference is that after a screening of your qualifications and based on your popularity with the students , you may or may not progress past this probation period.
Skima Talk puts a lot of emphasis on their students’ satisfaction, and expect their teachers to deliver “life-changing experiences”.
It really pays to take good care of the students and never cancel. Skima will push teachers with good reviews and no cancellations. You set your own rates like Palfish.
- No degree required
- No TEFL required
- Must be a native English speaker with dialects from the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, or Great Britain
- Set your own price and receive 80% per class
Teach Away TEFL Jobs
Teach Away is built on a platform that exists for the teaching profession — not just ESL teachers. In addition to helping ESL teachers find work overseas they place and educate all kind sof teachers. From music to science and everything in between.
The online English teaching jobs recruit from not only the TEFL community but licensed daily teachers and former or retired teachers,
- US/Canadian native speakers
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Students are Chinese children (preschool to grade 6)
- Pay varies depending on background
VIPKid TEFL jobs
VIPKids is one of the top online ESL companies. Students range from ages 3-16. You can chose what grade levels you want to teach and get certified for those age ranges. Classes are 25 minutes and you do not need to create the lesson plan.
VIPKid is one of the most popular online English teaching jobs for traveling nomad type teachers seeing the world. The bi-weekly pay schedule is great.
- No minimum hours required. You make the schedule.
- Can be slow to get hired and first class.
- Only hires teachers from the US and Canada.
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Rate — $20+
Step 4
APPLY AND INTERVIEW FOR ONLINE TEFL JOBS
Congradulations you passed the TEFL or CELTA course! Now you can start applying for jobs and arranging interviews. This is a simple process …
- Choose a hiring company that meets your credentials
- Complete their online application
- Recive an acceptance eMail with nest steps and how to schedule an interview.
- Receive confirmation of the appointment and details about what will happen during the interview.
Appllying for a TEFL Job
In almost all cases the actual application is straight-forward. If you meet their minimums you will almost certainly get an interview. Just be sure to check the school’s requirements and complete the online application. At this point, online schools are casting a very wide net.
You are applying for a position as an English teacher. Do be careful with spelling and grammar.
What happens after the application?
Interviewing for a position – Top 5 Tips
The interview stage is where you want to shine.
The hiring manager looks at this both as a potential employer and as a customer. First impressions are so important.
1. Prepare & Test
- Don’t just trust in your ability to be spontaneous and unprepared. It often works out poorly.
- In most cases you will do a mock lesson. This is where your focus should be. Do a trial run. Get a friend or family member to critique you.
- Don’t just skim read the pre-interview email. Among other things, you are being judged on your ability to pay attention and follow directions. Just go through the email and make a bulleted list of task asked of you.
- Do a trial run with a remote friend. Test all of your technology at this time.
- If you plan to use a whiteboard or props be sure to test this in the trial run with your friends.
2. Know your tech stuff
There is a good chance you will be asked about your technology infrastructure. Make a list of the following basic items for reference during the call.
- Computer type (Windows or Apple)
- Amount of memory (RAM)
- Type of headphone, video camera.
- Your Internet speed (you can go to https://www.speedtest.net/ ahead of time and note the speed)
- Any software you have used like Skype, PowerPoint etc.. If you are going to apply to one of the Chinese student companies check out QQ (https://www.imqq.com/)
3. Find a quiet place to conduct the interview.
This is a key item. If you get interrupted or have distracting background noise for the interview the hiring manager will assume the same problem will happen with the students.
Try to have good lighting and a clean background. If you can make it look a little classroom like go for it. These are things to work out in the trial run with friends.
Roll play in the interview. Imagine that the recruiter IS a student.
Dress Professionally — Business Casual
4. Be enthusiastic –
Attitude is so important. A recruiter knows they can teach many/most people the mechanics of teaching. They also know that can’t change you. no one is looking for perfection. But all recruiters want someone who cares about teaching and the students. Someone who wants to do this job, not a backpacker or slacker.
Sometimes what you don’t do is more important
Things to avoid in your interview …
- Do not do the interview on your smartphone, tablet or other mobile device
- Don’t do the interview while in bed, driving a car, outdoors, on break at your other job, etc.
- Do not have grumpy husband, screaming kids, barking dogs, scary roommates, other other distractions in the room
- Do not freak-out if you have a technical issue. Calmly ask for a reschedule.
- Do not act aloof or reluctant — be enthusiastic.
Likely Questions
Of course no one can predict the exact questions but you should be prepared for some common questions asked by many interviewers. The questions will likely fall into one of these categories …
- General questions — The interview wants to know about you. Your work experience, maturity level, education levels, TEFL status, where you will teach etc. These will be questions like …
- Can you please introduce yourself?
- What are your hobbies?
- Do you work now?
- Teaching online related questions — These are designed to determine if you have a good attitude and knowledge of the online English Teaching profession. They may also ask about your technology knowledge and infrastructure.
- What do you like about teaching online?
- Do you have questions for me about teaching online?
- How would you deal with a shy child in an online classroom?
- Are you shy? Comfortable being silly on camera?
- Teaching Experience and enthusiasm — Degrees and certifications are often required and valuable. Attitude, love of education and teaching is often as important to a hiring manager.
- Why do you want to be an English teacher?
- Do you have any teaching experience?
- How many years have you been teaching? To what age children? Adults?
- Please tell me a bit about your background in education?
- What is your greatest strength and weakness as a teacher?
- Can you describe your teaching method and style?
- Trick Questions — These are designed to get you a bit off guard or self-critical.
- What is your greatest weakness?
- What makes a good teacher?
- How do you think that demo class went?
- Who is your hero?
- Do you like kids?
When all is said and done you want to be prepared and have done your homework. No one is expecting perfection. If there is any small problem the way you calmly handle it is the concern.
The impression you want to leave the recruiter with is … bright, strong English skills, neutral accent, good work ethic, and personable.
Conclusion
Teaching English online can be hugely rewarding – both financially and emotionally. You can work part-time and earn some side-hustle money or work full-time and live in an exotic low-cost-of-living country.
Go for it.
FAQ for Teaching English Online and TEFL
How much can I make as an online English teacher?
It is all up to you. Generally plan on $15-$20 per hour. Do I need to be a computer expert?
No. You are likely already familiar with many of the tools you will use as an online English teacher.
Is it hard to become an onlineTEFLteacher?
Just follow the four steps above and you will be teaching in no time. The main thing is to take action and get TEFL certified.
Is it expensive to get TEFL Certified?
The range of cost (and quality) of TEFL certifications has a swing from a few-hundred to a few-thousand USD. At the high end, from $1,500 – $2,500 plus airfare, you can fly off to some remote place for 4 weeks and get it done in style. Nice graduation gift! At the low-end, there have been Groupons for $250 40-hour classes.
Can this be a full time job?
Sure. If you can get a private lesson even better. Few manage to bill more than 30 hours a week. You can grow into things like IELTs or college-level teaching as well.
Can I live on a beach in Asia teach online and pay my bills?
Actually this is easy. Particularly if you are traveling with a friend or partner. I have met hundreds of people who do this.
Do I need a work permit to teach online?
Teaching online is often either exempt or a technical grey area for many countries. Where teaching in a local language center in a foreign country almost always technically requires a work permit.
Always check with in-country expats and immigration experts or the consulates.