What to charge per hour, per package, and after platform fees
| Subject | Typical Hourly Rate | Notes & Anchors |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary reading & math | $20 – $40 | College students at the low end, teachers at the top |
| Middle school subjects | $25 – $45 | Volume is high; retention matters more than rate |
| High school math | $35 – $60 | Averages about $46/hr in Wyzant's tutor-set rates |
| High school sciences | $35 – $65 | Chemistry and physics price above biology |
| Foreign language | $25 – $50 | The baseline SAT prep gets measured against |
| SAT / ACT prep | $50 – $150 | About $62/hr average on Wyzant; 63% over language rates |
| AP / IB / college courses | $40 – $75 | Calculus and organic chemistry carry premiums |
| GRE / MCAT / LSAT prep | $60 – $150+ | Specialists at elite firms run $79 – $349/hr |
Sources: Wyzant published tutor-price ranges and subject averages; Preply global rate bands ($10-$40) sit below US platforms because tutors compete internationally. Averages blend every region and credential level, which is why the calculator above adjusts before quoting your number.
| Channel | Fees | Net on a $60 Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct (your own students) | $0 | $60.00 | Referrals and repeat families; you handle scheduling and card fees |
| Wyzant | 25% flat commission | $45.00 | Predictable; tutor-set prices, strong US search traffic |
| Preply (new tutor) | 33% commission | $40.20 | Falls with hours taught, bottoming at 18%; first lesson with any new student is 100% commission |
| Preply (top tier) | 18% commission | $49.20 | Reached after substantial teaching hours on the platform |
A $60 gross rate is $45 on Wyzant, $40.20 on Preply as a new tutor, and $60 direct. Price on platforms accordingly: many tutors add 15-25% to their list rate to net their target number.
The calculator is a pricing model, not a wage survey. It anchors each subject to its published national range, then adjusts for the four factors that actually move what families pay.
Rate = subject base × credentials multiplier × level multiplier × format multiplier × market multiplier × experience factor. Credentials run from 0.65 for a college student to 1.3 for a subject specialist. Level runs 0.8 at elementary up to 1.1 for college coursework. Online tutoring applies 0.95, small towns 0.85, major metros 1.2. Experience adds 2% per year, capped at ten years, because a tutor's twelfth year prices like their tenth. The rate band shows ±15% around your number, which is the normal spread you'll see shopping the same profile across a metro.
Set the six profile fields to match your real offer, then read the hero number as your list rate. The package row applies the common 5% off 8 sessions and 10% off 12 or more; the monthly figure uses 4.33 weeks a month at your stated hours. If you teach through a platform, price your list rate so the net-of-commission figure still clears your target, and remember self-employment tax applies to all of it.
A certified teacher tutoring high school math in person in a suburb, four years in: the model gives 45 × 1.15 × 1.08 = $55.89 an hour, with a defensible band of $47.51 to $64.27. Twelve sessions at the 10% package discount is $603.61 instead of $670.68. At six hours a week that's about $1,452 a month gross, or $1,089 net of Wyzant's 25% commission ($41.92/hr effective).
Shift the same profile to SAT prep as a subject specialist, online, in a major metro, seven years in, and the model returns $101.37 an hour. That sounds aggressive until you check the market: elite test-prep firms charge $79 to $349 an hour, so a $101 independent rate undercuts the firms while more than doubling the general-subject rate. The premium tracks the stakes, not the hours.
Most independent US tutors land between $25 and $80 an hour. Where you fall inside that band depends on four things: subject (math averages about $46 an hour and SAT prep about $62 on Wyzant), your credentials (a certified teacher prices 10-20% above a general tutor), the market (major metros run about 20% above suburban rates), and experience (roughly 2% more per year, topping out after a decade). The calculator above turns those into one number.
Wyzant tutors set their own prices, and the platform reports a typical range of $35 to $60 an hour, with subject specialists above that. Remember the take rate: Wyzant keeps a flat 25% commission, so a $55 listed rate pays you $41.25. Preply starts new tutors at a 33% commission that falls to 18% with volume, and keeps 100% of a new student's first lesson.
SAT prep runs about $62 an hour on Wyzant, roughly 63% more than language tutoring. The broader private market is $50 to $150 an hour, and elite firms charging brand-name-tutor rates run $79 to $349 an hour. Most families buy 10 to 20 sessions, so a mid-range package lands between $600 and $2,000.
Slightly, yes, if you are competing in a national market: online rates typically run about 5% below in-person because you compete with tutors everywhere and save the commute. But if your online students are local and would otherwise book you in person, there's no reason to discount at all. The travel time you save is yours.
Packages smooth your income and cut no-shows, and a modest discount buys commitment: 5% off an 8-session package and 10% off 12 or more is common. A $55.89 rate makes a 12-session package $604 instead of $671, and you get the calendar locked in advance. Set an expiry (six months is typical) so old packages don't haunt you after you raise rates.