This will massively depend on where you are and whose paying you, but here’s a rough guide of what you can expect to earn: How much can you earn as an online English teacher? Is it possible to make a full-time living? And is there even enough demand to make it worth your time?
These are all GREAT questions that teachers often ask me before deciding if they should teach English online. And the good news is that it is totally possible to earn a good living by leaving a language school job for the freelance life.
BUT! It’s super important that you go in with your eyes wide open. Because it’s not always a walk in the park, even if those spammy ads try to convince you otherwise!
So, dear teacher. Read on to find out how much you can expect to earn teaching English online and the different paths you can take to get there.
Is there much demand for online English teachers?
We’ve all heard about the explosion in demand for online language lessons since 2020, and the answer is YES! It’s true. There are more students seeking online English teachers than ever before, and this number is only expected to increase from now on as the online teaching market grows.
So, before we go any further, I want you to know that the market is NOT oversaturated, and there are plenty of students to go around.
How much can you earn teaching English online?
The amount of money you can earn depends on a few factors:
How much teaching experience you have
If you’re totally new to the online English teaching world, don’t expect to earn tons overnight. Most teaching companies will offer you an entry-level hourly wage, around $10-25. It’s low, yes. But this can help you gain the experience you need to justify higher rates later on.
What qualifications you have
TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, DELTA, etc. all represent different levels of teaching skills that can massively dictate your earnings. Especially if you’re working FOR someone rather than finding your own students.
TEFL $10-$20/hour
TESOL $12-$25/hour
CELTA $15-$30/hour
DELTA $20-$40/hour
⚡ Related: Is a DELTA Qualification Worth it for Freelance Teachers?
What type of English classes you teach
Generally speaking, teachers who specialise in a certain type of English can charge higher rates. That’s because their knowledge is more specific to a certain subject area, which often requires more experience than general English classes.
Whether you intend to work for an online teaching company or for yourself, I suggest choosing a specialism – or a ‘teaching niche’. This won’t only make it easier to earn more, but it will also help you build authority in that space. Especially if you one day decide to start an online teaching business.
⚡ Related: How to Find Your Perfect Teaching Niche
How and where you choose to teach
This is one of the biggest influencing factors in how much you can earn. For example, language schools are notorious for paying extremely low wages, whereas many students are actually willing to pay a decent amount for a good teacher. That means if you start your own business, you will likely end up earning more than if you work for an online school.
It also depends on where your students (or the school that pays you) are based. Clients in some countries are able to spend more on learning English than others.
Can you make a full-time living teaching English online?
Honestly, this totally depends on how much work you put in. I won’t pretend that it’s EASY to make money as an online English teacher. It takes time and effort to build up a reputation and a client base. And that’s before you’ve figured out a path to earning a full-time wage.
BUT! It’s certainly possible. I’ve worked with several English teachers who haven’t just made a full-time living but doubled or even tripled their language school salaries.
Now I bet that you’re probably wondering how, right?
Different ways to make money as an English teacher online
These days, there are several ways you can make money teaching English online. Here are some of the easiest ways to get started.
Work for an online teaching company
If you like the idea of teaching online but you don’t want to do all the lesson planning, an online teaching company (like Cambly or VIPKid*) is a great place to start. These organisations have a curriculum, lesson plans and a ton of teaching materials that their teachers follow to deliver online lessons.
Because you are teaching under their brand, you will need to apply to get a position. And you will be offered an hourly rate based on your experience and qualifications, which will put a cap on how much you can earn.
* FYI – these are here as examples, NOT recommendations. Please do your own research when choosing which online tutoring companies to apply for.
How much can you expect to earn from online teaching companies?
Hourly rate: $10-$20
Average number of hours per week: 25
Monthly income: $1000-$2100
Set up on an online teaching marketplace
Think: iTalki or Preply*. These have become super popular options in recent years, and they provide one the easiest ways to start teaching English online. Especially if you don’t have much experience. All you need to do is choose a company (or multiple) and set up a teacher profile to get in front of a huge pool of students. BUT! The caveat is that it still takes a fair amount of work to actually get bookings. English is obviously the most popular language on most of these platforms, which means you’re often competing with several thousand other teachers. Many of whom charge astonishingly low rates. Platforms can be a great way of making decent money teaching English online, but don’t expect it to happen overnight.
* FYI – these are here as examples, NOT recommendations. Please do your own research when choosing which marketplaces to use.
How much can you expect to earn on online teaching marketplaces?
Hourly rate: $10-$35 (rough guidelines based on average rates, I do not suggest charging so little)
Average number of hours per week: 20
Monthly income: $800-$2800
Freelance for a language school
Many language schools employ freelance online teachers to work on a self-employed basis for them. This can be a great option if you want to teach a variety of classes without needing to do much of the marketing yourself.
Once you have built a relationship with a particular school, you may find you get a lot of work from them, so it can be a semi-stable way to make money as an online English teacher.
How much can you expect to earn freelancing for a school?
Hourly rate: $15-$30
Average number of hours per week: 20
Monthly income: $800-$2800
Run your own business
This is obviously the trickiest option on the list, but it’s perfectly achievable if you want it enough! Setting up your own business gives you total freedom and control over who you teach, what you teach and when you teach. It also removes any cap on your earnings.
But of course, running an online English teaching business also comes with the challenges of setting everything up yourself (e.g. your teaching platform), learning to market yourself and doing all the invoicing. This can take time, grit and determination, and it’s not for the faint of heart. But it can be well worth it!
⚡ Related: 8 Steps to Start a Profitable Online Teaching Business
How much can you expect to earn by running your own business?
Hourly rate: $50+ (although I do not recommend charging an hourly rate, but for course packages)
Average number of hours per week: 10-15
Monthly income: $2000+
Which option should you choose to teach English online?
The good news is that you don’t have to ‘choose’ an option per se. It’s totally ok to experiment with different routes to making money by teaching English online.
In fact, many teachers I have worked with have set up their own businesses alongside working for an online teaching platform or freelancing for a school. There are no ‘rules’. You get to choose how you do it! And for that matter, it’s important that you do it in a way that ensures you are financially stable.
What should you do if you want to start your own business?
I’m so glad you asked! There are many steps involved in starting an online teaching business, but the good news is that there’s also tons of support to help you start.
I explain exactly what to focus on in the early stages in my FREE guide, The Successful Language Business Handbook. Download it for tons of inspo and support on getting started.