United States · Tutoring and teaching
Tutor net hourly rate.
The rate you list is not the rate you earn. Add commission, prep, travel, unpaid cancellations and tax and see what an hour of your week is worth.
Net per hour = (paid sessions x rate x (1 - commission) - weekly expenses) / (teaching + prep + travel hours). In the example, a listed $55.00 hour nets $31.09 per hour worked, $23.23 after estimated tax.
Your week
Every figure above is your own assumption, not a quoted rate. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Result
Worked example
A tutor lists $55.00 for a 60-minute session and books 12 a week. Ten percent are cancelled late or missed and unpaid, so 10.8 sessions are paid. Revenue is 10.8 x $55.00 = $594.00; a 20% platform commission takes $118.80; $15.00 of weekly expenses leaves $460.20. Teaching takes 10.8 hours, but with 20 minutes of prep for each of the 12 booked sessions the week is 14.8 hours. Net per hour worked = $460.20 / 14.8 = $31.09, against a listed hourly rate of $55.00. Over 44 weeks, annual net is $20,248.80, estimated self-employment tax $2,861.06, leaving $15,129.54 before state tax.
Billable hours versus hours worked
Billable hours are time spent teaching a session that was paid. Hours worked also include prep and travel on every booked session, including ones that later cancelled, because you did the prep or set aside the slot. The gap between the two is why a tutor can list $55.00 and earn far less per hour of life spent.
How it works
Paid sessions = booked sessions x (1 - cancellation rate). Gross = paid sessions x rate. Commission = gross x commission rate. Weekly net = gross - commission - expenses. Hours worked = paid sessions x session minutes / 60 + booked sessions x (prep + travel minutes) / 60. If no session is booked, hours are zero and the tool shows no hourly figure rather than a division error.
After tax
The after-tax lines use the IRS self-employment rules in IRS Topic No. 554, Self-employment tax: self-employment tax is 15.3% (12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare) applied to 92.35% of net earnings, you can deduct one-half of it, and you usually owe it once net earnings reach $400. The Social Security part stops at the annual wage base, which the model sets at $184,500 for 2026 (confirm on the Social Security Administration contribution and benefit base page) to match our self-employment tax calculator. Your income tax rate is an input; state tax and credits are not modelled, and the model treats this activity as your only self-employment income for the year. Filing details are on IRS Schedule SE (Form 1040) and IRS Schedule C (Form 1040).
Tutors paid as employees by a school or agency are taxed differently; this page applies to self-employed tutors, including many platform tutors treated as independent contractors. If a platform sends you a 1099, see our 1099-K threshold by state page for reporting thresholds.
Tutor hourly rate versus what clients pay
For the buyer's side, see the tutoring cost calculator. For freelancers in other fields, the freelance effective hourly rate calculator applies the same idea to billable versus total hours.
What this does not cover
- Whether you can fill the sessions you plan: demand, reviews and seasonality are outside this arithmetic.
- Employee tutors, whose pay and taxes work differently.
- State income tax, credits, health insurance and retirement costs.
- Unpaid time between sessions, marketing, and messaging with parents or students unless you add it to prep minutes.
Sources
Retrieved October 2026. The formulas are arithmetic on the numbers you enter. The pages below are where to read the current rules and rates yourself.
- IRS Topic No. 554, Self-employment tax: self-employment tax
- IRS Schedule SE (Form 1040): how it is reported
- IRS Schedule C (Form 1040): where self-employed income and expenses are reported
Results vary. This page models the assumptions you type in. It does not report what anyone earns, predict sales, or promise income. It is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate a tutor's real hourly rate?
Subtract platform commission and expenses from paid revenue, then divide by all hours worked, including prep and travel. The calculator does this from your inputs.
Do cancellations count?
Yes. A late cancellation you are not paid for still costs the prep or travel you did and the slot you held. The model treats them as booked but unpaid.
What commission do tutoring platforms charge?
It differs by platform and changes. Enter the rate from your platform's current terms; this page does not state one.
Do tutors pay self-employment tax?
Independent tutors generally do once net earnings reach $400, per IRS Topic 554. The calculator estimates it.