Teach English Online to Mexican Students with These 5 Awesome Companies

Let me guess, you’re searching for a way to escape the 9 to 5? 

Maybe you want to travel.

Maybe you need an extra side income.

Or maybe you’d like more time to do the things you love. 

Either way, teaching English to Mexicans could be a great way to get the freedom you’re craving. 

But how do you find these students?

Unless you’re super connected or have great recommendations, it’s difficult to start this type of business from scratch.

Instead, it’s much easier to get your foot in the foot in the door by working with a company that finds students for you.

There are tons of companies that can help you teach English online to Mexican students, but in this guide, we’ll cover the pros and cons of the five most popular platforms for new teachers.

Let’s dive in.

Why You Should Teach Mexican Students English Online

There are many benefits to working as an English tutor for Mexican students. Do any of the following sound like you?

If so, you’re in the right place.

#1.) You love working with kids (but still want time to yourself).

Okay, this one’s pretty obvious but if you love working with kids then you’ll probably love teaching! So, why should you teach online instead of in the classroom?

Teaching English abroad is a great way to make money while you travel. There’s just one problem – if need to be in a classroom every day, you’ll have limited time to explore.

Online teaching allows you to work from anywhere while giving you the freedom to set your own schedule; which brings me to my next point…

#2.) You want to travel. 

If you want to become a digital nomad, teaching English online is a great way to do it (although there are many other easy digital nomad jobs as well). 

Just because you’re tutoring Mexican students doesn’t mean you have to go to Mexico, right? You can work from absolutely anywhere! (Although Mexico wouldn’t be a bad choice). Your only requirement will be a decent internet connection, and if you travel with one of these mobile hotspots for digital nomads, the world is your oyster office.

Teaching online instead of in-person will give you way more time to explore as you travel the world. It’s also a couple-friendly travel job you can do with your partner.

BUT, if you do plan on traveling, make sure you choose a reliable travel insurance plan (here is a comparison of the top digital nomad insurance companies). I don’t mean to sound like your parents but a foreign healthcare bill is the last thing you want.

(In case you’re wondering, here’s the travel insurance I use. It’s super cheap and they’ve covered over $15,000 in surgeries I’ve needed overseas).

Recommended readings:
▶ How to Become an Online Tutor for Elementary Students (While Traveling)
▶ How to Teach English Online While Traveling (to Adults)
▶ Is VIPKID Worth It? (Updated 2021 Review)
▶ How to Teach English Online to Spanish Students
▶ Best Sites to Teach English Online to Japanese Students

#3.) You want fulfilling work.

It can be incredibly rewarding to teach English as a foreign language and watch your students progress and grow in confidence.

Plus, learning English will give them so many more opportunities. Hopefully, they’ll keep you in the loop and let you know what they achieve. 

I once met a girl from a tiny pueblo in Colombia—quite literally in the middle of nowhere—with limited opportunities. I helped her with English (and she helped with Spanish), and she recently won a super competitive scholarship to study in the U.S.

I was super proud of her, and it felt amazing to have been a part of her journey.

Now, she technically wasn’t from Mexico, per se. But it’s honestly super fulfilling to teach English online to Latin American students—whether that be Mexico, Colombia, or anywhere else.

Do You Need a Degree to Teach English Online to Mexican Students?

So, you realized teaching English online could be exactly what you need to live the laptop lifestyle, then BAM! Every website you checked said you needed a degree, right? 

All of a sudden it’s goodbye Bali beach, hello office desk…

Well, you’ll be glad to know I’ve dug up some great English teaching companies that aren’t asking for degrees. So, as long as you’re fluent in English, you can make money online teaching Mexican students.

Sure, some companies will ask you for a TEFL certificate, but you can pick one of those up for under $100. No degree? No problemo, my friends! 

That said, if you serious about making this a long-term gig, I’d recommend investing in a more in-depth TEFL course. This is the one I took (and loved).

As long as you’ve got a laptop, a speedy internet connection, and a good work ethic, you’re sorted!

(Speaking of laptops, if you depend on one for you’re livelihood, a quality laptop will make you happy. A crappy laptop will make you miserable. Here are the best laptops for digital nomads. Or if you’re teaching from home and aren’t too worried about weight, here are the best laptops for teaching online.

Top 5 Companies to Teach English Online to Latin American Students

#1.) Open English – Best Overall

With over 500,000 students, Open English is one of the most popular tutoring sites in Latin America. The company’s all about individuality, so they encourage their teachers to bring something new to the table.

Open English teachers choose their students and hold their classes in small groups. They focus on group interaction and give occasional hand-in projects (don’t worry, you won’t have to spend all of your free time marking homework). 

Best of all, you can arrange your classes in advance to suit your schedule. To make $50/day, you’d only have to teach a few hours of classes.

If you’re a creative TESL certificate holder, Open English could be your ticket out of the office. 

Pros

• $13.23 average salary per hour, so teaching full-time, you could potentially earn $2000 a month or more.
• Choose your own schedule
• Raise of $1 per hour after completing a certain number of hours
• Teach groups of students

Cons 

• Must hold a TEFL certificate
• No one-on-one tutoring 

#2.) Preply – Highest Earning Potential 

Preply is an incredibly popular platform for ESL students, so you can be sure to find plenty of work there. Much like the other companies in this list, you can set your own rates,  choose where you work, and set your own hours. 

As an English teacher on Preply, you can change your rates whenever you want. Most tutors start low, then once they’ve got a good foundation of students, they bump up their rates.

The only downside (and the reason I didn’t put Preply first on the list) is that the company takes 100% of your commissions for trial sessions. So, unless your trial student chooses to stick with you, you’ll be left with empty pockets.

Trial commissions aside, there’s potential to make a lot of money with Preply. So, if you can grit your teeth past the first week or so, it could be exactly what you’re looking for.  

Pros 

• No teaching certificates needed
• High earning potential (55k salary posted on indeed… Not bad!)
• Teaching profiles visible on search engine results (more exposure)
• Set your own rates and availability
• Payments made directly to your bank account

Cons

• Preply takes 100% of trial commissions
• Competitive listings 

#3.) Cambly – Best for Beginners 

Cambly is a great platform for teaching Mexican students if you’re a beginner. You’ll tutor one student at a time, so you won’t be chucked in the deep end with 10 screaming kids.

Tutors are paid a flat rate of $10.20 per hour for teaching adults English and $12.00 per hour for kids. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “How will I make money if I can’t raise my rates?”. 

Well, think of it this way—you won’t have to charge pennies just because you’re a beginner.

If you’re working just as hard as the pros, why shouldn’t you get paid for it? If I were you, I’d start on Cambly, get some experience, then start listing on other sites. Let’s play the long game, people! 

If teaching sounds intimidating, you can also earn money chatting in English with students who need to practice their conversation skills.

For similar English tutoring platforms, check out these Cambly alternatives.

Pros

• Make $10.20 – $12.00 per hour
• No teaching certificates required
• Set your own schedule
• No minimum hours 
• Work from anywhere
• 1-on-1 lessons

Cons

• You can’t raise your rates
• PayPal payment only 

#4.) SkimaTalk – Best for Teaching English as a Side Hustle 

SkimaTalk is another great company if you fancy teaching English online to Mexican students. In fact, you can teach students all over the world! 

You’ll set your own schedule and can work as much or as little as you want. Classes are a little shorter than most (25 minutes compared to the usual hour), so it’s ideal if you’re looking to make some extra cash in your spare time.

SimaTalk’s highest earners are cashing out around $1000 per month. Now, it may not be your ticket to riches, but if you’re looking for a side-hustle, SkimaTalk could be your best bet.

Pros

• No degree/TEFL certificate needed
• Earn up to $1000 per month
• Set your own schedule 
• Set your own rates
• No minimum hours 

Cons

• Must be a native English speaker 
• Only make payments via PayPal 

#5.) PalFish

PalFish is similar to Skima Talk in that you set your rates and don’t have to work a certain number of hours (perfect for us commitment-phobes). They’re happy for you to work on the go from your smartphone or tablet as well.

If you’re anything like me, then you might be shaking at the thought of teaching a class full of people (even if it is virtual). Lucky for you, PalFish gives you the option to teach via pre-made video, so you won’t have to worry about stage fright.

You’ll have complete freedom to plan your classes however you like. You do not need a TEFL certificate to earn in their FreeTalk program, but you do need one for their Official Kids program (where you can earn a lot more money).

With the FreeTalk program, you don’t have to give actual lessons. You just practice chatting. So essentially, you get paid to be a virtual friend.

For insider tips on how to get started, check out this full Palfish Review written by a teacher earning $4,000/month on the platform.

Pros

• No commitment
• Set your own rates
• Teach from your phone or tablet
• Create your own content
• Teach via video 

Cons 

• Must be a native speaker
• Must hold a TESOL certificate 

See also: How to Teach English Online to Spanish Students

Could You Make Enough Money to Escape the 9 to 5 From Teaching English Online?

The simple answer – yes! 

I mean, I’m not telling you to quit your day job just yet but, if you start now, in a couple of months you could be living the digital nomad life. 

There are hundreds of ways to make money online while traveling the world; teaching English to Mexican students online is a great option—but it’s just one of many!