There are many different kinds of jobs teaching English online. You can work for an online English company or for online schools, or you can freelance teach through a platform. In this post, I break down all three options.
Job Boards
First, check out job boards. If you are looking for a more traditional job, then you’ll find them here. Many people use these websites to find teaching English jobs, both online and abroad, including:
- TESOL.org Job Board: TESOL International Association’s job board is a reputable resource for English teaching opportunities worldwide.
- TEFL.com: A comprehensive website that lists a wide range of English teaching jobs around the world, including online positions.
- Dave’s ESL Cafe: This is one of the oldest and most popular ESL job boards. People love it. It features teaching opportunities from various countries. If you want remote jobs, specify that in the search.
- ESL Jobs World: A job portal with listings for ESL teaching positions in different countries.
- GaijinPot: Offers English teaching positions and other jobs in Japan for English speakers.
- Ajarn: Focuses on teaching opportunities in Thailand, including ESL jobs.
- ESLemployment: A job board with listings for English teaching positions worldwide.
- i-to-i TEFL Jobs Board: Lists TEFL jobs and teaching opportunities for English speakers globally.
- LinkedIn: Utilize the job search function on LinkedIn to find English teaching positions offered by language schools, companies, or online platforms.
- Indeed: A general job search engine where you can find ESL and English teaching jobs by using relevant keywords.
- Glassdoor: Provides job listings and company reviews, including opportunities for English teachers.
- Idealist: Focuses on jobs in the non-profit sector, including English teaching positions.
- HigherEdJobs: Specializes in job opportunities within higher education institutions, which may include ESL and English teaching roles.
- Monster: Another general job search engine where you can find ESL and English teaching jobs.
Teach English Online Companies
Next, you can search directly through this chart for an online English company.
They do not offer salary positions. These companies assign you students and pay you per class. Some companies guarantee bookings and others don’t. In general, though, they book your schedule so you are 3/4 full in my experience. It is a good idea to juggle two companies if you want this to be your full-time job.
The pay isn’t perfectly precise, but I keep it updated regularly, so it is at least generally accurate. It’s a good place to start your search if you want to teach English but are overwhelmed by how many companies to choose from.
You can sort the chart by any category to see which company matches your needs.
Teach English Online: Jobs vs. Platforms
It is a ‘Teach English online job’ source, so it doesn’t list the many popular platforms for teachers to freelance.
Here are some common platforms for freelance online English teachers. They allow you to set your rates, but you must also attract your students.
How much can you make teaching English online?
Realistically, on average, you can expect to make $1,500 a month teaching English online.
If you are a non-native speaker, you are more likely looking at $500 a month.
This is a rough estimate, of course. I juggled three companies and earned up to $3000 a month. I also worked weekends and late nights.
Looking for non-Chinese Esl companies?
Check out my post Bonjour! Guten Tag! Ciao! 6 European ESL companies you’ll love if you are looking for “non-Chinese ESL companies.” I used to have a category in this chart listing the countries the company catered to (the student base), but it became overwhelming. Remember, most Chinese companies have disappeared or downsized since the Chinese regulations. So, there are more non-Chinese ESL companies now than before.
Looking to teach English online without a degree?
First, search companies by Degree Requirements if you would like to teach English online with a degree.
Some ESL jobs require you to have a degree, and other ESL companies do not require a degree. Many companies will hire you to teach English online without experience besides knowing English!
Conversely, some companies require decades of experience, professional training, and higher education. It just depends on what platform or company you apply to.
Pay Range
Teaching online is often seen as a side gig. And, indeed, it can be a great side hustle. However, you can also earn a full-time livable wage teaching English online. Many companies pay over $20/hour.
Note that each company has a pay range, so the graph above shows base pay to top pay.
Pay
Note that each company has a range of pay. The ESL industry often refers to the “base pay” per class. Often, you teach two classes per hour. So, I multiplied the base pay per class by two to reach the hourly pay if the company requires two classes an hour.
Online English Companies are always changing their pay and requirements depending on the ebbs and flows of the industry, so be sure to add a comment below if you see any incorrect information.
Tech Requirements
Some companies require laptops; others let you teach from your iPad or phone. You might be looking for an audio-only job, or you might not be able to get an ethernet-cabled Internet connection at your location.
Native Speaker Requirement
If you are a non-native English speaker who wants to teach English online, search this category to find employers who want to hire you. Are you unsure of whether you would be considered a native speaker by companies? It isn’t as clear as you would assume- and even problematic. Ensure you know what metrics companies use to qualify an applicant as a native speaker or not.
Join social media group communities centered around teaching English Online and read live comments from current teachers.
https://www.reddit.com/r/OnlineESLTeaching/ is a place to discuss the companies, practices, and experiences of teaching students English as a Second Language online. It has 7.5k members.
If this interests you, I wrote these related posts, too.
