Basics:
Q Kids, dormant for years, is again enlisting American and Canadian freelancers to tutor English online.
Expected pay: $12 – $16 per hour
Husl$core: $$$
Commissions & fees: NA
Where: remote
Requirements: U.S. or Canadian, bachelor’s degree, English as a Second Language teaching certificate; high-speed internet, computer with webcam; microphone, headset; and pass screenings.
Shhhh. They’re back.
Online sites that teach English to Chinese kids were largely put out of business by the Chinese government in 2021. But, now (March 2025) they’re quietly creeping back into the market. However, they pay a little less than they did before. And the once vibrant market is still a bit slow.
Key among them is a site called QKids.
What is Q Kids?
Q Kids was once a dominant player in teaching English to Chinese kids online. But when the Chinese government outlawed private tutoring in 2021, Q Kids went dormant. It maintained its web presence, but simply stopped enlisting teachers to take classes.
It recently started up again and is taking new applicants.
How it works
To register as a tutor, you’ll need to be eligible to work in the U.S. or Canada; have a bachelor’s degree and a certificate for teaching English as a second language.
You’ll also need a computer with a webcam, microphone and headset and high-speed internet.
Teachers submit an application, resume and record a short video of themselves reading a children’s book. If you pass this screening, you’ll be enlisted to teach a few sample classes (for which you are paid $6 per 30-minute class) and get feedback on your performance.
Assuming all of that goes well, the site will have you sign a 6-month contract.
Q Kids review
Q Kids enlists U.S. and Canadian freelancers to teach English online to young students in China. Classes are 30 minutes long, involve 1 to 4 students and the curriculum is handled by the company, not the freelancer. This site was widely hailed as offering great gigs five years ago, when it was in it’s heyday.
But in the old days, Q Kids paid teachers $8 to $10 for each 30-minute lesson. Now, the pay is just $6 to $8 — roughly $12 to $16 per hour. And the site expects you to do some preparation prior to each lesson and sign on at least 3 minutes early. So, the actual hourly pay is a little less than advertised.
Moreover, teachers now preside over online classrooms that contain up to 4 students vs. the individual lessons of yesteryear. That means you’ve got somewhat more complicated work for less pay than when this site was the darling of the remote work world.
No lesson planning
That said, you don’t need to do your own lesson plans. The site provides these. You simply need to review the lessons, and check the online classroom before the students arrive. While the revived site is too young to have gathered significant contemporary teacher reviews, freelance teachers loved this site in the past. They found the site supportive; the job pleasant; and the pay regular
Odd hours
A big plus for many of the stay-at-home moms who traditionally worked for this platform were the non-traditional hours.
Classes are taught on Beijing time, which often makes them early in the morning, or late at night in the U.S.
Many teachers, who were juggling parenting responsibilities or other jobs, loved the fact that they could work after the kids were in bed or in the wee hours of the morning.
The schedule remains the same.
Specifically, if you’re on the East Coast, the site’s summer schedule is from 6:30 to 9 in the mornings and from 8:30 to 11:40 at night. (It’s an hour earlier in the winter.)
On the West Coast, the hours are three hours earlier — so 3-6 a.m.; and 5:30 to 8:40 p.m. during the summer and from 2:30 – 5 a.m. and 4:30 to 7:40 p.m. in the winter months.
You don’t necessarily work that entire time. You might just have an hour of classes per day, for instance. But, you can usually get a regular schedule with hours you can count on.
Pay
Teachers are paid once a month — on the 15th — via direct deposit.
Recommendations
It’s worth noting that VIPKID, another site that specializes in teaching English to Chinese kids, is also reviving. However, it is currently only accepting teachers who had worked there in the past. Magic Ears and many other China-based English tutoring sites remain dormant.
You can find other good options for tutoring English (and other subjects) at Wyzant, AmazingTalker or iTalki.
What their teachers said (from Glassdoor)
QKids offers great part-time hours that allow you to finish teaching every early in the day. I cannot rave enough about how wonderful the Q Kids staff treats their employees and how kind they are to work for. The children are very sweet and enjoyable to work with. With small classes, it’s very easy to interact and provide one-on-one attention during class. There is no lesson planning or grading. This job has great (and consistent) pay and scheduling. Though it can be a struggle to be engaging at 6am, it is definitely worth it.
Fair pay, good management. But hours are limited. Full time work is only available in the summer and winter holidays.
Pays on time. Great cooperation with admins and trainers. Nice referral bonus. Classes are prepared in advance. Company fills classes with students. You earn competitive pay. There are contests throughout the year, all-expense paid trips to China for those who are accepted. In the summer, there are more hours available which can double or triple your take home pay. But you are only paid monthly, class schedules sometimes change on short notice, some children are not placed in correct classes,
Fun virtual environment. Mostly requires zero prep before class. Kids have been wonderful and LOVE to learn. In depth training and continued training throughout work+$16/hr base pay, plus $1 bonus for good reviews by students and another $1 bonus if teaching more than 8hrs a week.
Updated 3/6/2025
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