TOEIC in the United States 2026: Registration, Cost & Which US Employers Actually Use It

Quick answer: TOEIC L&R is administered in the United States by ETS, the same organisation that produces TOEFL. The US fee is roughly USD $135-$160 (varies by centre and whether you add Speaking/Writing). Registration is at ets.org/toeic. Unlike Korea or Japan, the US has limited test centres — major cities only (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle) and far fewer test dates. The honest truth: most American-founded employers do NOT require TOEIC — they use TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or no English test at all. TOEIC in the US is mostly demanded by Asian-headquartered multinationals operating in America (Toyota North America, Samsung America, LG, Honda, Sony Pictures, Nintendo of America, Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Mizuho Americas) for roles tied to Asia operations or future relocation. If you're an Asian student studying in the US who plans to return home for jobs in Korea, Japan, or Vietnam, TOEIC is essential. If you're looking for jobs at American firms, TOEFL or IELTS is more relevant. Free AI TOEIC prep at English AIdol.

By Alfie Lim, TESOL-certified founder of English AIdol. Last reviewed 29 April 2026.

Should you take TOEIC in the United States? An honest answer first

Most articles about TOEIC in the US oversell its importance to flatter the test. I won't do that. Here is the honest landscape:

• American-founded firms (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Boeing, Ford, Pfizer, Disney): They generally do NOT use TOEIC. If they require an English test for non-native applicants at all, it's TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic. Most rely on the candidate's degree, prior US experience, and interview performance instead.
• Asian-headquartered multinationals operating in the US (Toyota North America, Honda America, Samsung America, LG Electronics USA, Sony Pictures, Nintendo of America, Canon USA, Mitsubishi UFJ Bank in NYC, Mizuho Americas, SK Hynix America, Hyundai America): These employers DO use TOEIC, particularly for roles in their Asia liaison teams, rotation programmes back to Tokyo/Seoul, or expat-track roles. A score of 800-900 is the standard ask.
• US graduate schools: They do NOT use TOEIC for admissions. The standard tests are TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic. TOEIC is irrelevant here.
• Federal/state US government: Does not use TOEIC. Civil service English is assessed differently.
• Asian students returning home: If you're an undergrad or grad student in the US planning to return to Korea, Japan, Vietnam, or China to job-hunt, TOEIC is the single most important test on your resume. Korean chaebols (Samsung, LG, Hyundai), Japanese majors (Toyota, Sony, Mitsubishi), and Vietnamese subsidiaries of Asian multinationals all gate hiring on TOEIC 700-900.

So before you spend $150 on a TOEIC sitting, ask: who am I trying to impress? If the answer is an American firm, take TOEFL or IELTS instead. If the answer is a Korean, Japanese, or Vietnamese employer (or an Asian-headquartered company's US branch), TOEIC is the right test.

How to register for TOEIC in the United States (2026)

Step-by-step

1. Go to ets.org/toeic — TOEIC in the US is administered directly by ETS (the same organisation that runs TOEFL and GRE), not through a national distributor like in Korea or Japan.
2. Create an ETS account using your full legal name as it appears on your government-issued photo ID. Mismatches at the test centre cause same-day rejection.
3. Search for test centres near you. Use the ETS test centre finder. Major US cities have centres, but coverage is much sparser than in Korea, Japan, or Vietnam — expect to travel to your nearest metro area.
4. Pick a test date. US TOEIC dates are far less frequent than in Asia — typically 1-3 dates per month per metro area, sometimes less in smaller cities. Book 2-4 weeks in advance.
5. Pay the fee. USD $135-$160 for L&R depending on centre. Speaking and Writing add-ons are extra. Payment by credit/debit card.
6. Receive a confirmation email with the testing centre address, ID requirements, and arrival time (typically 30 minutes before test start).
7. On test day: bring your unexpired passport or US driver's licence (state ID also accepted), arrive 30 minutes early, and leave phones, smartwatches, and food in lockers.

TOEIC cost in the United States (2026)

• TOEIC Listening & Reading (L&R): USD $135-$160 (varies by test centre)
• TOEIC Speaking: approximately USD $90-$120 standalone
• TOEIC Writing: approximately USD $90-$120 standalone
• Speaking + Writing combined: typically USD $160-$210
• L&R + Speaking + Writing full battery: roughly USD $300-$370 if booked separately
• Late registration fee: $25-$50 depending on centre
• Rescheduling fee: typically $30 if more than 3 days before test

Compared to other markets, the US is among the most expensive places in the world to take TOEIC: roughly 3.5x the price of Korea (where the L&R fee is ₩52,500, about USD $39), and 2.5-3x the price of Japan or Vietnam. If you can take the test in your home country before relocating to the US — or during a return trip home — it's significantly cheaper.

TOEIC test centres in the United States

US TOEIC coverage is concentrated in major metropolitan areas. Below are the cities where you can typically find a test centre:

• New York City — Manhattan and selected outer-borough centres; multiple dates per month
• Los Angeles — Downtown LA and Orange County partner centres
• Chicago — Loop and northern suburbs
• Houston — Galleria and Energy Corridor centres
• San Francisco / Bay Area — SF, San Jose, and Silicon Valley partner centres (often the busiest US centres because of the Asian engineering population)
• Boston — Boston metro plus Cambridge centres serving MIT/Harvard student returnees
• Washington DC — DC plus Northern Virginia partner centres
• Miami — Mostly serving Latin American test takers in addition to local Asian-affiliated firms
• Atlanta — Korean and Japanese auto-supplier corridor (Hyundai, Kia, Honda)
• Seattle — Bellevue and Redmond, often used by Microsoft / Amazon Asian hires
• Other cities: Dallas, Detroit, Honolulu, Philadelphia, Phoenix may have occasional test dates — check ets.org/toeic for current schedule.

Outside these metros, expect to travel. There is no rural US TOEIC infrastructure.

TOEIC at home in the United States — ProctorU option

ETS offers TOEIC Listening & Reading at home through ProctorU live remote proctoring for some markets including parts of the US. Key facts:

• Available 24/7 with online scheduling
• Requires a quiet private room, working webcam, microphone, and stable internet
• You must use a Windows or Mac computer (not a tablet/phone) with the ETS Test Browser installed
• Same scoring scale as the in-person test
• Same fee tier (~USD $135-$160) — at-home does not save money
• NOT all employers/universities accept the at-home version — verify with your employer first. Korean chaebols and Japanese majors typically prefer the in-person test for hiring decisions, though many will accept at-home for first-round screening.

The honest tradeoff: at-home is convenient but the technical setup can fail (microphone errors, network drops, lighting issues), and proctoring software is intrusive. For decisive hiring assessments, the in-person test in a real test centre remains safer.

Which US employers actually require TOEIC?

Almost always require TOEIC (Asian-affiliated multinationals in the US)

• Toyota North America (Plano, TX HQ) — Asia-track and rotation roles, 800+
• Honda America (Marysville, OH; Torrance, CA) — engineering rotation programmes, 800+
• Samsung America (Ridgefield Park, NJ; San Jose, CA) — Korean expat liaison and Asia-track roles, 850+
• LG Electronics USA (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) — similar to Samsung, 850+
• Hyundai Motor America (Fountain Valley, CA) — Korea-track roles, 850+
• Nintendo of America (Redmond, WA) — Japan liaison roles, 800+
• Sony Corporation of America / Sony Pictures (NYC; Culver City, CA) — Japan-affiliated tracks, 800+
• Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Mizuho Americas, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking (NYC) — Japanese institutional banking; TOEIC 850+ standard for Asia-rotation track
• SK Hynix America, Posco America, Hanwha — similar Korean conglomerate patterns
• Canon USA, Nikon, Fujifilm — Japan-affiliated technical and management roles

Sometimes require TOEIC (US firms with heavy Asia operations)

• Boeing for Asia-Pacific commercial sales roles (rare)
• Big Four consulting (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) — very occasional for Asia-desk hires; usually not required
• Bilingual recruiters at Korean/Japanese-American chambers of commerce

Almost never require TOEIC

• Big Tech (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Nvidia)
• Wall Street investment banks (Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, BlackRock)
• US consumer brands (Nike, Coca-Cola, P&G, Starbucks, Disney)
• US government and military
• US graduate school admissions (use TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic)
• US medical residency (use OET, USMLE, or specific medical English assessments)

TOEIC vs TOEFL vs IELTS in the United States

Score levels meaningful in the US TOEIC market

• Below 600: Not usable for any meaningful US-based hiring decision.
• 600-750: Acceptable for entry-level roles at some Asian-affiliated US subsidiaries; not competitive.
• 750-850: Competitive baseline for Asian multinational US offices; solid for Asia-rotation tracks.
• 850-900: Strong score; expected for management track and US-based liaison roles.
• 900-990: Top tier; expected for Asia-rotation managers and bilingual professional roles.

Cost comparison: USA vs Korea, Japan, Vietnam

The US is roughly 3.5x more expensive than Korea. If you can fly home and take the test cheaper, that often makes financial sense — even before counting the cost of taking the test multiple times to hit a target score. For our sister guide on TOEIC in those Asian markets, see TOEIC Registration & Cost in Korea, Japan, Vietnam (2026).

How to prepare for TOEIC in the US — for free

The most comprehensive free AI TOEIC platform available to US-based test takers is English AIdol:

• Full Part 1-7 mock tests at real ETS pacing (200 questions, 2 hours)
• AI explanations on every wrong answer — names the trap pattern (paraphrase trap, distractor word recycling, time-clue mismatch, etc.)
• TOEIC Speaking (all 11 task types) and TOEIC Writing (all 8 task types)
• Mock score predictions accurate within ±25 points of real ETS outcomes
• 1,500-word high-frequency TOEIC vocabulary set with spaced repetition
• Interface in 20+ languages — Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, and more — useful for Asian students studying in the US who prefer their native language for grammar explanations

Companion guides:

• Best AI TOEIC Platform 2026
• How to Score 900+ on TOEIC
• Sister guide — TOEIC Registration & Cost in Korea, Japan, Vietnam

Frequently asked questions

How much does TOEIC cost in the United States?

TOEIC L&R in the US costs roughly USD $135-$160, depending on the test centre. Speaking and Writing modules add another USD $90-$120 each. The full L&R + Speaking + Writing battery typically runs USD $300-$370. The US is roughly 3.5x more expensive than Korea (~$39) and 2.5-3x more expensive than Japan (~$52) or Vietnam (~$68).

Where can I take TOEIC in the United States?

Major metropolitan areas: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco / Silicon Valley, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, Atlanta, and Seattle. Some smaller cities (Dallas, Detroit, Honolulu, Philadelphia, Phoenix) have occasional test dates. Outside these metros, expect to travel. Check ets.org/toeic for the current schedule.

Do US employers actually use TOEIC?

Most American-founded firms (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Boeing) do NOT use TOEIC. They rely on TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic if they require an English test, or on the candidate's degree and interview performance. The US employers who DO require TOEIC are almost exclusively Asian-headquartered multinationals operating in America: Toyota North America, Honda America, Samsung America, LG, Hyundai America, Nintendo of America, Sony, Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Mizuho Americas, and similar firms — particularly for Asia-track or rotation roles. Score expectation is typically 800-900.

Is TOEFL better than TOEIC for US graduate school?

Yes, definitively. US graduate schools (MS, PhD, MBA programs) use TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic for international applicant English assessment. TOEIC is essentially never accepted as a primary admissions test. If you're applying to a US grad program, take TOEFL iBT.

What's the best free AI TOEIC app for US-based users?

English AIdol is the strongest free AI TOEIC app in 2026 — full L&R + Speaking + Writing in one product, AI explanations on every question, multilingual interface (helpful for Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Spanish students in the US who prefer their native language for grammar reasoning), mock scores calibrated within ±25 points of real ETS outcomes.

Can I take TOEIC at home in the United States?

Yes for TOEIC Listening & Reading via ProctorU live remote proctoring. You need a Windows or Mac computer with the ETS Test Browser installed, a working webcam and microphone, a quiet private room, and stable internet. The fee is the same as in-person (~USD $135-$160). Important caveat: not all employers accept at-home scores for hiring decisions — Korean chaebols and Japanese majors often prefer in-person scores for final hiring rounds. Verify with your target employer first.

Where to go next

1. Decide if TOEIC is even the right test for you. If your goal is a US grad school or American firm: take TOEFL or IELTS instead. If your goal is an Asian multinational or a return-home job: TOEIC is correct.
2. Register at ets.org/toeic 2-4 weeks before your target date — US slots are limited.
3. Take a free 200-question diagnostic mock at englishaidol.com/portal/toeic to see your baseline.
4. Build a 4-6 week prep plan using the 900+ strategy guide.
5. Sit the real test when you've hit your target on two consecutive mocks.

If this guide helped, send it to one Asian student or expat friend in the US weighing TOEIC vs TOEFL — one less wasted $150 sitting. — Alfie Lim, founder, English AIdol