Make Money

10 Best Paid Online English Teaching Jobs: Earn Up To $25/Hour

best paid online english teaching jobs
Author Image

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a commission when you click on them, but this is at no extra cost to you. Read our privacy policy for more information.

Want to Make Extra Money Now?

Finding a real work from home job can be difficult.

Fortunately, there are quite a few options for native English speakers.

Online teaching jobs are incredibly popular, and it’s easy to see why.

English teachers and tutors can work flexible schedules while earning an impressive hourly wage.

You don’t even have to speak a second language to pursue this career.

If you’re interested in teaching English online, this comprehensive guide is a great place to start.

Below you’ll learn all about 10 different English teaching and tutoring jobs.

From the application process to hourly earnings, this post covers it all.

Read on to find the right online teaching job for you.

Table of Contents

1. VIPKID

About VIPKID

VIPKID is one of the most well-known online English teaching platforms.

Over 20,000 native English speakers work as VIPKID teachers.

Over 500,000 Chinese elementary school students are signed up to pair with teachers.

The application process is similar to GoGoKid and consists of written parts, a mock class via video, and more.

VIPKID teachers can work highly flexible schedules, and the income potential is high.

VIPKID Teaching Requirements

The base requirements for VIPKID teachers are quite easy to meet. The criteria includes the following:

  • You must be a native English speaker in the U.S. or Canada.
  • You must have a Bachelor’s degree in any field.
  • You must have some type of teaching experience – anything from formal teaching to casual tutoring is acceptable.
  • You must be available to teach for at least 7.5 hours per week.

Keep in mind that these are the base requirements.

Your pay per 30-minute class is based on your performance during the interview process.

Our review is full of tips from current and former VIPKID teachers.

Read it before applying for this position to earn as much as possible.

VIPKID Teacher Pay

VIPKID pays a base rate of $7 to $9 per 30-minute class.

This works out to a base pay of $14 to $18 per hour.

You can earn an additional $4 per hour for meeting participation criteria.

This boosts maximum earnings to $22 per hour.

Read Our VIPKID Review

2. Education First

About Education First

Education First is newer than other online teaching platforms on our list.

Fortunately, it’s a reputable option that offers pretty competitive pay.

Education First teachers work with school aged and adult students throughout the world.

The company provides all of the teaching materials, but you can customize them.

Scheduling is pretty flexible for this position.

Education First Teaching Requirements

Education First has more requirements than VIPKID and other platforms.

They seek out experienced teachers with credentials. You need to meet this criteria:

  • You must be a U.S. based native English speaker.
  • You must have a Bachelor’s degree in any field.
  • You must have a minimum 40-hour TEFL Certificate or equivalent.
  • You must have a computer, headset with microphone, and a wired Ethernet connection.

If you have all of the above, you can move forward and apply.

There may be additional requirements or preferred qualifications.

Click the link above to view all Education First teacher requirements.

Education First Teacher Pay

Education First states that teachers earn $12 to $19 per hour.

Further details aren’t publicly listed on their website.

You can set your schedule for any time of day or night seven days per week.

If you choose to work full time at 40 hours per week, you could earn between $480 and $760.

3. Qkids

About Qkids

Qkids is one of the top online English teaching programs More than 30,000 Chinese students use Qkids to connect with native English speakers.

Students range from 5-12 years old, and teachers don’t need to speak Chinese.

The hiring process is pretty detailed and includes demo classes to help you see what the job is like.

Qkids provides you with all of the teaching materials and lesson plans.

You’ll work with 1-4 students at a time.

The company provides technical support and resources to assist you along the way, too.

Qkids Teaching Requirements

Qkids has fairly simple teaching requirements.

The entire list of requirements can be viewed at the link above. However, these are the main ones to be aware of:

  • You must be an American or Canadian English speaker.
  • You must have a college degree or currently be enrolled in college.
  • You need a computer, webcam, headset with microphone, and reliable Internet access.
  • You must pass every step of the hiring process – submit your resume, create an introductory video, complete demo classes, and more.
  • You must work a minimum of six hours per week.

If you meet the criteria above, go ahead and apply for Qkids.

Be thorough during the application process, and pay attention to each step.

This can boost your chances of getting hired.

Qkids Teacher Pay

Teachers earn a minimum rate of $8 per 30 minute class, which works out to $16 per hour.

With bonuses for attendance and performance, teachers can earn up to $20 per hour.

You can teach six hours (12 lessons) to 19 hours (38 lessons per week).

At $16 per hour, you can earn anywhere from $96 to $304 per week.

4. GoGoKid

About GoGoKid

GoGoKid is similar to Qkids in many ways

It’s an online teaching platform that connects native English speakers with Chinese students in the K-12 range.

You don’t need to understand or speak Chinese to teach.

The application process is similar to Qkids, too.

Teachers are given a rating that determines pay; read all about it in the GoGokids review linked below.

GoGoKid Teaching Requirements

Again, this section highlights the main requirements for GoGoKid teachers.

Make sure to check out their website for a full list of criteria. Here are the major points:

  • You must be a native English speaker.
  • You need the most recent version of Windows or MAC OS.
  • You need a computer with at least 4 GB of RAM and Intel Core i3 or above.
  • You need a quality webcam, headset with microphone, and a reliable Internet connection.

GoGoKid has a quick screening process you can go through prior to applying.

It lets you know whether or not you meet their base requirements.

The company strongly prefers applicants with teaching experience.

However, it is not a requirement.

GoGoKid Teacher Pay

GogoKid pays $7 to $10 per 30-minute class.

This works out $14 to $25 per hour.

The exact amount you’ll earn is based on your interview rating and performance.

Read Our GoGoKid Review

5. Cambly

About Cambly

Cambly is a U.S. based tutoring service that offers English tutoring to students across the world.

Students of all ages can hire tutors to help them practice and learn English.

Registering is pretty easy as long as you meet the minimum requirements.

You can access the platform through a computer or smartphone, so the gig is pretty flexible overall.

Cambly Tutoring Requirements

Cambly has simple requirements for their tutors. You can apply if you meet this criteria:

  • You must be a native English speaker.
  • You must have a headset, microphone, and webcam for computer tutoring sessions.
  • You must have a smartphone with video chat capabilities for mobile tutoring sessions.
  • You must have a stable Internet connection.

That’s all there is to it. You can apply and get started fairly quickly.

If you want to learn more first, our review of Cambly is linked below.

Cambly Tutoring Pay

Cambly pays tutors $0.17 per minute of talk time.

This equates to $10.20 per hour if you spend the entire hour tutoring.

Cambly tutors say there is often down time in between tutoring sessions.

This means you may earn a lower hourly rate.

Read Our Cambly Review

6. PalFish

About PalFish – PalFish is very different from other English teaching opportunities. Native English speakers can simply download the PalFish app and register. You create a teacher profile on the app with a picture and some info about yourself. Teachers video chat with adult students who primarily want to practice conversational English. You simply have casual conversations with them, and you set your own pay rate.

PalFish Teaching Requirements – As long as you’re a native English speaker, you can use PalFish to make money teaching English.

PalFish Teacher Pay – Teachers can set their own pay rate and get paid per minute. Pay is converted from Chinese Yen (CNY or RMB) to USD. The average rate is reportedly $13.80 per hour. You can work whenever you want, so you fully determine how much money you’ll make.

Read Our PalFish Review

7. SayABC

About SayABC  – SayABC is very similar to platforms like VIPKID and Qkids. Elementary aged Chinese students are paired with native English speaking tutors. Students and tutors connect through video, and SayABC provides all of the lesson plan materials. Classes consist of four students and one teacher. This makes the pay structure a bit different.

The hiring process is a lot like similar companies mentioned above. You start out by submitting an application. Then you’ll complete a 30-minute interview online, or you can record a 30-minute video to demonstrate your teaching abilities. Then you set up your profile, sign your contract, and start tutoring.

SayABC Tutor Requirements – SayABC has fairly standard requirements for tutors. They are more flexible in some ways though. This is the base criteria for tutors:

  • You need to be a native English speaker.
  • You need to live in North America, Europe, Australia, China, Singapore, Japan, North Korea, or the Middle East.
  • You need a Bachelor’s degree to receive a long-term contract.
  • You need to have relevant teaching experience, an Associate degree, or be pursuing a Bachelor’s degree for three-month contracts.
  • You need a stable Internet connection with a minimum of 20Mbps.

There may be other requirements that you need to meet. SayABC reportedly prefer applicants with verifiable teaching experience. Make sure to include any formal or informal teaching experience in your application.

SayABC Tutor Pay – SayABC pays a base rate of $15 per 40-minute class. You can also earn incentive-based payments for an additional $6 per class. This adds up to $21 per class and translates to about $31.50 per hour. Tutors receive additional $7 when they take last minute classes or take over in the middle of classes.

8. NiceTalk

About NiceTalk – NiceTalk is the first mobile platform in China for learning English. It’s quite similar to PalFish in concept; you have total flexibility as a tutor. There are no schedules or time commitments. The requirements and application process are laid back. You speak with Chinese students – children and adults – and simply have social, casual conversation. This helps them improve their English speaking skills. You don’t have to speak any Chinese to make money with NiceTalk. It’s an excellent pick if you’re just starting out.

NiceTalk Tutor Requirements – NiceTalk lists their tutor requirements on their website. You can check them out at the link above. This is the base criteria you’ll need to meet:

  • You must be a native English speaker.
  • You must have stable and reliable Internet  – 300 Mbps for uploading and 500 Mbps for downloading.
  • You must have a modern smartphone. Phones with Android 4.0 or higher and 7.0 iOS or higher are preferred.
  • You must have a quiet environment to work in.

It’s truly that simple. NiceTalk does note that they prefer candidates with TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate or IELTS/TOEFL teaching experience. But this is not necessary as long as you speak native English  very clearly.

NiceTalk Tutor Pay – NiceTalk states that you get paid per minute when you talk to students, and that you earn $10 per hour for every hour you teach. This allows you to work in smaller increments. For example, you can earn $2.50 per 15-minute session.

Read Our NiceTalk Review

9. DaDaABC

About DaDaABC – DaDaABC is a very reputable company in China that provides online English tutorting students. They’ve partnered with the American TESOL Institute, National Geographic, Pearson, and McGraw-Hill Education. Students are Chinese children between the ages of six and 14. DaDaABC serves more than 100,000 students with 10,000 tutors. If you meet their requirements, you can work on a fairly flexible schedule for a very good hourly rate.

DaDaABC Teaching Requirements – DaDaABC has requirements that are very similar to major platforms like VIPKID. The base requirements are:

  • You need to commit to at least four hours of teaching per week.
  • You need to commit to a set schedule – though it is not too strict.
  • You need to have a Bachelor’s degree or higher in any subject.
  • You need to be a native English speaker.

DaDaABC has a preference for applicants with English teaching experience or a TEFL certificate. If you don’t have these certifications, that’s okay. Just make sure to include any formal or informal teaching experience in your application.

The application and interview process is much like other companies. Read our review linked below for a thorough look at the process. You’ll also find some excellent tips.

DaDaABC Teacher Pay – DaDaABC pays $15 to $25 per hour. You’ll likely be asked about your expected hourly rate during the interview process. Make sure to sell yourself well and request the hourly wage you desire. Reviews from current and former DaDaABC teachers say that bonuses are available, too.

10. Italki

About Italki – Italki is another popular online English teaching/learning platform, but it’s pretty unique. Students speak many different languages, and they can seek out teachers/tutors based on their needs. Teachers work with a great amount of flexibility. They set their own rates, schedule their own hours, and get access to 5 million Italki students. Some teacher testimonials on the site say that iTalki is great for a part-time income.

Italki Teaching Requirements – ITalki hires Community Tutors and Professional Educators. There are different teaching requirements for each position. Professional Educators can learn all about their additional requirements here. The base iTalki teaching requirements are:

  • You must have native or advanced language proficiency.
  • You must have a reliable Internet connection.
  • You must have VOIP software such as Skype or Google Hangouts.
  • You must have an external microphone or webcam.
  • You must create a user profile prior to applying for a teaching position.

The application process is detailed, but Italki lays it out pretty clearly. Their Support section is a great resource for learning everything you need to know.

Italki Teacher Pay – You set your own rates as an Italki teacher. Resources show that teachers charge anywhere from $5 to $40 per hour or session. Italki has another great article about how to set your rates. Use the tips in the linked post to attract students while making a solid income.  

More Online Teaching Resources

It’s clear that teaching English online is a great way to make money.

ou can make a full-time living if you commit yourself to it.

There are online jobs that pay hourly, too.

Each one is pretty unique, so you can find one that suits your skill set. Here are a Frugal For Less Posts to learn more:

Read the posts above to instantly discover 30 ways to make money online. From spending money to an at-home career, there are many ways to meet your income goals.

Hey there! 👋

Want to learn how to make an extra $1,000 per month?

Download our free guide to the 10 best side hustles. What's included:

  • 10 Side Hustles to Make $1,000/month
  • Worksheet for setting money making goals
  • Resource List to help you succeed