It’s one of the most frequently asked question about private tutoring – how much do private tutors charge? Based on several survey results and reported figures since 2013, we can conclude that the average self-employed private tutor in the UK charges between £15 and £41 per hour. At either end of the scale, our analysis found there are tutors that charge as little as £10 per hour, and those that charge as much as £100 per hour.

To provide some context to these reported figures, we should note there are several factors that affect how much private tutoring costs, including:

Location

Private tutors tend to charge more in areas with the most demand for tutoring. Tutors in London, for example are reported to charge more than tutors elsewhere in the UK. The cost of living is higher in London and there’s a high concentration of independent schools, where private tuition for entrance exams is common. The county of Kent also has an uncommonly high demand for private tutoring due to the many grammar schools that use the 11 Plus exam and the Kent Test.

Travel

Tutors that work from home tend to charge slightly less than those who travel to students’ homes. Travel costs need to be considered when travelling within a certain radius of a location. Similarly, tutors who teach online tend to charge slightly less due to an absence of travel costs.

Experience

More experienced tutors can generally command a higher fee owing to their experience, expertise and track record. Those who tutor while studying at university, tend to charge on the lower scale.

Working Hours

Many tutors in the UK offer their services to gain a second source of income in addition to their full-time job. ‘Part-time’ tutors tend to charge slightly less than those who tutor ‘full time’. As a full-time tutor, working hours are typically restricted to evenings and weekends, which requires a higher hourly rate to earn a full-time wage.

Tutoring Platform

There are several different types of tutoring platform out there. Tutors who are self-employed and manage their own business aren’t subject to commission fees taken by most tutoring platforms. They do however, need to invest in their own marketing.

We might assume that platforms that take a commission from tutors, tend to report higher hourly tutoring rates, as tutors may inflate their prices to account for commission fees (although Tutora’s fee analysis below actually suggests otherwise).

Similarly, we could assume that platforms that enable tutors to advertise for free and charge the parents (usually a one-off-fee), tend to attract those that are new to tutoring, given that there aren’t any financial commitments on the tutor’s behalf. Of course, this isn’t always the case, and these platforms do also attract experienced tutors that command high fees.

More traditional ‘brick and mortar’ private tutoring agencies also tend to add mark-up fees ranging from 10-40% to a tutor’s average hourly rate, which could account for higher tutoring rates amongst agency tutors.

Private Tuition Fee Surveys and Reported Averages

Over the last few years, there has been several private tutoring rate surveys and reported averages in online articles. We’ve summarised the findings from the most recent sources below:

Tutor Hunt Survey (October 2017)

The most recent industry survey conducted by Tutor Hunt, found that their tutors charge on average, £31.35 per hour - £31.34 for women, and £31.35 for men. Their press release also reports that private tutors earn 38% more than secondary school teachers.

Telegraph Article (October 2017)

An article published in the Telegraph reported that tutoring agency Holland Park Tuition charges £58 an hour, agency Carfax Private Tutors charges £55 an hour, and Kensington & Chelsea Tutors charge £40 an hour.

This Is Money Article (September 2016)

An article published in online magazine, This is Money, reported that tutors registered on the platform TutorFair, charge an average of £24 an hour, with some graduates charging as little as £10 to £15 an hour. The article also suggested that the platform has tutors that charge as much as £100 per hour for university tuition.

Tutora Analysis (July 2016)

A detailed analysis of private tutors registered on Tutora’s platform reported that their tutors charge between £15 per hour (for Arabic lessons) and £26.22 per hour (for psychology). Their detailed findings also report average prices by subject, location and level. They created this infographic to show their data.

The Tutor Pages Survey (January 2016)

Based on responses from tutors registered with The Tutor Pages, this survey found that the average tutor charges between £29 and £41 per hour, which is reported as a slight increase on 2015 figures. The survey also found that tutoring at GCSE level costs an average of £32.50 per hour, and £36 per hour at A-Level. For university tutors, the average hourly rate was found to be £41 per hour. Music tutors were reported to charge £32 per hour, and language tutors, £30 per hour.

First Tutors Survey (March 2013)

First Tutors’ 2013 survey was the first of its kind to report on private tutoring fees. Their survey, which had over 15,000 participants, reported that tutors charge an average of £22 per hour. Interestingly, the survey found that tutors in cities charged £21.55 per hour, while those in rural areas charged £23.07 per hour. The survey also reported that the average primary and secondary school tutor charges £20.10, and the average university level tutor charges £26.56. First Tutors also created this infographic to show their findings.

Related posts:

How to Start a Private Tutoring Business

Paying Tax as a Private Tutor

Insurance for Private Tutors: What You Need to Know

Image source:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/howardlake/4550761104/