Quick answer: To start teaching English online you need a reliable computer, a headset, decent broadband and a quiet, well-lit space – plus somewhere to find students. Most new teachers start on a marketplace such as italki, Preply or Cambly, then move towards independent, direct-booked students as confidence grows. Expect roughly $10–25 per hour on the platforms to begin with, and noticeably more once you specialise and work for yourself. An accredited TESOL – ideally one that covers teaching English online – is what most decent employers ask to see.
This blog is a guide to how to start work teaching English online, freelancing and working for yourself. We also list the best courses for online 1-1 teaching.
Teaching English online is an exciting way to learn and teach English. It has grown dramatically as technology improves and the busy professional wakes up to the fact they can have lessons at a time to suit them, from the office or on the move. For the teacher, this flexibility means you can choose your hours and even set up on your own.
Be aware that this market is fragmented with varying recruitment criteria and demands. You may be teaching 1-1 or leading a small group online. You may have materials provided, an online ‘whiteboard’ etc. or be expected to generate your own lesson material.
One big change since this guide was first written: the large China-facing kids’ platforms that once dominated recruitment closed to overseas teachers after China’s 2021 private-tuition regulations. Today’s online market is mostly adults – conversation practice, exam preparation and business English – which is good news if you enjoy teaching grown-ups who actually want to be in the lesson.
What do you need to start teaching English online?
You will generally need a headset, microphone, reliable broadband and a video-call platform such as Zoom or Google Meet (see our platform comparison for teachers). Most students and employers expect a webcam as standard now, so an up-to-date computer matters more than any other single purchase.
Here is the full starter checklist:
- A reliable computer – a laptop is fine; a second screen is a luxury worth having later
- A headset with a microphone – even a cheap one beats laptop audio for clarity
- Broadband of 10 Mbps+ upload and download – wired beats wi-fi for stability
- A quiet, well-lit space – light on your face, not behind you
- A backup plan – a phone hotspot rescues a lesson when the broadband drops
- A way to get paid – the platforms handle this for you; independents typically use PayPal or Wise
- A handful of ready-to-go lessons – see our Teaching English Online Starter Pack
You’ll find that students like you to have a nice voice and a friendly manner. Some of the teaching is conversational in nature, so being genuinely interested in your students is important. You may find it beneficial to have a specialisation in TESOL, such as Teaching Business English, to make yourself more marketable in this arena.
Platform or freelance: which route should you take first?
There are three broad ways to earn, and most successful online teachers move through them in order:
| Route | How it works | Typical pay | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace platform (italki, Preply, Cambly) | You build a profile, students book you, the platform takes a commission (roughly 15–33%) | $10–25/hour | Brand-new online teachers – the students come to you |
| Online school or company | Fixed timetable, materials usually provided, you are paid per lesson | $10–20/hour | Steady hours without marketing yourself |
| Independent / freelance | Your own students, your own rates, you keep 100% | $20–50+/hour | Experienced teachers with a niche and a pipeline of students |
My advice: start on a platform to build confidence, reviews and regulars, then go independent gradually. We’ve written a whole series on that journey – start with how to set up as an independent English teacher and read how I started my own online English teaching business.
How much can you charge for online English lessons?
The honest answer: less than face-to-face at first, more than face-to-face once established. New platform teachers typically start around $10–15 per hour to gather reviews, then raise rates as regulars build. You will certainly earn more working for yourself than for an online English school, but finding paying students takes longer.
The fastest way to raise your rate is to specialise. Business English, exam preparation (IELTS, Cambridge exams) and industry niches command premium prices – a 30-hour Teaching Business English specialism pays for itself quickly here. Teachers with a clear niche and a professional profile can charge double the generalist rate on the same platform.
What should you teach in online lessons?
As in most areas, this will be student led. In my experience, most students want confidence building; a chance to practise with a fluent speaker in safety. Your role will often be to provide a nurturing space where they will feel at ease to make mistakes – and have you correct them and gradually help them to become more fluent and confident. However, we have taught English to professionals, students of English language exams such as IELTS and also helped students gear up for a particular event such as a business presentation or job interview. If you need to find your own material for lessons, see our blog on the best free TEFL websites.
You may not be able to meet every student niche request, however. When I started Phone English I had to turn down a foreign student whose job was to take down Chinese take-away orders in Birmingham; he particularly wanted a teacher with a Birmingham accent to dictate menu items down the phone. Alas, I didn’t feel any one of our excellent teachers could be asked to maintain a fake Brummie accent for any length of time.
For the nuts and bolts of an actual lesson, we have a 5-stage structure for a general English online class you can reuse for almost any theme.
How do you get your first students?
Start where the students already are. The marketplace platforms – italki, Preply and Cambly – bring learners to you, and your profile does the selling. We’ve got 3 ways to ace your teaching profile page to help you stand out.
Then it comes down to the trial lesson. Most first lessons online are trials, and converting them is a skill in itself – here is exactly how to succeed in your first trial online English lesson. Once students book, keeping them is cheaper than finding new ones: see how to retain online English students.
Already freelancing? The other oft-neglected way is to offer online English or a blended online and face-to-face option to students where you are locally. This might prove very interesting for learners who are busy professionals or parents at home, and hopefully you’ll be offering something that’s still quite unique in the local market place.
What about the business side of working for yourself?
If you go independent in the UK, you are self-employed: register as a sole trader with HMRC (it takes minutes on gov.uk), keep simple records of lesson income, and file a Self Assessment return each year. Platform income counts too – the commission the platform takes is a business expense. Other countries have their own equivalents, but the principle is the same everywhere: online teaching income is taxable income.
Some of the happiest independent teachers we know run their teaching alongside other income streams – here’s why a website and multiple income streams make freelance teaching more resilient. And if you fancy pairing online teaching with travel, see our top destinations for teaching-English digital nomads.
What qualification do you need to teach English online?
For online schools, a TESOL qualification will make you more employable. Even if working for yourself, knowing what and how to teach means you are more likely to give better lessons and keep your students coming back for more.
- Our TESOL Premier course 120 hours is perfect for getting started in teaching English quickly, and includes the basics for teaching English online
- Already TESOL trained? Add the 20-hour Teaching English Online specialist course to sharpen your 1-1 video-call skills
- If you want to focus on teaching business English, our 30 hour specialist teaching business English course is an excellent addition to a core TESOL
Frequently asked questions
What equipment do I need to teach English online?
A reliable computer, a headset with a microphone, a webcam, broadband of around 10 Mbps or better and a quiet, well-lit space. A phone hotspot as backup saves the day when your connection drops mid-lesson. Nothing exotic – students forgive modest kit; they don’t forgive being unable to hear you.
How many hours a week can you realistically teach online?
Most full-time online teachers settle at 20–30 teaching hours a week. Online lessons are intense – you are on camera and fully engaged for every minute – and admin, planning and messaging students eats several more hours. Start part-time, see how your energy holds, then scale.
Do I pay tax on online teaching income?
Yes. Whether you teach through a platform or independently, teaching income is taxable in the country where you are tax-resident. In the UK that means registering as a sole trader and filing a Self Assessment return; the platform’s commission and your equipment are allowable business expenses.
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You might also like:
* Techniques for great 1-to-1 lessons in our guide to teaching English by video call
* Global English TESOL graduate Lea shares his story here in I teach English Online
* Teaching English Online Starter Pack comprising 20 ready-to-use lessons, teaching guide and grammar eBook
* Why I love teaching English online – Louisa’s story
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