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How to hire an academic tutor

Academic tutor hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring academic tutors in the United States:

  • There are a total of 36,699 academic tutors in the US, and there are currently 45,913 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire an academic tutor is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per academic tutor on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Los Angeles, CA, has the highest demand for academic tutors, with 10 job openings.

How to hire an academic tutor, step by step

To hire an academic tutor, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire an academic tutor, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step academic tutor hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an academic tutor job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new academic tutor
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an academic tutor do?

An academic tutor is responsible for assisting the students' learning goals and development by helping them with school work and related academic tasks. Academic tutors implement effective learning strategies to improve the student's academic standing, such as identifying areas of improvement and addressing those difficulties by administering learning activities to evaluate the student's progress and adjust the learning approach as needed. They also review the school's curriculum and present educational materials adhering to the requirements, encouraging the student to set goals for learning objectives.

Learn more about the specifics of what an academic tutor does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your academic tutor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an academic tutor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    An academic tutor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, academic tutors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list presents academic tutor salaries for various positions.

    Type of Academic TutorDescriptionHourly rate
    Academic Tutor$10-24
    Learning Center InstructorLearning center instructors' primary goal is to give direct mediation instruction for recognized students. They cooperate with staff members on suitable student placement for constructive learning... Show more$10-24
    Physical Education TeacherA physical education teacher is responsible for devising lessons and strategies to educate the students about health and physical fitness through various sports and recreational activities. It is also their responsibility to facilitate such activities, ensuring the safety and camaraderie between students... Show more$16-32
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Math
    • Mathematics
    • Academic Support
    • Student Athletes
    • Organic Chemistry
    • GPA
    • Study
    • Course Materials
    • Pre-Calculus
    • Provide Academic Support
    • Language Arts
    • Anatomy
    • Economics
    • Class Material
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Provide one-on-one tutoring to students in a variety of levels of mathematics including basic math, algebra and trigonometry.
    • Tutor middle school students in algebra and geometry, with capacity to address all academic subjects.
    • Provide academic assistance to fellow students in the biological sciences, systems physiology, and physics.
    • Provide academic assistance to undergraduate students in economics, college algebra, and philosophy.
    • Experience in laboratory settings pertaining to anatomy, chemistry, biochemistry, cell physiology, and microbiology.
    • Tutor other students one on one in algebra, pre-calculus, and chemistry
    More academic tutor duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your academic tutor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An academic tutor can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, academic tutors' average salary in south carolina is 48% less than in connecticut.
    • Seniority. Entry-level academic tutors 59% less than senior-level academic tutors.
    • Certifications. An academic tutor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an academic tutor's salary.

    Average academic tutor salary

    $15.89hourly

    $33,047 yearly

    Entry-level academic tutor salary
    $21,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 17, 2025

    Average academic tutor salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Connecticut$44,026$21
    2New York$41,650$20
    3California$40,534$19
    4Maryland$37,055$18
    5Massachusetts$36,338$17
    6Pennsylvania$33,131$16
    7Arizona$32,515$16
    8Washington$32,307$16
    9Missouri$31,695$15
    10Florida$29,770$14
    11Montana$29,712$14
    12Kansas$29,495$14
    13Illinois$29,321$14
    14Colorado$29,245$14
    15Utah$28,659$14
    16Michigan$28,282$14
    17Minnesota$27,337$13
    18Georgia$26,819$13
    19Arkansas$26,536$13
    20North Carolina$25,991$13

    Average academic tutor salary by company

  4. Writing an academic tutor job description

    A job description for an academic tutor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an academic tutor job description:

    Academic tutor job description example

    Commitment: 3 Saturdays a month required and then various after school hours and locations, for a total of 6-10 hours a week


    Reports to: TFI Program Manager


    Overview:


    At the Social Justice Learning Institute, we are dedicated to improving the education, health, and well-being of youth of color by empowering them to take hold of their educational future using research as a tool for community and social change. We train students to conduct research on problems in their community using a rigorous yearlong curriculum while providing basic academic support (i.e., tutoring, homework assistance, academic counseling, etc.) and college preparatory education. Our youth learn what it takes to achieve academically in order to go to college and become civically engaged, solution oriented and critical participants in the democratic experience. We envision an educational system where youth become engaged citizens who discover their best talents and apply them to help improve the world they live within.


    SJLI is seeking tutors for high school juniors in 5 subjects: English, Science (biology, chemistry, and physics), History, Math (up to Calculus), and Spanish (up to level 3). Potential applicants do not have to excel in both disciplines, but must in at least one. Tutors will start working now and will need to commit to work through the end of the academic school year, at the end of June 2023.


    Responsibilities:


    ▪ Provide academic support and tutoring to high school Juniors;


    ▪ Offer assistance with the development of study strategies;


    ▪ Work with the student in developing individualized study plans;


    ▪ Assess the student’s progress throughout tutoring sessions, and report back to the TFI Program Manager;


    • Track student attendance at study sessions;


    ▪ Participate in tutor training, onboarding, and development sessions;


    • Work collaboratively with other tutors and the TFI Team;


    ▪ Support students in the development of their post high school plans.



    Qualifications:


    ▪ Have successfully completed the course for which tutoring services are being provided or a higher level course in that subject


    ▪ Have a knowledge of A-G requirements, the CSU, UC and Common applications, and the FAFSA


    ▪ In pursuit of a college degree or already obtained degree. Graduate students are highly encouraged to apply!


    ▪ Enjoy tutoring the subject for which services are being provided, and enjoy working with high school students


    ▪ Effectively communicate study strategies to ensure academic success


    ▪ Work comfortably with people from diverse backgrounds


    ▪ Bilingual a plus!


    ▪ Possess good organizational skills and complete paperwork in a timely manner


    ▪ Exhibit patience and a positive attitude to facilitate an encouraging learning environment


    ▪ Must be able to provide personal transportation to and from tutor site (vehicle highly recommended)


    Schedule: Various times, up to 6-10 hours a week


    Location: Los Angeles area


    Hourly Rate: $20 per hour

  5. Post your job

    To find academic tutors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any academic tutors they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level academic tutors with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your academic tutor job on Zippia to find and recruit academic tutor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting academic tutors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new academic tutor

    Once you've found the academic tutor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire an academic tutor?

There are different types of costs for hiring academic tutors. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new academic tutor employee.

Academic tutors earn a median yearly salary is $33,047 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find academic tutors for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $10 and $24.

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