How Much Will I be Paid for Becoming a Tutor at Preply?

Payment Structure: How It Works

As a tutor on Preply, you set your own hourly rate, which gives you control over your potential earnings. However, Preply takes a commission, and the rate depends on your total hours taught, including both trial and paid lessons. Here’s the breakdown:

• Trial Lessons: These are the first lessons with new students. Preply charges a 100% commission, so you don’t get paid for them. They’re free for students. It’s a way for them to try your teaching style. If they continue, it may lead to paid lessons.
• Subsequent Lessons: For paid lessons, the commission rate varies based on your total hours taught:

This means the more you teach, the lower the commission, and the more you keep per hour. For example, if you set your rate at $20 per hour and have taught 10 hours (commission rate 33%), your net earning per hour is $20 – ($20 * 0.33) = $13.40. After teaching 100 hours, with a 23% commission, it would be $20 – ($20 * 0.23) = $15.40 per hour.

Average and Potential Earnings

The average hourly rate set by tutors on Preply is around $18.30, according to internal data from the platform Preply Blog. However, your take-home pay is less due to commission. For new tutors, with a 33% commission, this translates to about $12.26 per hour net ($18.30 * 0.67). As you teach more, say after 100 hours with a 23% commission, it’s around $14.09 per hour ($18.30 * 0.77).

Factors Influencing Your Earnings

Several elements can affect how much you earn:

• Your Set Rate: You can charge anywhere from $10 to $38.90 per hour, with some charging up to $50 for high-demand subjects like calculus or business English. Higher rates might mean fewer bookings, so finding a balance is key.
• Number of Hours Taught: More hours will increase your total earnings. They also lower your commission rate. This boosts net pay per hour.
• Student Retention: After trial lessons, if students continue, you get paid for those lessons, so keeping them engaged is crucial.
• Subject Popularity: Subjects in high demand, especially during exam periods, might allow you to set higher rates. For example, English tutoring averages $19.37 per hour, slightly higher than the overall average.
• Profile and Reviews: A strong profile with a professional photo, engaging video, and positive reviews can attract more students. This leads to more bookings and higher earnings.

Requirements to Become a Tutor

Getting started on Preply is relatively easy, with no specific qualifications required, which is great for those new to tutoring. You need to:

• Sign up on the platform. Create a profile with a photo. Include a short video introducing yourself. Add a description highlighting your strengths.
• Ensure your profile meets Preply’s guidelines, as it needs approval before you can start. Tips include using a professional-looking photo and avoiding contact details or misleading information in your description.
• Have expertise in the subject you want to teach. Certifications or degrees can boost your profile and attract more students. This is especially true for the “Professional Tutor” badge. It requires specific qualifications like language teaching certificates.

This low barrier to entry is appealing. However, building a strong profile and getting initial students can take effort. This is especially true with competition from over 140,000 tutors globally.

Tutor Experiences and Reviews

Hearing from current or past tutors gives insight into the platform. Reviews are mixed, reflecting both positives and challenges:

• One tutor shared, “I’ve been teaching on Preply for over two years. It’s great that I get a lot of students quickly. I don’t have to do marketing because Preply handles that.” However, they noted, “The commission rates are high. This is especially true for new tutors. Additionally, the unpaid trial lessons are a drawback.”
• Another said, “The flexibility is amazing. I can set my own schedule and teach students from all over the world. But the commission, starting at 33%, eats into my earnings, and I wish there was more support for new tutors”.
• On TrustPilot, Preply has a 4.1 out of 5 rating from over 10,000 reviews. This indicates generally positive experiences. However, some tutors mention the high commission as a pain point.

These reviews suggest Preply offers flexibility and global reach. However, the commission structure can be challenging, especially for new tutors. Also, unpaid trials can be difficult.

Conclusion

Becoming a tutor on Preply offers a flexible way to earn money. New tutors can earn about $12–14 per hour. Experienced tutors can earn more. Some report earnings up to $550 weekly. Your pay depends on your set rate, hours taught, and student retention.

Sources

• Preply commission model detailed explanation | Preply Help Center
• How much do online tutors make on Preply blog post
• Honest Preply Review for Tutors with earnings data
• Register to teach on Preply step-by-step guide
• Is Preply good for tutors Quora discussion
• My experience teaching on Preply personal review
• Preply user reviews and ratings on TrustPilot
• Teach online: Become an online tutor at Preply