Private Tutor Salary 2026/27: Hourly Rate + Annual Take-Home
UK private tutors charge £20-£24/hour at the platform-floor median (entry tutors on MyTutor/Tutorful), with established tutors typically £30-£50/hour - around £35-£40/hour UK average. Level-specific premium: primary £25-£40, GCSE £35-£45, A-Level £45-£65, niche entrance exams (11+, public school) up to £150/hour. Most are self-employed sole traders.
Typical pay & take-home
- Median gross
- £27,000
- Typical range
- £12,000–£75,000
- Take-home at median
- £22,960
England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.
At the median for this profession, you earn 31% below the UK full-time median (£39,039), placing you in the bottom 19% of UK earners.
What influences private tutor pay
Hourly rate scales with level + subject + location. Primary support £25-£40/hour; GCSE Maths/English/Science £35-£45/hour; A-Level all subjects £45-£65/hour; Oxbridge entrance / 11+ specialist £80-£150/hour. London + South East commands 15-25% premium. STEM subjects (Further Maths, Chemistry, Physics) typically command higher rates than Humanities.
Platform vs independent. Tutor platforms (MyTutor, Tutorful, Superprof) take 10-30% commission but provide lead generation. Independent direct-to-parent practice keeps 100% of fee but requires word-of-mouth or marketing. Most established tutors mix platform + independent work.
Self-employment tax position. Class 4 NI 6% on profits £12,570-£50,270, 2% above; Class 2 £3.65/wk - post-April-2024 reform means qualifying year is automatic if profits exceed the £7,105 2026/27 SPT, voluntary only below that. Allowable expenses: home office proportion, teaching materials, exam papers, professional indemnity insurance (£70-£150/yr), DBS check renewal, training/CPD.
Career progression
- Starting tutor (platform-based, £20-£25/hr): £8,000-£18,000 self-employed gross.
- Established part-time tutor (10-15 hrs/wk during term, £30/hr): £12,000-£20,000 gross.
- Full-time established tutor (£35-£45/hr, 25-30 hrs/wk): £30,000-£50,000 gross.
- Senior tutor / 11+ specialist (£60-£100/hr, 25 hrs/wk): £50,000-£80,000 gross.
- Tutor + tutoring business owner (Ltd-co with employees): £75,000-£200,000+.
Frequently asked questions
- How many tutoring hours equals a £30,000 income?
- At £30/hour average rate and 39 weeks of term time, ~25 hours/week tutoring = £29,250 gross. Add tax holidays / online lessons during school holidays for further capacity. Net of Class 4 NI + Income Tax + expenses: approximately £24,000-£25,000 take-home. Most tutors prefer 12-20 hours/week alongside other income to manage demand peaks (mock exams, GCSE/A-Level run-up).
- Do tutors need to register as self-employed?
- Yes - if your tutoring income exceeds the £1,000/year Trading Allowance, you must register for Self Assessment with HMRC by 5 October following the tax year you started. Below £1,000 is exempt under the Trading Allowance (Section 783A ITTOIA 2005). Most regular tutors clear £1,000 within their first month, so registration applies almost immediately.