Tutor.com Review: What It’s Really Like Working at Tutor.com

Tutor.com is a service that helps students find personal tutors. However, this isn’t the typical peer-to-peer tutoring job site.

Tutor.com partners with the following groups:

• Grade schools
• Colleges and universities
• Libraries
• Corporate employee benefits programs
• US military

In terms of how Tutor.com works, the platform helps connect their students or members with a tutor for one-on-one virtual sessions. Students are also able to create personal accounts on Tutor.com and find a tutor on their own.

Tutoring sessions last anywhere from 5 to 60 minutes, with the average being about 20 minutes. On Tutor.com, you can get paid to tutor in three different ways, as outlined in the table below.

Types of Tutor.com Tutors

Costs and fees

You can start tutoring on Tutor.com for free since the platform has no signup fees or membership fees for tutors. However, Tutor.com pay rates are set by the platform, and it’s highly likely that tutors have to sacrifice a cut of their earnings.

Unfortunately, Tutor.com’s commission fees aren’t clearly stated anywhere on their website. This makes it impossible to assess how much you’re really sacrificing from your earning potential by working for Tutor.com.

Subjects you can teach

Tutors can offer on-demand or scheduled tutoring in over 250 subjects, tutoring either in English or Spanish. Tutors can also offer test prep, study skills improvement, homework help, and essay review services.

Because Tutor.com partners with different public and governmental organizations, there’s a vast array of subjects you can teach across several student demographics.

Here are a few of the Tutor.com subjects you can teach:

• Math
• Writing
• English
• Science
• Computer science and programming
• World languages
• History and social sciences
• Nursing and health sciences
• Business
• Communications
• Study and life skills
• Parent coaching
• Career services
• Test prep (e.g., GED, ACT, SAT, PSAT, HISET, TASC, AP, and IB)
• Teacher education
• Reading comprehension
• Social studies
• Citizenship prep
• Parent coaching
• Job search support

For a complete list, check each subject category: K-12 tutoring, higher education subjects, libraries subjects, employee benefits subjects, and military subjects. Some categories can also be taught in Spanish instead of English.

Yes, Tutor.com is a completely legitimate online tutoring platform. With a great reputation as a highly reputable company, Tutor.com has been a reliable tutoring source for adolescent, college-aged, and adult learners for decades.

Tutor.com’s online, interactive classroom model was originally thought up back in 1998 and incorporated in 2000. In 2014, Tutor.com acquired The Princeton Review, and the company has received numerous accolades since.

Protections for tutors

As a tutor working for Tutor.com, you’ll be considered an independent contractor. That said, Tutor.com offers support and some protections along the way.

For example, every tutor has a mentor who reviews their performance and provides feedback to ensure that students get the most from their sessions.

Another point worth noting is that tutors have the ability to block students in response to abuse, harassment, or otherwise inappropriate behavior. While tutors can decline sessions with students they don’t feel comfortable working with, they’ll be penalized as their session acceptance rate drops, so blocking is the best solution.

Another protective measure Tutor.com offers is for on-demand (non-floating) tutors. Because you commit to a specific classroom shift and have to stay by your computer until a student logs in and requests a session, Tutor.com will pay you even if the student is a no-show.

You won’t be able to choose your own rates as a tutor—instead, Tutor.com will assign you a pay rate after you sign up. Tutor.com salary and income data self-reported by tutors suggest that Tutor.com generally gives tutors somewhere in the range of $10–$30 per hour, depending on their subject.

In terms of monthly earnings, an online poll among over 800 anonymous tutors working for Tutor.com in 2022 revealed that the vast majority of tutors earn either less than $100 per month or more than $600 per month. Some people are able to earn close to full-time earnings, while others just treat Tutor.com as a side hustle.

Here’s a summary of the poll results:

• Under $100/month: 332
• $100–$200/month: 45
• $200–$300/month: 41
• $300–$400/month: 58
• $500–$600/month: 34
• Over $600/month: 303

How you’ll get paid

Tutor.com pays tutors by direct deposit once a month on the sixth business day of the month. The Tutor.com website warns that it can take 1–2 payroll cycles for direct deposit enrollment to take effect, so you should expect your first couple of payments to arrive as paper checks.

Factors affecting your earnings on Tutor.com

Your pay rate will ultimately depend on the following factors:

• Subject
• Grade level
• Type of subject (educational vs. professional)
• Experience on the Tutor.com platform

Tutor.com does not give out any information regarding tutor pay until you complete the application process. However, your earnings may fluctuate. As a tutor, you’ll be eligible for bonus payments and raises, depending on factors like your mentor reviews, session acceptance rate, and average session duration.

Tutor.com has a strict list of requirements for tutors. Even if you meet all the requirements, Tutor.com only hires and onboards 1.2% of applicants. This is an incredibly low acceptance rate and shows that not just anyone can work for Tutor.com.

To start, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Live in the United States
• Be authorized to work in the US
• Have a Social Security number
• Be fluent in English
• Have a 4-year degree or higher education or be enrolled as a sophomore or higher grade level at an accredited university
• Are a subject matter expert in at least one Tutor.com subject
• Have strong oral and written communication skills
• Be able to work a minimum of 5 hours every week

In addition, you need to have the right technology setup in order to become a tutor for Tutor.com.

Tutor.com Technology Requirements

Tutor.com application process

If you’d like to apply to be an online tutor with Tutor.com, carve out at least 1 hour for the initial application process. In addition to filling out an application form, you’ll need to take a timed proficiency exam.

Here’s how the process goes:

1. On the tutor signup page, click “Apply Now.”
2. Register as a new user.
3. Fill in basic information about yourself.
4. Answer questions related to the Tutor.com educational and technology requirements.
5. If you meet those requirements, choose one subject from the list of available subjects.
6. Take a timed proficiency exam (between 45 minutes and 3 hours) or bypass it by providing proof of a qualifying degree or demonstrated level of expertise.
7. Meet with a facilitator for an introduction and interview where you’ll conduct a mock scenario with a student.
8. Undergo educational history verification and a criminal background check.

All-in-all, Tutor.com estimates that the entire application and review process takes anywhere in the range of 1–3 weeks to complete. If you’re approved to become a tutor, you’ll have to fill in a little more paperwork while they get you set up and ready to tutor.

Working for Tutor.com might not be all it’s cracked up to be. While there are many tutors who appreciate the flexibility that comes with tutoring for this company, there’s a lot of frustration as well. Here’s a summary of what tutors say about this platform.

Good flexibility

Tutor.com offers 24/7 online tutoring for students, adult learners, military personnel, and corporate employees. As a result, tutors don’t experience many limitations when it comes to scheduling sessions.

This flexibility means that tutors can use Tutor.com to start a side hustle that works best for their schedule. They get to decide when they work and how much they work, so long as they’re willing to commit to at least 5 tutoring hours each week.

With all that said, it’s worth noting that flexible remote work is par for the course with online tutoring. What’s more, the weekly minimum and maximum working hours you need to commit to when tutoring with Tutor.com can be a big limitation, and some other tutoring sites offer more flexibility on that front.

User reviews:

“The best part of working at Tutor.com is the flexibility of the working environment. Being able to float, you can attempt to work whenever you want.” (Indeed, August 2024)

“The job as a whole is easy […] during the year you can get pretty easily a good 20+ hours a week (if that’s allowed for your state). It’s super flexible and work from home so that’s the pull for people. And if you’re scheduled and no one shows up, free money. I’ve had a few late weekend nights with 5 hours of no students. $11/hr sucks… But $11/hr while sleeping does not.” (Reddit, May 2023)

Barely US minimum wage

Many tutors report making between $10 and $13 an hour with Tutor.com. Considering the high standards Tutor.com has for its tutors, the pay is not commensurate with their experience nor the job they’re expected to perform.

While Tutor.com makes it seem as though they’re open to hiring undergraduate students, that’s not how this service is advertised. They tout the following pros among their tutoring elite:

• Teachers
• Retired teachers
• Professors
• Adjuncts
• Graduate students
• PhD students
• Math professionals
• Science experts
• Computer science professionals

Any one of these professionals (even the graduate student) could be making more than $10 an hour at another job. It also doesn’t help that there’s often not a lot of work available, and many tutors get stuck waiting around for students to sign up, only to make the bare minimum earnings.

User reviews:

“You shouldn’t depend on this job for full time income year round. It is best as a side gig for a FT job or as one PT gig among several.” (Reddit, June 2024)

“Every single tutor is paid just very slightly above their local minimum wage. […] You are required to ‘float’ for at least 5 hours a week, but you don’t get paid for those 5 floated hours if you don’t receive a session request. So you are essentially being made to work for free.” (Reddit, October 2023)

“In the US, the wages are so low and hours so limited that it seems barely more than pocket change for most tutors anymore.” (Reddit, September 2023)

“if it weren’t for the exploitative pay rates […] the fact that they can pay $8/hour for something they charge ten times that much for […] and QS micromanagement, this would be the perfect job.” (Reddit, September 2023)

Excessive rules and limitations

It appears the system is designed to keep tutors from making a lot of money. For instance, tutors have to work a minimum of 5 hours a week in order to remain active. However, they’re not allowed to work more than 28 hours.

Additionally, the review system seems to be rigged in favor of the company’s profits. For example, mentors focus on as many negatives as possible to ensure that tutors are ineligible for a raise or bonus.

Even then, some of these negatives aren’t negatives at all. For instance, some tutors lamented about the 20-minute limit for session length. It’s not a hard rule, but regularly exceeding it could put a tutor on probation until they start shortening up their lessons, even if it’s to the detriment of the students.

There appear to be a lot of limiting, contradictory, and counterintuitive rules and recommendations like this one.

User reviews:

“Tutoring sessions are high-stress due to mandatory time limits, which have penalties if you go over.” (Indeed, August 2024)

“QCs for example are checked by many people not just the mentor […] I would say they are a risk of getting fired if it’s a very consistent issue, and very critical too (Lack of knowledge, Consistently having bad tone towards students).” (Reddit, October 2023)

“The rule is if you accept a late session you’re basically demanded/required to stay an extra 20 minutes past your session time or don’t accept late sessions at all. […] If I accept the session but only go up till my scheduled hours because I have other things to do I’m punished with a condescending review from my reviewer claiming I’m not following policy […] If I get a late request and decline because I never signed up to stay that long, my acceptance rating drops, and I still get condescending reviews […] Or I log off 10-15 minutes early to avoid getting a student last minute but then I lose all that money across the year.” (Reddit, September 2023)

If you’re looking to get paid to tutor, Tutor.com is likely one of those services you’ve come across. Since it’s such a well-respected platform, you at least have the sense of security of knowing that it’s a completely legit business with ample protections for tutors.

The best thing about Tutor.com is that it offers a lot of flexibility in terms of scheduling and what you teach. One day you might be tutoring a 4th grader. The next, you could be tutoring someone in the army.

But there are also a lot of downsides to working for Tutor.com.

To start, they’re highly selective, only choosing about 1% of the tutors who apply. While they pay barely a living wage, they’re looking for teachers, professors, and experienced professionals to tutor. What’s more, they have such stringent rules and oversight that it can make working for them feel overwhelming and frustrating.

Tutor.com jobs are best suited to undergraduate students and professionals who want to fill in a couple of hours to supplement their full-time income. If you’re unable to work in person or during traditional after-school hours, then this flexible (albeit low-paying) gig might be all you need to make some extra cash.

Pros and cons

Before you start your journey working for Tutor.com, carefully consider the platform’s main benefits and drawbacks.

Alternatives to Tutor.com

If you don’t qualify to tutor on Tutor.com, or you just want to compare your options before you commit, you’ll be happy to hear that there are several other excellent online tutoring platforms you can consider instead.

Here are a few sites like Tutor.com:

• Varsity Tutors
• Preply
• Cambly
• Outschool

On the other hand, if you’re not dead-set on remote or online work, you can also tutor independently in person, which may allow you to build a stronger student base and earn more money.