How Much Should You Charge Teaching Online?

“How much should I charge?”

This is a question I get inboxed often. Before I work with a client, I always ask my own questions:

• Do you charge what you are worth?
• How do you determine your worth?

They typically have problems answering these questions, so I change my question and ask:

Do you find value in your work?

If the answer is yes, you should not undervalue or underprice your work, your time, or your service. In education, I know it can be difficult to think about yourself as a business entity. Oftentimes, educators get caught up in the idea that teachers are supposed to make a low wage. Historically, educators haven’t had the highest paying wage or a livable income.

However, I often hear remarks from parents about how educators should get paid for the amount of work they do. At public school board meetings, all over social media, especially when COVID first hit, the level of teacher appreciation was at an all-time high. So, why are we still undervaluing ourselves?

If you are deciding to work as a private teacher/tutor or for an online platform as an independent contractor where you get to determine your price, don’t undervalue yourself if you find value in your work.

What to consider when pricing

When I create a new class I factor in the amount of time it takes to develop the class. This includes

• creating the lesson plans
• gathering the materials
• creating a visual presentation
• developing worksheets assignments as needed
• actually teaching the class

Once my classes are complete, the live session has ended, I am still working. There’s

• feedback to be given on assignments
• questions from students that need answers
• inquiries from parents

I factor all of these elements into my class price.

When you’re determining how much to charge for your classes you can also look at comparable courses. If you’re teaching a preschool phonics class, check out what other people are charging for similar courses. Look at the price, the length, the class size, and the description. This will also help you differentiate your class from others.

This does not mean that you need to match their prices or that you need to make your class lower in hopes that you get more enrollments. Devaluing your work doesn’t mean increased enrollments. If I see a course priced lower than what it should be, I won’t enroll my child. I don’t feel like the instructor values their time so I don’t think they’ll provide a quality course.

An example of how I priced a course

My writing course is currently $72. I have had parents reach out to me offering to pay double for the course just to get their child a seat in my class. My writing courses typically sell out within 24 hours, even during the slower months such as summer vacation and winter break. I’ve contemplated increasing the price.

However, the original price of this course was much lower two years ago. I increased the price as it was a new course and I was still revamping and revising it based on feedback.

When I look at other courses that are offered by larger companies my price is pretty comparable but I also want to keep it competitive. Not only do I want to make sure that it’s a competitive price, I still want to ensure that it’s affordable. When I price my classes I also keep in mind how much I can afford as a single parent who homeschools and outsources classes. This doesn’t have to be your thought process.

Another option is to ask the people that would enroll in your class. Ask what they would be willing to spend. This shouldn’t be the only deciding factor in how you price your class but it will help you gauge a price point. Again, make sure you’re paying yourself a living wage. You are offering a service. The service just happens to be education which is often undervalued. This does not mean you need to undervalue yourself or your work.

If you’re still questioning if teaching online is a career for you, check out my E-Book and sign up for my newsletter for the upcoming FREE webinars.