How I Found Teaching Jobs in Russia: My Real Experience in Moscow

Today I’m going to be sharing with you how to find a job in Russia, and more specifically how to find an English teaching job in Moscow, because this is exactly what I’ve experienced and what I’ve been doing since I moved to Moscow back in December 2020. I’ve been a full-time English teacher both in person and online too, so I’ve had lots of experience on both ends, and I’m aware of all the opportunities that are in Russia as an English teacher.

In-Person English Teaching Jobs in Russia: The Best Way to Earn Money

So let’s start off with in-person teaching, because obviously this is really specific to teaching in Russia.

The first way, and in my opinion probably the best way as well, to make money living in Russia and working as an English teacher is signing up to an agency which finds native speakers for wealthy families. Your pay obviously really depends on the family, but for the agency I work for, the hourly rate starts from 60 an hour, and you can negotiate up from there, which is amazing and is so much higher than even working in London at a normal job. It’s just really well paid per hour.

But you do have to organize your own teaching materials and that sort of thing, so you have to do some prep behind it. So it’s not only 60 an hour—there is a little bit of preparation before and after as well.

By the way, I’m going to put loads of names of different agencies which hire for these wealthy families in the description if you’re interested in maybe signing up for one of these agencies. You go on their website, you fill in the application, and then if they’re interested in you, they’ll set up some sort of online interview. Sometimes they’ll use this interview to advertise you, just to show families: “Oh, this is what this teacher talks like, this is what they look like,” that sort of thing.

After the interview, you can start applying for jobs, which is great. Usually you just text the agency and say you’re interested in a job, and they’ll put you forward. It is very competitive because obviously it’s very well paid, so all native English-speaking teachers here want these jobs. But once you do get it, it’s definitely worth it.

From my experience, they pay either in cash or they send you the money to your bank account via transfer straight after the lesson. So it’s not one of those things where you wait until the end of the month—you get paid directly from the client, which is great.

Also, these agencies don’t only look for native English speakers. They also look for native Italian speakers, native Spanish speakers, native French speakers, all sorts. So it’s definitely worth checking whether they are looking for native speakers of your language.

Summer Camp Jobs in Russia: Fun Way to Teach & Travel

The next way you can teach English in Russia is by doing a summer camp. This is very specific to summer time, so you have to plan a little bit ahead if you want to do this, but it’s definitely worth doing.

I did a summer camp in Italy and it was so, so fun. I actually know a recruiter who is currently recruiting native English speakers for a summer camp in Russia very near Moscow. The pay is around 750 pounds a month, plus you get accommodation and food included, so you don’t have to pay for any of that, which is great. You also get your weekends and most of your evenings off, so you don’t have to work on those.

If you are interested in this job opportunity, I’ll put the recruiter’s email address in the description, so do drop him a message to hear more about it.

Teaching in Schools in Russia: International vs Regular Schools Explained

A really obvious way to teach English in Russia is becoming an English teacher in a normal school. This won’t be very well paid because teachers generally aren’t that well paid in Russia. But if you want to earn a bit more for teaching, you can also apply for an international school, because the students pay to go to these schools and they all speak English—that’s kind of the point of them.

These schools are usually better paid, and job opportunities are advertised through various job sites. I’ll put a few links in the description if you’re interested in looking at them, whether you’re comparing job titles like English teacher or science teacher.

You can also contact schools directly and send them your CV in both English and Russian.

After-School Teaching Jobs in Russia: Flexible But Busy Schedules

Another option is working for after-school tutoring companies, where they hire native English tutors—or sometimes just fluent English speakers—to teach children after school in group classes. The schedule can be a bit irregular.

I know someone who does this, however it’s not as well paid as international schools. But if you want a different schedule and don’t want to work in a school environment, it is an option. The pay is around 800 pounds, but if you are a native English speaker, I would definitely negotiate higher than that. You should really be earning over 1,000 pounds a month as a native speaker.

These companies often provide accommodation, usually shared apartments with other English teachers. So if you’re coming to Russia to learn Russian, it might not be the best option, because you’ll mostly be around English speakers.

It’s not something I personally chose, but it is definitely an option if you’re interested.

Private English Tutoring in Russia: Earn More by Teaching Your Own Students

Another in-person teaching option is finding your own students. This means tutoring them directly, either at their home or inviting them to your place.

This requires more effort because you have to find your own students, but if you are sociable and already know people in Moscow, it’s a great option. You can advertise yourself by printing leaflets and promoting yourself as a native English speaker.

There are many English speakers in Moscow and Russia, but very few native English speakers, so this really helps you stand out.

A big advantage of this is that you can set your own rates. You can charge £20 per hour or even £60 per hour. It depends on what you want to charge and the clients you can find. If you can find them, you might as well charge more and earn more per hour.

Teaching English Online from Russia: Work From Anywhere

Now moving on to teaching online. This is a great way to earn money if you want to travel around Russia and see different areas, because you can just pack up your materials and work wherever you have internet connection.

I have been working online since around October 2020, maybe even late September or early October. I work for a company called Palfish. You basically teach very young children from the age of 4 to around 12 years old.

One reason I chose this is because I didn’t want to spend too much time planning lessons. With Palfish, they provide all the materials for free and they find the students for you. So all you need to do is show up, teach, and that’s it.

Each class is 25 minutes, and you get paid from £6 to £8.50 per lesson.

If you’re interested in working for the app I’ve been using for months, I made a full blog explaining the process of signing up, including a clip of me applying for the job. I’ll link it below.

Preply Teaching Jobs: Teach Adults & Set Your Own Rates

The last thing on my list for today’s channel is working on an app called Preply. I’ve talked about it a lot, especially when I was learning Italian, because I actually found my Italian teacher through this app and used her for about a year.

On the other side, you can become a teacher. English teachers on Preply charge around £20 to £30 per hour, which is quite good compared to typical rates in Moscow or Russia.

The app takes a percentage of your earnings, but it gives you access to adult students who are looking for tutors. Unlike Palfish, students usually find you rather than the platform assigning students to you.

I personally prefer teaching children, so I didn’t go down this route, but it’s a great option.

Final Thoughts: How Long It Takes to Build a Teaching Income in Russia

In all teaching—whether online or offline—it takes time to build a stable student base. It can take around 3 to 6 months to build a schedule that gives you a reliable income.

So before moving to Russia, I recommend starting to build your student base online so you can support yourself when you arrive.

I hope you found this blog interesting and helpful. I’m thinking of maybe creating a second channel focused only on teaching, or even a channel for kids learning English as a second language.

I’ll always be posting content on this channel, so don’t worry about that. I’m just brainstorming at the moment.

Also, if you’ve read this far, thank you so much.

1. Teaching English in Russia
The most popular ways to find a job include getting recruited by firms that match teachers with private families, applying to international schools, working in after school tutoring centers and teaching online on sites like Palfish and Preply. Choose different hours and pay for each choice that works together with your knowledge and lifestyle.

2. Do I need to speak Russian to teach English in Russia?
Not necessarily. There are many teaching positions that require just English abilities, such as with private families, overseas schools and online platforms. Basic Russian on the other hand can be beneficial in everyday life, and in some school or teaching roles where you need to talk to parents or staff.

3. How much does an English teacher earn in Russia?
Not all jobs pay the same. As a private teacher or through an agency you might earn between £20 and £60 an hour. Online platforms may pay £6 to £8.50 each class. Native speakers can earn £800 and £1000+ a month for full time jobs in schools or teaching centres.