Teaching English online is a great way to share your knowledge and passions with students around the world. It’s also an amazing way to work from home or work remotely as a digital nomad.
The online teaching industry has been through some big changes recently, but there are still plenty of great platforms where you can let your teaching skills shine. This post will cover the top 16 best online English teaching companies to work for in 2022.
First, we’ll break down the basic requirements to become an online English teacher. Next, we’ll look at some of the best platforms and companies to start your own online teaching adventure.
What are the Requirements to Teach English Online?
English Speaking Requirement: To teach English online, you’ll need to be either a native English speaker or a fluent English speaker with a C2 level proficiency. Some companies have nationality requirements because they are looking for teachers with specific accents but many do not have nationality preferences.
Simply put, while there are companies that online hire native English speakers, there are several platforms that hire non-native English speakers to teach English as well.
Bachelor’s Degree: Many online ESL companies require that teachers have a Bachelors’s degree. The degree can be in any subject. However, there are also several companies that hire teachers without a Bachelor’s degree.
TEFL certification: The majority of online English teaching jobs require that teachers have a TEFL certification. Some companies will accept either a TEFL certificate or a teaching license, so you might be exempt if you have traditional classroom training.
I got my TEFL certification through International TEFL Academy and really enjoyed it.
Teaching Experience: Some online ESL companies require 1-2 years of experience. This requirement usually isn’t limited to traditional classroom teaching. Tutoring, mentoring, coaching, babysitting, homeschooling, and other instances of working with children often count as experience.
Technological Requirements: You’ll need to have reliable technology to become an English teacher online and make money. In general, here’s the equipment you’ll need for your virtual classroom:
- High-speed internet connection
- A desktop or laptop for teaching online with an updated operating system (some companies also allow you to teach from tablets and smartphones)
- Headset with a microphone attachment
- Quiet classroom space with good lighting so students can see you during class
16 Best Online English Teaching Companies
In the next section, we’ll break down the top online English teaching companies.
Keep in mind that the companies below could change their policies at any time. While I’ll do my best to keep this post up to date, it’s best to check their website directly for the latest information on requirements, pay rates, and hiring opportunities.
iTalki
About iTalki: iTalki is a popular language-learning marketplace. You can apply to teach any language you are fluent in. Students will browse teacher profiles and sign up for classes if they like your profile and pricing.
iTalki Requirements: iTalki hires “community tutors” and “professional teachers” for many languages. You can be a community tutor for any language you are native or level C2 proficient in. To become a professional teacher, you’ll need to provide documentation of your experience like your degree, a TEFL certificate, a teaching license, or proof of teaching experience.
Pay: Tutors set their own pay rates.
iTalki Hiring Process: To get hired by iTalki, you’ll need to fill out a teacher profile complete with information about you, a video, photos, and your experience. If your profile is approved, you’ll be able to add your availability calendar and lesson prices. If your profile is denied, you’ll receive an email with information on what you need to do to improve your application.
Preply
About Preply: Preply is a language learning marketplace. Students will browse for teachers who have an appealing profile and who fall into their price range. Students can choose which teacher they want to take classes with and teachers set their own schedules. Teachers prepare lesson materials.
Preply Requirements: To sign up for Preply, you must be a fluent speaker in the language you wish to teach. You must also complete your teacher profile following the instructions provided, as incomplete profiles might be rejected. Having experience teaching or tutoring is a plus since it will help you attract students.
Pay: Tutors set their own pay rates.
Hiring Process: Sign up on their website and complete a teacher profile following the instructions provided.
Cambly
About Cambly: Cambly is a conversational online ESL platform where adults from around the world can practice their English speaking skills with a native speaker. Teachers are paid by the minute and there are no set lesson plans, just one-on-one conversation practice. You can choose to book classes in advance or just log in and teach when it suits your schedule.
Cambly Requirements: Cambly tutors must be native English speakers. You do not need to have a degree, a TEFL certificate, or teaching experience. For this reason, Cambly is a great choice if you want to teach English online with no experience.
Pay: $0.17 USD per minute, which equates to $10.20 USD per hour
Hiring Process: Fill out the application and upload a video introducing yourself to your students. Once you’re approved, you can create a teacher profile and begin teaching.
Outschool
About Outschool: Outschool is different from the other companies on this list because you can teach subjects other than English as a Second Language.
On Outschool, students are primarily native English-speaking children and you can teach any subject you’re knowledgeable and passionate about. Classes are small-group and teachers create their own curriculum and lesson materials.
Requirements: To teach on Outschool, you must be at least 18 years old and live in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom.
You must be able to pass a background check as well. You don’t need a degree or traditional teaching experience, but they will look to see that you have some kind of experience in the topic area you wish to teach
Pay: You can set your own pay rate per student that joins your lesson. Outschool keeps 30% as commission.
Hiring Process: You’ll fill out the basic teacher application paperwork and upload a 30-second video introduction. This isn’t visible to students or parents, just to the Outschool team. Once your application is approved, you’ll be asked to give consent for a background check. Once that clears, you can create your first class listing.
Novakid
About Novakid: With Novakid, native English teachers offer 25-minute lessons to students aged 4-12. Lessons follow a European curriculum and students come from Europe and around the world, meaning there are lots of time zones available for classes.
Lesson plans are provided and schedules are flexible with the expectation that you’ll teach approximately 20 hours per week.
Requirements: To teach with Novakid, you must be either a Native English speaker from the USA, the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa OR a near-native English speaker from another country with a bachelor’s degree.
All teachers need a TEFL certification and one year of experience teaching children.
Pay: The Novakid website claims that teachers earn a competitive salary based on credentials and interview performance, but an exact amount isn’t listed.
Hiring Process: Apply and complete a technology test. Then you’ll have a 30-minute interview and a 10-minute teaching demo session. You’ll study the teacher resources and materials independently and then sign your contract.
VIPKID Global
About VIPKID: VIPKID is one of the original online English companies with a huge teacher and student base. In 2021, they expanded their platform to VIPKID Global and now offer one-on-one lessons to students worldwide between the ages of 4 and 15.
Lesson planning is done for you and classes are 25 minutes long. There are no minimum or maximum teaching hours and scheduling is flexible, making this one of the top online English teacher jobs.
VIPKID Global Requirements: To teach with VIPKID Global, you must be a native English speaker who is authorized to work in the USA or Canada. You’ll also need a four-year college degree and two years of experience teaching, mentoring, tutoring, or coaching.
Teachers will need to be able to pass a background check to work with children. As of 2019, VIPKID can no longer hire teachers who live in California.
Pay: VIPKID pays teachers $14-$22 USD per hour.
VIPKID Hiring Process: To get hired by VIPKID Global, you’ll fill out a written application on their website. If you meet the requirements, you’ll submit a short demo lesson.
Next, you’ll prepare a longer sample lesson called a mock class. After you’ve passed the mock classes, you’ll create your teacher profile, sign your contract, and start teaching classes.
I’ve written about VIPKID extensively on this blog, so if you’re interested in getting started with them, please check out the following VIPKID blog posts and resources.
iTutorGroup
About iTutorGroup: iTutorGroup offers group and one-on-one English lessons to both adults and children. They provide lessons for the classes. This is a good option if you want to teach English online to adults. You’ll need to teach at least five peak hours per week with iTutorGroup.
iTutorGroup Requirements: To teach with iTutorGroup, you must be a native English speaker with a Bachelor’s degree or higher. You’ll need either a TEFL Certificate OR a year of classroom teaching experience. You’ll also need to commit to working a minimum of 5 peak hours per week.
Pay: Rates vary depending on your location and there is not an advertised starting rate on the website.
Hiring Process: Submit the written application and schedule your interview. After the interview, you’ll receive more information about how to proceed.
SkimaTalk
About SkimaTalki: With SkimaTalk, adult students will browse for English teachers on the Skimatalk platform. If a student likes your profile, they can book your class. SkimaTalk is primarily a conversation platform. Teachers can create their own lessons based on the level and interests of their students.
Requirements: To teach with SkimaTalk, you must be a native English speaker with an American, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, or Irish accent. Experience teaching is preferred but not required.
Pay: Teachers set their own pay rate
Hiring Process: Sign up on their website and create a teacher profile. You’ll take a series of tests and wait for your results. Once you pass, you’re approved to start teaching.
Lingoda
About: Lingoda offers online language lessons in English, Spanish, German, and French. Teachers work as freelancers and are able to choose their own hours. Students are adult learners from all over the world and lesson plans are provided.
Requirements: Lingoda teachers must be C2 proficient or above in the language they would like to teach. You’ll need a teaching certificate like a TEFL certification for the language you’d like to teach. You’ll also need three years of teaching or tutoring experience.
Pay: Not listed on the website but forums report $8 – $12 USD per hour
Hiring Process: The Lingoda hiring process is simple: apply online, complete an interview, and complete the onboarding process in order to start teaching.
OpenEnglish
About OpenEnglish: With OpenEnglish, you’ll teach small group or one-on-one classes to adult students in Latin America. Teachers are expected to work at least 10 hours each week. Unlike most of the other companies on this list, OpenEnglish caters to the Latin American market so there is a demand for classes during afternoons and evenings in North America.
OpenEnglish Requirements: To teach with OpenEnglish, you must be a native North American speaker. You’ll need either a degree OR a TEFL Certification plus a year of experience working in some type of tutoring or teaching role.
If you speak Spanish or Portuguese, that’s a huge plus!
Pay: Not listed on their website but forums report between $10-$15 USD per hour
Hiring Process: First, you’ll complete the online application through the link below. Then, you’ll receive hiring materials and onboarding training. Once you’ve passed the onboarding steps, you can start teaching.
English First
About English First: With English First, you can teach English online to adults or children. Classes are 25 minutes long and lessons are one-on-one. All materials are provided and EF also offers 24/7 teacher support.
English First Requirements: Teachers must have an American or UK passport to work for English First. You must also be able to legally work in the USA or UK. You’ll need a Bachelor’s degree and a TEFL certificate as well.
English First Pay: If you choose to teach children, you’ll earn $13 – $16 USD per hour. If you teach adults, your pay rate starts at $12 USD per hour.
English First Hiring Process: You can apply to English First by submitting your qualifications on their website. Then you’ll receive a call from someone on the EF recruitment team. Finally, you’ll receive your contract and training materials.
Verbling
About Verbling: Verbling is a language learning platform where adult students can find language instructors from around the world. You can become an instructor in your native language on Verbling. Teachers create their own lessons and hold classes over video chat.
Verbling Requirements: Teachers do not need to be native speakers in the language they are teaching, but they should have excellent skills in that language. They should also have experience in teaching or tutoring in their native language. A TEFL certificate is preferred but not required.
Pay: Teachers set their own pay rate
Verbling Hiring Process: Create a Verbling account and submit an application. Approved applicants will hear back within two weeks.
AmazingTalker
About AmazingTalker: AmazingTalker is a language learning platform with adult and child students around the world. Lessons are one on one through zoom. AmazingTalker can also help teachers get matched with interested students. Other languages aside from English are also available.
Requirements: AmazingTalker hires teachers that are fluent English speakers with experience teaching or tutoring in English.
Pay: Teachers set their own rates
Hiring Process: Fill out an application on their website. If approved, you can create a profile and follow further instructions to start teaching.
Rype
About Rype: With Rype, adult language learners around the world can study English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, and more! Teachers can choose their own schedules with plenty of flexibility.
Lessons are one-on-one and mainly conversation-based, but teachers might be expected to prepare their own materials if needed.
Requirements: There aren’t firm requirements listed on the website, but you’ll likely need some experience teaching or tutoring. You’ll also need to be a native speaker in the language you wish to teach, but luckily there are ten languages available.
Pay: Pay rates aren’t specified on the Rype website, but third-party review sites say the range is $9 – $11 USD per hour.
LearnLight
About Learnlight: Learnlight has teaching positions for nine different languages, including English. Teachers should be able to offer classes on a fixed schedule throughout the duration of their contract.
Requirements: LearnLight teachers must have a foreign language teaching certificate such as a TEFL, as well as two years of teaching experience. They must be fluent in the language they are teaching.
Pay: Not listed on the website.
Hiring Process: First you’ll complete an application and a Skype interview. If you pass the skype interview, you’ll do training and orientation. The website notes that the full onboarding process takes about two weeks.
Voxy
About Voxy: Voxy offers ESL lessons to groups and individual students around the world. They use a task-based language teaching system and students learn via video chat.
Requirements: Voxy applicants should have at least three years of teaching experience. They should be familiar with the “Task-based” language teaching methodology and possess a TEFL certification.
Ideal candidates for this online job teaching English have online teaching experience, foreign language skills, and other ESL teaching certifications.
Pay: Not listed on the website
Hiring Process: To get hired by Voxy, you’ll fill out an application, complete an assignment, complete two interviews, and receive an offer. Applicants should be prepared to provide their resume and a cover letter explaining why they love teaching ESL and why they would be a good fit for Voxy’s specific platform style.
Which Online English Teaching Jobs Should I Apply To?
These are common questions about teaching English online and quick answers to help you find the right fit.
Can I teach online without a Bachelor’s degree?
Yes! A bachelor’s degree is not required to teach English online for many platforms. See this post for 12 companies where you can teach without a degree.
Can I teach English online to adults?
Can I teach English online as a non-native speaker?
Yes! It is possible to teach English online as a non-native English speaker as long as you have excellent English speaking skills. See this post for companies where you can teach ESL online as a non-native English speaker.
I speak a language other than English. Where can I teach that language online?
If you speak a language other than English and wish to teach that language online, check out multi-language platforms like iTalki, AmazingTalker, Verbling, Learnlight, Outschool, and Lingoda.
Which teaching English online jobs don’t have any nationality requirements?
Final Thoughts: Best Online English Teaching Companies
There are so many different companies where you can teach English online. With a wide variety of requirements and structures, there’s a good chance you’ll find something that works for you.
