Want to teach English online without a degree? This post will cover the very best platforms for teaching English online without a degree in 2022.
Teaching English online is an awesome option for people who want to work from home and make money online. A lot of the big online English companies like require a bachelor’s degree, but if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, don’t worry.
There are plenty of other great websites that let you teach English online without a degree from the comfort of your home.
All of these websites have some universal requirements – a good internet connection, a laptop with a webcam, a quality headset and microphone, a quiet working environment, and a passion for teaching are a must.
Also, applicants must be 18 years of age or older. But beyond that, the requirements are as diverse as the companies themselves.
If the company you choose requires a TEFL certification, check out this post with suggestions for where you can get certified. My top pick is the International TEFL Academy. (You can read my full International TEFL Academy review here.
UPDATED June 2021: Please note that companies occasionally change their requirements. At the time of posting, the following companies hire online teachers without a degree. That could change at any time, and I’ll do my best to keep this list as up-to-date as possible.
Can I Teach English Online with No Degree?
Of course you can! Teaching English online without a degree is definitely a possibility and there are plenty of platforms to look into. The following companies will let you teach English online, no degree required:
12 Websites Where You Can Teach English Online Without A Degree
- italki
- Palfish
- Cambly
- SkimaTalk
- Open English
- AmazingTalker
- Lingoda
- Preply
- Tutlo
- Skyeng
- Lingo Live
- CafeTalk
- Special Mention: Outschool
It’s time to find the best online English teaching jobs, no degree needed!
Related Posts: 6 Online ESL Companies With A Worldwide Student Base
12 Companies Where You Can Teach English Without a Degree Online
This chart contains a quick overview of the online English companies that don’t require a bachelor’s degree. Below the chart, I’ll go into each one in more detail and provide links to where you can apply.
| Company | Overview | Requirements | Hours | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambly | Conversation-based classes with students all over the world. | 1) Native English Speaker 2) Must teach from laptop | Any time, no min or max hours | $0.17/minute or $10.20/hour |
| Palfish | Palfish has a FreeTalk program for adults and an official kids course for teaching children. | 1) Native English Speaker 2) Excellent Communication Skills 3) TEFL certificate or Teaching License 4) Official Kids Course: Must be from USA, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand | Any time, no min or max for regular teachers, 10 hours per week for Official Kids Course | FreeTalk: Set your own pay rate, most report $10 – $18/hour, Palfish keeps 20% Kids Course: up to $22/hour |
| iTalki | Community Tutor Profile, you create your own lessons | 1) Must be native speaker in the language you are teaching | Any time, no min or max hours | Set your own pay rate, iTalki keeps 15% |
| SkimaTalk | One-on-one conversation classes with adults, 25 minute classes | 1) Native English speaker from English speaking country 2) Teaching experience preferred, not required | Any time, no min or max hours | Set your own pay rate, SkimaTalk keeps 20% SkimaTalk keeps 100% of your rate for the first 3 lessons. |
| Open English | Largest online language school in Latin America, small group classes or one-on-one | 1) American native English speaker 2) Legally able to work in USA 3) Knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese preferred | 10-24 hours a week | $8-$13/hour |
| Amazing Talker | Students from all ages, 25 minute trial classes and 50 minute full classes | 1) Native English speaker 2) Experience tutoring or teaching 3) TEFL preferred | Any time, no min or max hours | Set your own pay rate, AmazingTalker keeps 15% |
| Lingoda | Platform teaches English, Spanish, German, and French, 1-5 Adult students per class, lessons provided | 1) 2 years of teaching experience 2) TEFL or ESL certificate 3) Native speaker of the language you would like to teach 4) Able to legally work as a freelancer | Any time, pick your own hours | 9-13 Euros/hour, depends on the language you’re teaching and qualifications |
| Preply | Create a teacher profile and promote yourself to students. | Must be a fluent speaker with a completed teacher profile, you’ll need to make a compelling profile to attract clients | Any time, pick your own hours | Set your own rate, Preply keeps 33%-18% |
| Tutlo | On-demand English lessons for children, adults, and business professionals, one-on-one lessons based in Poland | 1) Native speaker from USA, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa 2) TEFL Certification 3) 6 months teaching or tutoring experience | No set schedule, must be available for on-demand lessons from 7:00 am – 10:00 pm Poland Time. | $5-$11 USD/hour |
| SkyEng | Teach lessons to adult students in Russia and Eastern Europe, lesson plans and training provided | 1) Native or Fluent Speaker 2) Excellent Speaking Skills 3) TEFL or TESOL Certification 4) Experience teaching preferred | Any time, pick your own hours | $5-$15 USD/ 50-minute class, rate depends on native/non-native speaker and experience |
| LingoLive | One-on-one lessons with business professionals going through corporate language programs | 1) Degree, TEFL Certification, or 5+ years of experience 2) Experience teaching, coaching, or managing adults | Anytime | $15-$18 USD per 45-minute lesson |
| CafeTalk | Teach languages or other skills (yoga, music, fitness, etc) to students around the world! | 1) Reliable internet connection 2) Skype account from Desktop, Laptop, or Tablet | Any time, pick your own hours | Set your own rate, CafeTalk keeps 40%-15% |
Want to start teaching English online? This page has resources to get you started!
iTalki Review – Community Tutor
Click here to learn more about iTalki!
About iTalki: With iTalki, teachers tutor clients of all ages and ability levels. You can teach any language you speak fluently and there are no education requirements to be a community tutor.
Teachers need to set up a profile that potential clients can find on the platform. Teachers also set their own rates for the classes they offer.
Many tutors on iTalki offer different classes as well as editing/proofreading services. Italki offers a lot more flexibility than other language programs because there is no set curriculum or pre-made lesson plans.
Most students are adults and you can create classes to suit your student’s needs. Since you can tutor in many different languages, this is a great fit for bilingual and trilingual teachers! Read more about italki in this detailed post!
The best way to see how iTalki works is to take a language class yourself! I’ve been taking Norwegian lessons for a while now and it’s helpful to see how the platform operates for students. Most teachers offer a discounted trial class price so you can learn what iTalki is all about and practice your language skills for cheap!
iTalki Hours and Pay: You can start teaching English online without a degree as an iTalki Community Tutor. Community Tutors get to set their own hours and pay rate. There is no minimum or maximum hour requirement so the amount you can make is unlimited.
iTalki Teacher Requirements: A community tutor is required to be native or near-native in the language they are teaching. Tutors must be 18 years of age or older. When making a profile, be sure to emphasize your experiences and credentials so you attract the most clients.
Read more about the iTalki requirements in this post.
Palfish Review
Learn more about Palfish here!
Apply to Palfish here! (This link includes my referral code. You can also apply via the Palfish Teacher App on your phone or iPad and use code 06917373)
About Palfish: Palfish is one of the most interesting online TEFL jobs for teaching online with no degree. There are two kinds of teaching opportunities on the Palfish platform: Freetalk Teacher and Official Kids Course Instructor. In Palfish Freetalk teachers typically practice speaking with adult learners. The Official Kids Course Instructors have a set pay rate and lesson curriculum and they work with children.
When I tested out Palfish on my phone, I downloaded the app and made an account. There wasn’t a place to choose between Regular Teacher or Official Course Instructor at the beginning, so I went through and added the information they needed (an audio sample, government ID, photo of TEFL course certification or teaching credentials, etc).
Once my information was verified, my Freetalk Teacher account was approved and I could start teaching the FreeTalk courses. From there, I had the option to add on the Official Course Instructor if I wanted.
Palfish Teacher Hours and Pay: There is no minimum or maximum hour amount for FreeTalk Teachers. You also don’t have to have a set time or schedule, making this a very flexible option. FreeTalk Teachers also set their own pay rate. According to this helpful post, most teachers make between $10-$18/hour.
Official Kids Course Teachers are expected to teach a minimum of 10 hours a week between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm Beijing Time. If you teach the Official Kids Course you’ll make up to $22/hour plus bonuses.
Palfish Tutor Requirements: To teach ESL online with Palfish, teachers must be native in English, hold a TEFL Certificate or Teaching License, be energetic, passionate, and creative, and have experience in English teaching or tutoring. There are no country/nationality requirements for FreeTalk Teacher accounts. Official Kids Teachers must be from the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, or Australia.
If you’d like to use my referral code, either apply through this link or download the Palfish Teacher App on your phone or iPad and use code 06917373 when you sign up.
Related Post: Palfish Tutor Review – Teach Online Without a BA Degree
Cambly Review
Click here to learn more about Cambly!
About Cambly: Cambly is a conversation-based platform that lets English learners from anywhere in the world talk to native English speakers. There aren’t structured lessons since the focus is on building conversation skills. Cambly is one of the best English teaching companies to start teaching English online, no degree needed!
While many platforms teach English online to Chinese students, Cambly students come from anywhere in the world. This means that there are more times throughout the day with a demand for lessons.
Students are typically adults. It’s a great way to meet people all over the world and make a bit of extra money while doing it. Cambly is also a good platform to check out to teach English online with no previous teaching experience.
Cambly Teacher Hours and Pay: There are no minimum or maximum working hours with Cambly. You can sign on and teach as much or as little as you choose. Cambly pays $0.17/minute or $10.20/hour. Teachers are paid every Monday via PayPal.
Cambly Tutor Requirements: Cambly requires that teachers are native English speakers. No experience is necessary. Tutors must be able to teach from a laptop with a good internet connection.
Read a detailed Cambly Review written by a current teacher here!
SkimaTalk Review
Click here to become a SkimaTalk Teacher!
About SkimaTalk: SkimaTalk caters to adult students. This platform is one-on-one and conversation-based. SkimaTalk teachers make a profile and students can browse classes and book with their tutors of choice. These conversational classes last 25 minutes. SkimaTalk teacher reviews mention how fun it is to connect with students around the world.
SkimaTalk Tutor Hours and Pay: You get to set your own hours and there is no weekly minimum or maximum. You also get to set your own pay rate. Skimatalk keeps 20% and you keep 80% of the rate you choose. It’s important to mention that SkimaTalk will take 100% of your fee for the first three lessons you teach as these are probationary classes.
SkimaTalk Teacher Requirements: To teach online without a degree with SkimaTalk, you must be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country. Some teaching experience is preferred but not required. Like all online teaching jobs, you must have access to a good internet connection.
Open English Review
Become an OpenEnglish Teacher by clicking here!
About Teaching With Open English: Open English is an online English school focused on Latin America. It is open 24/7 to students of all ages. Teaching materials are provided to students, who are taught in small group classes or one-on-one. Since this company focuses on teaching students in Latin America, knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese is a bonus when applying.
Open English Payment and Hours: It was hard to find this information on their website but based on reviews on Indeed and Glassdoor, it seems like teachers are required to work 10-24 hours per week. Pay seems to range from $9 to $13 per hour.
Open English Teacher Requirements: Open English teachers should be native English speakers with eligibility to work in the USA. They require that applicants have either a BA degree OR +2 years of teaching experience. They also require that applicants have either a TEFL certification OR a degree in a related field.
These requirements are a bit complicated. From my understanding, this means that you should be able to teach English online without degree credentials as long as you do have a TEFL certificate and 2+ years of teaching experience.
Their site also mentions that speaking Spanish or Portuguese is helpful.
Amazing Talker Review
Teach English online with Amazing Talker here!
About AmazingTalker: I hadn’t heard of Amazing Talker before researching this post but it sounds like a pretty great option. Amazing Talker offers 25-minute trial classes and 50-minute full classes to students of all ages. Students search for tutors within the platform and you can chat with them beforehand to see if it’s a good fit.
On their teacher application page, it looks like you can apply to specialty positions listings for “English speaking tutors,” “business English tutors,” “English for children,” “English for an interview,” and so on. So it looks like teachers have the option to teach children or adults and have the opportunity to become more specialized if they wanted.
AmazingTalker Pay and Hours: There are no minimum or maximum work hours and teachers make their own schedules. Teachers also set their own pay rate and can change it at any time.
AmazingTalker Teacher Requirements: Amazing Talker teachers must be native English speakers. They should have experience tutoring or teaching, a TEFL certification is preferred, and a passion for teaching is a must.
Lingoda Review
Learn more about how to become a Lingoda teacher here!
About Lingoda: While most of the online English companies on this list focus on the Asia market, Lingoda is unique because it specializes in language lessons for European language learners. On Lingoda, you can teach English, French, German, or Spanish, assuming you’re fluent. Lessons are provided so there is no prep time. There are typically 1-5 adult students per hour-long class. Lingoda is a great way to learn about new cultures too. You can work from anywhere in the world as long as you have good internet.
Lingoda Pay and Hours: I wasn’t able to find specifics on their website but reviews on Glassdoor make it sound like teachers have very flexible hours. According to its website, hourly pay depends on location, the language taught, and qualifications. I was unable to find exact payment information on their website but Glassdoor reviews range from 9-13 Euros an hour.
Lingoda Teacher Requirements: Lingoda requires 2 years of teaching experience, a TEFL or ESL certificate, and that the teacher is a native speaker of the language they would like to teach. The wording was unclear about whether or not you need to be European to be hired, so if you’re interested in Lingoda I’d email their recruitment team to confirm your eligibility.
Preply Review
About Preply Tutoring: Preply is an online teaching platform where students can find tutors. Teachers are responsible for creating their profile, pricing, and schedule to attract students on the Preply website.
Preply Hours and Pay: You can set your own hours and pay with Preply. It’s important to note that Preply will keep 100% of the fee for your first lesson with a new student. After that, Preply will take 33% – 18% of the lesson fee as their commission. This percentage goes down the more you teach. Keep this in mind as you plan your pricing.
Preply Teacher Requirements: The website doesn’t mention any specific requirements other than being a fluent speaker with a passion for tutoring. But remember that you’re competing with other qualified teachers so make sure to emphasize what sets you apart and any experiences you have. Self-motivation and planning are required since you’ll be in charge of attracting your own students and creating lessons.
Read my full Preply Review here
Tutlo Review
About Tutlo: Tutlo offers one-on-one online courses for adults, children, and business English learners. Lessons on Tutlo are available on demand from 7:00 am – 10:00 pm (Polish time zone). Students can sign in when it works for them, pick a tutor, and start teaching. Likewise, teachers can sign in when it works for them and be booked by students. Tutlo is flexible for both parties, making this a great option for aspiring online English teachers with busy schedules.
Tutlo Teaching Hours and Pay: There are no minimum or maximum teaching hours and no set schedule, but you should be available to teach during the on-demand hours available. Tutlo teachers make between $5-$11 USD per hour.
Tutlo Teacher Requirements: To become a Tutlo tutor, you must be a native English speaker from the USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, South Africa, or Ireland. You should have 6 months of experience teaching, tutoring, or volunteering, and you’ll need a TEFL certification. Applicants should be good conversationalists and have a strong internet connection.
SkyEng Review
About Skyeng: Skyeng provides one-on-one lessons to adult students in Russia and Eastern Europe. Training materials are provided for teachers and lessons last 50-minutes. You’ll teach on the Skyeng interactive platform and all lessons and materials are provided.
Skyeng Hours and Pay: Teachers on Skyeng can make their own hours. You can change your schedule and work when you want. Pay ranges from $5 USD – $15 USD per 50-minute lesson depending on your background and credentials. This pay is lower than some of the companies geared to China, but for teachers in North America, it might be worth it to be able to teach during high demand times in Eastern European time zones.
Skyeng Teacher Requirements: Skyeng teachers must be fluent English speakers – native and non-native speakers are okay as long as you have excellent speaking skills. A TEFL certificate is required and experience teaching is preferred. Teachers will conduct classes from a laptop or desktop computer and will need a webcam, headset, and microphone.
LingoLive Review
Sign up to teach online with LingoLive now
Learn more about LingoLive on their website
About LingoLive: LingoLive is an awesome platform for teachers wanting to work with business professionals. LingoLive works exclusively with business English learners who are completing training for their company or job. Most students are engineering, marketing, or tech professionals. You’ll teach 45-minute lessons one-on-one and provide written feedback for areas the student can continue to work on.
LingoLive Hours and Pay: While it’s not listed on their website, most forums seem to conclude that the pay is between $15-$18 USD per 45-minute lesson. Most lessons take place during the day in North America, but the platform is available all the time to accommodate learners in other time zones.
LingoLive Teacher Requirements: In order to teach with LingoLive, you must have experience teaching, coaching, or managing adults. They will look to see that you either have a degree, a TEFL/TESOL certification, or 5+ years of career experience. You should be professional, goal-oriented, and able to practice real-world scenarios with business students.
Tutors will need a laptop or desktop computer, webcam, headset, and microphone. High-speed internet is a must.
CafeTalk Review
Sign up to teach online with CafeTalk now
About CafeTalk: CafeTalk offers online lessons to students around the world! One of the cool things about CafeTalk is that you can teach multiple languages and even multiple subjects. Tutors on CafeTalk offer lessons in calligraphy, yoga, music, and more! Whether you’ve got a talent to teach or want to help students practice their language skills, CafeTalk could be a unique option for you.
CafeTalk Hours and Pay: You can set your own hours and pay with CafeTalk. CafeTalk will keep between 40% – 15% of the lesson fee depending on how many classes you teach on the platform and what promotions they are running, so keep that in mind when you price your lessons. You can learn more about the CafeTalk payment scale in this FAQ Article.
CafeTalk Teacher Requirements: Lessons on CafeTalk must be taught through Skype on a laptop, desktop, or tablet. You cannot teach through a smartphone at this time. Since you can teach a variety of subjects, there are no set requirements for tutors listed on their website. To apply, you’ll fill out your teacher profile and record an interview video so CafeTalk can get to know you. You’ll hear back soon if your teacher profile has been approved, and then you can start teaching!
Special Mention: Outschool
About Outschool: Outschool is different from all the other companies on this list because it’s an opportunity to teach subjects other than English online. As an Outschool teacher, you’ll work with English-speaking students in a small group setting. You’ll choose your own teaching topics and create all your own lesson plans.
After hearing rave reviews from other online teachers, I taught an Outschool class last summer. I really enjoyed working with students in a small group environment and I taught a drawing class, which was tons of fun. Even though there’s more prep work involved in planning your first Outschool class, many teachers love the flexibility and earning potential.
Outschool Hours and Pay: Outschool teachers set their own hours and pay rates. You’ll determine how much each child will pay to join your lesson and decide how many children can enroll. You’ll also decide what day and time you want to teach, but remember that you should choose a time that has a high demand from students. Most students are in North America so daytime hours in North American time zones are your best bet.
Outschool Teacher Requirements: To teach on Outschool, you must be at least 18 years old. You also need to be a resident of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom and be able to pass a background check.
You do NOT need a BA degree or formal teaching credentials to meet the Outschool teacher requirements. Teachers must agree to follow class content policies and should have a high-speed internet connection of over 3mbps.
- Learn more about how Outschool works here
- Read my full Outschool teacher review
- Apply to Outschool here.
Read More About Teaching English Online
- 26 Best Companies for Teaching English Online
- 8 Companies where you can Teach English Online as a Non-Native Speaker
- 6 Best Online ESL Companies with a Worldwide Student Base
Read More About Companies That Will Hire You To Teach English Online Without a Degree
Curious about the companies listed above? These reviews go more in-depth about some of the most popular online teaching jobs without degree requirements.
- iTalki Teacher Review
- Cambly Teacher Review
- Palfish Tutor Review
- Preply Tutor Review
- Outschool Teacher Review
Hello!
I am Titus. I teach English.
English is a beautiful language.
Best wishes,
Titus
I have clicked on a few links listed in this post, and have see a degree as a requirement. I just thought that I would make this known
Hi Adrienne! Thank you for your comment. Companies do update their requirements from time to time. I’ve gone back through and checked the links and you’re right, two companies on the original list now require a BA degree. Those companies have been removed from this list and the remaining 8 companies do not require a BA, according to their websites. Thanks for letting me know! If you need any help finding the best online company to teach with, feel free to send me a message! 🙂 Nic
Hi Nic
Please assist in allocating the best online company to teach with.
Nso
Hi there! Send me an email at [email protected] with your qualifications and I can try to help you find something 🙂
I have purchased a 300 hour TEFL Level 5 on-line Diploma course through I to I, UK, (which includes 180 hours of TEFL, 60 hours one to one and on-line teaching and 60 hours business English as part of the Diploma), but when I looked at their jobs board, found no on-line teaching jobs. They kindly referred me to you and I am very interested in becoming an English teacher with Lingoda or similar company.. I am wondering if I can get my teacher’s qualification rather through them than I to I TEFL? I have until Monday, 14 October 2019, to cancel my course with them if the employers would be able to train me to become an on-line teacher. I am in South Africa, but travel quite a bit and this on-line teaching job would suite me perfectly. I am in UK a lot as well. I also need your guidance whether it is needed to do the Level 5 on-line Diploma course of 300 hours, or would the normal TEFL on-line Certificate of 180 hours TEFL and 60 hours one to one on-line module suffice? Much appreciated. Dot
Hi Dot! I responded to your question via email! Thanks so much for reaching out 🙂
Hi my name is Sherry and I am interested in teaching English online with one of these companies. Please let me know what I need to do to get started.
Hi Sherry! That’s awesome! If you click through the links with the company names, you should be taken to a page where you can apply to be a teacher. Each company will have different requirements and a different hiring process and you can find that information on the individual company websites to get started. Happy Teaching! 🙂
Hi Nic I do not have a degree or TEfl certification and I am from South Africa. Will it be possible to teach online and get tefl later? Are there companies hiring under these circumstances?
Hi Delina! Thanks for your comment! You should be able to start with a company like Cambly or iTalki with those credentials. Both are flexible as long as you are a native English speaker. If you wanted other options, I have a post about TEFL courses here you can check out: https://www.seenicwander.com/best-online-tefl-course/ Hope this helps and happy teaching! 🙂 Nic
Hi, do any of these websites offer options for people who want to teach something other than english? For example, my first language is portuguese and I would love to be able to teach it online. Thanks, Inês
Hello! Yes, you can teach any language you are fluent in on iTalki
Hi Nic, the information you have compiled is amazing…Thank you for that. I am wanting to get started in this, and am going to check out the link you provided about the TEFL courses. I did see a Groupon for an online course. I’ll have to go back and see if it’s one you recommend! 🙂 Thanks again so much for this information…its just what I was hoping to find! Thank you, Toni
Thank you Toni!! So happy to help and feel free to send me a message at [email protected] if you have any other questions! 🙂
Hy Nic thank you for the info it was insightful and greatly helpful. I am a newbie and i have keen interest in teaching english online , however i am a university student and i am still finding my way through this journey of online teaching
Hi Tanya! Thanks for your comment! I hope this post helped you get some ideas of where to start! 🙂