The current pandemic has thrown everyone into a strange new world. While many people are struggling to find a job, many of the rest of us are waking up to a world of homeschooling kids in subjects that you never did particularly good at. Which is where this idea starts…
There’s an immediate and growing need for tutors to help kids with their abrupt adaptation to home schooling. It’s been thirty years since my wife and I have studied Chemistry, French, or The Meiji restoration. We’re going to need some help.
I’ll even wager that this opportunity will continue after the stay at home orders are lifted. Kids all over the world will have lost between six and nine months of classroom instruction time by the time this is over, even more if we have a second outbreak. Your tutoring clients for the pandemic will return nest year as parents push to close this gap.
This is why we’re bullish about online tutoring. Households which already hire tutors today pay hundreds of dollars a month for this help… and the reasons to hire a tutor have exploded with the pandemic.
The good news is you (usually) don’t need any special training to compete in this space. If you’ve got educational experience or credentials it certainly helps. But a good working knowledge of the topic is generally enough to compete, especially if you regularly practice it in your day job or recently graduated with good marks.
There’s one other key point of difference, especially for current or prospective college students. The neat thing about online tutor jobs is you can bring your clients with you when you go back to school. This includes any local clients you move onto the platform. This is a HUGE step up in the traditional tutoring model, where you lost your book of clients every time you moved. The same applies to a teacher who wants to become a stay-at-home parent: you can work as a virtual private tutor to stay current.
Here’s a list of online tutoring websites which offer the greatest opportunity for new tutors. In some cases, you do need to meet certain requirements before you can join and start teaching. However, there are also some that do not have any formal requirements. There is something for everyone and in this article, we are going to explore some of the best paying online tutoring jobs, their pros and cons to make your search of making some income a lot easier. So, let’s get started.
Chegg Tutors
Chegg Tutors is considered to be one of the best online tutoring services. They offer a wide range of subjects which is good for online tutors. The audience on the site ranges from middle school, high school, college students to professionals. You can easily join the platform if you have experience as a tutor. The website also accepts college and university students who are looking to make some income. You are however required to submit proof of current or previous studies to get accepted on the platform.
Once you have completed the registration process, the website will start assigning students to you. You can build your reputation and increase your score by working more, this helps in getting more opportunities on the site. The payrate starts at $20 per hour and you’ll be able to receive your money every week through PayPal. The more specialized your field of teaching is, the more money you’ll be able to make. There are platforms offering better pay, however this is a good site to start with.
Pros
- Students and beginners can apply
- Choose your favorite subjects
- Earnings increase as you get more experienced over the platform
- All levels of students can be found on the site
Cons
- Payrate is considerably low
Accepting international tutors: Yes, all nationalities can apply
Recommended for: Beginners
Chegg is a well known brand and being a Chegg tutor is definitely something you can put on your resume. If you recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree and are looking for a place to land until you can find work in your field, a tutoring job is a good option.
Yup (Math Tutor site)
If you’re a math teacher or have had previous experience in teaching the subject, then try looking at Yup. It allows teachers to teach students all over the world on their own schedule. You do need to have at least 2 years of teaching experience to become a Yup tutor.
To sign up on the site, you are required to complete the online application form and take a test. After clearing the test, you will have to conduct a trial online session to show your abilities as a teacher. The application process takes around 24 hours and upon successfully clearing these stages, you will be given a weekly schedule. Your rate is dependent on your experience and you can choose to receive payments either via PayPal or a direct deposit. The students will also send you specific problems or assignments for you to help them solve it.
Pros
- Great for current or retired mathematics teachers
- Provides help to students in real-time
- Flexible working schedule
- Get training
Cons
- The application and interview process can get stressful
Accepting international tutors: No, must be US citizens living in the US
Recommended for: Current or previous teachers teaching in mathematics; teaching certification and teaching experience is required.
Brainfuse
Brainfuse has been around for more than a decade offering tutoring to primary, secondary and higher education students with even career services available for graduates or professionals. Their application process is simple, you just send them your resume and they’ll get back to you if they’re interested. You need to have some experience in the field of teaching a particular subject to get shortlisted for their platform. Once hired, you can choose between on-demand or pre-scheduled tutoring sessions or both.
Pros
- Wide range of subjects and classes
- Long track record
- Platform is optimized for low internet speeds
- Offers scheduled and on-demand sessions
Cons
- Experienced required to be able to work on this site
- There is no online application, which can make shortlisting even more difficult
Accepting international tutors: No available information, send in your resume anyways
Recommended for: Tutors excelling at mathematics and English language
Tutor.com
This site caters to students from military families, primary, secondary and higher education and also corporate training for professionals. The subjects offered range from English, Science, Business to aptitude testing and SAT test prep. The application process for signing up can get long and tedious. You have to complete an online application; pass an exam in a particular subject you are interested in teaching and do a mock tutoring session. If you get accepted, expect a pay slightly above other competitors in the market. Pay rate can be anywhere between $10 to $14 per hour.
Pros
- Great teaching job for teachers who do test prep
- A lot of students on the platform meaning more work for tutors
- A lot of subjects offered, something for everybody
Cons
- Need prior tutoring experience
- Long and tedious application process
Accepting international tutors: No, Limited to US excluding New Mexico
Recommended for: Tutors who excel at coaching test prep students
MagicEars
The site is designed to help students in China aged 4 to 12 years, offering them an native speaker English tutor. . The signup process for teaching on this platform is easy. You can simply write your name and email and start teaching right away. You are required to verify your education certificates and experience and the minimum eligibility to be on the site is an undergraduate or university students. The site focuses on English online language coaching. The classrooms are interactive with 1 to 4 students talking and interacting online learning the basics of the English language.
You’ll need to have a bachelor’s college degree, TEFL certification (120 hour program), and some teaching experience before you start tutoring. The TEFL certification is a standard requirement if you want to teach English as a foreign language; it takes about 120 hours to complete. Costs is $200 to $500. This does have future value. In addition to providing a strong credential on an international professional resume, it gives you options if you want to live abroad and teach English in the future.
You’re teaching students in China, so you should take the different time zone working hours into consideration before you sign up for this online tutoring job. The working hours are flexible; however, the Chinese students will be on Beijing time. Be prepared to adjust your schedule to accommodate the tutoring service’s clients.
Pros
- High pay
- Great for beginners
- Straightforward application process
- Friendly cancellation policy
Cons
- If you have issues or concerns, the customer support does take long to get back since the site is really busy
- Different time zones can be an issue for some people
Accepting international tutors: No, right now only US and Canadian citizens can apply
Recommended for: Native English speaker beginners. This has a lot of potential for a college student or someone who is preparing for a career in international business. Online teaching is also a very portable skill for aspiring digital nomads. Newly trained teachers with a bachelor’s degree would also be a great fit.
Aim 4 A Tutoring
This tutoring company has physical locations. You can opt to tutor at one of their centers across the united states or simply sign up as an e-tutor. The website specializes in English, mathematics, science, aptitude testing, TOEFL and SAT preps. You can sign up on their website if you have some teaching background and at least an undergraduate degree. Classes are conducted through Skype and expect students from the following countries; Europe, Australia and North America.
Pros
- No special classroom programs
- Comparatively easier application process
Cons
- Is not on-demand tutoring
- Income uncertainty since you do not know how many hours, you’re able to get
Accepting international tutors: Yes
Recommended for: Tutors that excel in teaching prep tests
TutorMe
TutorMe is another helpful online platform connecting students with the right tutors. The website hosts wide range of subjects catering to kindergarten students right up to twelfth grade.
For tutors, signing up is fairly easy and it is also suitable for beginners. Complete the online application with basic personal information and your education. If you have any teaching background, do mention it in your application and if not, you can mention the subjects you have mastered during your studies. Upon completion, you will be able to access the platform and connect with students looking for help with homework tasks, lessons and more.
The pay rate for beginners is $16 per hour and is paid once a week through PayPal. TutorMe has a two-way rating system that allows tutor to rate students and students to rate their tutors and the pay rate is dependent on these ratings.
Pros
- Quick and simple signup
- Improve your rating and get paid better
- Get paid on a weekly basis
Cons
- The two-way rating can impact your scores negatively
- Compared to other sites, the starting rate is low
Accepting international tutors: Yes
Recommended for: Beginners
Kaplan
Kaplan Inc is a reputable name in the education provider industry. It has taught more than one million students and have thousands of business and university partners. It is a great place to start if you’re an experienced tutor or distinguished graduate. Kaplan provides higher education, test preparations, English language training, university preparations and professional education. They require their online tutors to at least have a degree. Teaching experience is not necessary but is preferred. You need to know how to engage students and also need to clear their tests with 90th percentile to qualify for online tutoring. Their average pay rate range between $17 to $40 per hour depending on the subject taught.
Pros
- Insurance policies
- Lesson plan provided in many cases
- Financial stability with different packages offered
- Great support and training
Cons
- Tough criteria to get shortlisted as a tutor
Accepting international tutors: No, you need to be authorized to work in the US
Recommended for: those with considerable experience in test prep or professionals looking to teach professional qualifications
Wyzant
WyzAnt is one of the best online tutoring options available for students. It is a marketplace-style tutoring website, which means that there are a lot of online tutors competing with each other to get students. Your best shot at getting a tutoring gig is highlight unique aspects of your experience or credentials. The good news you can earn excellent rates if you find a way to make this platform work.
The Application process requires you to create an online profile filling in your certifications, degrees and more, however you will need to have a great online profile to stand out. The platform has many student level options, everything from elementary school through grad school. You can opt for either an in-person tutoring session or online tutoring.
The website has more than 250 subjects to offer and many test prep courses. Tutors can earn on average between $30 to $60 per hour and can make more based-on experience. However, the site does have some high fees and commissions.
Pros
- Flexible working hours
- Great customer service
- Get paid quickly
Cons
- Commission is charged (40% at the beginning which goes down as you stack up more hours)
- 7% fee per client
Accepting international tutors: No, limited to the US only
Recommended for: those looking for long-term tutoring opportunity
VIPKid
This platform connects American tutors with Chinese children who can’t join American schools. It was created to offer these children world class American quality education. Students on this platform range between 4 to 12 years old and the main focus is on teaching English as a language. You are required to have at least one year of teaching experience. VIPKid is not for beginners looking to earn quick cash. They already have more than 100,000 teachers on their platform and more than 5 million classes every month. This makes the interview process very competitive and referrals help might get you shortlisted. It does offer multiple bonuses and the average payrate is between $15 to $22 per hour depending on your experience.
Pros
- Comparatively good pay
- Offers multiple bonuses if you teach more
- Lots of tutoring jobs available
Cons
- Extremely competitive interview process
Accepting international tutors: No, must be residing in US or Canada
Recommended for: those that are highly skilled in English language
Final words
The online tutor industry has come a long way in the past several years and 2020 is the year that it is going to really take off.
What I love about the online teaching job opportunity is it takes a relatively local business and makes it PORTABLE. My kids have had private tutor help before but it was always for a single season, until someone went away to college or moved. Doing business via a tutoring platform gives you a way to keep clients for the long haul.
The potential here for college and graduate students is potentially huge. I was making $10 a hour in college doing grunt-work when I could have been tutoring kids in my specialty (mathematics, economics, computer science) for three times that. From the privacy of my own dorm room with an in-progress bachelor’s degree. And you can take it with you, earning a little extra spending money in those first lean years in the workforce.
When you think about it, most tutoring gigs are very repeatable. You can manage it like a process. Build some standard lesson plans. Polish your typical coaching talk on common subjects. Craft a standard pitch for parents. A good process can turn this into an easy business to run.
Find student. Set rate. Teach. Collect. Repeat.
Good luck!
Related Resources:
- Need a break from tutoring? Check out freelance writing
- Students with a strong background in academia may also enjoy grant writing.
- Like to explain business and technical topics? You may be a good fit with certain freelance sales jobs – just explaining stuff, not being pushy…
- I would suggest setting up a professional website to stay in touch with clients.
Other options
There are a number of other online tutoring company programs out there. Here are some additional leads:
- Course Hero Tutors has a program (paid by the question, we cut it from the list since the pay is relatively low although it doesn’t require any social interaction). While their policies prohibit cheating, their platform exposes them to this risk.
- Skooli has a platform as well (Skooli tutor); requires a bachelors degree or other certifications. Unlike other platforms, they specifically call out Masters and Phd degrees in their signup, so this is worth checking out if you’ve got one of those credentials.