Teach English Online to Adults (Top 10 Companies Hiring)

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning that when you make a purchase, I earn a small commission. Affiliate links cost you nothing to use and help keep my content free. For more info, see the Disclosure Policy.

If you want to be an online English teacher but aren’t too keen on the idea of teaching children, the good news is that you don’t have to.

Adults need to learn English for work, travel, exams, and their day-to-day lives. So, of course, there are companies that cater to the beginner to the advanced adult learner.

Most companies cater to both adult and children learners, with few that cater to adults alone. Some companies give teachers a choice whether they’d like to teach adults or children. With that in mind, let’s look at the Top 10 Companies for teaching adults online.

1. Cambly

• Requirements: Hire native and native-like speakers of English; no qualifications required
• Pay: $10.20 per hour for teaching adults
• Equipment: High-speed internet, headset, microphone, webcam
• How To Apply: Create your profile and upload a video introduction, wait for account approval

Cambly is a popular choice for teachers who need to fill in some teaching hours. You can find my full Cambly review here.

Cambly is a 24/7 logon system where teachers can work with students from around the globe. You will find many students from Saudi Arabia and parts of Europe on the platform.

This job has a more relaxed, conversational approach to English language learning. It is a good option for teachers who want to have a secondary teaching position or a full-time job if they live with a low living cost.

There is an option for Cambly tutors to teach children. If you do not wish to teach children, that is no problem! You can engage with adults on the platform. Teaching children requires you to take a separate demo interview.

Apply to Cambly.

2. English First

• Requirements: Hire native speakers with the valid UK or US passport. Bachelor’s degree in any subject, TEFL certification (40 hours or higher)
• Pay: $10-$17 per hour
• Equipment: High-speed internet, headset, microphone, webcam
• How To Apply: Fill out their application form on their website, take a call with recruitment, and receive training, sign your contract.

English First is another platform for teachers who wish to teach English online to adults. They teach one-on-one and adult group classes, as well as classes for kids. 

English First provides all the lessons for teachers, and teachers can choose their working hours and class size.

English First offers interactive lesson plans and 24/7 technical support on their platform.

Classes can be 20 and 40 minutes long, and 45 minutes for group classes.

Apply to English First.

You may also be interested in: The Best English Teaching Companies in 2022.

3. Preply

• Requirements: Hire native and non-native speakers; teaching experience is recommended
• Pay: set your own pay rates; top-earning tutors make $550 weekly
• Equipment: High-speed internet, headset, microphone, webcam
• How To Apply: fill out your profile with a photo, video, and description (profile should be 70% complete or more to get approved)

For more information about Preply, check my Preply review.

Preply is a platform that gives teachers the freedom to set up their own profile with more information about what they teach and to whom.

Students book a teacher based on the profiles available and can purchase a package of 6, 12, or 20 hours. 

Preply takes a commission from teachers, but as teachers have more classes, Preply takes less commission. This commission base structure is between 18%-33%.

As students choose teachers based on their profile, the teacher’s profile is critical to success.

4. iTalki

• Requirements: Hire native and non-native speakers, TEFL certificate optional
• Pay: set your own pay rates, 
• Equipment: High-speed internet, headset, microphone, webcam
• How To Apply: fill out your profile with photo, video, and details, wait for account approval

iTalki is a platform where teachers can find adult learners who pay by lesson. This is a similar marketplace to Preply, where teachers can find students looking for one-on-one, personalized classes.

iTalki employs two different types of teachers — community teachers and professionally certified teachers.

Community teachers are expected to provide an immersive English learning experience without the lesson plan. They have no certification.

Professionally certified teachers earn more on average, especially if they specialize in a particular subject.

On average, community teachers earn about $9-$13 per hour, and professional tutors earn up to $22 per hour.

Apply to iTalki.

For English Language Teachers or Those Looking to Get Started…

Teacher tips, new teacher checklist, teacher planner, and notes. Subscribe for ESL News, jobs, and more!

Learn more here

5. Skimatalk

• Requirements: native speakers, no teaching qualifications or certification required
• Pay: set your own pay rates, 
• Equipment: High-speed internet, headset, microphone, webcam
• How To Apply: sign up, fill out your teacher profile, take a few simple tests, get approved

Read my full Skimatalk review.

Skimatalk is an online teaching platform for adults based in Japan. The students are mainly Japanese business professionals or teens.

Skimtalk has preplanned lessons students can choose from or decide to engage with a conversational class with a teacher.

Classes are one-on-one, and there is a minimum threshold rate of $16 that teachers can charge for each lesson and a maximum of $60 per lesson. They take a 20% commission from earnings.

Skimatalk offers 25-minute lessons with 24/7 flexibility for its teachers. Teachers must maintain a 4.5/5 average star rating to teach on the platform.

Apply to Skimatalk.

6. Open English

• Requirements: native North American speakers, ESL teaching certification, some teaching experience preferred, some Spanish or Portuguese preferred
• Pay: up to $15 per hour
• Equipment: High-speed internet, headset, microphone, webcam
• How To Apply: sign up, fill out your teacher profile, complete an internet speed test, quick grammar test and fill in teaching availability

Read my full Open English Review.

Open English helps children and adults learn the English language and is one of the most well-known teaching platforms in Latin America.

Open English has also expanded to other parts of the world, such as Turkey, but you will mainly teach students from South America.

Teachers must be available to work at least ten hours per week, and there is a 24/7 schedule available. Classes are 20 and 45 minutes long, and teachers can teach adults in groups or one-on-one.

Teachers are paid up to $15 per hour and paid twice per month, directly to their bank accounts.

Teachers may also be involved in other projects, such as learning development and curriculum design. 

Apply to Open English.

7. Learnship

• Requirements: native level of English, ESL certification (preferred), French or German (preferred)
• Pay: $16-$18 per hour 
• Equipment: 2mbps download and 2mbps upload speed, headset, microphone, webcam
• How To Apply: After you submit your resume, you will have a Skype interview, two mock classes (paid), receive an offer

Learnship is a European teaching platform based in Germany, which specializes in business English but also offer a range of other languages.

It is a smaller company that doesn’t have as many teachers as the other big ESL companies. Therefore there is a more stringent hiring process.

Teachers set their own flexible schedule, and the company gives the teachers students based on their timezone, with no peak hours. 

The company has once paid up to 26 euros per class (up to 90-minute classes). However, we think the company during the recent pandemic and pay rates have been reduced; the estimated figure found online is $16-$18 per hour. If you have an updated rate for this company, let me know.

Learnship provides all the lesson material and homework. 

Apply to Learnship.                                        

8. Likeshou 

• Requirements: native English speaker or Chinese teacher, ESL certification, previous experience preferred, 30-hours per month minimum availability
• Pay: $16-$25 per hour
• Equipment: laptop, stable internet connection, headset, microphone
• How To Apply: fill an online application, attend an interview and trial class, complete training, sign a contract.

Likeshou tutors students of all ages, but teachers can decide the age that they teach.

They allow Chinese teachers to apply to their overseas program if they graduated from an overseas English-speaking university. 

Native English teachers can sign up for their ‘general’ or ‘professional’ teacher program to teach adults. The ‘professional’ program requires that teachers have some experience teaching adults already, and they are more selective about teacher nationality.

Likeshou classes can vary in size, from one-on-one to large group lessons, with as many as fifteen students in the classroom.

Classes are 45-minutes long, and no preparation (lesson planning) is required.

Apply to Likeshuo here.

9. Vivaling

• Requirements: native English speaker, ESL certification and/or educational degree, two years of experience working full time with children
• Pay: $20-$26 per hour
• Equipment: laptop with 4GB RAM, or higher, stable internet connection, headset, microphone
• How To Apply: Submit your application online, attend a virtual interview, complete training.

Vivaling is a unique platform for teachers who want to teach adults or children.

Vivaling need teachers to be available for at least three hours per day, four days per week (European time). They want teachers who are available during school evenings or weekends.

They have a rigorous hiring process that requires teachers to complete VOLT training and teaching practice training. This can take at least a month to complete.

Classes are one-on-one or group sessions. They also have other languages available such as Mandarin, Spanish, and French.

Apply to Vivaling.

10. Amazing Talker

• Requirements: native and non-native English speakers
• Pay: set your own rates; they claim that their top teachers earn between $26-$49 per hour
• Equipment: laptop, webcam, headset, stable internet connection
• How to Apply: Create an account, complete a demo class with a student

Amazing Talker allows teachers to set up their own independent profiles and list what they teach.

At Amazing Talker, top teachers earn between $26-$49 per hour. I believe this is because teachers can host group classes and make more for their teaching hours. Teachers can also teach around the clock.

Teachers can have 25-minute trial lessons and 50-minute private lessons with students.

Amazing Talker recruits tutors who are fluent in English. Teaching experience and certification are preferred.

Apply to Amazing Talker here.

In Conclusion

Don’t leave all your eggs in one basket and apply for more than one online teaching company, if possible, to make it a full-time income.

Don’t forget to share this list with someone who would find it helpful!

Useful Links

• Top Online ESL Companies (no degree required)
• Top Online ESL Companies in Korea
• Top Online ESL Companies in Japan
• TEFL vs TESOL — What’s the difference?
• Best TEFL Provider: The TEFL Academy Review

Caitriona Maria

Education writer at TPR Teaching | https://www.tprteaching.com

Caitriona Maria is an education writer and founder of TPR Teaching, crafting inspiring pieces that promote the importance of developing new skills. For 7 years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.