How to Teach English Online While Travelling The World
To teach English online while travelling the world, you’ll need a 120-hour TEFL certificate, a laptop, a webcam, a headset, and reliable internet. Tick all those boxes? Great! Beginner teachers can earn around $10 to $15 (R185 to R280) per hour, and with more experience, you can earn anywhere from $25 to $40+ (R460 to R740+) per hour.
The year was 2016. I had completed my 120-hour TEFL qualification, quit my job, and was about to board a plane to Thailand, where I would spend six months teaching English.
To be honest? It was one of the best decisions I made, but I haaaaated being tied down to one location.
(Which is why I chose not to extend my contract and stay for a full year).
Teaching English online changes all of that. It lets you work from anywhere (mostly, depending on your WiFi connection) and explore the world slowly instead of 2-week holiday stints.
If a nomadic teaching career is calling to you, here’s what you need to know to get started, how to find work, and what you can realistically expect to earn.
You’ll LOVE these other posts on funding your travels!
Step 1: Get Your 120-Hour TEFL Qualification
There’s no teaching English online or abroad in destinations like South Korea without your TEFL qualification from an accredited provider. I did my 120-hour TEFL in Cape Town with the theory online and one weekend of in-person practicals.
Here’s what to budget in 2026 for your qualification:
- 120-hour online TEFL: $185 to $495 (R3,400 to R9,200)
- Level 5 TEFL (168+ hours): $310 to $990 (R5,700 to R18,300)
But do you need a degree to teach English? Sometimes. It depends on the school or platform. For example, online schools like VIPKid do ask for one, while marketplaces like Preply don’t. TEFL.org lets you filter jobs by whether a degree is required.
Step 2: Find an Online English Teaching Job
There are many ways to find an English teaching job, online or in person. When I taught English in Thailand, I found a position through a referral from a friend who was already working in the country.
If you don’t have recruiter contacts, you can use online platforms to find jobs with schools and teacher-hiring platforms.
- TEFL.org: The site sells TEFL courses and has a job board that advertises vacancies on behalf of schools, employers and recruiters. However, you do need to be a student to view all the job details.
- Set-rate platforms: Cambly and VIPKid find the students, supply the lesson material and pay you a fixed rate. It’s a lot less admin, but less control.
- Marketplaces: Preply and italki let you create a profile, set your rate and bid for students. It’s kinda like Upwork for online teaching. The platform takes a cut of your earnings, and you’re responsible for marketing yourself and signing on students.
A note for South Africans: Some companies don’t hire South Africans as they want North American or British accents. Always read the job description and check the requirements before you apply.
How Much Can You Earn Teaching English Online?
To give you a peek into pay ranges, here is what part-time online teaching jobs are paying in October 2026:
What Online English Teaching Jobs Pay
For a detailed look into salary expectations for TEFL teachers, download the TEFL.org Salary Guide. It’s a free resource with insights from over 500 real job postings across more than 60 countries.
What Tech Do You Need to Teach English Online?
You don’t need a lot to start teaching English, but your tech needs to be reliable. Don’t show up for a lesson? You lose money, and you could lose the gig.
Reliability is what keeps you employed.
Here’s what you need:
- A laptop with an HD webcam: You don’t need the latest MacBook, but a decent, lightweight device will do. I’d also probably get an external webcam if you have room in your budget. It’ll give you better quality video.
- Noise-cancelling headset with a mic: Trust. You don’t want outside sounds to interfere with how well your students can hear you.
- Fast, stable internet: Aim for a 30 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. If you’re travelling, ask your hotel or Airbnb host to send you a screenshot of a speed test.
- A backup connection: For South Africans, this means an inverter in case load shedding starts again. When you’re travelling, it’s a local SIM or eSIM with enough data to hotspot from if the WiFi goes down.
- Good lighting and a plain background: Sit in front of a window or buy a clip-on ring light.
- A way to get paid: Most platforms pay via PayPal or a direct bank transfer.
Read More: 15+ Digital Nomad Tools You Need in Your Life
Start Teaching Before You’re Ready to Travel
It’s super tempting to throw caution to the wind, get your TEFL qualification, book a flight to Rome, and yell “Yolo!” as you feast on a never-ending supply of gelato flavours.
The problem is that it takes time to build a student base and find a job. If you have never taught English before, there’s an adjustment period.
Instead, find your feet in a familiar environment where you can control the variables. Once you’ve had time to settle into the humdrum of a new career and job, then book the flight.
Travelling is mentally exhausting. Everything is new, and nothing is familiar, so your brain works overtime trying to figure out every small task, like catching the bus or buying groceries. When you add all that extra problem-solving on top of finding work so you can eat and keep travelling, it’s a one-way ticket to overwhelm and stress.
So, start slow. Build up your safety net and get comfortable before boarding the plane to your next adventure.
Got any questions about teaching English online while travelling? Hit ya gurl up in the comments below!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Many schools, employers and platforms accept South African teachers.
Yes, as long as you treat it as a way to fund your travels and not a get-rich-quick scheme.
