Career Overview
Instruct individual students or small groups of students in academic subjects to support formal class instruction or to prepare students for standardized or admissions tests.
Also Known As
- Academic Coach
- Academic Guidance Specialist
- Professional Tutor
- Tutor
Alternate Job Titles
- Academic Coach
- Academic Guidance Specialist
- Academic Mentor
- Academic Teacher
- Academic Tutor
- Accounting Tutor
- ACT Instructor (American College Testing Instructor)
- ACT Tutor (American College Test Tutor)
- After School Tutor
- Algebra Tutor
- Biology Tutor
- Calculus Tutor
- Chemistry Tutor
- Children's Tutor
- College Tutor
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Provide feedback to students, using positive reinforcement techniques to encourage, motivate, or build confidence in students.
- Review class material with students by discussing text, working solutions to problems, or reviewing worksheets or other assignments.
- Assess students' progress throughout tutoring sessions.
- Teach students study skills, note-taking skills, and test-taking strategies.
- Provide private instruction to individual or small groups of students to improve academic performance, improve occupational skills, or prepare for academic or occupational tests.
- Participate in training and development sessions to improve tutoring practices or learn new tutoring techniques.
- Collaborate with students, parents, teachers, school administrators, or counselors to determine student needs, develop tutoring plans, or assess student progress.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Instructing
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Complex Problem Solving
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Speech Clarity
- Oral Expression
- Speech Recognition
- Fluency of Ideas
- Inductive Reasoning
- Near Vision
- Deductive Reasoning
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Optimism
- Empathy
- Social Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Independence
- Achievement
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Zoom
Tools & Equipment
- Computer data input scanners
- Desktop computers
- Graphing calculators
- Laptop computers
- Multi-line telephone systems
- Personal computers
Work Environment
- Spend Time Sitting
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $28,430 |
| Median | $40,090 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $78,810 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 174,660
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $64,580
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $59,950
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $62,340
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $62,970
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $44,930
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.

