Welcome to the new year, friends! Today we are discussing some of the top online ESL companies that pay well. As the new year rolls in, you may already have thought of making a career change that involves working entirely from home.
This is the dream of many-a-professional; however, said pros often have a hard time seeing the reality of their dream, or they view it simply as a “pipe” dream, especially if they feel like the skills that they do have don’t equate to the work-from-home lifestyle.
There are a myriad of jobs that can be done from home that folks couldn’t do 5, 10, or even 20 years ago – and one such job is ESL tutoring.
With the advent of video chat, online schools, and, well, the internet, ESL tutoring doesn’t have to be in-person or in the same location; it can be done anywhere, anytime, with any accredited teacher or experienced tutor. And some of these jobs pay well – with many workers averaging $18/hour or more for online ESL tutoring work.
But where can you find such a job, you may ask? Dive into the wonderful world of remote ESL teaching with us – and we’ll tell you just how to get started on your career path. Yalla (that’s “let’s go,” in Arabic)!
10 ESL Companies That Pay Up To $18+ Hourly
#1 – VIPKid
VIPKid has a reputation for being one of the most legitimate ESL online tutoring companies in the business – it’s all over blogs, journalistic publications, and job boards, frequently advertising over $20/hour in pay.
It’s also known as the “Chinese unicorn,” meaning it’s a privately held startup valued at over $1 billion. That’s a lot of dough it can pay to its teachers. Check it out, and let us know your thoughts!
Pay: $14 – $22 per hour.
Countries available: VIPKid teachers must be qualified to work from the U.S. or Canada (but don’t have to be physically in either country to teach).
Educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree in any field, one school year of “traditional teaching experience or the equivalent in mentoring, tutoring, or alternative education.”
Go here to sign up for VIPKid or read our VIPKid review.
#2 – EducationFirst
With EducationFirst, teachers make their own schedule and can teach almost anywhere in the world, 24/7.
Conversations are group-based as well as one-on-one (when it comes to private lessons, which are also offered). You also have the option of teaching kids or adults, which is a big plus for folks who prefer older people.
Pay: $12 – $20 per hour.
Countries available: 117 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
Educational requirements: Completed Bachelor’s degree (any field). Minimum 40-hour TEFL Certificate or equivalent work experience.
Go here to sign up for Education First or read our Education First review.
#3 – QKids
The biggest selling point to me, for QKids, is that it’s one of the higher-paying jobs that hires college student tutors – a big bonus if you’re in school and need a flexible, work-from-home job!
All teachers receive a base pay of $16/hour, but can earn up to $20/hour. It also has one of the highest ratings I’ve seen on Indeed.
Pay: $16 – $20 per hour.
Countries available: Must be a native fluency English speaker based in the U.S. or Canada.
Educational requirements: Earned a degree, or currently enrolled in a university program; prior teaching/early childhood experience preferable. Digital literacy is also a requirement, and you must be available to teach a minimum of 6 classes or 12 hours per week.
Go here to sign up to teach at QKids or read our QKids review.
#4 – iTutorGroup
Tutors with this company are teaching English online to Taiwanese students. Teachers frequently make $18 – $24 per hour, and can also earn bonuses based on the number of students in their class, and their “star” rating – sounds like a great opportunity to make a decent amount of money. iTutorGroup is also at a $2 billion valuation in the business world.
Pay: Tutors can average $18 – $24 per hour. Base pay is based on your experience or “other qualifications.”
Countries available: 135+ countries.
Educational requirements: According to the website, “TESOL/TEFL Certification (or its equivalent) required. A university degree or previous ESL teaching experience [and] previous working experience in other fields [is] preferred.”
Go here to sign up for iTutorGroup or read our iTutorGroup review.
#5 – iTalki
5 million language learners use the iTalki website, which is a prime opportunity for you to cast your ESL net amongst a wide array of students.
Featured on BBC, LifeHacker, and The Huffington Post (to name but a few well-known publications), iTalki is a leading platform for online ESL tutors. Over 10,000 tutors use the platform, and that many people can be wrong about their career path(s).
Pay: $17 – $20 per hour.
Countries available: iTalki is available globally.
Educational requirements: You must have a “native fluency” in the language you’re going to teach in.
Go here to sign up for iTalki or read our iTalki review.
#6 – Skooli
Skooli has some of the most consistently higher ratings I’ve seen for both students and tutors, so it seems a worthwhile high pay ESL job to sign up for.
Skooli is known as an “advanced topics specialist,” priding itself on its highly learned tutors (i.e., you’ll need a Master’s degree to become an online tutor with this company).
It seems worth it, however, being one of the top-paying platforms tutors can use, too. While Skooli hires tutors to teach a wide variety of subjects, ESL tutoring is one of them.
Pay: $25 per hour.
Countries available: N/A, but appears to be global.
Educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree and state or provisional teaching certificate + Master’s degree or PhD + specialized instructor qualification (ESL certification).
Go here to sign up for Skooli or read our Skooli review.
#7 – Chegg
Chegg is another well-known name in the online tutoring world, being a publicly-held company – that tells you right there how popular Chegg is. Tutors also gave the company consistently high ratings on Indeed and Glassdoor, so overall, it seems like a great place to work.
Tutors who work with Chegg can offer grammar, math, writing, and internship help, and you may also occasionally have ESL students seeking help in various subjects.
Pay: $20 per hour.
Countries available: Hiring is U.S.-based.
Educational requirements: Must upload two items from the following list: diploma, student ID card, transcript (official or unofficial), screenshot of student portal homepage, National Student Clearinghouse enrollment, Letter From Registrar, teaching or tutoring certification.
Qualified tutors must also upload an English proficiency document, like: TOEFL or IETLS score, verbal SAT, GMAT, GRE, or other standardized score, National English proficiency test from an outside country, or transcript with advanced English language class grade.
Go here to sign up to teach at Chegg or read our Chegg review.
#8 – Landi English
Landi is another online tutoring company with higher pay. Users cite the great culture and teaching processes to be other reasons to join the company’s ranks.
The company is based on “immersive learning,” meaning it wants to change its Chinese students’ learning patterns with “content language learning,” and the tutors on the website teach kindergarten to high school level.
Pay: $18 – $25 per hour.
Countries available: N/A, but appears to be global.
Educational requirements: BA degree or higher; “TEFL/CELTA or other teaching certificate preferred but not required.”
Go here to sign up for Landi English.
#9 – DaDa ABC
DaDa is known as one of the most high pay ESL jobs for teachers. With DaDa, you would be teaching Chinese students, from kindergarten to 9th grade. Keep in mind if you want to change your availability, the company requires 30-day notice.
Pay: Pays up to $25 per hour. They prefer 12 months contract.
Countries available: Global.
Educational requirements: Native English speakers with a Bachelor’s. Preferred teaching certificate, like TESOL certificate, local teacher certificate, or degree in Education.
Go here to sign up for DaDa ABC or read our DaDa ABC review.
#10 – Kaplan International
Kaplan will occasionally hire remote ESL tutors, but tutors will need to live and work in the same city where they teach – however, you will still get to teach from the comfort of your home!
Kaplan is also a huge name in the education field, so getting hired by them would be a great boon to your teaching resume.
Also, because Kaplan is a global team, there is potential opportunity to move up within the company, should be that something you’re interested in for the future.
Pay: $25 per hour full-time.
Countries available: Must be in the same city to teach through Kaplan, but can work remotely.
Educational requirements: Must have a related qualification to teach.
Go here to sign up for Kaplan International.
We have another large list of ways to get paid for teaching English online if you're interested!
In Conclusion
Have you tried any of the above high pay ESL jobs? Have you worked as a contract tutor or an employed a tutor through one of the listed businesses? What are some of your best practices in learning or teaching another language? Let us know in the comments!