Guides · 8 min read
How much does a private tutor cost?
In the UK, private tutors on Tutorful charged an average of £37.45 an hour in 2024, from £33.01 for primary school to £41.88 for A level. Prices rise with the level of study, the subject, the tutor’s experience and where you live. In the US there is no reliable national figure for tutoring fees.
The short answer in the UK and the US
No government body publishes what private tutors charge. The best UK figures come from tutoring platforms, which see thousands of real prices. The best US figures describe what tutors earn, not what families pay.
United Kingdom: an average of £37.45 an hour
From prices set by tutors on Tutorful, published in June 2024. Source: Tutorful, how much does a tutor cost.
United States: no national fee figure
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports what employed tutors are paid, a median of $19.27 an hour in May 2024. That is a wage, usually paid by a tutoring company, and it is lower than the fee a family pays an independent tutor. Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, tutors.
Private tutor prices by school level in the UK
The higher the level, the more a tutor usually charges, because fewer tutors can teach it well.
Tutorful also reports an average of £41.12 an hour for 11 plus preparation, higher than other primary tutoring. Entrance exam work is specialised and often has a fixed deadline.
Average hourly tutor price by level, UK (GBP)
Average prices set by tutors on one platform. Not a survey of the whole market.
- Primary£33.01
- KS3£34.47
- GCSE£35.86
- A level£41.88
- Degree£42.33
How many pupils have a private tutor
The Sutton Trust has asked secondary pupils in England and Wales about private tutoring every year since 2005.
Source: Sutton Trust, Private Tutoring 2026. Demand is highest where prices are highest, which is one reason London tutors charge more.
London: 45%
Compared with 27% in the rest of England and 24% in Wales.
Better off families: 30%
Compared with 23% of pupils from the worst off families.
Secondary pupils who have ever had a private tutor, England and Wales
- 200518%
- 201525%
- 201927%
- 202529%
What changes the price of a private tutor
The level of study
A level and degree tutoring cost more than primary, as the chart above shows.
The subject
Maths and sciences are in steady demand. Subjects with few specialist tutors, such as further maths, often cost more.
Experience and results
Qualified teachers and examiners usually charge above the average.
Where you live
Tutors in London and other expensive cities charge more. Travelling to a student’s home also adds to the price.
Online or in person
Online lessons save the tutor travel time, and some tutors charge a little less for them.
What a year of private tutoring costs
These are our own sums at the Tutorful averages, assuming one lesson a week for 36 weeks of the school year.
Weekly GCSE tutoring at £35.86: £1,290.96 a year
About £108 a month if spread over twelve months.
Weekly A level tutoring at £41.88: £1,507.68 a year
About £126 a month over twelve months.
Ten weeks before an exam at £35.86: £358.60
A common pattern for revision before GCSEs.
What the tutor’s fee pays for
An independent tutor is self-employed, so the hourly fee covers holidays, sick days, pension and tax that an employer would otherwise provide. It also covers time outside the lesson: planning, marking, finding past papers and updating parents.
Most tutors work part time. The BLS notes that many work evenings and weekends, with more hours during the school year and before exams.
Setting your fee as a private tutor
Use the averages above as the middle of the market, not a rule. Start from the level you teach, then add for experience, your area and any travel. Publish one price per lesson length so every family pays the same. Our guide to what to charge for private lessons covers the reasoning, and creating monthly invoices from lesson records covers billing.
Another Session keeps each student’s lessons, notes, packages and payments together, with a private link parents can open to see lessons and what is due. Every feature is free for up to three clients, and a 30-day trial gives unlimited clients with no card required. See pricing.
How to cite these figures
“UK private tutors on Tutorful charged an average of £37.45 an hour in 2024, from £33.01 for primary to £41.88 for A level.”
“29% of secondary pupils in England and Wales have had a private tutor, according to the Sutton Trust’s Private Tutoring 2026 report.”
You are welcome to link to this page as a summary and to quote our calculations with a link back. Sources were checked on 27 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private tutor cost per hour in the UK?
An average of £37.45 an hour on Tutorful in 2024. Primary tutoring averaged £33.01, GCSE £35.86 and A level £41.88.
How much does a GCSE tutor cost?
An average of £35.86 an hour on Tutorful. Weekly lessons for a 36-week school year come to about £1,290.
How much does an A level tutor cost?
An average of £41.88 an hour on Tutorful, higher than GCSE because fewer tutors teach at that level.
How much does a private tutor cost in the US?
There is no reliable national figure for fees. The BLS reports a median wage of $19.27 an hour for employed tutors in May 2024, but independent tutors charge families more than that.
How many children have a private tutor?
29% of secondary pupils in England and Wales have had private tutoring at some point, rising to 45% in London, according to the Sutton Trust.
Is online tutoring cheaper?
Sometimes. Online tutors save travel time and some charge a little less, but the main factors are still the level, subject and tutor’s experience.
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