After you’ve successfully landed an online tutoring job and chosen the video chatting application that works best for you, the final step before getting started is deciding how to price your services fairly for you and your clients. Many online tutors feel as though they’ll attract more clients with a lower price range, but that’s not always the case, and tutors are often left earning less than what they should. Pricing yourself too highly for your qualifications can lead to customer complaints, which is always a no-no. Check out the following tips to learn how to determine the private tutoring rates as per your tutoring expertise.
Tips for Online Tutors #1: Take Your Education and Experience into Account
If you are on your way to receiving your Bachelor’s degree and have no previous tutoring experience, I would recommend setting your base rate anywhere from $12-18/hour. The demand for private tutors is certainly high, but remember that students are looking for tutors who are experts in the specific subject matter, and tutors without degrees do not appear fully qualified just yet. Those with a Bachelor’s degree can bump their rate up to $18-25/hour, while those with a Master’s degree or higher can start looking at $26/hour or higher. Any tutoring experience can bump your base rate up by a dollar or two per hour, while tutors with teaching certifications can see a bump of $3 or more per hour. Just like any job, the more experience you gain, the higher you’ll rise on the pay scale. Here’s an article with more information on how to set the perfect tutor rate.
Tips for Online Tutors #2: Examine the Subjects You’d Like to Tutor
If you only feel comfortable tutoring one or two subjects related to your area of study, it’s best to stick with the base rate based on your education. This is especially important if you start out as a math tutor, a subject area with tremendous competition. However, if you’re will to go the extra mile to receive certifications in more than two subjects outside of your comfort zone, your base rate can increase by as much as $3-5/hour.
Tips for Online Tutors #3: Location, Location, Location
Unlike traditional tutors, online tutors have the luxury of interacting with clients from any location that they choose, which eliminates the need for tutoring rate to climb to compensate for travel fees. However, it’s highly possible that you could be asked to tutor a student in a different time zone, and it can be very challenging to schedule live sessions that work with your schedule and the client’s. If the time change is drastic (6+ hours), it’s not out of the question to raise your base rate by a few dollars per hour.