Rates Guide

How Much to Charge for Tutoring in 2026

Most private trainers in the US charge $25 to $80 an hour. Core K–12 subjects run about $27–$55 online and $35–$68 in person. Test prep and advanced STEM go higher, commonly $45–$110. New trainers typically start at $25–$45 and move up with experience and results.

Work out your rate

Pick what you teach and how long you have been doing it.

What you teach

Your experience

Format

Typical range

$30–$60/hr

At $45/hr, here's what reaches you

Your rate$45.00

Service fee (paid by the parent)$1.00

Card processing (paid by the parent)$1.69

You receive$45.00

Parent is charged$47.69

You set $45, you receive $45. Fees are added to the parent's invoice rather than deducted from your payout — so the rate you pick is the rate that lands.

Typical rates by level

Hourly, one-to-one. Group sessions usually run 40–60% of the per-student rate but earn more per hour overall.

Level	Online	In person
Elementary	$25–$40	$30–$50
Middle school	$30–$50	$35–$60
High school	$35–$55	$40–$68
College / advanced	$45–$85	$55–$100
Test prep (SAT/ACT)	$45–$90	$60–$110

Typical rates by experience

Experience moves your rate further than subject does.

Band	Experience	Hourly
Just starting	0–1 year	$25–$45
Experienced	1–3 years	$45–$75
Expert	3+ years, proven results	$75–$150

How to raise your rates without losing families

Most trainers are priced under market, and stay there, because the conversation is uncomfortable rather than because the number is wrong. Two signals mean you are underpriced: you have a waiting list, and nobody has questioned your rate in a year.

Give 4–6 weeks' notice

Enough time for a family to plan around it. Shorter feels abrupt; longer invites drift.

Raise new students first

Apply the new rate to every new enquiry immediately. You will find out quickly whether the market accepts it, before you have said anything to existing families.

Say it plainly, once

“Starting in September my rate will be $70 an hour. I have loved working with Maya this year and hope we can keep going.” No apology, no justification, no invitation to negotiate.

Hold long-standing families for a term

A deliberate loyalty gesture, with an end date. It converts a price rise into something generous without permanently splitting your rates.

Your rate and your take-home are not the same number

Picking a rate is only half of it. What reaches your account depends on how your tools handle fees, and most of them quietly take a cut of the number you advertised.

On a subscription platform, card processing comes out of your side — so a $60 session nets roughly $58, before the monthly subscription. On a marketplace taking 25%, that $60 session pays you $45. In both cases your advertised rate and your real rate never match, and the gap is invisible until you reconcile.

On TrainerTab, fees are added to the parent's invoice instead of deducted from your payout. You set $60, you receive $60 — the calculator above shows the full breakdown for any rate.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the average hourly rate for a tutor?+

Most private tutors in the US charge between $25 and $80 an hour. Core K–12 subjects online sit around $27–$55, in-person around $35–$68, and test prep runs higher at roughly $45–$110. Where you land inside that range depends more on subject and experience than on location.

How much should I charge as a brand new tutor?+

Starting rates are usually $25–$45 an hour. Price at the lower end of your subject's range while you build reviews and referrals, then raise it once you have a waiting list — a full schedule is the clearest signal you are priced under market.

Should online tutoring cost less than in person?+

Usually a little, though less than people expect — commonly 10–20% below an in-person rate. You save travel time, which is the real gain, but the session itself takes the same preparation and delivery. Charging the same rate online is defensible if you are in demand.

How often should I raise my rates?+

Once a year is normal, and when you are consistently booked out. Give existing families 4–6 weeks' notice, apply the new rate to new students immediately, and consider holding long-standing families at the old rate for a term as a loyalty gesture.

Do I have to lower my rate to cover payment fees?+

Not if fees are added to the invoice rather than deducted from your payout. On TutorTab the service fee and card processing are added to what the parent pays, so if you set $60 you receive $60. On subscription tools the processing fee comes out of your side, so your real take is always below your advertised rate.

Sources

Ranges compiled from published 2026 rate guides, including Tutors.com, Care.com and TutorCruncher. Rates vary by region and specialism; treat these as a starting point, not a benchmark.

Set your rate. Keep your rate.

TrainerTab handles booking, reminders and invoicing, and adds fees to the parent's invoice rather than your payout. Free for trainers.

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Work out your rate

Pick what you teach and how long you have been doing it.

What you teach

Your experience

Format

Typical range

$30–$60/hr

At $45/hr, here's what reaches you

Your rate$45.00

Service fee (paid by the parent)$1.00

Card processing (paid by the parent)$1.69

You receive$45.00

Parent is charged$47.69

You set $45, you receive $45. Fees are added to the parent's invoice rather than deducted from your payout — so the rate you pick is the rate that lands.

Level

Online

In person

Elementary

$25–$40

$30–$50

Middle school

$30–$50

$35–$60

High school

$35–$55

$40–$68

College / advanced

$45–$85

$55–$100

Test prep (SAT/ACT)

$45–$90

$60–$110

Band

Experience

Hourly

Just starting

0–1 year

$25–$45

Experienced

1–3 years

$45–$75

Expert

3+ years, proven results

$75–$150