How Much Money Can You Make Teaching English Online?

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With the rise of online ESL platforms, many teachers have moved from physical classrooms to virtual space. As the world of learning English continues to expand and change, there are an ever-growing number of companies offering online work for ESL teachers. This means that there is an almost endless list of opportunities. earn money teaching English online.

This begs the question: how much money can you make teaching English online?

However, the answer is not easy. In some cases, you can do a lot. In other cases, it is a little.

Work online

I have been teaching English online for almost two years. The most money I made in a month was £ 2,400 (€ 2,638). During that month, I hustled and worked more than I normally would, giving classes in the mornings and evenings on weekends when most of my students were available.

My schedule is limited to weekday evenings and weekends as my students are all of school age. This limits my available hours, which limits my compensation. Lucky for me, I live and work in Southeast Asia and teach Chinese students, so my time zone is only an hour behind theirs. The number of classes I was teaching each week might not be possible if you lived elsewhere in the world.

All of this to say that there is no fixed equation for how much money you can make teaching English online. It depends on the company you work for, the students you teach, and your qualifications.

I am an English speaker from Canada with a BA in English, a TEFL qualification and two years of classroom experience. I earn £ 17 (€ 19) / hour and the company I work for is one of the top companies in China for school age students.

That being said, you can make a lot less money than that or a lot more. It depends on you.

Salary variations

There are many online ESL companies that require English speakers with degrees and for some there will be passport restrictions. With these companies, like VIPKID, GogoKid and SayABC, you’ll see salaries of around £ 16 (€ 17.60) / hour and more. Some of these companies offer incentives to increase your salary and you can often get close to £ 24 (€ 26) / hour.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are platforms like Cambly which don’t require degrees paying around £ 8 (€ 8.80) per class. You’ll find many companies in the £ 8-16 (€ 8.80-17.60) range with more flexible requirements. But with these companies, your schedule will likely be more flexible. Your students will be of all different ages and come from all over the world, allowing you to work any time of the day, no matter where you are. If you overwrite a lot of classes each week, you’ll also be overwriting a big paycheck.

However, if you have specialized qualifications, there are some ESL opportunities online where you can make a lot of money. For example, if you are qualified and experienced in teaching IELTS, you may find a niche for it. If you have experience teaching ESL in business, you may find a niche for it. I’ve heard of people teaching English as a second language to pilots and making huge sums of money.

If you have the experience and knowledge of specialist ESL companies, research is your friend. Market your skills and experience and you should have no problem finding a high paying position.

Obtain a TEFL qualification

The answer to the question of how much money you can make teaching English online is not as simple as giving yourself an exact number. Take note of your experience and qualifications. Do you have any specific skills that you can offer an ESL student? Do you have a degree and in which field? Are you a native speaker and from which country? All of these will factor into the amount you can earn by teaching ESL online.

But there is one thing you can do to help yourself make more money teaching English online: get a TEFL qualification.

If you work for a Chinese ESL company, having a TEFL qualification has recently become a mandatory requirement by the Chinese government. Many ESL platforms will require TEFL certification and if they don’t, they will definitely appreciate you having one.

Before you start applying for ESL companies, take a TEFL course and become certified to teach English as a second language. Not only will this strengthen your resume, but a TEFL course will prepare you for the classroom, both physical and virtual.

The needs of second language learners are complex. As English speakers, we don’t always understand what our students need. Getting TEFL certified will teach you what those needs are and how to meet them. This will give you a better understanding of the technical side of a language that many of us grew up on.

We recommend that you obtain your qualification through The TEFL Org, a fantastic resource for prospective ESL teachers. The TEFL Org is the most experienced TEFL course provider, operating in the United Kingdom, WE, and Ireland. It is run by real TEFL teachers and their knowledge and experience will be invaluable to you as you learn.

Teach English Online

Without a doubt, there is money to be made for teaching English online. After living and teaching ESL in Asia for several years, my salary online is higher than my salary in a classroom.

And while the salary is a huge plus, the flexibility of hours and control over my schedule and, in turn, my life is the biggest plus. I would never trade the freedom of working online for a classroom.

One of my biggest concerns about leaving class was that I would lose the connection I had with some of my students. I didn’t think it would be possible to have the same rapport and relationships as in a brick and mortar school in a virtual classroom, but I quickly got it wrong.

I have made lasting and impactful connections with my students online. Spending one-on-one time with students is an opportunity that you don’t often get when teaching in person. I really look forward to the twenty-five minutes I spend each day with some of my students and I feel rewarded when I see them learning and speaking.

Well, that £ 2,400 (€ 2,640) paycheck I get sometimes doesn’t hurt either.