8 Ways to Make Money Teaching English Online

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Woman teaching english onliner

Do you like to help kids learn and are looking to make some extra money? If so, you should consider making money by teaching English online.

You might not think you have what it takes to tutor online, but don’t give up just yet. You might be surprised at how teaching English online works.

Hint: You don’t necessarily need to know the native language of the student you’re teaching English to.

How to Make Money Teaching English Online

Each online tutoring company has a different protocol for its tutors. And each protocol makes teaching English online fun and different.

There are many options out there, but here are the top ones to help you get started.

1. VIPKid

VIPKid homepage

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  • Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in any subject
  • Pay: $14-$22 per hour
  • Hours: Flexible based on your schedule

VIPKid teaches students ages 4-15 the English language. There’s no minimum hour requirement and you can set your own hours.

Classes are full immersion classes, meaning you don’t need to know or learn another language to teach with VIPKid.

If you have a college degree you might be the right candidate for a side hustle with VIPKid, a tutoring service that caters to students in China.

2. Tutor.com

Tutor.com homepage

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  • Requirements: Degree, sophomore student, expert level knowledge
  • Pay: Dependent on the subject you teach
  • Hours: Flexible based on your schedule

Tutor.com offers tutoring services to people for a variety of school subjects.

Some of the subjects they need tutors for include math, science, English, Social Studies, and more.

Tutors with Tutor.com primarily teach students ages fourth grade through college.

To become a tutor with Tutor.com you need to either have a college degree or be at least a sophomore college student.

In addition, you need to be an expert in the subject you want to teach. Also, you need to be available to tutor at least five hours during any given week.

You’ll need a Windows 7 or higher operating system and at least 4 GB of ram or greater to use the Tutor.com teaching system.

Your download speed needs to be at least 15 Mbps and your upload speed needs to be at least 5 Mbps.

You’ll also need a land-based Internet connection, a working headset and microphone system, and a Microsoft Word 2007 or later program.

3. Chegg

Chegg homepage

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  • Requirements: Degree or currently enrolled in college
  • Pay: Up to $20 per hour
  • Hours: Flexible based on your schedule

Chegg tutors teach students in middle school, high school, college and beyond.  

The tutors teach a variety of different subjects including:

  • Calculus
  • Biology
  • Comptuer Science
  • Astrophysics
  • Antitrust Law
  • Zoology
  • And more.

Lower teaching level gigs such as those geared toward middle schoolers are also available.

In order to find out more about pay scales and other questions regarding tutoring with Chegg, you can visit their website at the link above.

4. EF Teach Online

EF Teach Online homepage

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  • Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in any subject, TEFL general certificate
  • Pay: $12-$20 per hour
  • Hours: Flexible based on your schedule

EF Teach Online teaches English to Chinese students ages 6 to 10 years old. Classes are available seven days a week, all year long.

Technical requirements include having a Windows 8 or higher or Mac OS 10.11 or higher. You must use Google’s Chrome browser to access your platform and to teach.

Wifi or cable connection is acceptable, and you must have a download speed of at least 25Mbps and an upload speed of at least 3Mbps.

PC or laptop required, no tablets or mobile devices.

5. TutaPoint.com

TutaPoint.com homepage

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  • Requirements: Bachelor’s degree and two+ years of tutoring experience
  • Pay: Average $15 per hour
  • Hours: Flexible based on your schedule

TutaPoint.com hires tutors to teach high school level subjects to students. Tutapoint.com has stricter requirements for tutors than the other companies we’ve featured here.

In order to qualify to be a tutor with them, you must have at least two years prior teaching or tutor experience.

They prefer candidates who are either:

  • Current teachers
  • Retired teachers
  • Teaching assistants
  • College professors or
  • Others with a proven capability in teaching others

Other qualifications include being a resident of the United States, having a valid Social Security number and meeting all other tutor requirements including an interview process.

TutaPoint.com tutors start tutoring at a base pay rate of $13 per hour but can also earn extra money through bonuses and incentives.

6. Cambly

Cambly homepage

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  • Requirements: No degree, teaching certificate, or experience required
  • Pay: Up to $12 per hour
  • Hours: Flexible based on your schedule

Cambly hires tutors to teach English to people of all ages, all over the world.

You might tutor working professionals or young students looking to learn English. All lessons are 1-on-1

Classes you teach with Education First may be group classes of 5-6 or one-on-one classes. You might notice that pay is lower with Cambly.

Part of the reason for this is that requirements for tutors are minimal. See the Cambly website for more information.

7. QKids

QKids homepage

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  • Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, Teaching license or English teaching certificate
  • Pay: $16 to $20 per hour
  • Hours: QKids works with you to set your schedule

QKids tutors teach English to kids ages 4-12 years old. You do need a stable internet connection.

Wired connection is preferred but not required. You’ll also need a headset with a microphone and a computer with a webcam.

Minimum download speed is 4Mbps and upload speed is 2Mbps.

8. TutorABC

TutorABC homepage

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  • Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or higher, teaching certificate or English teaching certificate, minimum 1 year teaching/tutoring experience
  • Pay: Base pay with bonuses
  • Hours: Flexible based on your schedule

TutorABC helps teach kids 5 and up the English language. You do have to commit to at least 6 “peak” teaching hours per week with this company.

Technical requirements with this company are vague; you must have a computer with a stable internet connection. Windows or Mac OS.

Should I Try Teaching English as a Side Hustle?

You might be wondering whether or not a teaching side hustle would be a good fit for you. The answer to that question depends on a number of things.

First, you’ll want to ask yourself if you enjoy working with children. Second, you’ll want to assess your level of patience.

People who are patient even in trying circumstances will likely better enjoy the work of teaching a second language to children.

Third, you’ll want to assess your skill level when it comes to instructing others. Are you good at showing others how to learn new things?

Do you have the ability to explain things in different ways? This skill will help you work with students’ vast array of learning styles.

Knowing the answer to questions like these will help you better determine if a teaching side hustle is good idea for you.

Summary

Teaching English online as a side hustle is a great way to earn more money in order to reach your financial goals.

There is a variety of subjects you can teach and tutor in, from ESL to math to science and more. In addition, most tutoring companies have flexible schedules.

For that reason, you can tutor when it works best for you. If you like helping others, teaching English online might be just the side hustle you’re searching for.