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Job outlook for reading tutors in the United States
Are reading tutor jobs in demand?
Reading tutor job and salary trends over time
Reading tutor jobs over time
Reading tutor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,904 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 22,436 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 29,216 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 10,443 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 10,475 | 0.00% |
Average reading tutor salary over time
Reading tutor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $32,191 | $15.48 | +2.5% |
| 2025 | $31,404 | $15.10 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | $31,319 | $15.06 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $30,760 | $14.79 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $30,239 | $14.54 | +3.7% |
Reading tutor jobs by state
Most common states for reading tutors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 826 | 15% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 82 | 13% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 102 | 11% |
| 4 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 92 | 11% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 78 | 11% |
| 6 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 59 | 10% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 127 | 9% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 97 | 9% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 90 | 9% |
| 10 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 66 | 9% |
| 11 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 138 | 8% |
| 12 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 246 | 7% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 136 | 7% |
| 14 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 97 | 7% |
| 15 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 285 | 5% |
| 16 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 152 | 5% |
| 17 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 139 | 5% |
| 18 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 136 | 5% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 109 | 5% |
| 20 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 96 | 5% |
Most common cities for reading tutors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockville | 1 | 1% | $31,525 |
| 2 | Seattle | 1 | 0% | $27,892 |
Reading Tutor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of reading tutor experts
Towson University
University of South Florida
Florida Atlantic University
American Samoa Community College
University of New England
Eastern Mennonite University
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Tuskegee University
Whitworth University
Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Bucknell University
University of Indianapolis
Texas Christian University
University of New Orleans
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
University of North Dakota
What general advice would you give to a Reading Tutor?
Sumudu Lewis: Many soft skills are important to teachers. They include but are not limited to being effective communicators and demonstrating compassion, empathy, patience, and resilience. Leadership skills are also important, as are conflict resolution, time management, and collaborative skills. The most important hard skills include content knowledge, the ability to unpack the state standards to develop units of work, plan well-structured lessons with observable and measurable learning objectives, create and use formative and summative assessments to measure students' learning, analyze data from assessments and make adjustments to practice, integrate technology, have a repertoire of teaching strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners.
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sumudu Lewis: The advice I always give these students is first and foremost, be a reflective practitioner. Reflect on their teaching, their interaction with students, and their general classroom management. Reflect on what worked and what needs improving always focusing on students' learning. Secondly, participate actively in professional development opportunities to stay current with innovative teaching strategies and educational research. Third, be organized, be flexible, and remain positive. Sometimes a lesson will not go as you planned, so be prepared to make changes on the spot. Finally, have fun and celebrate students' successes, no matter how small they are.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Sumudu Lewis: Maximizing salary potential can be done through various means. It is important that career teachers stay informed about the school district's salary scale and know about bonuses and other incentives - like running extra curricular activities. Explore opportunities to take additional classes for University credit. Advanced degrees like doctoral degrees allow teachers to qualify for positions like department chair, curriculum lead, or other administrative positions.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Jonathan Higgins Ed.D.: Teaching is not easy. There will be days where your lessons go great, and there will be many more where they won’t. Teaching is incredibly rewarding, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else as a career, but many people underestimate how difficult and time-consuming teaching is, especially in the first few years. Be prepared to come early, stay late, and take things home on the weekend. Unfortunately, it takes a few years to get comfortable (I’d say close 3-7 as you see many teachers burn out after 2 or 3, but if you can stick with it, you will soon see firsthand the impact you make and the importance of the job. I am 16 years in and I see former students every day (those who had me and those who didn’t who say they wish they did), and I am constantly reminded of my why and the impact I’ve made on my community. Use your resources. You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. To come up with a great lesson can take 4-5 times as long as the lesson takes to present. Lean on your team members and ask questions, seek resources, and ask for help from your team, department head, and administration. Everyone there wants you to be successful, don’t be afraid ask for help. Be reflective. Teaching is constantly about shifting your instruction. If something didn’t go well, switch it up and try again. There are many times where I have changed a lesson mid-class, or gone home to shift my instruction for the rest of the week because my students weren’t getting it. That’s ok, but it’s important to reflect on that and to be flexible in your approach.
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Catherine Nelson: Our kids need good teachers now more than ever. There is a teacher shortage, and we need people who can help make a difference in children's lives and the future.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Catherine Nelson: People love the fact that they make a difference. They can be an inspiration and change the way students view their world; they can help someone successfully navigate conflicts and roadblocks they deal with in their lives; they can encourage someone to go to college who thought they never could; and they might even convince someone to become a teacher, too, because they were that important in that student's life. Teachers are often frustrated because they want to do more for their students. Limited funding and resources are often barriers to high quality educational tools and equipment. It can also be emotionally taxing for a teacher if a student is experiencing trauma out of their control.
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
David Wizer: First, people skills, ability to collaborate with others and connect to students. Working in teams and leading and cooperating with colleagues. On-going interest in understanding and using technology and media well. Being independent in completing research and capably using applications, software, and technology.
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sarah Lauer: At the end of the day, relationships are at the heart of teaching. Listen as carefully as you can to your students. Invite them into the adventure of learning. Be playful yourself, and encourage play in learning for your students.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Sarah Lauer: View yourself as the professional that you are. Seek out those resources that will help you to continually improve in your career path. This might mean joining a professional learning community (PLC) at your school, or starting an online/evening/weekend Master’s degree program. Be curious when something doesn’t go well in the classroom. Build a network of experts and resources that you can go to when you have questions.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Torica Exume Ph.D.: Maximizing your salary potential at the onset of your career requires strategic planning and goal setting. Begin by researching the typical salary range for your desired position and identifying the skills, qualifications, and experiences that enhance your value in the job market.
Shirley De La Rosa
Program Director, Teacher Education DepartmentAmerican Samoa Community College
Education
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Shirley De La Rosa: Entering the education field now is good due to improved pay scale for teachers with Bachelor, Master, and PhD Degrees, higher pay for certification, and many openings for teachers.
What general advice would you give to a Reading Tutor?
Peter Badalament: Being an inquiry-based thinker, Flexibility, Learning to actively listen, Give feedback
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Peter Badalament: Do everything you can to get a foot in the door - substitute teacher or get hired as a paraprofessional. I know that many schools hire teachers from pools of people they know. Preserve. Getting hired as an educator can be challenging at times, so hang in there.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Peter Badalament: Since most districts have a grid in the contract that tells you how much you'll make, it's critical that you advocate for yourself to get credit for other education-based work. Pick club advising or coaching stipend.
What general advice would you give to a Reading Tutor?
Paul Yoder: A key insight is that teaching is about making learning engaging and content relevant to students. It is rare for educators to teach students who are 'just like them' so building relationships with students is the first step. Keep in mind that each human is so much more than meets the eye so listening and curiosity are paramount.
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Paul Yoder: Most public schools award salary increases based on years of experience and academic credentials. So pursuing graduate courses not only invests in professional learning, but also earning potential.
Dr. Valerie Pilmaier PhD
Associate Professor of English, Humanities and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies; co-chair of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies; Assessment CoordinatorUniversity of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Valerie Pilmaier PhD: I think it is important to recognize that teachers are in high demand right now and that means that you are able to make choices that best suit you. Remember that the highest paying position may not be the one that makes you the happiest. Think about where you would like to live, how comfortable you feel in the community, what role you would be playing in the school community as well as the surrounding community and determine if that is enough/too much for you, and, most importantly, listen to your instincts if it feels like a good fit. Teaching is such an emotionally demanding job that you need to love where you are working, and you need to have a good support system. Take a look at the turnover at the school. Go and take a look at the minutes from school board meetings and PTA meetings, which will tell you what is most important to the school and the community in relation to matters of education. The second thing that I would suggest is to continually strive to gain more education, above and beyond the continuing education that you are required to take. Take advantage of all of the professional development that you can and seek out opportunities that will strengthen your teaching portfolio.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Valerie Pilmaier PhD: The most important thing would be to cultivate relationships with your students so that you are looking at each student individually and assessing him/her/them accordingly. It can be so easy to get hung up on trying to hit common core standards and meeting your proposed curriculum map, but sometimes you need to slow it down so that true learning takes place. There are so many external and internal factors that can hinder a child's ability to learn, but research shows that a sense of belonging and feeling 'seen' dramatically increases students' ability to learn. Equally important is realizing that the first year is the hardest! You are suddenly in charge of a classroom and you will have a big learning curve, so don’t be afraid to lean on the more experienced teachers around you, take time to care for yourself, and realize that you will meet your goals for your students only if your own batteries are charged!
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Michael King: Content knowledge is key. You have to be well versed in your area. This leads to the critical skill of problem solving. Problems will dominate the day and you have to be able to function off script. Then there is effective communication skills. You have to be able to speak the language of students, parents, and colleagues. This navigation is critical to being successful.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Michael King: My general advice would be to make sure that your heart is truly in this work. It is a day a time when the profession is not respected as it should be and students come with so many challenges. You have to be a person who is in it to make a difference in the lives of others.
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Megan Griffin PhD, BCBA-D: In most schools, salary is the result of three things: experience, education, and additional responsibilities. You can't do anything to accelerate your years of experience, but you can use them wisely. If you want to increase your income, the best way to do so is by seeking further education like an advanced degree or add-on endorsement. Additional responsibilities that can supplement your income include coaching, directing clubs, and some leadership roles. Another way to maximize salary potential is to do something that may already appeal to you: serve the underserved. There are specific schools, geographic areas, academic subjects, and student populations that are chronically in need of good teachers. Seek out endorsements in those areas, broaden your ideas about where and who you want to teach, and find opportunities to job-shadow or student teach in a range of settings. You can increase your salary potential and make a huge difference in the lives of kids who need your support.
Meg Gardner Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer and Director of Teacher PreparationWhat will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Meg Gardner Ph.D.: First and foremost, make sure that the district where you plan to teach is a right fit for you. Gather a sense of the culture of the school by asking interview committee members about their own experiences at the district. Prior to accepting a position, conduct some research on the district; for instance, investigate the mission statement and the curricular opportunities available. Be ready with questions for committee members that help you understand the ethos of the school and look for compatibility among your own beliefs about teaching and learning. Once in the classroom, take advantage of early mentoring programs and seek out advice for respected colleagues more informally. Stay up to date with innovative practices through social media outlets and teacher training opportunities offered through your district. Lastly, make time in your busy schedule for activities that you find fulfilling to maintain a healthy and balanced outlook.
What general advice would you give to a Reading Tutor?
LaShera McElhany Ph.D.: Get connected to colleagues in the field. Find a mentor or mentors who can help you with questions and support you on your best and worst days as a new teacher. New teachers typically leave the field within the first three years, if they do not have a good support system in place. Our university recently received recognition from the State Board for Educator Certification in Texas for teacher longevity in the field. We credit this to knowing our students and supporting them as they launch into their first years of teaching. Here is a link to that article: https://www.sagu.edu/news/campus-news/sagu-recognized-by-sbec-for-teacher-longevity/
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
LaShera McElhany Ph.D.: Student engagement is at the forefront of educational topics currently. Teachers will need to get back to the basics of researched-based pedagogical practices with hands-on and real-world applications of learning. There has been a recent move in schools around the country to pull back on device use in the classroom as a way to engage students in the learning process. Technology is a tool for learning, but it should not be the only tool used to engage students. Students need opportunities to think critically, be creative problem solvers, collaborate, and communicate with others face to face and in online environments.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Janet VanLone Ph.D.: Many school districts offer tuition reimbursement for additional college degrees and credits. Take advantage of this benefit. As you move up in years and degrees/ credits, you will see an increase in your salary! I hope this is helpful.
What general advice would you give to a Reading Tutor?
Dr. Tracy Johnson: We need teachers who can synthesize knowledge and expertise in many areas and apply that to the specific children in front of them. Elementary teachers will need to be expert reading teachers as well as capable in technology and in STEM areas. They will also need to understand their specific students' backgrounds, cultures, and other assets to most effectively help those students succeed.
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Tracy Johnson: Be as marketable as possible. The more grades, subject areas, etc. that you are licensed to teach, the better off you are. At a time when teachers are in high demand, you can afford to apply to many different places and choose the one that is right for you, not only financially but also philosophically as well.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Jo Jimerson Ph.D.: No matter how good your training was, you’ll encounter challenges in your first year. Even the best novice teacher is still a novice, so seek out professional learning above what’s required and don’t be afraid to ask questions of veteran educators. Find a mentor you vibe with, and who you respect—if you can’t identify someone, ask other teachers who they consider a professional model (or if you’re in a secondary school, ask the kids!). Ask your administrators to help with class coverage from time to time so you can sit in your mentor’s classes, to continue honing your craft. Most importantly, if you feel like teaching is really hard, don’t take that as a sign that you’re not destined to be a great teacher—it’s just a challenging profession! If you keep trying then by year 2 or 3 you’ll really feel like you have the hang of teaching.
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
David Podgorski Ph.D.: This question is tough because the real answer is that it depends. In general, be versatile and learn as much as you can before you enter the workforce. Take opportunities to learn soft skills, like learning how to build a proper resume/CV, working on interpersonal relationships, team leading, and accountability. There are many opportunities for free or low cost web-based training available out there.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
David Podgorski Ph.D.: Make sure to keep your options open. Do not turn away an opportunity just because it doesn’t check every box on your list. You will have opportunities to find your dream job by getting experience. Be honest about what you don’t know. You are not expected to know everything. Employers will train you to do your job. Do not stay in a toxic workplace. Your mental health and wellbeing should be your top priorities. I also suggest that more students consider careers as high school teachers. You get paid well, can live anywhere in the US, and get summers and holidays off. Be open to change. Your career path will not be a straight line. While it is great to have a vision for the future, don’t pass up potential opportunities because you put your skills in a box. Be visible in the community!
What Reading Tutor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Vicki Collet: In addition to pay increases for experience, additional education helps you climb the salary ladder. Be intentional so that your ongoing education counts not just for license renewal, but also for an additional endorsement or degree.
What will help Reading Tutors increase their earning potential?
Christopher Clark: 1) Try to get a sense of the relationship between the schools you apply to and the surrounding community. Make sure to ask how the schools' leaders support its teachers and mediates in moments where the community and the school disagree.