How To Become A Second Language Tutor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a second language tutor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Cynthia Carver,

Karen Chandler Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a second language tutor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.6 an hour? That's $38,681 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 12% and produce 159,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a second language tutor?

Dr. Cynthia Carver

Associate Professor & Chair, Oakland University

Be prepared to work hard - your first year of teaching will be demanding - but know that you are doing important work. We are the profession that makes all others possible. And don't forget to ask for help.

ScoreSecond Language TutorUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,681

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

3.9

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.49%

Asian 11.59%

Black or African American 9.64%

Hispanic or Latino 15.54%

Unknown 5.83%

White 56.91%

Gender

female 68.80%

male 31.20%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

3.9

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

9.4

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a second language tutor

Explore second language tutor education requirements

Most common second language tutor degrees

Bachelor's

70.2 %

Master's

13.3 %

Associate

9.8 %

Start to develop specific second language tutor skills

Skills	Percentages
English-Language	19.21%
English Language	19.21%
Thai	13.02%
Translation Services	8.87%
Grammar	8.71%

Complete relevant second language tutor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New second language tutors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a second language tutor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real second language tutor resumes.

Research second language tutor duties and responsibilities

Used different tools to achieve student success such as the whiteboard, websites, and role playing.
Develop and execute lesson plans and facilitate group study sessions to improve student study skills and language proficiency.
Assist students with their schoolwork and other basic needs such as; PowerPoint, Microsoft, etc.
Train and teach students how to read and write short sentences in Arabic stressing on vocabulary acquisition and basic grammar.

Prepare your second language tutor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your second language tutor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a second language tutor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable second language tutor resume templates

Build a professional second language tutor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your second language tutor resume.