Our guide to becoming a freelance English teacher

Working as a freelance English teacher is becoming more and more popular. There was a time when TEFL teachers would sign a contract and work for just one employer for a whole year or six months.

That still happens, but the growth of the gig economy, of online English teaching, and new styles of work in the EFL industry has shifted the focus. These days, being set up as a freelancer to teach English can have some serious upsides, and make you more employable in classic TEFL destinations, especially in Europe.

This guide runs through the basics of becoming a freelance English teacher. It’s got steps on how to get started, lists of some of the things you’ll need to consider, and what the advantages are to going it alone and being your own boss.

What’s the difference between a traditional TEFL job and being a freelance English teacher?

The main difference between traditional TEFL jobs and freelancing is who your boss is. As an employee of a school, you’ll answer to the head of studies or the course convener. They pay you your salary and they’re the ones who countersign that contract. As a freelancer, on the other hand, you’ll be the head honcho in your very own business. That business that you run will then be drafted in as a contractor to cover a set number of hours of teaching each month.

What are the pros and cons of freelance English teaching?

As you can imagine, changing the format of employment has some considerable knock-on effects to the actual teaching experience. Because you’re not tied to a specific contract, the general feel is that you have more freedom to manage your schedule and how you work. That comes with a sacrifice, though: Freelancing rarely has the same level of job security as traditional contract employment.

Here are some of the main upsides:

• More flexibility: Freelancers aren’t tied to set teaching hours. You can chop and change your schedule to work how you like it.
• Work from wherever you want: Lots of freelance English teachers choose to work online. This is also known as being a digital nomad, because you can basically work from anywhere that has an internet connection!
• Higher pay potential: Because you’re not limited to the salary agreed in a contract, you can charge whatever you like as a freelancer. You can also fill up more and more hours with a multitude of employers to top up what you earn.
• Employability: Schools in lots of TEFL destinations actually prefer freelance teachers. It’s less admin for them and can help with visa restrictions.

The main downsides of becoming a freelance English teacher are:

• More admin: Freelance English teachers are responsible for the day-to-day management of their business, which includes registration, taxes, communications with clients (etc).
• Less security: Contract work guarantees that you’ll have a job for a set period of time. Working as a freelancer doesn’t. Theoretically, you could lose all your clients overnight and be out of work. You also won’t get sick pay and holidays as a freelancer.
• Visa restrictions: Being a freelancer won’t be allowed with working visas everywhere.
• More pressure: You’re your own boss now. You have to motivate yourself to get up in the morning, plan lessons, mark homework – the list goes on!

Salaries for the freelance English teacher

One of the most noticeable changes when you become a freelance English teacher is with the salary. Instead of being set in stone, the amount you earn can change from month to month. You might have a lot of lessons booked in for January but next to none in June. Because there’s no employer guaranteeing you’ll be paid no matter what, that means high wages one month and low the next. Freelancers often mitigate this by saving up when times are good for times that aren’t so good.

Admin and business ownership

Setting up as a freelance English teacher is just the same as setting up any business. You’ll need to go through the proper registration process with the government and ensure you pay your taxes. How you do all that will depend a lot on where you are and potentially where you’re from. It’s best for new teachers looking to go freelance to consult a qualified tax advisor on this issue as things can get a little complicated.

Working as a freelance teacher

The actual nature of work as a freelance English teacher can vary a whole lot. Some freelancers will see no practical difference to standard contract work.

For example, a school might simply prefer to hire freelancers to cover, say, 20 hours of teaching each week for the whole year. The only change is that you won’t be tied down to that sole position and aren’t officially an employee with benefits like sick pay and holidays. However, you’ll still go in at 9am for your C2 level English class and still chat to colleagues in the staffroom. This sort of employment structure has become increasingly popular in Europe, where private language schools are largely averse to committing to long-term contracts and teachers tend to like having the flexibility to accept multiple employers or one-on-one teaching commitments.

On the flip side, freelance English teaching can be very different to what contract TEFLers do. You could work online for several language schools and have a changing number of working hours each week, a different salary each month, and new students almost every day. That brings loads of flexibility but the trade off is less job security.  

Becoming a freelance English teacher

Here’s a step-by-step guide to becoming a freelance English teacher:

1. Get your TEFL qualification. We’d recommend at least a 120-hour TEFL course, but we’ve also got a 140-hour Master course that’s especially designed for people who want to work online.
2. Set up as a business. This will vary depending on where you’re based and perhaps even where you’re from but it’s one of the most important steps – it’s when you officially become a business.
3. Register for tax and other business services. You’ll be responsible for paying your own tax and national insurance as a freelancer. Again, this will vary depending on where you’re based and where you’re from and is best done with help from a qualified professional.
4. Look for freelance TEFL jobs. The most common type of freelance TEFL job these days is working online. However, lots of employers (mainly in Europe) like to hire on a freelance basis too.

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Can you think of anything to add to this guide to becoming a freelance English teacher? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below…