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Teach English Online With No Degree (Earn $4K/Month)

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Teaching English online is one of the most sought after jobs online.  It pays a great wage, it’s very flexible and offers steady work.  And, if you love teaching, it can’t be beat.

While there’s nothing wrong with the job, the biggest problem is that most of the companies hiring require that you hold at least a bachelor’s degree.  And, while there’s nothing wrong with that, what happens if you really want to teach English online but don’t hold the degree?

Well, you’re in luck because there are a few reputable companies that hire teachers, even if you don’t hold the degree.

If you want to teach English but don’t hold a bachelor’s degree, then you may want to check out a few of the companies I mention below.   All of them are 100% legit and can pay you anywhere from $10 to $20+ per hour.

How to Teach English Online With No Bachelor’s Degree Required

italki

pay range:  set your own rate (sweet spot is $8-$12/hr)

As an italki teacher, you essentially get to create your own profile and set your own prices.  Picture it almost like a public resume of sorts since you need to sell yourself whenever a potential student lands on it.  It’s one of the largest platforms I list here, the main reason I put it near the top.  As I write this, they have more than five million students with more than 10,000 teachers on the platform.

Unlike your very popular companies, such as VIPKid, where they find the kids/customer for you, italki can bring the customer to you, but you have to sell yourself in order to get the gig.  They need to pick you as who they want as a tutor.

To apply without a degree, you can only be brought on as a community tutor.  This position, unlike the professional teacher option, does not allow you to post any credentials you may have.  However, over time, you may earn an accredited teaching certification.  You must be at least 18+ years old and be willing to upload a short one to three-minute introduction video.  You will need to upload a CV in some cases as well.

And, while you can set your own rates, the platform does recommend that you set your rates in the $8 to $12 per hour range to start getting lessons to at least build feedback.  Once your profile receives reviews and a history, then you can increase your prices as your feedback increases over time.



Acadsoc

pay range:  $10/class

According to the company, Acadsoc is said to be one of the fastest growing English education platforms with more than 40 million students and 10,000 tutors.

The company does offer both part- and full-time positions, so you can work whenever your time allows.  Depending on your education and experience, you will receive different work and students, with potential bonuses available.

To qualify, you must be fluent in English, know the basics of teaching ESL, have a TEFL certification and be willing to take advanced training classes.  No degree is required, but it is highly recommended to put your resume at the top of the list.

Amazing Talker

pay range:  set your own rate

Amazing Talker is another platform like italki, wherein you can set your own rates as an online tutor.

As a tutor, you can teach 25-minute trial lessons to basically give your potential customer a sample of what you can offer, then offering 50-minute private lessons therein after.

To apply as a teacher, they do ask that you’re a native English speaker, but no bachelor’s degree is required.  A TEFL certification is preferred and experience is preferred, however.

With Amazing Talker, you get to set your hours, and there’s no minimum commitment necessary.  As I write this, they are hiring more than 53 language tutors, with the average tutors earning more than $4,531 in a month!

Cambly

pay range:  $0.17 per minute, $10.20/hr

As a Cambly tutor, you can work as little as you want, seeing you get to set your own hours.  And, the great thing is that you don’t need a college degree nor do you need teaching experience.  As long as you’re fluent in English, you can apply.

This site is a pinch different as it isn’t a classroom in a traditional sense.  Rather, it’s more of a casual way for people to come in and chat with you one-on-one.  From a simple conversation to helping with structured English language, your students will often let you know what they expect of you.

When you become active on the platform, you can log in at any time and connect with students.  Typically, students will book 15-minute time slots, but some book for hour-long sessions.  It’s at random.  Just log in, set your availability and wait for someone to come to you.   For every minute you log, you will get paid the going rate, which, at the time of this publishing, was $0.17 per minute.

Pay is delivered every Monday via PayPal, and it’s free to join!  As a final note, they are not always hiring new tutors, so don’t be discouraged if you’re put on a waitlist.

Cafetalk

pay range:  set your own rate

Cafetalk was designed to teach any lesson you can think of; however, it’s mainly used as an English teaching platform.

To qualify, they simply ask that you’re at least 20+ years old and be native in the language you’re interested in.  No degree is required, but you will be responsible for creating your lessons and selling yourself essentially.  You will need to create a profile to sell yourself, listing your credentials, etc.

To learn more about how the process works, refer to the link below to see how you can start.

Lingoda

pay range:  $8-$12/hr average

On the Lingoda platform, students can learn more than just the English language as students can learn hundreds of others as well.  According to the website, more than 6,000 students take more than 6,000+ classes every week, leaving you with a lot of opportunity.

To apply and be qualified as a teacher, Lingoda asks that you have at least two years of teaching experience as well as hold an ESL teaching certification.  You must also be a native speaker in the language you’re looking to teach.  No college degree is required, however.

The website is open 24/7 and you get to choose the job list that suits you best.  Pay seems to range from $8 to $12~ per hour.

Magic Ears

pay range: $20-26/hr average

Magic Ears is said to be one of the funnest, most interactive platforms on the list.

Here, you will be responsible for teaching Chinese children, ages 4-12, in either a private or group setting, up to four students at a time.  You get to choose your hours and all classes only last 25 minutes.

To qualify, you do need a bachelor’s degree, however, if you’re a current university student without one, you can qualify.  You just need teaching experience and a TEFL certification.  I just wanted to include this option if you’re currently going to school and don’t have your degree just yet.

The average earnings tend to be about $20 per hour.



Open English

pay range:  $8-$15/hr average

Open English is one of the largest language schools in Latin America, offering both private and group classes, all of which last 25 minutes.  The great thing about this school is that it’s opened 24 hours a day unlike a lot of online schools that limit your schedule.

As a teacher, students are provided with the materials.  It’s just up to you to help teach with the platform’s interactive content tool.

While a bachelor’s degree is required in some cases, you can apply without one only if you have at least two years of tutoring/teaching experience and a TEFL certificate. You must also be a native English speaker and be eligible to work in the United States to qualify.

The school does require that you work a minimum number of hours, usually more than 10+ to stay active on the platform.

Palfish

pay range:  $10-$18/hr average

Palfish is a very popular app-based teaching platform based out of China.  And, to become a Palfish teacher, it can only be done via the app as they don’t have a desktop version, at least not yet.

If interested, you don’t need a college degree, but it is recommended that you do have a TEFL certification or something equivalent to be considered.  This isn’t required, but it can increase your chances of getting hired, at least from what I read.  Unlike most sites that require you to have some teaching experience, they don’t require this, either, but they do require that you meet their standards as a regular teacher.

In joining, there are two options to consider:  a regular teacher position, which is open to bother native and non-native teachers as well as a “Palfish Official teacher,” which requires that you meet the full list of requirements found on the site.

In order to join Palfish and start the application process, you will need to download the app, which I link to below.  As a note, don’t worry that it’s in a foreign language.  Upon downloading it, you will be able to read it in English.  You can read more about how it works in my Palfish review.

Preply

pay range:  set your own rate

Preply is yet another tutoring platform, where you can set your own rate and create your own profile.

To apply, it’s as easy as filling out a registration form and getting approved.  All they ask is that you submit a photo, video and description that meets their requirements, which you can find during the registration process.  It doesn’t seem to be too hard.

You do not need to be a certified teacher, but they do recommend you have some sort of teaching experience to increase your chances of students using you as their tutor.  Remember, you will have to sell yourself in your profile.  Why should someone choose you?  The more credentials and experience you have, the more competitive you can be in the search.

I want to mention that Preply will take 100% of your fees with your first student, but you get to keep a good chunk of it thereafter.  The more teach, the lower the percentage becomes.

SkimaTalk

pay range:  set your own rate

SkimaTalk caters more to adult students and works just like italki, where you can set your own rate and create your own profile.

Once your profile is live, students can browse the results and pick you if they feel you’re a good fit.  No college degree is required, but you will be asked to take a few simple tests before you’re approved.  Teaching experience is also preferred so that you can succeed, but again, not required.

When the site approves your profile, you can then set your availability as you please and conduct the teaching lesson via Skype.  Most lessons last 25 minutes.  One thing to keep in mind is that the platform expects a high level of satisfaction.  If you’re not performing at your best, meaning you have multiple no shows and/or a low rating, then you may be booted from the platform.  This appears to be very strict from what I read.

They do take 20% of the price set, less PayPal fees, leaving the remaining 80% for you.  Teachers get paid once a month.

Skyeng

pay range:  $15-$20/hr average

The Skyeng English School is based in Russia, offering English classes for adults who mainly live in eastern Europe.  To date, they have close to 100,000 students with more than 11 million lessons taught.

Even though they hire teachers without a college degree, they highly prefer to hire only those who have some sort of certification.

Teachers can set their own schedule, with the pay being very fair, in the $15 to $20+ per hour range.

Tutlo

pay range:  $5-$12/hr average

Even though Tutlo is a Polish-based platform, it doesn’t mean you can’t apply as a tutor.

Right now, they are open to applicants who reside in the United States, the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.  To qualify as a tutor, you need to be at least 18+ years old, have at least 6+ months of teaching experience and a TEFL certification.   You must be also be a great conversationalist.

Most of your lessons are 20 minutes, but students can choose from 40 and 60-minute sessions as well.  Unlike a lot of these platforms, where students need to adhere to a schedule, they can jump in on demand, which means you can connect and start teaching whenever you choose to do so.

To start, just fill out the application form linked below, submit the required documents and then upload a short video to be considered.   If brought on board, the average pay ranges from as little as $5 to $12 per hour, with payments made via PayPal.

Verbling

pay range:  set your own rate

Verbling is another platform where you can connect with students via a video chat to help teach a language.  During these sessions, you will use the Verbling unique video software instead of the traditional Skype and Google Hangouts software so many other schools use.

If you want to become a teacher, a degree is not required, but they do ask that you have some sort of teaching experience.  You will have to submit a resume, yes, just like a job.  In this case, you will want to talk about your experience in detail and even upload proof to increase your chances of being approved.  While a TEFL isn’t required, this can greatly help increase your chances, at least from what I read.

On this platform, you get to set your own rate, and you can earn 85% of what you earn.  Come time to cash out, you can do so via a variety of ways, including PayPal and Payoneer, to name a few.

You can set your own hours, and the cool thing is that Verbling has a 12 hour advance notice policy, where students can’t cancel within 12 hours without incurring a penalty.  This option can help you plan, knowing your student will more than likely show up.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t have a college degree, teaching English online is possible; however, it’s highly recommended you at least consider your TEFL if you’re serious about making cash online.  It’s not only going to be great for advancing your education, but that extra credential can lead to even more students booking you.  While you can technically start without the degree and TEFL, just let it be known that your hourly wage will be on the lower end and your student bookings may be much less than your colleagues with better credentials.

Nonetheless, you can teach English without a degree. If doing so, most of those platforms can help you find students, but don’t plan on making more than $12~ an hour.  I know it’s not much, but if you can at least advance to get your TEFL and/or a bachelor’s degree, then your hourly salary can almost double, especially if you have the experience.

For now, check out the many platforms I mentioned.  You can sign up for more than one to increase your chances, but just be sure to have good time management skills if doing so.

As always, I leave it up to you.

Have you ever signed up with one of these companies?

Do you teach English online without a degree?

Have anything to add?

Feel free to vent in the comments below!

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

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