If you’ve ever thought about working remotely, we’ve got just the thing for you. Couple of months ago we discovered VIPKID, an online English teaching platform where you can make big bucks anywhere in the world. We want to tell you all about it so you can start earning money remotely too.
If you’re looking for an easy way to earn money while working remotely, teaching English online with VIPKid is a great opportunity that we think you’ll love.
A couple of months ago, we heard about a program called VIPKid that allows English speakers to teach Chinese students through video chat. Since Ben was an English teacher in Korea and was looking for a job that he could easily do wherever we may be, this sounded like a perfect opportunity.
And it has turned out to be an even better job than he expected.
We want to share this program with you because we think it is such a great way for many people to earn money while working remotely.
Ben even taught English classes from inside our campervan no matter where we are parked for the night!
Is your interest piqued? We thought so, but we’re sure you have lots of questions.
What is VIPKid? Will I qualify? How much money can I make?
Well, it just so happens that you’re in the right place. We’re going to explain this program in detail, tell you how much money you can earn (hint: there are lots of bonuses!), and give you tips for the application process.
This is literally everything you need to know to get started as a VIPKid teacher. After reading this article, you’ll have all the tools you need to start earning money in just a few days!
Are you ready? Great, let’s get started…
Brief overview of VIPKid
VIPKid is an online platform that connects students living in Beijing, China with English speakers around the world. Through video conversations, teachers will guide students through pre-made slides and help them improve their English speaking and conversation skills.
Requirements to apply for VIPKid
Ben loved teaching English in South Korea, so VIPKid sounded like a perfect fit!
You must be:
Legally able to work in USA or Canada (however, you can teach from anywhere)
Fluent in English with neutral American accent
4-year Bachelor’s degree in any field (must send proof)
1-year experience with children (teacher, tutor, babysitter, coach)
Obviously the main requirement to be an English teacher is to be fluent in English. Duh. But you do also need to have a Bachelor’s degree, but it can be in anything. Teaching experience is helpful in the interview process but not required.
Not an American or Canadian citizen? No problem! There are lots of other companies that will hire native speakers from other countries. Each has their own set of requirements that we’ve called out in our list of the best companies for teaching english online to start your side-hustle.
You must have:
Reliable Internet
Computer, laptop, tablet with latest Google Chrome update
OR Latest update of VIPKID Teacher App, download it from their site.
Headphones with microphone (the iPhone kind works, but headsets are better)
Props are recommended (Ben uses a small whiteboard)
As you can see, there aren’t all that many requirements to apply to VIPKID.
Do you need to have experience teaching English to apply to VIPKid?
Not at all! You do not need a TEFL certificate, nor do you need experience teaching. (Though Ben can attest that both are extremely helpful.)
Ready to Apply Now?
How much money can you earn as a VIPKid teacher?
I’m sure this is the question you’re wondering at this point… amiright?!
You can make up to $22 per hour with VIPKID, but how much money you earn will depend on several factors. Let’s start by breaking down the payment model:
Your base rate will vary, depending on your experience and your first interview.
It will be between $7- $9 USD per 25-minute class. This means that you can make a base rate of $14 – $18 USD per hour. Continue reading to check out the VIPKid Bonuses!
Example: Ben makes $8.50 per 25-minute class ($17 per hour) because he has prior English teaching experience as well as a TEFL certificate (Teaching English as a Foreign Language).
(Oh, and he did pretty well on his interview, too – I eavesdropped a bit hehe! Having experience teaching will definitely help with your interview.)
Want to get your digital nomad journey started teaching English? Follow this step-by-step guide to becoming a digital nomad. Hint: You’ll already be ahead of the game if you start teaching for VIPKID!
VIPKID BONUSES!
But hold up! The money doesn’t stop right there. VIPKID is particularly awesome because they offer several extra bonus incentives, which allow you to earn even more money than your base salary.
Note: These are the basic bonuses that are always offered by VIPKID. They sometimes have special incentives that are valid only for a limited period of time. We won’t be covering those in this section, because they aren’t valid all the time.
Let’s go over the bonuses:
1. Finished Class Bonus: If you teach 30 or more classes per month (which breaks down to just 15 hours per month!), you’ll earn $0.5 USD more per class (aka your hourly base rate will increase by $1!) if you have no
1.b. Finished Class Bonus: If you teach more than 45 lessons per month (22.5 hours/month), you’ll earn an additional $1 for each class. So if you work 22.5 hours or more each month (just over 5.5 hours each week), your hourly rate will increase by $2 USD.
So even if you start at the lowest-earning tier, making $14 USD per hour, this will bump you to a rate of $16 USD per hour. Not bad!
2. Participation Bonus: If you show up for all your classes booked, you will get an additional $1 per class. Yep, that’s right, if you teach a class you automatically get $1 more!
3. Short notice classes: Typically, you’ll open up your schedule 2-4 weeks in advance so that students have ample opportunity to book classes with you. This allows you to basically ensure you will get the hours you want. However, if a time slot is booked less than 24 hours in advance (which you can control if you want it to be or not), you’ll earn an additional $2 USD per class ($4 extra per hour).
4. Trial students: Most of the time you will teach students who are already enrolled in VIPKid. But quite often (especially when starting out), you’ll have students who are doing a trial class. If they end up signing up for VIPKid after your class, you will earn a $5 USD bonus. Cha-ching!
5. Referral bonus: If you’re a VIPKID teacher in good standing and you refer a friend who applies and passes their interview, and starts teaching, you are eligible for a bonus. After your friend teaches their first class, you will earn a $100 USD bonus.
A note on referral bonuses: If you feel like you’ve gotten a lot of information from this article and feel so inclined, we’d really appreciate if you apply through our referral link here, or if you enter our code on your application: BENJA0009
Our website isn’t affiliated in any way with VIPKid – we’re simply sharing this information because we think you’ll find it useful and we think it’s a really great program. Referral bonuses truly do help us continue to put out information-packed articles. Thank you in advance!
6. Opening Slots: If you open a certain amount of teaching slots (especially PPT “Peak Peak Times”) in a week you’ll get an extra bonus. These bonuses vary depending on the week, but a typical week is a bonus of $20 for 8 PPT slots, $30 for 10 PPT slots, and $49 for 14 PPT slots.
Do you want to know how we afford to travel long term? VIPKID is just one of the ways we fund our travels. See all our other money-saving tips and ways we earn money on the road.
Does VIPKID sound like something that’s up your alley? We thought it might!
Now we’ll go over the application process, answer some FAQs and give you tips for getting started!
How to Apply to VIPKid
The application process cannot be easier. There are four ways different ways to go through the VIPKid teacher process, and I’ll break them all down for you:
Live One-on-One Interview
Recorded Interview (on a computer)
Smart Demo Interview (Quiz and recording on a smartphone)
Fast Pass Coaching Day
No matter what process you want to go through, you have to first Sign Up to VIPKid.
VIPKID Hiring Process (source: https://t.vipkid.com.cn/)
Submission of Resume: Upload your information to VIPKID and get the ball rolling
VIPKID Interview – 3 Options
Live 1-1 Interview: See
Recorded Interview: See Below
Smart Demo Interview
Introduction to Teaching: Loads of information on how to teach online with tips and videos
Mock class(es): See below
Sign Contract and Upload Docs
NEW STEP: Certification Classes
Become a Full-Fledged VIPKID Teacher!!
What is the interview process for VIPKID like?
Well, it’s a bit more in-depth than the actual application. In fact, there are 3 separate interviews. But don’t stress – they are pretty low-key, and we’ve got lots of tips to help you feel confident!
First Interview: 30 minutes total
Your first interview will be with someone who works at the VIPKID headquarters in Beijing. You will receive a folder of slides that are essentially a lesson plan in advance, so you can prepare for your interview. It is similar to PowerPoint, with a split-screen with video chat. (If you’ve ever used WebEx, it’ll feel familiar.)
The first 10 minutes of the interview are formalities, and you’ll be asked about your experience and they’ll talk about the program. They will make sure you are fluent in English and you have a solid internet connection.
In the next 15 minutes, you will teach the lesson that you have prepared, based on the slides given to you in advance. Your interviewer pretends like they are a 5-year-old student with limited English skills to simulate a real class. (It can be kind of strange talking to an adult pretending to be a child!)
During the last 5 minutes, your interviewer will give you feedback on how your lesson went. They will tell you what you did well and what you should improve on for your next interview.
In total, it takes 30 minutes and is relatively low-stress.
Tips for your interview:
Be truthful and honest about your experience.
During the lesson portion, be energetic, happy, and positive. They are looking for teachers with high energy and positive reinforcement. Encourage the “student” when they do something well.
Prepare for the interview by looking at the slides. You don’t need to stress out too much, but you won’t want to go into the interview blind.
Dress appropriately. No need for a suit or fancy top, but some sort of collared shirt is good for men and a nice top for ladies. (Ben typically wears flannels, so you could probably get away with something on the more casual side. But for the first interviews at least, dress up a bit to be safe!)
Mock Class 1: 30 minutes total
You will be partnered with a veteran VIPKID teacher.
You’ll pretty much go right into the lesson. Again, the interviewer (in this case, another teacher), will pretend to be a 5-year-old with minimal English.
You will teach a 20-minute lesson (different from your last interview). Halfway through the lesson, you will take a break and the interviewer will give you feedback. This takes approximately 5 minutes, and when you’re finished, the lesson will resume, and you will use their feedback to improve the rest of your lesson.
During the last 5 minutes, the interviewer will give you final feedback and advice for your second Mock Class.
Tips for your Mock Class:
Again, be energetic and positive!
If you don’t already have a prop, they will suggest it. It’s not required at this point, but that will be a point of feedback. They suggest puppets, flashcards, letters, and whiteboards. Ben feels most comfortable and natural using a whiteboard during his lessons, but it’s definitely a personal preference.
Mock Class 2: 30 minutes total
For this final mock class, you will again be paired with a veteran VIPKID teacher. This time, they are pretending to be a higher-level student, but the time will be broken down the same as the first Mock Class:
First 10 minutes for your lesson
5-minute break for feedback
Second 10 minutes for your lesson
During the final 5 minutes, they will go over the next steps with you (explained below).
Next steps
You must complete the following:
Sign the contract (which is valid for 6 months)
Fill out your bio
Submit 3 professional photos of yourself
Fill out additional paperwork and tax forms (depending on your citizenship)
Create an intro video as a greeting to prospective students and parents (the video must be less than 15 seconds)
Now you’re a VIPKID teacher! Congrats!
After you have completed all the steps above, you will have access to your profile on VIPKID, and you can open up your schedule and start teaching lessons. You’re all set to start making money remotely (and teach English to some ridiculously cute kiddos!). Whoooohooo!
Do you want to know more about teaching English overseas? We have everything you need to know about moving to South Korea to work as an English teacher. We’ll even let you in on the secrets that helped us save $22,000 USD EACH during one year of teaching English in Korea.
What is an average VIPKID class like?
So what’s it actually like to teach English via video chat? We’ll break it down in detail so there are no surprises.
Before the class
Each class is 25 minutes long and is run through a program unique to VIPKid. When a student books a class with you, you’ll see which lesson they are on and you can load the slides. All lessons are already created for you, so there’s no prep work at all. (No grading either!)
You’ll sign on to your VIPKid profile, and you will “enter the classroom”. When your assigned student comes online, they will enter the classroom too, and that is when the chat begins.
During the class
The student will see your face on video chat on one side of their screen, and they’ll see the lesson slides on the other half. There is a chat box you can use, and you can click to draw lines and circle things. The program itself is pretty sweet!
You’ll start the lesson by greeting the student – asking how they are, what their name is – and you’ll introduce yourself and begin with a warm up. Each lesson has a theme – like “land animals” or “days of the week”. Honestly, some lessons are better than others, and after teaching with VIPKID for a while, you’ll teach some of the same lessons over and over again and get more comfortable with them.
Each slide is very self-explanatory. If you are confused about what to do, there are “teacher directions” at the bottom of each slide.
There are typically 25-28 slides per lesson, so you will try to do one slide per minute. There is a timer on the screen to help you pace yourself. It’s okay to go a little bit over the 25-minute mark, but you just need to make sure you’re on time to your next lesson (if you have one).
After the class
After each lesson, you will write written feedback about the student. You’ll write a few sentences to the parent that explains how their child did in the class. This message will be translated for the parents to read.
You’ll also write some notes to future teachers about each specific student. For instance, if they need a little more encouragement to speak or if they are very high-level and can use more challenging questions. These comments are helpful to read over right before your lesson to get an idea of how the student you’ll be teaching learns best.
Note: You may also receive feedback from parents. It’s not all that common, but sometimes they may even be sitting next to their child during a lesson (which can feel a little awkward at first). Positive feedback boosts your rankings and your chances at getting more lessons.
FAQs about VIPKID
Ask Ben all your questions about VIPKid, and he’ll give you his honest answers.
1. Can I be a VIPKID teacher if I already have a full-time job?
YES! Since there is no minimum amount of hours you must work each week, this can be a great job for anyone with a busy schedule. Plus, it allows you to earn a little extra money on the side. Many VIPKID teachers do this in addition to their regular jobs. It actually works well if you live in the US, since most of your classes will be early in the morning, and you could easily fit some in before heading out to work!
2. Do you need to prepare the lessons in advance?
Nope! I spent a bit of time preparing for my first few lessons just to feel more comfortable with the process, but it is totally unnecessary and after a few times I stopped. Now, I only sign on when I have a class, teach, and submit my feedback, I am done!
3. How old are the students? What is their English level like?
The students are all elementary age. The youngest student I’ve taught so far was 4 years old and the oldest was 12. Their English levels vary but there haven’t been any students with who I can’t communicate with.
4. Will I have the same students in each class?
No. In fact, your students can change often. I have had a few repeat students, but most of the time I have a new student for each class. Honestly, I would like to see more repeat students, but since I often schedule short-term classes based on the Internet connection of where we are staying, my students change up a lot.
I think if you have a more regular schedule, you’ll see the same students. This can be really rewarding to watch them grow and build a rapport.
5. What are the teaching hours like?
VIPKID caters to students in Beijing, so all classes are created around Beijing time. Students will do VIPKID classes in the evening, after their regular school and on the weekends. Your timing is going to depend on what time zone you’re in, but if you live in the US, most class slots will be early in the morning.
For me, this works out great, because then I have the rest of the day to travel and do other freelance work. Some people do this before going to their regular 9-5, and others teach on VIPKid as their sole source of income.
Peak Times Daylight Saving Time VIPKID (source: https://t.vipkid.com.cn/)
Peak Times VIPKID (source: https://t.vipkid.com.cn/)
6. Can I set my own hours?
Absolutely! That’s the beauty of being a VIPKID teacher – your schedule is entirely up to you. They used to require a minimum of 15 classes per week, but requirement was recently lifted, so you can work as much or little as you’d like within the open time slots.
You can open up all hours you’re available as much as one month in advance. Or, if you suddenly have a free hour and want to teach, you can open it up last minute (though, it might not get filled if you’re cutting it close to the start time).
7. Will I get enough hours? I opened up all my time slots, and I’m wondering if they will get booked.
In my experience, when I open up slots at least 2 weeks in advance they always get booked. But I usually don’t open my schedule up that far in advance.
While living in a campervan, I decide the night before if the Internet is strong enough for me to open up my schedule the next morning. I usually open them up by 5 or 6 p.m. my time and when I wake up at 5:30 a.m. they are almost always booked. So even last minute bookings tend to fill up – it’s like magic!
8. Can I cancel a class? What happens if you miss a class?
Things come up, so it’s good to know that you can cancel classes if you need to. You are allowed to cancel up to 6 classes within your 6-month contract. It’s pretty simple to figure out how to cancel a class that has been booked from your profile.
It’s best to cancel as far in advance as possible. If you cancel within 24 hours, you will be deducted $2. If you cancel within 2 hours of your class, you will be deducted $10.
9. What are your tips for a beginning teacher?
I’m so excited you are thinking about becoming a teacher – I don’t think you’ll regret it. Even if you don’t have prior teaching experience, don’t worry too much. You’ll learn a lot along the way. Before becoming an English teacher in Korea, I was an engineer! So if I can do it, so can you!
Here are some tips that I think would be helpful for beginner and veteran teachers alike:
Be energetic and positive because your emotions will rub off on your students. A boring teacher equals a bored student (and possibly negative feedback from parents). Plus, you’ll just have more fun with your job if you keep things light and fun!
Use total physical response (TPR) methods. What I mean by this is simply: talk with your hands! When you want them to repeat, put your hand to your ear, and when you want them to draw a circle on the slide make a circular motion with your finger.
Give positive encouragement. Speaking in another language can be really nerve-wracking for some students, but if you applaud even their small victories, they’ll start to feel more comfortable and open up.
Use small words, especially with lower-level students. For instance, instead of saying, “Can I hear you say apple?” simply say “apple” and put your hand to your ear, signaling them to respond.
Speak slowly. Enough said!
Challenge higher-level students. If a student is flying through the slides and knows all the vocabulary, slow down. Ask them open-ended questions that require them to answer in a creative way and with more than one word.
Find a “reward system” you like and stick with it. As a VIPKID teacher, you will be asked to use a reward system throughout your class so students know when they are doing a good job. There are different examples on the VIPKID website. The one I like to use is I draw a smiley face on my whiteboard, and each time they do well, I add one tooth. Be sure to briefly explain your reward system at the beginning of each class, and be consistent with it throughout the lesson.
Use a prop that suits you. VIPKID encourages teachers to use props to better interact with students. It’s a great idea and can make your class much better, but be sure to choose a prop (or props) that you feel comfortable using. For instance, VIPKID likes to encourage puppets, but I don’t love the idea of using one myself. I much prefer a whiteboard and feel like it is more natural in my lessons. Be authentic to your teaching style.
Well, it looks like you are ready to be a teacher! Congratulations! We really think you’ll love VIPKID!
Do you still have more questions about VIPKID that weren’t answered in this article? We want to help!
Fill out the form below with your detailed question and Ben will personally write back to you and do his best to give you the info you’re looking for.
Last but not least, we’d really appreciate it if you use the link below to apply for VIPKID. Full disclosure: we get a little bonus for referring you, which means we’re able to keep making super informative articles that you can continue to use on your travels. You make money; we make money. Win-win.
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We want to hear from you!
Do you have more questions about teaching English online with VIPKID? Comment down below and we’ll do our best to get back to you soon!
Just signed up for VIPkid! I have no clue why I am so nervous considering I have a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a reading cert. for K-12 but I am still nervous haha.
But I used Ben’s promo code so hopefully that helps you guys out!
Hello Ben,
I am a US citizen, but I was born originally in Venezuela. I have an associate’s degree from Venezuela and a bachelor’s degree in the US. I live in the US but I am planning to move to Cartagena Colombia. Will my accent from English as a second language interfere with becoming a VIPKid teacher? Living in South America, will this represents any issue to be a teacher?
Wow!! Awesome article! I read the whole thing (something I never do) then proceeded to spend the last 30+ min browsing your blog. I love your story (thanks for sharing), and the pictures are so cool that I got distracted from the initial reason I came here lol. I found the page searching for how to make $ with VIPKID, but the funny thing is I can relate to it all! I love to travel, wanted to teach overseas since forever, and my bf just purchased a pop-up camper for us to go live in the middle of the woods! I’m not even joking…I mean he literally wants to live in the middle of the woods. I tried to tell him to kiss his streaming goodbye because as Ben mentioned, the wifi will be crappy…But he’s dead-set on it. Anywho, I hope we have as good a time as you guys traveling and enjoying life. Thanks again for the inspiration. Best wishes!!
Hi Ben,
Thanks for the very informative blog on how to be a VIPKID teacher. I am interested to become one. I currently live in Canada as Permanent Resident, is thing something that VIPKID will consider? I have a full-time job for a global technology firm and works remotely from home. The VIPKID gig is very appealing to me as i am used to Webex meetings and doing training online to our clients. Thanks for your help! 🙂
Geli
Hello Ben,
Do you pay tax on your income? And how do you do this if you are travelling?
Hi Megan, Yes we pay taxes on our income, just like all Americans 🙂 VIPKID actually sends you a 1099-MISC tax form so you can report your income with this. We used to do this ourselves, but as our business has grown, we now have a tax accountant. Let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers!
Hi Ben and Katie,
I am from India and am a master’s student in Oklahoma. I’m planning to move back to India this year. Since I am not a US citizen, will I be able to sign up for VIPKID?
Hi Sushmitha, unfortunately, VIPKID is pretty strict when it comes to teachers and they only accept teachers from the US and Canada. Sorry. There are other online teaching programs that except new teachers from all over the work, and I would encourage you to look into those programs.
Hi Ben and Katie!
I’m from the U.S. and currently live and teach ESL in S. Korea. I have been wanting to teach on the side with VIPKIDS since last year, but now I’m not sure if I qualify. I was wondering if it’s still possible for me to qualify to teach through VIP KIDS, even though I live in S. Korea?
Hi Amanda, great question. It is totally possible to teach with VIPKID while living in South Korea. You just have to make sure you are not breaking any rules with your Korea teaching contract. Let us konw if you have any more questions about VIPKID.
What sort of internet connection do you use while in the campervan? What would you say the minimum is that you would need? That is our biggest concern.
Thanks so much for such an informative, detailed article!
Hi Joelle. Whenever I needed to teach in the morning, we made sure we were in an area that had 4G service and at least 3 bars (we had a Verizon data plan). I was able to turn my phone into a hotspot and get internet to stream my class.
So if we pulled up to a campsite and I saw that I had 4G, I would then open my classes and allow students to book within 24 hours, which gave me an extra $2 per class. Let me know if you have any other questions!
What a great program and I love this detailed article. You really explained it so carefully which is an example of great teaching! I taught traditionally for 15 years before the kids were born and now blog about traveling with them. I’m considering teaching like this to fund more adventures. When I’m ready to pull the trigger I will be back to go through your link. 🙂
Awesome, thanks Natalie! It sounds like you would be a great teacher with VIPKID. Let me know if you have any questions, I’m here to help.
Question: I am fluent in Chinese and extensively experienced at teaching English. In the past in classroom environments I have mixed a little Chinese into my lessons. Is this permissable for VPKID? It’s not a deal breaker but I would be deeply tempted if not allowed to say hi up front and help them in tough spots.
Hey JC, I believe for VIPKID they want you only speaking in English for the entire class time. Talking to them in their native language can create bad habits for the students because they are not guaranteed the same teacher for each class. Plus these kids are really smart (like really smart) and have been practicing English on their own for a while before they even start talking with an English Teacher. I have not yet encountered a student that the lesson was out of their ability level.
I would love to try this when I return home from teaching English for 3 years (in Japan). However, I can only really commit to 5 months vs 6. I’m not sure if I can still try it or not.
We’ve reached out to VIPKID about this question specifically (a few people have asked). We have not heard back yet, but will try to reply to this comment when we hear back from them!
What is the current referral bonus like for signing up with your link? Thanks!
Hey Rachel, when any VIPKID teacher refers someone who goes on to signing the contract to be a teacher, they referrer will receive $50 USD. This summer though (2017), the referral bonus is $80 per referral! Pretty sweet, huh?!
My girlfriend just got started on this last week. I’m considering it but worried about internet issues in South America. Don’t wanna get a rep as the teacher with the tech issues. Also thinking it may be a distraction from the blogging efforts!
That’s great that your girlfriend started teaching online. It’s a great gig. If you’re worried about internet issues, you can always test your internet connection at the place you’re at and then open your schedule for short notice classes. If the connection is bad, don’t open your classes. That is what I’ve been doing while campervaning in the US. Hope this helps!
I’ve just discovered that VIPkids are only accepting US & Canadian citizens! 🙁 Probably because they want that North American accent/dialect. Bit of a bummer but I guess it’s gung-ho with the blog to make it pay me! Thanks for the tips though, I’ll pass them onto Diana!
Hmmm, that’s strange. I just looked at their FAQ’s page and it says, "As of now, we can only work with teachers who are located in the USA (including Hawaii and Alaska), Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, East and Southeast Asia." It seems like they are accepting other nationalities, but I’ll follow up with them for you on this one.