What is Online Tutoring? How It Works, Jobs, & Benefits

As magical as online tutoring sounds, it can seem like an abyss to some of you, that will swallow you whole. But I come bearing good news!

I’ll shed not just some but lots of light to give you a detailed explanation on everything about online tutoring.

This article will address all your concerns, like how does online tutoring work, how much does it pay, why it is the best choice, etc.

Here goes, join me to solve all your queries!

Online tutoring is an online, flexible job or freelance opportunity for teachers where they can teach through digital platforms.

Instead of conducting face-to-face lessons, teachers help students with their academics through apps where they can speak to their students in real time.

There are all kinds of options for conducting online tutoring. Teachers can conduct online study groups, provide individual assistance for a specific subject, conduct online assessments, or conduct regular classes with a group of students.

This is perhaps the most common concern for anyone who’s thinking of stepping into the world of online tutoring.

Some teachers choose to register with companies that hire tutors to conduct online classes. You might be thinking, “are online tutoring jobs legit”?

Well, yes, they mostly are. There are exceptions, of course, but it’s not a rarity anymore, and some companies are well known for their online tutoring services. These companies might sometimes require the online tutor to have certain academic qualifications or expertise to conduct online classes.

The tutors can mostly decide on the pay rate by the hour and can directly negotiate with prospective students, keeping in mind the service charges of the company.

The transactions are transparent and breezy. Students pay the company, who deduct their service charges and transfers the money to the tutors.

Then, there is, of course, private online tutoring. If you are thinking, “What do I need for online tutoring jobs?” Believe me, it’s nothing to worry about.

For online tutoring, all you need is a device with a camera and a microphone that can connect to the internet. This device could be your smartphone, a laptop, or a tablet.

You can directly engage with the learner and settle on a pay rate and a mode of payment that suits you both.

Private online tutoring jobs are also easy to find on freelancing and remote work platforms like Upwork, Freelance, and Fiverr.

There are times when high school students need to earn a buck on the side. The good news is, they can also look into this option, as there are also online tutoring jobs for teens! Isn’t that cool?

Teens can take up online tutoring jobs for students their age or younger and assist them with their academics. This helps reinforce their own concepts as well as make good use of their time, all the while earning money of their own.

As much as online tutoring jobs are easy to do and to acquire, there are some real benefits to these jobs

Some teachers think that the purpose of online tutoring is to make money; however, I completely disagree. Financial benefit is an attractive feature in all jobs, like with online tutoring, but with online tutoring, there are also numerous other benefits attached.

Let me explain what these benefits are.

Online tutoring is extremely flexible for teachers as well as students.

Neither do teachers have to worry about moving their schedule around, nor do students worry about it.

I love the feeling of being in control of my schedule as I juggle between home, family, and work. Students also have demanding schedules and need to adjust their online tuition according to their extracurricular activities and other academic commitments.

Online tutoring jobs don’t restrict students and teachers to a certain space. Whether the two are living miles apart, they can easily have a class.

Similarly, travel doesn’t hinder the online class.

Other factors like hospital appointments, power breakdowns, or long commutes don’t interfere with the classes either. The teacher and the student can both be part of the class from the doctor’s waiting room, a cafe, or the local library. 

Whether the student is residing in a rural area or in a different time zone, the teacher and shared resources are always accessible online. There isn’t anything that restricts learners from getting academic help because of online tutoring.

There are various apps and websites through which online tutors conduct quizzes and share PDFs or videos with students. All these resources can always be saved and downloaded by the student for easy accessibility.

Students can also seek help from their teachers anytime during the day or night. Some tutors might have fixed timings when they would respond, but the students can share their queries as they come to them.

I’m sure you’re worried and thinking, “can I do online tutoring to get paid?”

Like any other job, online tutoring jobs also promise excellent remuneration. If you’re thinking that I disagree with the financial gains, as these jobs don’t pay. That is not the case. It is certainly one of the benefits of online tutoring.

Moreover, these opportunities pay every gender equally. There isn’t any gender pay gap, and the only thing that matters is your experience and expertise in the subject you are teaching.

There are lots of different options for online tutoring jobs. It is quite easy to find your niche in the online tutoring job market.

Some examples are:

People across the world are studying languages for different reasons. Some students might be studying a language as a college course, and some adults might be learning the language as they have moved countries.

For language experts, online tutoring for languages is a great choice, with the world becoming a melting pot of cultures.

With students applying for universities, there is an influx at the time of admissions in the number of students seeking test prep. Online tutoring jobs for tests like the SAT, GRE, and GMAT.

ACT, etc, is a lucrative opportunity for teachers. And an easy option for students to manage their test prep as they complete their high school certification.

Yep, you read that right! Qualified tutors can offer personalised experiences to young elementary level students.

As the grade levels go higher, students require assistance in different subjects. Online tutoring jobs cater to these students and require assisting Kindergarten students with their homework sometimes.

As with everything nowadays, the question arises that it would be a smart idea to rely on tech platforms for tutoring instead of in person tutoring.

Well, I will break down the pros and cons for each one.

Online Tutoring	Face to Face Tutoring
Cost cost-effective option as tutors and learners, both don’t need to travel long distances	Restricts learning and teaching to a certain space and fixed timings
Cost-effective option as tutors and learners, both don’t need to travel long distances	The facility to teach and learn anywhere, and at any time
Students can choose their tutor	Learners are bound to study with the available tutor
There could sometimes be hindrances in the form of technical glitches	Uninterrupted learning
Limited physical interaction fails to create a bond between the teacher and the learner	The teacher can develop a strong bond with their student
Unwanted distraction in the environment if there are people around, or some form of commotion, or even the sounds of children playing in the street	Absolutely distraction-free and student-centred setting for a smooth learning experience

Online tutoring is a real rage nowadays with the advancement in technology, but it’s also extremely useful and has many benefits.

I find my students feeling relaxed just as much as I am stress-free in an online tutoring experience. Sometimes, in-person tutoring can make students feel pressured and anxious.

Whereas I want my students to feel comfortable and safe. The distance that the screen puts between us helps remove any tension that the student could have.

The COVID-19 challenges were met by online learning options, and various other factors have also contributed to its success.

I would suggest that all teachers explore the world of online tutoring to benefit themselves and learners alike.