Tutoring physics can be a fun way to earn some extra cash. Since a good physics tutor is rare, you generally get paid more than other subjects. I have tutored physics on several platforms over the last two decades (14 years as a certified teacher plus undergraduate and grad school). I had a lot of student loans to pay off and big dreams of traveling … two things that don’t pair nicely with a starting teacher’s salary. Tutoring physics has been a rewarding way to supplement my income.
How Much Does Physics Tutoring Pay?
I have earned anywhere between $14-$100 an hour. The main factors that will determine how much you can earn are:
Location: I earned the most while tutoring in Chicago versus in Texas
Topic: University & Medical School Physics tutoring both pay WAY more than high school physics. AP pays very well, too.
Certification Status: If you are a certified teacher, you can earn much more. Parents love hiring a teacher who knows what is currently happening in schools. I earned far less as a college student.
Economic situation of students: Sadly, I earned significantly more tutoring wealthy students than non-wealthy ones. This is a heart-breaker and one of the main cons of tutoring as a teacher side-hustle in my opinion.
Cons of Tutoring Physics and How to Avoid Them
Time Commitment: Although it can be very rewarding to work one-on-one with students, tutoring takes a lot of time. Make sure you thoughtfully consider how much time you can devote. If you cannot commit regular time, you might consider Varsity Tutors for pop-in online tutoring or teaching summer prep camps.
Cancellations: Parents cancel all the time because of soccer games, dance practice, etc. Make sure you do not rely on the income, but are using it as supplemental income to pay down debt faster, save for a car, etc. The best way I found to avoid this was to only take on clients I felt were committed to improving their grades and had a set schedule in mind.
Dealing with money: I hate asking for money. I never knew what to do when a parent did not pay me right away or told me they needed more time to pay me. To avoid this, I started working for a company instead of taking on personal clients.
Serving a select body of students: Let’s face the facts, private tutors are often helping wealthy families get ahead and not serving students from lower-income brackets. There are several tutoring services that offer scholarships, as well as programs like Upward Bound, that serve students living with economic hardship. See which ones are near you. I worked for one for years and highly recommend them.
Tutoring Yourself vs For a Company
Starting your own tutoring service could be a lot of fun, but it wasn’t for me. I didn’t want the legal responsibilities or have to invest the time into finding clients. I really enjoyed working for a platform that would complete background checks, take on legal and tax responsibilities, and do the field work to find clients who match my strengths. A company will take a portion of your profit, but for me, personally, this was always worth it. I saw it as outsourcing the part of the job I didn’t like so I could do the part I liked: working with students one-on-one.
Physics Tutoring Platforms I Have Tried
Varsity Tutors - This is by far the best online tutoring platform. They have so many different options, including teaching live homeschool classes, tutoring clients on a regular basis, pop-in tutoring, and special summer camp classes. If you like, you can sign up using my referral link by clicking here (I will receive a very small reward for people who use my link).
Princeton Review - I only taught SAT Math Prep for the Princeton Review, but I loved it. It was easy to use and they trained me well. This was great during my summers!
Local Tutoring Company - Working for a small, local tutoring company is so fun! Look for what your city has to offer. I worked for a small tutoring business in San Antonio that focused on helping and supporting the whole student as opposed to just getting the best grade on their upcoming tests. I met students at coffee shops and in their homes. NOTE: Make sure a parent is always home and in the room when tutoring in homes. I kept this as a strict rule; even for college students. The company did the background checks, so I felt safe going into homes.
Thinkster - I taught math on Thinkster Math and super recommend it! I only stopped because I had some personal family issues and had to step away from tutoring.
Wyzant - I only tutored a few students on this platform. I wouldn’t recommend it. I got a lot of scam messages and low pay.
Brick and Mortar Tutoring Center - I worked for Mathnasium and loved it. Although it pays less than other options, it was a great company and offered me consistent hours. I didn’t have to worry about clients canceling. Other options include Sylvan Learning Center and Huntington Learning Center. Google what’s near you!
Other Physics Teacher Side Hustles Besides Tutoring
Here are a few other ways I earned extra cash as a physics teacher. Let me know if you want me to do blog posts on any of these in the comments below.
Live Online Teaching - I have worked for a few!
Online Grader - I am currently doing this and love it.
Upward Bound - I was an Upward Bound student and now tutor for this. This is a Saturday program at many universities across the nation that serves first generation students under the poverty line. I LOVE working for them! The students are motivated and eager to learn.
Tutoring on Your Campus - I ran the after school tutoring program at a school in Germany (Hausaufgabenbetreuung) and loved it! I have also done some tutoring at my campus in the US. Word of warning: since funds in the US are often reserved for tested subjects only, I often ended up only tutoring math. However, this is a great way to serve students who cannot afford private tutoring on their own.
I hope this gives you some ideas and information. What tutoring platforms have you tried? Would you recommend them? Let me know below!
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