How Much to Charge for Online Tutoring: Setting Your Rates

How much to charge for online tutoring depends on your subject, the student's level, your preparation time, your results and your local market. Work out a rate from your income goal and real working hours, compare it with other tutors in your subject, then offer packages and a short trial lesson so families can commit easily.

This guide does not quote market prices, because they vary widely by country, subject and level. Instead it gives you a method, and a worked example with placeholder figures you can replace with your own.

What factors set an online tutoring rate?

Six factors set most tutoring rates: subject, level, preparation time, results, format and your local market.

Write a short note for each factor before you pick a number. It also gives you the words to explain your rate if a parent asks.

Why should you count unpaid preparation time?

Every session takes extra unpaid time for preparation and follow-up, so count it before you set a rate. Before a session you prepare examples and upload materials. After it you write feedback, mark homework and answer messages. If every 60-minute session costs you 30 extra minutes, your real hourly rate is a third lower than the number on your profile.

Some tools reduce that hidden time. Educastic lets you keep files in My Library and open them onto the board in seconds, import from Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, and let students download the session's resources as a PDF instead of you sending notes separately. After class, Educastic can email a session report PDF (session details and your notes) to you and your learners.

How do you calculate your tutoring rate? A worked example

Divide your monthly income goal by the sessions you can teach, then check the result against your real working hours and costs. The figures below are an example only, not a market rate. Replace each one with your own.

1. Income goal: you want to earn 2,000 (in your currency) per month from tutoring.
2. Teaching capacity: you can teach 20 sessions per month.
3. Base rate: 2,000 divided by 20 gives 100 per session.
4. Hidden time: each session needs about 30 minutes of preparation and follow-up, so 20 sessions really take 30 hours. 2,000 divided by 30 hours is about 67 per working hour. Check that this number is acceptable to you.
5. Costs: subtract anything you pay for equipment, materials or payment fees, then adjust the base rate if needed.
6. Compare: look at tutor profiles in your subject and level. If your number sits far above them, make sure your profile explains why.

With these example figures, you would list 100 per session and know exactly where it came from.

Should you offer tutoring packages?

Yes, packages are worth offering because they encourage the regular practice that produces results. Single sessions are easy to cancel. Common structures:

• A block of sessions paid in advance, with a small saving per session.
• An exam preparation programme of a fixed number of weekly sessions leading up to a test date. Educastic lets you run this as a series, a multi-session programme with subscribers and a shareable page.
• A self-paced course with modules, lessons, quizzes and certificates, built with the Educastic course builder, for students who want to study between sessions.

Keep packages simple. Two or three options are easier to choose from than six.

Should the trial lesson be free?

A trial lesson can be free, discounted or full price; what matters is deciding in advance and keeping it short. A trial lowers the risk for a new family and gives you a chance to diagnose the student's level. Use it well: ask about goals, give one diagnostic task on the whiteboard, and end with a clear plan and a price for the next step.

Use coupons for first sessions and referrals

Coupons work best as time-limited offers for new students and referrals, not as permanent discounts. On the Educastic tutor marketplace you can create coupons for two uses that work well:

• A discount on a first session for new students who found your profile.
• A thank you for a student who refers a friend.

Set an end date on any offer you run so it stays an offer rather than becoming your new rate.

When should you raise your tutoring rates?

Raise your rates when your schedule is full, when you add a qualification or specialism, or when your preparation time grows. Review rates once or twice a year. Give existing students notice, and consider keeping their current rate for a set period as a thank you.

Frequently asked questions

Should I charge per hour or per session? Either works. Per session is clearer when lesson lengths vary, so whatever you pick, state the length of a session on your profile.

Should my trial lesson be free? It depends on your market and time. A short free or discounted trial lowers the barrier for new students, while a full-price trial suits tutors with a waiting list.

How do I get paid on Educastic? Through Stripe. On the Educastic tutor marketplace, the earnings page shows what you have earned.

Do I need to pay for Educastic to tutor? No. Educastic includes all of its teaching features in the free version.

Price with confidence, then teach

Work through the factors, run the example with your own figures, and publish a clear offer. Then make every session count on the Educastic online whiteboard. New to tutoring? Read how to start online tutoring.

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