Find your perfect tutor today!

Whatsapp Tutor Request

How Much Do Tutors Make in Singapore?

The tuition industry continues to rise in popularity due to its attractive salary, particularly in Singapore, where some tutors can earn up to $1 million annually, a level of income that is difficult to attain in other professions.

Another motivation to consider working as a private tutor is the desire for greater autonomy. As a private tutor, you are your own boss, allowing you to set your own teaching schedule, choose your preferred teaching methods, and plan lessons according to your personal preferences. Effective communication with your clients (students and parents) is crucial, but aside from that, you have full control over your decisions.

While some clients may not be able to fully accommodate your schedule, there is flexibility with scheduling and finding a mutually agreeable arrangement. Working as a private tutor offers a high degree of flexibility.

In Singapore, private tutors come from various backgrounds. Some may have previously been MOE teachers, while others have been in private tutoring from the start. The rates for private tutors vary based on their qualifications, expertise, and client experience.

Why Should I Become a Private Tutor?

a tutor and a young girl sitting at a table looking at a tablet | tuitioncentre sg

Did you enjoy teaching your classmates when you were a student? If so, you likely have a natural passion for teaching. Teaching can be incorporated into various careers, from professional educators to private tutors.

Given the various tutoring options available, making a well-informed decision is crucial. In Singapore, the importance of education is evident as there is a growing interest in private tutoring. With the Singaporean government offering teaching opportunities through the MOE Teachers website, more individuals are considering a career in education.

A majority of MOE teachers in Singapore are transitioning to private tutoring. Several reasons drive the shift, one of the main ones being that private tutoring is less stressful than MOE teaching. This shift has resulted in more qualified teachers entering the private tutoring market. Additionally, MOE teachers typically have more experience than the average private tutor, making them highly sought after by students and parents.

What Are The Types of Tutors In Singapore?

To streamline the different types of tutors and potential earnings, here is a list of available private tutor jobs in Singapore, along with an overview of estimated tuition rates to help you determine your charges.

Part-Time Tutor (PTT)

If you are a student who wishes to earn some money, you can consider working as a part-time tutor. This job market is open to individuals who have finished their A Levels and are pursuing their Bachelor’s Degree. You can also become a part-time tutor if you want to supplement your full-time job with some tutoring on the side. Many people take this route to earn extra income because of the many career paths that it caters to.

Part-time tutoring usually doesn’t require extensive experience or expertise, so the pay is generally modest. Depending on the academic level you are teaching, you can earn between $25 and $55 per hour. Typically, students schedule 1.5-hour sessions once a week, totalling 6 hours per month. If you have just one student who attends a 1.5-hour class per week and you charge $30 per hour, you can expect to earn approximately $180 per month. It’s a decent income for something with very minimal requirements.

Full-time Tutor (FTT)

As a full-time private tutor, private tutoring would be your main job. This means you would be working as a tutor for around 8 hours daily. Although full-time tutors do not undergo training through the National Institute of Education (NIE) program like MOE teachers, they are still highly sought after for teaching specialized subjects to students.

Depending on the level you are teaching, you could set a fee of up to $50/hr for IGCSE or IB PYP subjects and up to $80/hr for university-level or IB Diploma subjects. Full-time tutors can handle between 10-15 assignments per week. If you have 15 assignments a week and charge an average of $50 per hour, you could earn a $5,000+ monthly salary!

Current MOE School Teacher (CMT)

CMTs are full-time MOE teachers who conduct a few lessons in their spare time. They tend to charge a high rate due to their firsthand experience in education. Typically, CMTs earn between $50 and $70 per hour for primary and secondary levels and $90 to $130 per hour for JC level, teaching about two weekly tuition sessions. If you have two 2-hour lessons each week and charge $120 per hour, you could earn $2,160 per month in addition to your MOE salary. This would be enough to cover the costs of your car!

Becoming a private tutor alongside your role as an MOE teacher can provide additional income to cover basic expenses such as car instalments or monthly rent.

Ex-MOE School Teacher (EMT)

Former Ministry Of Education or MOE teachers who have moved on from their careers can still educate students by giving tuition classes. These educators, who are highly qualified and prioritize private tutoring, often charge a substantial fee. In Singapore, many parents seek out ex-MOE teachers for their children’s tutoring needs, especially for weaker students, valuing their comparable experience to current MOE teachers and greater availability. The income for ex-MOE teachers working as private tutors is typically similar to that of current MOE teachers, ranging between $80 and $150 per hour. By taking on up to 15 clients each month, an ex-MOE private tutor could earn $8,000 monthly. After obtaining certification as a MOE school teacher in Singapore, various options become available, including continuing as a schoolteacher, starting part-time private tutoring, or transitioning entirely to private tutoring.

Here are three factors that can influence your decision:

1. Salary Teachers are very well paid in Singapore. The MOE website indicates that a secondary school teacher could earn up to $70,000 annually, while a primary school teacher may receive around $58,000 annual salary. Additionally, a general education officer teaching in higher education has the potential to earn up to $3,500 per month.

2. Private tutors have greater flexibility in determining their compensation. Unlike MOE teachers, they do not receive yearly bonuses, but they can set their hourly rates for each student. For tutoring primary or secondary school students, the hourly rate could reach up to $95. The number of hours worked per week depends on the tutor’s availability and the client’s needs.

Many argue that achieving a higher income as a private tutor in Singapore is easier than as a MOE educator. As you establish a strong reputation and specialize in certain subjects, you can command higher hourly rates from clients.

3. Work-Life Balance. MOE teachers themselves have reported struggling to maintain a work-life balance. As tutoring is their main job, the tasks assigned to them at school seem never-ending. MOE teachers frequently express dissatisfaction with working on weekends and public holidays to cope with their workload, resulting in a poor work-life balance.

The challenge of being an MOE teacher lies in the fact that their workday begins earlier than that of a typical office worker (7 a.m. vs. 9 a.m.), and they are expected to work at least until 5 p.m. If they have additional responsibilities, such as administrative tasks or lesson planning for the next term, they may find themselves working until 8 p.m. in the evening.

This is not the case for private tutors. Their job is highly flexible and depends on their schedules, so they can maintain a better work-life balance.

We have a comprehensive guide if you want to become a tutor in Singapore. After learning about the different types of private tutors in Singapore, you can find the job appealing. Since private tutoring offers many opportunities, you can increase your income while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Ways To Get More Clients

a tutor sitting in front of a laptop and giving a thumbs up | tuitioncentre sg

If you believe the potential income mentioned earlier is insufficient, here are some methods to increase your earnings.

Enhance your Curriculum Vitae (or Tutor Profile on tuition centres and tuition agencies such as TuitionCentre SG): Potential clients will examine the qualifications listed in their CV to determine if the potential tutor possesses the necessary experience to assist a student in improving his/her grades.

Include as much detail as possible in your CV, outlining all your experiences. You can also request your teachers or former employers to provide positive feedback in your testimonials. Doing so can help your profile stand out more than your competitors.

Join our team as a private tutor today and begin your professional journey with us. You can also check out the newest tutoring opportunities.

More articles that you may want to read:

How 1-to-1 Tuition Benefits Primary Students in Singapore

How Much Does Private Tuition Cost in Singapore? | Updated Rates 2024

Related posts