1st time working as a private tutor. How do I go about negotiating pay?
September 22, 2013 5:03 PM Subscribe
I'm a 3rd year chemistry student at a university. I have had about 2 months of experience working as a tutor for a lecture type class. I recently was asked to tutor chemistry to a high school student. I only talked to the mother briefly on the phone and she asked me how much I'm being paid right now and I told her I'm being paid $10/h working for the university as a lecture type tutor. She did not give me an offer right away. So at the first private tutoring session, the daughter told me that her mom would like to offer me 2x what I'm being paid right now, which is $20. Then at the 2nd session, the daughter gave me a check signed by her mom, which pays for both sessions, and it's $30 instead of $40. When I brought up the last offer, the daughter told me that it was a misunderstanding and her mom said $15.
I don't know what to do. Is $15/h a good rate for private tutoring? Should I approach her mom to confirm this? I don't know what the right thing is to do.
Thanks for your advice!
I'm a PhD student and charge $30/hr. I think I'm on the low end in my department (and maybe will increase my rate next semester). Obviously, you'll have to charge less than whatever the grad students are charging where you are. I don't think $15 is terrible, though you probably could reasonably charge $20.
Anyway, what I was going to tell you is that you should name your price. Once in a while someone will approach you and say "I'll pay $X/hour. What do you think?" and you can either decline or negotiate if X is less than your rate, but usually, people approach you and don't mention money. When you reply to them (of course, this is easier when it's over email), say "I charge $X/hour." It's possible they'll try to negotiate, but it's not happened to me.
I'm far too timid to push back in your current situation and point out they said they'd pay $20/hr. I would, however, try and muster the courage to clarify the situation a little, just in case they start paying you random amounts of money or something. But, also, you want to make it clear you're being paid by the hour not by the session (or vice versa). I've had clients where we've kept time pretty closely and clients who would rather pay for an hour, even if we were mostly done at the 45 minute mark. Because I'm uncomfortable talking about money, I mostly let them take the lead on that. The people who have essentially paid by the session tend to average out over time--sometimes they're a bit short, sometimes a bit long--but it's definitely open to abuse.
posted by hoyland at 5:15 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Anyway, what I was going to tell you is that you should name your price. Once in a while someone will approach you and say "I'll pay $X/hour. What do you think?" and you can either decline or negotiate if X is less than your rate, but usually, people approach you and don't mention money. When you reply to them (of course, this is easier when it's over email), say "I charge $X/hour." It's possible they'll try to negotiate, but it's not happened to me.
I'm far too timid to push back in your current situation and point out they said they'd pay $20/hr. I would, however, try and muster the courage to clarify the situation a little, just in case they start paying you random amounts of money or something. But, also, you want to make it clear you're being paid by the hour not by the session (or vice versa). I've had clients where we've kept time pretty closely and clients who would rather pay for an hour, even if we were mostly done at the 45 minute mark. Because I'm uncomfortable talking about money, I mostly let them take the lead on that. The people who have essentially paid by the session tend to average out over time--sometimes they're a bit short, sometimes a bit long--but it's definitely open to abuse.
posted by hoyland at 5:15 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I paid $25 an hour for a college algebra tutor. $20 seems low to me and $15 really, really low. But I live in CA where everything costs more.
posted by cairnoflore at 5:29 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by cairnoflore at 5:29 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Either $15 or $20 could be a fine rate, depending on where you are located, and how much prep work you are doing for these sessions.
But always, always discuss your rates only with the person who is paying you. If you are tutoring a kid and the parent is paying, discuss rates directly with the parent. If a student hires you directly, only then can you discuss rates with the student.
posted by snorkmaiden at 5:36 PM on September 22, 2013
But always, always discuss your rates only with the person who is paying you. If you are tutoring a kid and the parent is paying, discuss rates directly with the parent. If a student hires you directly, only then can you discuss rates with the student.
posted by snorkmaiden at 5:36 PM on September 22, 2013
The teachers in my daughter's school district charge $25-$35 dollars an hour for tutoring, and I live in the midwest. Talk to the mom instead of making the daughter carry water, it's really embarrassing for them. But Mom if mom said two times, she said two times.
posted by headspace at 5:36 PM on September 22, 2013
posted by headspace at 5:36 PM on September 22, 2013
Rule of thumb is that you should charge twice the hourly rate as a freelancer than you would get as an employee, so yeah, $20. More to the point, if you agreed on $20, then you should get $20. They owe you $10. If they want to renegotiate going forward, fine.
posted by zanni at 5:41 PM on September 22, 2013
posted by zanni at 5:41 PM on September 22, 2013
Around here, $20 is what a first year undergrad who has no experience tutoring might get. With more experience and/or more education, you'd charge a bit more. Travel time is also often priced into the equation - for example, if you go to her, they pay a bit more per hour.
That said, university-paid tutors get >$30/hour.
posted by Ashlyth at 5:42 PM on September 22, 2013
That said, university-paid tutors get >$30/hour.
posted by Ashlyth at 5:42 PM on September 22, 2013
Write a contract. There is no reason not to write a contract.
posted by oceanjesse at 5:43 PM on September 22, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 5:43 PM on September 22, 2013
I charged $20 in high school in a fairly low cost of living part of the country.
$15 is low, and you almost certainly deserve more.
And yes, you should arrange these things (not necessarily in writing for these informal tutoring gigs--I never drew up contracts, because everything was perfectly at will and I asked to be paid every day or at worst every week. Not much to lose if they decided to stop paying.) in advance with whoever will be paying the bill.
posted by Precision at 5:45 PM on September 22, 2013
$15 is low, and you almost certainly deserve more.
And yes, you should arrange these things (not necessarily in writing for these informal tutoring gigs--I never drew up contracts, because everything was perfectly at will and I asked to be paid every day or at worst every week. Not much to lose if they decided to stop paying.) in advance with whoever will be paying the bill.
posted by Precision at 5:45 PM on September 22, 2013
I wouldn't write a contract because it's a hassle. Agree to some terms, if they're broken, stop tutoring.
Also, I think you probably hurt yourself in this situation by anchoring your value by giving the amount the university pays you. Freelance, set it up yourself tutoring gigs are not the same thing as manning a tutoring room. You're not a businessperson as well as a tutor, and you have to arrange timeslots, transportation, and quite possibly lesson plans.
posted by Precision at 5:49 PM on September 22, 2013
Also, I think you probably hurt yourself in this situation by anchoring your value by giving the amount the university pays you. Freelance, set it up yourself tutoring gigs are not the same thing as manning a tutoring room. You're not a businessperson as well as a tutor, and you have to arrange timeslots, transportation, and quite possibly lesson plans.
posted by Precision at 5:49 PM on September 22, 2013
As a business owner I have to say you just learned your first lesson as a self-employed tutor. Do not be timid or embarrassed talking about money, when someone asks you for your rate just quote it straight faced and confidently. Do not tell people what other people pay you, and do not negotiate with the person who has nothing to do with paying you. Just pick a price and stick to it, and realize that as your own employer you should be basically doubling what an employee makes in an hour, minimum. Honestly I would triple what you make for the university, and generally when people ask me for a quote with no details I quote the highest rate possible and then work my way down if they hesitate. I don't know if getting it in writing as a contract is absolutely necessary (in my own line of work, an email paper trail is sufficient for me), but not talking directly with their parent and coming to an understanding prior to doing the work was a major mistake on your part.
The worst someone can say is 'no', at which point you ask for more specifics and then decide if it's worth it to lower your rate. Just be direct! You're a professional now.
posted by bradbane at 6:09 PM on September 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
The worst someone can say is 'no', at which point you ask for more specifics and then decide if it's worth it to lower your rate. Just be direct! You're a professional now.
posted by bradbane at 6:09 PM on September 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
I think $15 is low. For high school, $20 or $25 is more reasonable.
posted by oranger at 6:16 PM on September 22, 2013
posted by oranger at 6:16 PM on September 22, 2013
Holy crap, $15 an hour?! Is it even worth your while when you factor in transport? And receiving a cheque means you have to declare it for tax, and run around banks etc, right? Meaning even less goes to you.
My university students in your situation charge $40/h. I am a uni tutor and I would never tell a tutoring client what I am being paid, so the mother was a bit rude there in asking you that. And I get over $130/h for sessional work, charge $75-80/h for private tutoring. It has no bearing really what I get paid at uni, as to what I get paid in my private work.
In this situation, you say to the mother "We agreed on $20/h for private tutoring. I would prefer to be paid in cash."
posted by honey-barbara at 7:00 PM on September 22, 2013
My university students in your situation charge $40/h. I am a uni tutor and I would never tell a tutoring client what I am being paid, so the mother was a bit rude there in asking you that. And I get over $130/h for sessional work, charge $75-80/h for private tutoring. It has no bearing really what I get paid at uni, as to what I get paid in my private work.
In this situation, you say to the mother "We agreed on $20/h for private tutoring. I would prefer to be paid in cash."
posted by honey-barbara at 7:00 PM on September 22, 2013
Tutoring is a job where the actual hours you spend at a desk with the student are not equivalent to the amount of hours you work. You have transit time, prep time, marketing, etc. to deal with. A good rule of thumb for businesses is to have a billing rate that is 3x your employee's hourly rate. When I was tutoring I had a BA and some grad school, including education credits. At that level I would expect my "pay" to be at least $20/h, probably more, meaning a billing rate of $60/h +. Considering you are still in undergrad, a billing rate of $45/h might be appropriate, depending on the local economy where you work. If a parent finds this unreasonable, explain the above. There are plenty of tutoring companies that will charge them much more that they can go to instead. (I once worked for a large tutoring company that charged $90/h and paid its tutors $15 hour!)
If someone can commit to (i.e. pre-pay for) a large number of hours, then you can offer them a reasonable "bulk discount" because they are helping you avoid marketing costs--it shouldn't cut into your travel and prep time budget though!
In the future, don't go with what you've heard or believe your rate to be, have direct communications with the client (the one signing the checks) where you explicitly state the rate and they explicitly agree.
posted by agentofselection at 7:56 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
If someone can commit to (i.e. pre-pay for) a large number of hours, then you can offer them a reasonable "bulk discount" because they are helping you avoid marketing costs--it shouldn't cut into your travel and prep time budget though!
In the future, don't go with what you've heard or believe your rate to be, have direct communications with the client (the one signing the checks) where you explicitly state the rate and they explicitly agree.
posted by agentofselection at 7:56 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm a non-american independent contractor. If a client asks me about what other clients pay, that is a huge red warning sign. I'd think the client is a bully and will give me a never ending amount of headaches and that the job probably won't be worth it.
Never, ever tell what other people pay you. Always respond with "my fee for this assignment will be $x/hour". It's not for her to decide on the fee. That's your decision, and only yours. The only thing you should allow her to do, is to accept or reject hiring you.
If you're american, there might be some negotiation, but it should always be you who is in control. Northern Europe is more a "accept it or loose it" culture.
posted by flif at 8:54 PM on September 22, 2013
Never, ever tell what other people pay you. Always respond with "my fee for this assignment will be $x/hour". It's not for her to decide on the fee. That's your decision, and only yours. The only thing you should allow her to do, is to accept or reject hiring you.
If you're american, there might be some negotiation, but it should always be you who is in control. Northern Europe is more a "accept it or loose it" culture.
posted by flif at 8:54 PM on September 22, 2013
I tutored ESL and general school subjects in my first year of university up until my third year. I charged $35 for 90 minutes and then eventually $40 for 90 minutes. That averages to about $23 and $26 dollars per hour. I charged more if I had to commute to their place.
I do think you should be paid more. My friends that were tutoring math and chemistry were paid slightly more than me so you do deserve more.
If I were in your situation, I would forget about the last two lessons because they're already paid for and done with, but I would definitely approach the mother and clear things up. Indicate that you want $20 dollars for the session like what you had agreed upon in the first lesson with her daughter and don't be afraid to ask for more to cover gas/transit fees.
If she doesn't budge, then it's not worth it. I've had parents argue with me over price and it gets worse, not better. And for the future, talk to the parents! Kids are not always the best when it comes to passing messages along.
posted by cyml at 9:47 PM on September 22, 2013
I do think you should be paid more. My friends that were tutoring math and chemistry were paid slightly more than me so you do deserve more.
If I were in your situation, I would forget about the last two lessons because they're already paid for and done with, but I would definitely approach the mother and clear things up. Indicate that you want $20 dollars for the session like what you had agreed upon in the first lesson with her daughter and don't be afraid to ask for more to cover gas/transit fees.
If she doesn't budge, then it's not worth it. I've had parents argue with me over price and it gets worse, not better. And for the future, talk to the parents! Kids are not always the best when it comes to passing messages along.
posted by cyml at 9:47 PM on September 22, 2013
she asked me how much I'm being paid right now
In the future, it's perfectly acceptable to deflect this question by saying "my rate for tutoring is $X per hour." She has no business knowing what you're being paid now and it's irrelevant to the matter at hand. Aim really high with your initial rate quote, as it will often be accepted without argument, and, if not, will serve as the initial point for negotiation.
posted by charmcityblues at 11:51 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
In the future, it's perfectly acceptable to deflect this question by saying "my rate for tutoring is $X per hour." She has no business knowing what you're being paid now and it's irrelevant to the matter at hand. Aim really high with your initial rate quote, as it will often be accepted without argument, and, if not, will serve as the initial point for negotiation.
posted by charmcityblues at 11:51 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
My husband is a high school chemistry teacher with a Masters in Chenistry who was once in a Ph.D program.
When he tutored as a graduate student with a Masters in the subject area tutoring an undergraduate student, he charged around $20-$25.
When he tutored as a high school chemistry teacher with a Masters in Chemistry at the fancy private school near his public school, he was given $60. He would never have asked for $60, but that's what they offered, so he wasn't going to refuse it. He was thinking more like $25-$30/hour.
If you're an undergraduate tutoring a high school student, I wouldn't think of charging more than $10-$15/hour.
This is in the Boston area, which is not a cheap place to live. He was in line with what other tutors in the area charged.
posted by zizzle at 5:52 AM on September 23, 2013
When he tutored as a graduate student with a Masters in the subject area tutoring an undergraduate student, he charged around $20-$25.
When he tutored as a high school chemistry teacher with a Masters in Chemistry at the fancy private school near his public school, he was given $60. He would never have asked for $60, but that's what they offered, so he wasn't going to refuse it. He was thinking more like $25-$30/hour.
If you're an undergraduate tutoring a high school student, I wouldn't think of charging more than $10-$15/hour.
This is in the Boston area, which is not a cheap place to live. He was in line with what other tutors in the area charged.
posted by zizzle at 5:52 AM on September 23, 2013
Also, stop talking to the student about the pay.
Talk to the mother. She's the one paying you. It's not fair to make the student be the go-between when your employment is with the mother.
posted by zizzle at 5:54 AM on September 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
Talk to the mother. She's the one paying you. It's not fair to make the student be the go-between when your employment is with the mother.
posted by zizzle at 5:54 AM on September 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
Just say to the mother, "There's been a misunderstanding, my rate is $20 per hour for tutoring."
She can either accept that, or not.
Frankly, you need to know what your charges are. Really think about it. Discuss with your peers and get their input, but NEVER leave it up to a customer to tell you what you're worth.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:39 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
She can either accept that, or not.
Frankly, you need to know what your charges are. Really think about it. Discuss with your peers and get their input, but NEVER leave it up to a customer to tell you what you're worth.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:39 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
As a parent, whenever I have hired high school or college kids I tell them straight out not to be embarrassed to talk about money with me. Sometimes my life is busy and I hate to tell you, but YOUR rate is not always at the top of MY worry list. But I know that it's at the top of YOUR list, so you need to advocate for yourself and I promise to treat you fairly once you bring it up.
And, she shouldn't have to "give you an offer". You get to set the rate. I hate when folks offer to tutor or mow my lawn or paint a room or whatever and then they hem and haw about the rate and I have to guess what sounds right. I've heard people talking later with their friends about what a B*tch - they mowed her whole lawn and edged all around her CORNER lot and it took XX hours and all she paid was $20. I asked them: did you state your price and ask for it? They said: No, she should have known her yard is extra big and blah blah blah. Well, to all that I say: you deserved what you get since you didn't make your needs clear. It's not her job to know how much your service is worth.
I like Ruthless Bunny's script: "There's been a misunderstanding, my rate is $20 per hour for tutoring."
posted by CathyG at 11:56 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
And, she shouldn't have to "give you an offer". You get to set the rate. I hate when folks offer to tutor or mow my lawn or paint a room or whatever and then they hem and haw about the rate and I have to guess what sounds right. I've heard people talking later with their friends about what a B*tch - they mowed her whole lawn and edged all around her CORNER lot and it took XX hours and all she paid was $20. I asked them: did you state your price and ask for it? They said: No, she should have known her yard is extra big and blah blah blah. Well, to all that I say: you deserved what you get since you didn't make your needs clear. It's not her job to know how much your service is worth.
I like Ruthless Bunny's script: "There's been a misunderstanding, my rate is $20 per hour for tutoring."
posted by CathyG at 11:56 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by lalochezia at 5:14 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]