In this post, I’ll share three ways to teach online in 2024 plus some current industry trends to help you along your online teaching journey.

After the shock closures of successful online ESL companies based in China in August 2021, both veteran and new online teachers have found it difficult to find online teaching positions.

Ways to Teach Abroad in 2024

To begin, there are three main ways to teach in 2024: online ESL companies, online teaching marketplaces and freelance online teaching. 

While some teachers stick to one category, it’s possible to teach online in 2 or all 3 ways!

Online ESL Companies

Online ESL companies are not as popular as they once were for a few reasons. Firstly, non-Chinese online ESL companies pay less, typically around $10-15 per hour for native English speakers and less for non-native English speakers.

Secondly, many companies have become so saturated that they have gone on hiring freezes more often than not. Teachers are waiting weeks and even months to get hired and once they join these platforms, they are finding that they aren’t able to fill their schedules with classes.

Thirdly, online ESL companies are constantly changing their policies regarding bonuses, payments, class cancellations and more. 

In my opinion, online ESL companies are still a great option for people who are new to teaching online since teaching materials are often provided, classes are booked for you and you don’t have any upfront costs. 

Online Teaching Marketplaces

Online teaching marketplaces started to boom in 2020 and new marketplaces are starting up every few months. I predict that more and more online teaching marketplaces will appear in the coming years.

There are a few main differences between online teaching marketplaces and online ESL companies:

1. The teacher is required to create or purchase teaching materials that can be used commercially (like ESL Pals) on online teaching marketplaces. In contrast, many online ESL companies provide all teaching materials.
2. Teachers can teach a variety of subjects and topics on online teaching marketplaces like ESL, writing skills, hobbies, sports, book clubs, cooking, academics and more. This is a great option for teachers who are multi-passionate.
3. Some online teaching marketplaces like Outschool and Allschool do not require a degree. Professional and/or educational experience tied to your topic is required, but it doesn’t have to be in the form of a 4 year degree.
4. The earning potential is much higher on online teaching marketplaces. Since you decide how much to charge per student, how many students per class and the length of the class, you can earn much more than the $10-15 per hour offered by online ESL companies. More established online teaching marketplaces like Outschool say their teachers earn an average of $50 per hour.
5. You are essentially a business owner/independent contractor when you work for an online teaching marketplace. This means you are responsible for your own taxes, business costs and occasionally marketing.

From my point of view, online teaching marketplaces are best for teachers who have some previous online teaching experience and are ready to take their classes to the next level in terms of income and creative freedom. You’ll not only gain more control over what you teach, but how much you earn as well.

If you are interested in teaching on an online teaching marketplace but aren’t comfortable making your own materials, then you can either purchase teaching materials (like ESL Pals) or in the case of Outschool, apply to teach through an Outschool organization.

More on how to teach on Outschool as an independent teacher or for an organization

Learn about teaching on Allschool, an online teaching marketplace based in Singapore

Do note that both Outschool and Allschool only hire teachers living in specific countries (Outschool) or with a passport from specific countries (Allschool). If you aren’t from one of the eligible countries, then I recommend looking at Awaketh.

Freelance Online Teaching

The third way to teach online in 2022 is as a freelance online teacher. This is another sector of the industry that is growing and will continue to grow.

Freelance online teaching isn’t easy, but IS worth it. It can be difficult to know how to take payments, which teaching tools to use, and where to find students to fill your classes.

If you are completely new to online freelance teaching, then I recommend watching this video.

The pros of freelance online teaching are you have complete control over what you teach, you choose who to teach, you are in charge of your schedule and you keep 100% of your profits. (Online ESL companies take a HUGE chunk out of what the students are paying and online teaching marketplaces typically take between 25-30% of your earnings to pay for the platform, marketing costs and teacher training.)

Another benefit of online freelance teaching is being location independent. Since 2020, more and more countries are adding digital nomad visas (most recently Spain and Italy). This allows people with established online businesses (hello freelance teachers!) to live and work remotely for a year, with the option to renew in most countries or move on to the next country.

While freelance teaching isn’t for everyone, it’s a great next step after teaching for online teaching marketplaces or for in-person teachers who want to work remotely and see the world.

Whatever route you decide to take, I encourage you to always be working towards the next step on your online teaching journey and to reach out for help when you need it.

Happy teaching!

Jamie from ESL Teacher 365

Jamie is an American teacher who has been living and teaching abroad & online since 2010. She holds a US teaching license, a Master’s in Education from Spain and a CELTA completed in Australia. She currently lives in Australia and helps teachers live a life of freedom and adventure through teaching online and abroad. For tips and tricks on how to teach online and abroad, you can find her on Instagram and YouTube.