When I research home-based jobs, I often come across a lot of companies that are looking for people to teach English online (English Second Language tutors).
If you want to work from home and are qualified to do this, it could be a great way to make some money! The requirements vary from company to company as does the pay (some pay $18 hourly and more!).
Some want a college degree, others don't mind if you have don't have one. You'll also find that some want language teaching certifications, like TEFL or TESOL (the TEFL Academy, offering some of the best online TEFL courses, is a great choice for this).
Note that some, but not all, of the companies below will let you take TEFL or TESOL for free through them prior to your starting work.
Also, sometimes the work will be done online while other times it's via phone and/or webcam. Below, I've listed out the online English teaching companies you may want to consider for earning money from home.
Before we begin, please take a minute and sign up here FREE to get my weekly work at home emails! I send new information on work at home jobs, apps that pay, side gigs, and much more. Prefer to get your information all at once? My e-books that you can download here are a great option with everything you need, right there when you want it.
Teach English Online – 16 Companies To Consider
The following companies all offer legitimate online English teaching jobs you can do from the comfort of your own home. Certifications, educational requirements, and estimated pay vary.
Cambly – Read Cambly review. English Tutor. Worldwide. Flexible schedule with no minimum hours. Chat one-on-one with students to help them practice spoken English in short, casual conversations. No degree, teaching certificate, or prior teaching experience required. Pay is $10.20 per hour on Cambly and $12 per hour on Cambly Kids, with weekly payouts.
Preply – Online Language Tutor. Worldwide. Fully flexible schedule with no minimum hours. Teach one-on-one online lessons to students from around the world in English or other subjects through the Preply platform. No degree or teaching certification required, though strong communication skills are expected. Tutors set their own rates, with most English tutors charging about $15–$25 per hour (Preply takes a commission).
italki – Read italki review – Online Language Teacher or Community Tutor. Worldwide. Fully flexible schedule with teachers setting their own availability. Teach English or other languages to students in one-on-one online lessons through the italki platform. Professional Teachers must have a degree and teaching certification, while Community Tutors do not need formal education or certification. Pay is set by the teacher and varies based on experience, lesson type, and student demand.
Open English – Online English Teacher. Worldwide. Flexible schedule with classes available throughout the day. Teach live English lessons to students of various ages using pre-made lesson plans. Education and experience requirements are not clearly listed, but native or near-native English speakers with teaching experience are preferred. Pay rate is not publicly listed and varies by contract and location.
Magic Ears – Magic Ears hires remote English teachers to teach children ages 4–12 in small group online classes (1-on-4) using a provided curriculum. Pay is advertised at up to $26 per hour, with flexible scheduling and instant class bookings. This is a fully remote role focused on live, interactive lessons for kids. Specific degree or certification requirements are not clearly listed on the sign-up page, though the platform is geared toward teachers interested in working with young learners.
VIPKid – Online English Teacher. Location not clearly listed. Flexible schedule with no minimum hours. Teach one-on-one English lessons to children using pre-made lesson plans. Degree and certification requirements are not clearly stated, but prior teaching experience is common. Pay ranges from $14–$22 per hour, with higher earnings possible through incentives.
Tutlo – Read Tutlo review – Online English Tutor. Open to tutors from the U.S., UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Fully flexible schedule with tutors able to log in and teach anytime. Teach conversational English to students around the world using provided lesson materials with no prep required. Requires native-level English, a teaching certificate (TEFL offered for free through Tutlo), and at least 6 months of English teaching experience. Pay rate is not publicly listed, with tutors paid monthly via PayPal.
Berlitz – Remote English Instructor. Worldwide. Part-time contractor role with a commitment of about 15–20 hours per week based on your availability. Teach English to adult students using the Berlitz Method in live online lessons and help them build language and cultural skills. Requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, expert-level English, and strong communication skills; teaching experience is a plus but not required. Pay rate is not listed.
EF Teach Online – EF Teach Online – Online English Teacher (Adults). United States. Flexible schedule with classes available throughout the day. Teach one-on-one and small group English classes to adult learners using provided materials. Requires U.S. residency, fluent English, a bachelor’s degree in any subject, and a TEFL certificate. Pay starts at $12 per hour, with full-time teachers earning up to about $1,900 per month.
Englishunt – Online ESL Video Tutor. United States citizens (may live abroad). Part-time with set hours, mainly overnight EST (about 1 a.m.–3 a.m. EST). Teach English to students in Korea using a provided curriculum with no lesson prep. Requires a bachelor’s degree in any subject **and** an ESL certification, or 4 years of teaching experience or a substitute teaching certificate in place of a degree. Pay starts at $16 per hour.
Qkids – Read Qkids review – Online English Teacher (Kids). United States and Canada. Part-time with set weekly schedules, mainly early mornings and some evenings. Teach interactive online English classes to children ages 4–12 in small groups of 1–4 students using a pre-made curriculum. Requires legal eligibility to work in the U.S. or Canada, a bachelor’s degree, and a teaching license or English teaching certificate (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, or ESL). Pay averages $12–$16 per hour, based on $6–$8 per 30-minute lesson.
HAWO – Online English Teacher (Group Classes). Open to teachers based in the U.S. and Canada. Part-time with a required commitment of at least 10 hours per week, including weekends. Teach live group English classes to children in China using an online platform focused on interaction and peer learning. Requires native-level English, a bachelor’s degree, prior teaching or tutoring experience, and familiarity with the U.S. or Canadian education system; teaching licenses or TESOL/TEFL-style certificates are preferred. Pay is advertised at up to $22 per hour.
PandaTree – Online Language Tutor for Children (Mandarin or Spanish). United States only. Part-time with flexible scheduling; tutors should be available at least 15 hours per week. Teach live online language lessons to children using PandaTree’s curriculum and platform. Requires U.S. work authorization, a bachelor’s degree, and at least 2 years of experience teaching or working with children. Pay ranges from $18–$24 per hour, with most tutors earning around $20 per hour, plus paid training.
TutorABC Global Ltd. – Online English Teacher. Worldwide. Flexible schedule with classes available 24/7. Teach English to children and adults in live one-on-one or group online classes using provided materials. Requires native or near-native English, a bachelor’s degree, a TEFL/TESL certificate (120 hours minimum), and at least one year of ESL teaching experience. Pay varies by session and bonuses; exact hourly rates are not publicly listed.
Verbling – Online Language Teacher. Worldwide (remote). Fully flexible schedule with teachers setting their own availability. Teach one-on-one online language lessons to students from around the world through live video sessions. Requires prior language teaching experience, strong proficiency (C2 level) in the language taught, and a teaching certificate is preferred. Pay is set by the teacher, with earnings varying based on hourly rates, availability, and student demand.
Learnlight – Online Language Teacher. Worldwide (remote). Part-time with a fixed schedule of at least 10 hours per week. Teach one-on-one or group language classes to adult professionals using Learnlight’s online platform and materials. Requires a recognized teaching certificate (such as TEFL, CELTA, or TESOL) and at least two years of language teaching experience. Pay rate is not publicly listed and varies by program and experience.
Bonus Tip – Be sure to become a work at home newsletter subscriber right here. It's free, and I do frequently share at-home ESL tutoring opportunities as I find them open!
Looking For Even More Legit Remote Jobs?
Looking for more legit remote jobs beyond online English teaching?
FlexJobs is one of my favorite sites for finding verified work-from-home jobs, including online teaching, tutoring, and other flexible remote roles. Every listing is hand-screened, so you won’t run into scams, fake jobs, or bait-and-switch offers.
FlexJobs only posts remote and flexible jobs, adds new listings five days a week, and has no ads, which makes browsing much easier. Because of that, they charge a small membership fee — but it’s affordable. You can try it for $2.95 for 14 days, and cancel anytime if it’s not a fit.
If you want more options than just the companies listed here, FlexJobs is worth a look. Go here to browse around and see what you think.
Good luck!
Anna Thurman is a work at home blogger and mom of two. She has been researching and reviewing remote jobs for over 15 years. Her findings are published weekly here at Real Ways to Earn.