Online Teaching Jobs: The Best Companies to Consider for ESL Teachers

Working online is quite rewarding for anyone looking to make money while staying home. One profession that has taken to working online like fish to water is teaching. If you’re a native speaker and have a computer, you may want to consider teaching English online with some of these online teaching jobs.

The profession has become a worthwhile career for many native English speakers. It gives them flexibility in terms of their work schedule. Working online has also allowed them to achieve the work-life balance that has remained elusive to many other professions. Keep on reading for the best online ESL jobs to make some money from the comfort of your own home.

Best Online Teaching Jobs for English Teachers

Interested in some of the best ESL online teaching jobs? Stay right here! We’ll give you our picks for the top options that you might want to explore.

In this case, you may want to check out some companies that offer online teaching jobs. But, since not all companies were created equal, we scoured the internet and found the 5 best online tutoring companies you can consider if you’re planning to teach ESL online.

Before we go through the list, it’s ideal for you to know the requirements of teaching online and how to get one of these coveted online teaching jobs for ESL.

Requirements for the Best Teach English Online Jobs

The following are some of the basic requirements for you to teach English online.

• Native English speaker or near-native speaker
• Computer or laptop with an HD webcam and a headset with a microphone
• Fast and reliable internet connection
• A quiet place to work
• A University degree is required by many companies, but not all, including Yeko and Classo (also check this out: Online teaching jobs without a degree).
• Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate is preferred, but some companies may not require it

These requirements may vary depending on the company you’re planning to sign up with. Just to make sure, it may be advisable to have them ready so by the time you apply for a job in any of the companies listed below, you will have a bigger chance of getting hired.

What are the Best Online ESL Jobs?

Now, let’s take a look at five of the best companies you should consider if you want to teach English online. These are the best online English teaching jobs to have a look at.

#1: Magic Ears

Rate: up to $26 per hour

Students: Chinese children aged 4 to 12 years old

Magic Ears markets itself as an “innovative online English learning platform” designed to teach the language to children aged 4 to 12 years old. Each teacher has four students in the classroom during the class. Each class will last up to 25 minutes per session.

The lessons are already prepared so you don’t have to worry about them. All you need to do is to familiarize yourself with the lessons before you go to class. Moreover, Magic Ears also provides bonuses for its teachers.

The requirements of Magic Ears online teaching jobs are as follows:

• Native speaker from North America, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa
• Bachelor’s degree holder or a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree
• TEFL certification with 120 hours of class time
• TEFL teaching experience preferred

A couple of things to take note of with Magic Ears is that the hiring process can be quite tedious. Additionally, you’re required to commit yourself to a minimum of six months with the company. Find out more here: Magic Ears Review.

#2: TwoSigmas

Rate: $18 to $25 per hour

Students: Children aged 5 to 12 years old

Based in Cambridge, England, TwoSigmas connects English teachers with their partner schools all over the world. The company provides a curriculum based on the requirements of the schools. Moreover, TwoSigmas also provides the necessary resources for the teachers to use.

The company is basically a matchmaker where they match teachers with online teaching positions in the schools they’re working with. They also ensure that the qualifications of their teachers match the requirements of the schools.

The basic requirements of the partner schools of TwoSigmas include the following:

• Bachelor’s degree
• TEFL certificate or a teaching license
• Neutral English accent
• Can work legally in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom

Teachers are also required to teach at least 7 1/2 hours or at least fifteen 30-minute classes per week. They should also be energetic and enthusiastic so the students will be encouraged to interact with the teachers. For more details, check out our review here:

TwoSigmas Review.

#3: Italki

Rate: $12 to $25 per hour

Students: No specific age group

Another online teaching platform that connects teachers to students is iTalki. What sets this company apart from the others is that it allows the teachers to set their own rates. While you can set your own rate, you should remember not to price yourself out of the market.

Moreover, you should consider your qualifications before you set your rate. If your qualifications seem lacking, you may want to set a lower rate to attract more students.

Unlike the first two companies on the list, teachers using this Shanghai-based platform have to prepare their own lessons. Another unique thing about iTalki is that it does not limit itself to offering English lessons. Teachers can also give lessons in other languages, such as French, Spanish, Mandarin, and German, among others.

There are two types of teachers on iTalki, the community tutor and the professional tutor. The basic qualifications of a community tutor are fluency in the language they’re teaching and they are at least 18 years old. On the other hand, a professional tutor should have the following requirements:

• Fluency in the language you’re teaching
• At least 18 years old
• Bachelor’s degree
• Teaching license or TEFL in lieu of a bachelor’s degree
• References or employment statements
• Teachers with Education, Language, Linguistics, and Culture background are given priority

If you’re planning to sign up with iTalki, you should prepare a three-minute introduction video. The platform currently has over 10,000 tutors teaching at least 130 languages.

#4: Qkids Teacher Online Teaching Jobs

Rate: $16 to $20 per hour

Students: Chinese children aged 4 to 12 years old

North American residents may want to consider Qkids if they want to earn while teaching English at home. The platform is ideal for people who are quite busy during the day since the classes are normally scheduled early in the morning or evening in North America.

You won’t have to worry about preparing the lessons since Qkids provides them for you. The lessons are also designed to encourage student participation. In addition to the lessons, teachers also have access to interactive games that enhance the learning process.

The following are the requirements if you’re planning to teach on Qkids:

• A resident of the United States or Canada
• Bachelor’s degree
• Teaching license or TEFL certificate

Aside from these basic requirements, you should also have to prepare a two-minute video telling or reading a children’s story for the hiring process. While the process may be long and tedious, the pay is quite good especially since you’re earning while staying in the comfort of your home.

Find out more here: QKids Review.

#5: GoGoKid Online ESL Teaching Jobs

Rate: $14 to $25 per hour

Students: Chinese children

GoGoKid is relatively new, but it provides a rather attractive salary for qualified teachers. The lessons are one-on-one so the teacher can focus on the language development of one student at a time. The lessons provided are based on the US Common Core State Standards as well as the Chinese standard curriculum.

While the teaching materials are already prepared for each class, teachers are highly encouraged to use their own class props while in class. This means teachers are asked to review the materials before the class starts.

The company only has one important qualification for its applicants, however many teachers have completed a TEFL course:

• Bachelor’s degree

Aside from the educational requirement, GoGoKid does have some technical requirements for its teachers. These requirements are as follows:

• Mac OS 10.8x or higher or Windows 7 or higher
• Intel Core i3 and above with 4GB of RAN
• HD camera
• Headset with microphone
• Wired DSL connection of at least 20 Mbps

While GoGoKid does not have a minimum number of teaching hours, teachers are asked to stay with the company for at least six months. After six months, the performance is reviewed before renewal. Learn more here: Teaching With GogoKid.

These online teaching companies do not only allow native speakers to earn using their innate English skills, but they also allow them to do it while staying in the comfort of their homes. That makes this company one of the best online teaching jobs for English teachers.

Another company that we’d like to recommend is Palfish. It’s a smartphone app that allows you to teach without a computer. Find out more here: PalFish Review. Similar to this company is NiceTalk. Find out more NiceTalk Review: Or, if you’d like to teach children, then consider these ones: First Future Jobs, DaDaABC Jobs or VIPKid Jobs.

Teaching English Online FAQs

There are a number of popular questions that people have about some of the best teaching ESL online jobs. Here are the answers to some very common ones.

What is the best ESL online company to work for?

There are a number of ESL online companies that rank among the best jobs. Here are some of our top picks:

• VIPKID (students love this company)
• BlingABC (well-paying)
• QKIDS (flexible schedule)
• SayABC (great support)
• GoGoKid (a nice teaching platform)
• DaDa (1-1 classes)
• iTalki (a variety of classes)

How much do online ESL teachers make?

Online ESL teachers generally make between $10-40 USD per hour. This depends on qualifications, numbers of students, experience and type of class being taught. When you’re just starting out, you can expect to earn around $15-20 USD per hour.

Can you teach ESL online?

These days, it’s certainly possible to teach ESL online and there are dozens of companies that offer this opportunity. Or, you may wish to find students on your own and organize your own rates, materials and schedule.

Is teaching English online a good job?

Teaching English online is a good job for many people who wish to have a flexible schedule while being able to work from home. Depending on your experience and company worked for, the pay can be quite good as well and similar to what you’d make teaching English in-person at an academy.

Which online teaching company pays the most?

The online company that pays the most is generally considered to be GoGoKid. However, you might also want to consider VIPKid, Voxy, Preply, and DaDaABC.

Have your say about the Best Online ESL Jobs

What’s your top pick for a company to make money teaching English online? Is it one of these companies or do you have another one that you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

Also be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other English teachers, like yourself, who are interested in teaching English online.

If you’re looking to teach abroad, consider one of these places: Which countries pay English teachers the most? 

Last update on 2021-07-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API