UK tutor rate benchmarks
These are typical hourly rates for what tutors charge directly. On commission-based platforms, the rate students pay is often 25-49% higher because the platform takes a cut.
By level
KS1 and KS2 (primary): £20-£35/hr typical, with premium tutors (former primary headteachers, tutors with strong selective-exam track records) at £40-£60/hr. 11+ entrance prep: £30-£60/hr typical, with tutors who have measurable track records at top-track grammars or selective independents charging £70-£120/hr. KS3: £25-£40/hr typical, with subject-specialist tutors who have stretch and scholarship-track experience higher. GCSE: £25-£50/hr typical, £55-£90/hr for grade-7-9-target specialists, particularly in shortage subjects (Triple Science, Higher Tier Maths). A-level: £35-£70/hr typical, £75-£150/hr for Oxbridge-track subject specialists, A-level Further Maths, and MFL with native-speaker fluency. University admissions and aptitude tests: £50-£200/hr (UCAT, LNAT, Oxbridge interview prep, and Personal Statement coaching all at the top end).
Regional variation
London and the South East run 20-40% above national rates. Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, and Bristol broadly track London. The North, Midlands, and most of Wales and Scotland (outside Edinburgh and Glasgow) sit at or slightly below the national typical range. Online tutoring has flattened this somewhat; students in London can hire a Manchester-based tutor online and pay closer to Manchester rates.
What drives the spread within a level
Specialism scarcity
A-level Further Maths tutors charge more than A-level Biology tutors because the supply of qualified people is smaller. Same for Oxbridge admissions advisers, UCAT specialists, Latin and Classical Greek tutors, and A-level Computer Science with strong programming background. Subjects with abundant tutor supply (GCSE English, Year 6 SATs) sit at the lower end of the band.
Track record
Tutors with measurable outcomes (most students reaching grade 8 or 9 at GCSE; high A*/A rate at A-level; consistent grammar and private school placements at 11+) charge what the market will pay. This is most visible at the top end: a 1:1 Oxbridge-Maths-track Further Maths tutor commanding £150/hr is doing so because their results justify it to the parents who pay.
Format
In-person tutoring carries a small premium over online (typically 10-20%) reflecting travel time and cost. Group tutoring (2-4 students) carries a 30-50% per-student discount versus equivalent 1:1.
Total course cost versus hourly rate
Hourly rate matters less than total spend. A few worked examples using mid-range national rates: Year 11 GCSE Maths weekly tutoring (autumn through May) is around 32 weeks × £40/hr = £1,280 over the academic year. Year 12-13 A-level Chemistry weekly tutoring (autumn-spring of Y13) is around 28 weeks × £55/hr = £1,540. 11+ prep across Year 5 and autumn of Year 6 is around 30 sessions × £45/hr = £1,350. A targeted weak-topic burst (4-6 sessions on a single subject area) is roughly 5 × £50/hr = £250.
Where platform fees fit in
How a platform charges substantially affects total cost. Commission platforms typically charge students the tutor's rate plus 25-49% on top, paid per lesson; over 30 lessons at £40/hr, that's £1,200 to the tutor plus around £300-£600 to the platform. Subscription platforms typically charge students a recurring monthly fee (around £39/month) for the right to message tutors; over a year that's around £470/yr in platform fees on top of lesson costs. Finder's-fee platforms charge a one-off unlock fee with no further platform cost after unlock: Tutorperch is £9.99 per unlock. First Tutors, the long-running incumbent in this model, used a sliding £9.99 to £34.99 fee before it closed in May 2026.
Setting a budget
A pragmatic approach. First, decide the goal and timeframe (Year 11 GCSE Maths from October to May, weekly; Year 6 SATs prep from January to May, weekly; or a burst of 6 sessions to fix one A-level Chemistry topic). Estimate the lesson count from the timeframe. Set an hourly-rate range based on the level and specialism (use the benchmarks above as a starting point). Multiply for total course cost; compare to your budget. Factor in platform fees for any commission-based platform you're considering.
Better to budget realistically and run the course as planned than to under-budget and cut tutoring short partway through. Inconsistent tutoring rarely sustains the gain.