What is a teacher/tutor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Dr. Diana Jones
introduction image

A teacher/tutor is an educational professional who reviews classroom or educational topics and assignments for students. They assist students with homework, papers, class projects and help prepare them for tests and other academic assessments. A teacher/tutor help students to understand key learning concepts, most often those learned in a regular classroom setting. These individuals offer extra academic instruction and help during and after school hours as needed for the student to succeed, and in some cases, travel to student's homes or schools.

Most teachers/tutors have a bachelor's degree in the subject they teach, and some may have a teaching certification or license. Teachers/tutors should have experience in instructing students and should possess a strong knowledge of their subjects, as well as various teaching methods. These individuals should possess strong communication, interpersonal, and teaching skills and be adept at helping students understand certain academic concepts.

A teacher/tutor can make up to $50,000 per year in the US, and the career field is expected to grow 4% by 2028.

What general advice would you give to a Teacher/Tutor?

Dr. Diana JonesDr. Diana Jones LinkedIn Profile

Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University

General advice: I would encourage graduates to find a mentor who can guide them in their careers, stay on top of the latest technology, not be too hard on themselves, be flexible, be team players, be present, and care about their students.
ScoreTeacher/TutorUS Average
Salary
3.4

Avg. Salary $42,955

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
3.9

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.50%

Asian 10.19%

Black or African American 11.18%

Hispanic or Latino 16.18%

Unknown 5.87%

White 56.09%

Gender

female 68.89%

male 31.11%

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
6.6

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
9.4

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Teacher/Tutor career paths

Key steps to become a teacher/tutor

  1. Explore teacher/tutor education requirements

    Most common teacher/tutor degrees

    Bachelor's

    66.8 %

    Master's

    17.8 %

    Associate

    7.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific teacher/tutor skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    K-1220.85%
    Math16.29%
    Kids11.03%
    English Language8.07%
    ESL6.87%
  3. Research teacher/tutor duties and responsibilities

    • Manage the classroom environment and help students to learn in the absence of the regular teacher with grades levels k-5.
    • Provide primary one-on-one study support, primarily encompassing subjects such as algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.
    • Assist high school students in subjects such as geology, physics, algebra, geometry, and chemistry
    • Provide personal lessons to younger students on the best strategy to solve math problems for classes such as pre-calculus and calculus.
  4. Prepare your teacher/tutor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your teacher/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 teacher/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 Teacher/Tutor Resume templates

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  5. Apply for teacher/tutor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a teacher/tutor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Teacher/Tutor Job

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Average teacher/tutor salary

The average Teacher/Tutor salary in the United States is $42,955 per year or $21 per hour. Teacher/tutor salaries range between $26,000 and $69,000 per year.

Average Teacher/Tutor Salary
$42,955 Yearly
$20.65 hourly

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How do teacher/tutors rate their job?

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Teacher/Tutor reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days

Cons

Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Cons

Some students' non-challant attitude towards learning.

Pros

Ability to share knowledge and guide students in learning new things.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

The pedagogical autonomy. Teaching is an art and every year is (and should be) different. I recreate goals, programs and targets according to the needs of the students each year. Maine is an incredible place to teach as it doesn't require 3 page (or more lesson plans for each day. The admins are supportive and teachers are encouraged to improve and change their craft as needed.

Cons

The stress and absence of financial support are hard. I spend far too much of my own money buying notebooks because the families think I should. The lack of community support wears you down. The inflexible expectations of upper admin. The endless testing and the unrealistic demands and canned programs that do NOTHING to help students from financial and socio-economically challenged areas succeed.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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