18 Pros and Cons of Being a Tutor

Tutors are needed in virtually every subject.

Students in middle school, high school, and even college may need assistance in various subjects so that they can succeed.

You can teach individuals or groups, and the hours can be extremely flexible.

Understanding the pros and cons will make it easier to decide if it’s something you want to get started in.

Pros of Being a Tutor

Being a tutor can be extremely rewarding, and it may surprise you how many pros there are to becoming one, whether you are a teacher, a college student, or simply someone who is knowledgeable in a few subjects.

1. Work Your Own Hours

Most of the time, when you are a tutor, you are working for yourself.

As such, you have the ability to work your own hours.

This is particularly beneficial if you have another job.

You can decide what days and time frames will be open for the people who are in need of a tutor.

2. Set Your Pay

Unless you work for a tutoring firm, you will have the ability to set your own pay.

Particularly if you are tutoring in a difficult subject and there are not a lot of tutors around, you can choose a higher rate of pay.

It is always a good idea if you set your pay so that you are competitive with other tutors.

3. Avoid Nights & Holidays

You have the ability to enjoy a social life by not working nights and holidays.

While you may have to work some evenings, you won’t have to work late into the night or on holidays.

Most people who are looking for a tutor anticipate working in the afternoon, late evening, and possibly on the weekend.

4. There’s Always Demand

You’ll find that there is always demand for a good tutor.

Especially if you have a great resume to prove to people that you know the subject and that you have the ability to break the topic down well, you can always find people who are willing to hire you.

This can make it easy for you to always stay employed and earn money.

5. No Start Up Costs

In comparison to many other jobs, being a tutor doesn’t have any real startup costs.

While there may be a few marketing expenses, you don’t need to spend money on equipment or maintain an inventory.

Realistically, you don’t even need to rent a space as you can even offer to tutor virtually and meet with students almost anywhere.

6. Be Your Own Boss

You can be your own boss, which means that don’t have to report to anyone else.

This can provide you with a significant amount of freedom because you get to decide how many clients you have, what subjects you tutor, what hours you want to work, and more.

You are responsible for making all of the decisions regarding your tutoring business.

7. Tutor in Multiple Subjects

Tutoring involves teaching people about a subject of which they have limited knowledge.

Common subjects to tutor include math, science, and English.

You can also choose to branch out into other subjects including SAT prep, musical instruments, and more.

The more subjects you are capable of tutoring, the more you can potentially earn by having more clients.

8. Avoid Hard Labor

You don’t have to spend a significant amount of time on your feet or doing hard labor.

Most of the time, tutoring will be done either face-to-face or virtually.

It allows you to sit at a desk or anywhere else you are comfortable with.

While it can be relatively sedentary, you also won’t have to break a sweat any time you are working as a tutor – and that can be all the more reason to explore it as a career option.

9. It’s Rewarding

Most of the time, people hire a tutor because they need to improve their grades.

As you tutor someone week after week, month after month, you are going to see their grades improve.

They’re going to be thrilled at being able to understand the content more effectively, and you’ll be the one that they think.

As you see your clients improve, it can be extremely rewarding.

Cons of Being a Tutor

Being a tutor isn’t always easy, so it’s important that you understand some of the downsides before you decide if you want to become one.

As long as you are okay with dealing with the challenges, it can still end up being a great job.

1. Hours are Often Limited

The hours are often limited because most people don’t need tutors during the day unless they are college students or are being homeschooled.

As such, most tutors only work part-time.

Especially in the beginning, you may only be working a few hours a week until you build up your client base

2. It Requires Organization

A significant amount of organization is required to be a tutor.

You will want to keep notes on all of the people you are tutoring so that you know where to pick up from on each session.

You may also have to do some research prior to each session so that you can be sure that you are knowledgeable about the subject matter that your client needs to learn about.

3. You Depend on Word of Mouth

A significant amount of your business will be built from word of mouth.

You will need to spend a lot of time networking and encouraging those you tutor to share how well they are doing as a result of your services.

Word-of-mouth works both ways.

One bad experience can result in significant damage to your reputation within your community.

4. There are No Benefits

Unless you work for a tutoring company, there are no benefits.

You are the only employee, so you will need to pay for private health insurance.

You won’t get paid sick time or vacation.

Instead, you will need to save and plan ahead so that getting sick or taking a vacation doesn’t cause you financial stress.

There are also no backup plans in the event that you are sick when you are scheduled to tutor someone, leaving you forced to cancel on them.

5. Getting Started Can Be Time-Consuming

It can be a time-consuming process to build your business.

You will need to figure out how to penetrate the community so that people know that you are a tutor and what subjects you will tutor in.

You will likely want to create a website as well as flyers so that you can tell more people about what you are doing.

It can take months for you to build up your client base.

6. You May Need a Second Job

Many people who work as a tutor have a second job simply because it doesn’t turn out to be a full-time job.

You may not work more than five or 10 hours a week, which can significantly limit your earnings.

Often, tutoring is considered a side gig.

The only way to turn it into a full-time gig is if you are willing to tutor in a variety of different subjects and potentially offer your services virtually, requiring you to work odd hours.

7. Students Can Be Difficult

Not all students will want to be tutored.

Especially when you are dealing with middle school and high school students, it is likely that their parents have hired you.

They may be failing, and they may not have any desire to sit and work with you.

This can be extremely frustrating, and you will need to figure out how to work effectively with difficult students so that you can continue to be paid by their parents.

8. Bad Results Will Happen

Some students will never be capable of picking up the material that you teach them.

It can be disheartening when you find out that a student continuously doesn’t improve their grade, no matter how long you work with them.

As you get bad results, it can also lead to parents getting upset with you and wondering how capable you are as a tutor.

You will have to learn to take the good with the bad.

9. You’ll Constantly Deal with New Clients

If you work as a tutor long enough, you will know that you will have new clients coming to you on a regular basis.

As students/clients learn, they won’t need a tutor anymore.

This means you will constantly be having a client turnaround, requiring more organization and even more research.

Pros and Cons of Being a Tutor – Summary Table

Pros of Being a Tutor	Cons of Being a Tutor
1. Work Your Own Hours	1. Hours are Often Limited
2. Set Your Pay	2. It Requires Organization
3. Avoid Nights & Holidays	3. You Depend on Word of Mouth
4. There’s Always Demand	4. There are No Benefits
5. No Start Up Costs	5. Getting Started Can Be Time-Consuming
6. Be Your Own Boss	6. You May Need a Second Job
7. Tutor in Multiple Subjects	7. Students Can Be Difficult
8. Avoid Hard Labor	8. Bad Results Will Happen
9. It’s Rewarding	9. You’ll Constantly Deal with New Clients

Should You Become a Tutor?

Determining whether you should become a tutor or not will depend heavily on whether it is going to be your full-time job or if it is a part-time gig to make extra money.

Consider the various subjects that you may be able to tutor people in – the more subjects you are versed in, the more money you can make.

Ultimately, it’s a good idea to talk to other tutors to see what the going rates are within your area.