May 28, 2023
Editor
Jessica is a writer for SideHustles.com. Her side hustles include freelance academic writing and editing, which she's done for 10+ years, as well as math and EFL tutoring, both on online platforms and in person.
Earn
$10.20-$400/hrRemote-Friendly
YesCollege Required
UsuallyIf you’re considering tutoring online, there are many websites that will connect you to new students in exchange for a cut of your earnings. Some will also give you access to teaching resources, such as lesson plans, worksheets, and a virtual classroom where you can conduct your lessons.
Below we’ve listed 18 of the biggest online tutoring websites and apps you can try.
You can find tutoring jobs on all of these websites:
Subjects: Tutor.com supports many different subjects. They recruit tutors for classes in math, science, languages, business, and more.
Students: Tutor.com has students of ages and levels, ranging from K–12 to college, graduate school, and continuing education.
Requirements: To teach on Tutor.com, you need to be eligible to work in the US. You must either:
You also have to pass an exam to prove that you know your chosen subject well enough to teach it.
The pay: Tutor.com won’t tell you how much they’ll pay until you apply and pass their exam, although Glassdoor estimates their rates are around $16–$26 per hour. According to their site, rates depend on your subject and the quality of your teaching. The good news is that they have a set payment schedule, so you can be confident you’ll be paid on time.
Anything else I should know? The average tutoring session is quite short (just 20–25 minutes), so you won’t earn the full hourly rate for a single lesson.
Subjects: Varsity Tutors claims that they cover more than 3,000 subjects, which gives you a lot of options, especially if your area of expertise is on the obscure side.
Students: Classes are available for “kids, adults, and all levels of virtual learning.”
Requirements: Varsity Tutors accept applications from tutors in the US and Canada. They don’t specify that you need a degree, just that you need to pass an “academic background check.” According to online reports, you’ll need to have a college degree or be working toward one.
Pay: Varsity Tutors doesn’t specify the hourly rate they pay tutors, but Payscale says that they pay an average hourly rate of $17.39. Indeed gives a slightly higher estimate of $18.11 per hour.
Anything else I should know? Some tutors have complained about the gap between what Varsity Tutors pays and what they charge students (claiming that they underpay their tutors). However, you may be able to negotiate your hourly rate when you sign up for the platform.
Subjects: Wyzant offers classes in more than 300 subjects.
Students: Wyzant is for all ages, from elementary school students to adults.
Pay: You get to set your own rates for private lessons.
Requirements: To work for Wyzant, you have to live in the US and have a Social Security number (which virtually always means you’ll need to be an American citizen). For each subject you want to teach, you’ll also have to pass a quiz with 8–20 multiple-choice questions.
Anything else I should know? Wyzant will take a cut of what you earn—normally 25% of the lesson fee. They also charge extra fees to students on top of their normal lesson fees.
Subjects: TutorMe covers over 300 different subjects.
Students: TutorMe is for students in K–12 schools and higher education institutions.
Requirements: To work for TutorMe, you must be over 18 and be a student at or a graduate of an accredited university. They also want two years of tutoring or teaching experience, and “a mastery of subjects tutored” (the application process will include prompts to test this).
You don’t have to be located in the US, as long as you meet these education requirements.
Pay: The TutorMe website says that tutors earn $16 per hour (around $.27 per minute). They’ll pay you both for the time you spent tutoring and the time you spent providing feedback. You’ll be paid every week via PayPal.
Anything else I should know? You won’t get paid for very short sessions, i.e., ones that you or the student cut off after less than 5 minutes.
Subjects: Wizeprep recruits tutors for many different subjects, including accounting, science, computer science, economics, engineering, finance, mathematics, and statistics.
Students: Wizeprep is meant for older learners. You can teach high school and college students, as well as students who are planning on taking the LSAT and MCAT.
Requirements: To tutor for Wizeprep, you have to at least be in the process of studying for a bachelor’s degree.
Pay: Wizeprep lists rates in the realm of $100–$400 an hour, which is extremely high (and which realistically is probably out of reach of most tutors on their platform). However, according to the website, you can “choose your own tutoring rate.” Wizeprep also claims that you can keep 100% of what you earn (meaning they don’t take a commission).
Anything else I should know? Apparently, you have to undergo training to get certified as a Wizeprep tutor. It’s unclear exactly what this consists of, but we contacted Wizeprep, and they claimed that this training was free of charge.
Subjects: Study.com hires tutors in subjects like math, science, business, computer science, and many more.
Students: The Study.com platform is used by K–12 and college students.
Requirements: Study.com requires tutors to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and at least 3 years of high school tutoring or teaching experience.
Some tutoring positions also may only be open to US residents or people who are eligible to work in the US. You’ll need to check their website to see the requirements for each individual opening.
Pay: Study.com doesn’t say anything about how much they pay their tutors, but according to Zippia, they offer a rate of about $18.28 per hour.
Anything else I should know? Besides tutoring, there are many other types of jobs available on Study.com. For example, they recruit subject matter experts, writers, and graders for practice tests.
Subjects: Yup focuses exclusively on math tutoring. They cover all K–12 math subjects, including early math, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, probability, precalculus, and calculus AB.
Students: Yup is meant for children and high school students.
Requirements: To teach on Yup, you must have a 4-year degree or be in the process of getting one. You need to pass a math proficiency exam and a background check.
The pay: Yup doesn’t specify their hourly rate—just that you’ll be paid on a monthly basis through direct deposit or PayPal. Glassdoor estimates the average hourly rate to be $21.
Yup’s payment system is a bit unusual. They set up shifts for you in advance (which will amount to at least 10 hours per week). You’ll be paid for all of the time you spend signed on during these shifts, not just for the time you actually spend tutoring.
Anything else I should know? There’s a Yup smartphone app, but most tutors find that using a computer or tablet is more practical.
Subjects: Skooli specializes in mathematics, but also has English, science, and business tutors.
Students: Skooli supports tutoring for students in elementary school all the way to college.
Requirements: According to Skooli’s website, they’ll hire tutors from anywhere in the world. However, tutors need one or more of the following:
Tutors must also undergo a criminal background check.
Pay: Skooli doesn’t specify how much they pay, but many online reports claim that their hourly rate is around $25.
Anything else I should know? Skooli’s classes are offered on a pay-by-the-minute basis. The minimum class length is 15 minutes. You have to earn at least $100 before you can receive a payout.
Subjects: Remind Tutoring features classes in language arts (e.g., English and writing) and math.
Students: Remind Tutoring is for students in grades 1–12. English language arts classes are only available for grades 1–6, whereas math classes are available to students in grades 2–12.
Requirements: To tutor for Remind, you need to either:
You must also be eligible to work in the US and pass a background check. (Be aware that tutors from certain states, such as California, may be ineligible for some job postings. Make sure to look at the listing for each class carefully.)
Pay: The Remind Tutoring website says that their top-earning tutors make over $2,000 per month. They don’t specify their hourly rate, although they have put up job postings that advertise a rate of $25 per hour.
Anything else I should know? Tutoring sessions won’t necessarily be a full hour. They start at 40 minutes each and can be extended to 60 minutes. This means that the pay per lesson might be lower than the hourly rate.
Subjects: Lessonface accepts music, art, and language tutors.
Students: The Lessonface website says that their website caters to learners of all ages and levels.
Requirements: Lessonface’s requirements depend what you want to tutor:
Pay: You get to set your own rates for private lessons.
Anything else I should know? Lessonface will take a cut of your earnings. Their cut is equivalent to a 15% fee on lessons with students who find you via their platform and a 5% fee for lessons with students you recruit yourself.
Subjects: Cambly is solely dedicated to English tutoring.
Students: Cambly is for all ages. The main Cambly platform is primarily for adults, but they also run the platform Cambly Kids, which is for children aged 4–15 years.
Requirements: Cambly’s requirements are fairly minimal. You don’t need a teaching certificate, a bachelor’s degree, or prior teaching experience.
Interestingly, their website says that “Cambly is powered by a community of friendly English tutors around the globe,” so you may be able to apply from anywhere—not just from the US.
Pay: Cambly’s rates are comparatively low. You’ll make $0.17 per minute ($10.20 per hour) on Cambly and $0.20 per minute ($12.00 per hour) on Cambly Kids. Payments are deposited via PayPal every Monday.
Subjects: Preply is mainly focused on language tutoring. However, the site says that it also offers other school and university subjects, as well as classes in various arts and crafts.
Students: Preply is for learners of all ages—both adults and kids.
Requirements: Preply has tutors for all kinds of languages in many different countries, and you don’t need a specific certification or teaching experience to teach with them. They also don’t specify that you need a background check (in general, sites that cater more to adult learners are less likely to require these).
Pay: According to the Preply website, English tutors earn $15–$25 per hour on average.
Anything else I should know? Preply won’t take a cut of your earnings on your first lesson. After that, you’ll start paying a 33% commission on your lessons. This eventually decreases to 18%.
Subjects: VIPKid is an English-tutoring platform. It doesn’t offer lessons in any other subjects.
Students: As you’d expect from the name, VIPKid is aimed primarily at kids. However, it also has classes for adults.
Requirements: VIPKid “recommends” that you have at least two years of experience in teaching, tutoring, coaching, or mentoring, but this doesn’t appear to be mandatory.
However, you’ll need a 4-year degree (from any university and in any subject). You also must be eligible to work in the US or Canada, although your degree can be from a university in a different country.
Pay: According to VIPKid’s website, their tutors’ earnings are based on a base rate of $7–$9 per 25-minute class, which equates to about $14–$18 per hour, plus additional “incentives.” (This assumes that you can teach at most two classes per hour.)
Anything else I should know? Again, VIPKid classes are 25 minutes each, which is quite short.
How to sign up: Begin by filling out the form on the VIPKid home page.
Subjects: eTutorWorld is a platform for math, science, and English tutors.
Students: eTutorWorld offers classes for students in K–12.
Requirements: You’ll need a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (English, mathematics, or science). The eTutorWorld website says that its tutors are based in India and the US, so applicants from both of these countries may be eligible. It also says that holding a CTET certification (a certification for teachers in India) is a plus, but not essential.
Pay: eTutorWorld doesn’t specify how much they pay, and there isn’t much information available about their rates online. However, they charge $19–$26 per hour for lessons. You’ll likely be paid somewhat less than this (after the platform takes its cut).
Anything else I should know? To work for eTutorWorld, you apparently have to complete “two weeks of intensive training.” It’s not clear whether there’s a fee for this.
Subjects: TutorEye offers tutoring in math, science, English, other languages, and test preparation (SAT, GMAT, ACT, and AP).
Students: TutorEye is for K–12 and college students.
Requirements: To work for TutorEye, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree. The site also says that their tutors have all undergone a background check.
Pay: There isn’t much information available about how much TutorEye pays. Students are charged $19–$26 per hour, which is a relatively low rate, so the pay for tutors is also likely to be on the low side.
Anything else I should know? TutorEye says that it provides its tutors with whiteboard training, which you may need to undergo before you can start conducting lessons and earning money.
Subjects: OutSchool has classes on all kinds of subjects, from mainstream ones like math and English to very esoteric ones like playing the ukulele and creating Minecraft mods.
Students: OutSchool caters to learners aged 3–18 years.
Requirements: You don’t need any formal teaching credentials to work for OutSchool. However, they do require criminal background checks. You also have to be a resident of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the UK.
Pay: You can set the prices for your classes (and the number of participants). OutSchool lets you list your services for free, but they’ll take a 30% fee each time a student signs up for your class. You’ll be paid every week.
Anything else I should know? You can create your own classes on OutSchool, so it’s technically possible to teach anything you like, the only limiting factor being whether or not students will sign up.
Subjects: Studypool offers many different subjects—science, math, languages, law, and economics, to name just a few.
Students: Studypool is aimed mainly at university students.
Requirements: Studypool hires tutors from all over the world. Their website says that their tutors “are vetted for subject expertise” and typically have undergrad or graduate degrees.
Pay: Studypool says that tutors can earn up to $7,500 monthly, but they don’t specify their hourly rates, and putting away this much per month is probably out of reach of the vast majority of tutors.
They state that they charge service fees of 20% or more. Glassdoor estimates that the hourly rate for Studypool tutors is $13–$20.
Anything else I should know? Studypool has several unusual features. Its tutoring sessions are tightly focused on specific questions (a structure that Studypool calls “microtutoring”), with tutors explaining answers by text rather than video.
In addition to tutoring, you can create and sell educational documents (such as study guides) on Studypool.
Subjects: Chelsea International Education (CIE) offers classes in many different subjects. Oddly, their website doesn’t specify which ones.
Students: Chelsea International Education caters to students of all levels, from preschool kids right up to PhD-level university students.
Requirements: To be a CIE tutor, you need:
You’ll also need to undergo various checks of your background and credentials. The application process is comparatively difficult (including reference checks, an interview, and a tutoring demo).
Pay: Chelsea International Education doesn’t specify exactly how much they pay their tutors. Their rates depend on several factors, including the subject and level of the class. Current and former tutors report a wide range of rates, from $15–$100 per hour.
Anything else I should know? Chelsea International Education offers both in-home and online tutoring. They also offer life coaching and college counseling.
Apply to Chelsea International Education
Note: As of May 2023, the application link on Chelsea International’s website appears to be non-functional. To get in touch with the company and apply directly, you can use the information on Chelsea International’s contact page.
Whether you should use an online tutoring platform largely depends on how established you are. If you have a few years of experience under your belt (or if you already work as a teacher or in a learning center), you’ll probably be able to find students on your own. This will be more lucrative than working for online platforms, which will usually take a hefty cut of your earnings.
We spoke to one teacher, Mark James Edwards, who has several years of experience tutoring online. He agreed that recruiting students for tutoring is easier if you’re already a teacher. “A lot of my students would actively promote me if I asked them to,” he said.
We spoke to Faisal Nasim, a UK-based tutor who has 15 years of experience, who gave us several suggestions for recruiting students. He recommends:
In addition, he suggested offering free consultations or tryout sessions. “This way, potential clients can see how you teach and figure out if you’re the right fit for them,” he told us. He also recommended publishing content online to share your knowledge. “Write blog posts, make videos, or host webinars to show off your expertise and get people to trust you.”
That said, if you’re very new to tutoring and you don’t have a network of contacts who can help you find students, online platforms can be a good way to get started in this line of work. Once you have more experience and a stable roster of clients, you can look into striking out on your own.
