How much does a tutor cost?
TutorAura guide · Updated
In the US, private tutors typically charge about $25 to $80 an hour, and Care.com's cost data puts the national average starting rate at about $26 an hour. In the UK, the tutoring marketplace Tutorful reports an average of £37.45 an hour on its platform. Test prep and advanced subjects usually cost more.
For a typical arrangement of one hour a week, that's roughly $110 to $350 a month in the US. Below: what pushes the price up or down, what SAT tutoring costs, and how to get good help for less.
Key takeaways
- US: about $26 an hour average starting rate (Care.com); $25–$80 is a common range.
- UK: £37.45 an hour average on Tutorful; about £36 for GCSE and £42 for A-level.
- SAT tutoring ranges from about $45 an hour for entry-level tutors to several hundred for specialists.
- Online sessions are usually cheaper than in-home ones.
Typical tutoring prices
| Where and what | Typical price per hour | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US, national average starting rate | about $26 | Care.com cost data, 2026 |
| US, typical range | $25–$80 | Wise (tutoring software), 2025 |
| UK, average across subjects | £37.45 | Tutorful (marketplace), 2024 |
| UK, GCSE | £35.86 | Tutorful, 2024 |
| UK, A-level | £41.88 | Tutorful, 2024 |
| UK, primary | £33.01 | Tutorful, 2024 |
These figures come from tutoring marketplaces and companies, so they reflect prices on those platforms rather than a national survey. Local prices can be quite different.
What tutoring costs per month
Most families book tutoring weekly. At about 4.3 weeks a month:
| Hourly rate | 1 hour a week | 2 hours a week |
|---|---|---|
| $26 | about $112 | about $224 |
| $50 | about $215 | about $430 |
| $80 | about $344 | about $688 |
Before exams many families add extra sessions, so costs often rise in the months before a test.
What makes a tutor cost more
- Subject and level. Advanced maths and sciences, and exam years, usually cost more than primary-level help.
- Test prep. Tutors who specialise in tests such as the SAT often charge more than general subject tutors.
- Experience and qualifications. Qualified teachers and experienced specialists charge more than students tutoring part time.
- Location. Prices are higher in big cities.
- Online vs in person. Online sessions avoid travel and are usually cheaper; one test-prep company estimates $10–$25 less per hour than in-home sessions.
- Agency vs independent. Agencies and premium companies add their own margin; independent tutors and marketplaces are often cheaper.
How much does SAT tutoring cost?
SAT prep has the widest price range. Private Prep, a US test-prep company, gives these 2026 ranges by tutor type:
| Tutor type | Per hour |
|---|---|
| Budget or entry-level | $45–$75 |
| Professional | $75–$125 |
| Company-certified | $125–$300+ |
| Elite specialist | $200–$500+ |
Private Prep sells test prep, so treat these as one company's view of the market. Many students combine a smaller number of tutor sessions with self-study and full-length practice tests. TutorAura includes full-length adaptive Digital SAT practice tests in its monthly plan.
Is a tutor worth the money?
Tutoring is one of the better-evidenced ways to help a student catch up. A 2024 meta-analysis of randomised trials of tutoring for children from preschool to grade 12 found an average effect of about 0.29 standard deviations, a meaningful improvement (Nickow, Oreopoulos & Quan, 2024). Results depend on the tutor and how sessions are used, so:
- Set a clear goal, such as a target grade or a set of topics.
- Ask for a plan and check progress every few weeks.
- Practise between sessions. An hour a week is a small fraction of the practice most students need.
- Change tutors if it isn't working after a reasonable trial.
Ways to get good help for less
- Ask the school first. Teachers can often point to free help: homework clubs, revision sessions or school tutoring programmes.
- Use your library. Many public libraries offer free homework help or study spaces.
- Book less often, practise more. A session every two weeks plus regular practice can work well for steady students.
- Try group tutoring. Small groups cost less per student, though attention is shared.
- Use an AI tutor between sessions. An AI tutor such as TutorAura costs $15 a month for every subject, is available every day, and can quiz your child and explain homework between sessions with a human tutor.
Our AI tutor vs human tutor comparison explains what each does best.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a tutor cost per hour?
In the US, typically about $25 to $80 an hour, with Care.com reporting an average starting rate of about $26. In the UK, Tutorful reports an average of £37.45 an hour on its platform. Test prep and advanced subjects cost more.
How much does a tutor cost per month?
For one hour a week, roughly $110 to $350 a month in the US depending on the hourly rate. Two sessions a week doubles that.
Why are SAT tutors so expensive?
Specialist test-prep tutors charge for their experience with the test and for structured programmes. Rates range from about $45 an hour for entry-level tutors to several hundred dollars for elite specialists.
Is online tutoring cheaper?
Usually, yes. Online tutors don't travel, and one test-prep company estimates online sessions at $10 to $25 less per hour than in-home sessions.
What's a cheaper alternative to a tutor?
Free help through school or the library, group tutoring, fewer sessions with more practice between them, or an AI tutor, which typically costs less per month than one hour with a human tutor.
Sources
- Private tutor cost data (US national average starting rate). Care.com, 2026.
- Average Tutoring Rate in the USA. Wise (tutoring software), 2025.
- How much does a tutor cost?. Tutorful, 2024.
- How Much Does SAT Tutoring Cost? 2026 Pricing Guide. Private Prep, 2026.
- The Promise of Tutoring for PreK–12 Learning: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Experimental Evidence. Nickow, Oreopoulos & Quan, 2024.
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