How Do You Set Your Private Lesson Fee?

Has your voice ever dropped slightly when stating your fee? It happens to most tutors. Because the number feels like the open expression of the value you place on your work, and if the other side objects it feels personal. The solution is to separate the number from emotion and tie it to a simple calculation.

Start from the goal

Ask yourself: "How much do I want to earn per month, and how many hours do I want to teach for that?" The numbers are only examples: suppose you target a net 30,000 TL per month and want to teach 48 hours a month (12 hours a week).

30,000 ÷ 48 = 625 TL.

This is the amount you need to reach per lesson. Also remember: behind every lesson hour there's preparation, writing notes to the student, and messaging with parents. If this work comes to an average of 40 minutes alongside a lesson, your 48 lesson hours actually turn into 80 hours of labor. Your lesson fee has to carry this invisible labor too; otherwise the feeling of "I work a lot but earn little" is inevitable.

Taxes, payment commissions, and idle hours also figure in. Talking to an accountant about these is much healthier than guessing on your own.

Look at the market, but don't copy it

Looking at the prices of tutors in the same subject with similar experience is a good reference. But if you have something special (focusing on a particular exam, working with very few students, experience abroad), don't set the price only by the average. Price is also a message of "how special this service is."

Separate single-lesson and package pricing

Make the single lesson a bit more expensive and the package a bit cheaper. That way you present the discount not in a haggling mood but as an advantage given in return for commitment. We discussed in detail which suits you in the single lesson or package article. On Vedubox Tutor you can define prices per course, module, or package and create campaigns and coupons; for current plans you can look at the pricing page.

Sentences you can use when stating the price

Say it in one breath, without apologizing: "My lesson fee is 625 TL. In a four-lesson package it works out a bit better per lesson, if you like I can write down both." Then stay quiet. Let the other side think. If you start explaining after the number, you'll feel you have to defend the price.

How do you raise your prices?

Apply the increase to new students first. Tell existing students a term in advance and briefly explain the reason: new materials, longer preparation time, rising costs. A surprise increase is the easiest way to lose a student. Most people respect a clear and pre-announced increase.

If you're unsure about the number

You don't have to find the exact right price. Work with one number for a month and see how many trials turn into lessons. If almost everyone says "yes," you're probably too cheap; if no one comes back, the price or the pitch may be the problem. Your fee isn't something you say once and forget; it's a dial you can adjust.

This article was prepared by the Vedubox team. For more information about Vedubox Tutor and our other products, you can visit vedubox.com.