The Tutoring and Lessons Job Guide: How Much to Charge for Tutoring & Lessons

You're moving forward, having decided what lessons or tutoring to offer. Now you need to figure out how much to charge. Of course, if you work for a tutoring agency, they will determine the charge. But if you are working on your own, various factors will influence how much you can charge. These include:

• Your credentials in the area you will teach. Are you a well-known violinist offering lessons or someone who once played in the youth symphony? Are you a Ph.D. in physics, or a college grad who majored in the area? People with more advanced credentials will be able to charge more.
• Your level of experience. Have you been teaching the subject for years, or is this your first time? If you have years of experience teaching the subject, you will be able to charge more.
• Your proven success. Have you been successful in the past? Can students who have studied with you offer testimonials as to how helpful you were? This, and a solid reputation, can add to the amount you can charge.
• Your area of the country. In certain areas of the country, including big cities and their close suburbs, people are able to pay more for tutoring and lessons. The farther out you go, the more limited you will be as to how much you can charge. To assess how much people with comparable levels of experience are charging for the lessons you will be providing in your area, search on Care.com for other tutors in your zip code. Then you can create a profile to make your services available on the site. Since the rates can range from a low of $9 an hour in Alabama to a high of $100 an hour or more in California, it's important to know the going rates in your area.
  

Now that you have decided what you want to teach, how much to charge, and have advertised your services, you will need to prepare for an interview.