Verified on Sep 28, 2026
Teach a language one-on-one by video on Preply. Preply's blog says tutors average $18.30 an hour before its commission. You set your own rate.
You teach a language, or another subject, to one student at a time. Lessons happen by live video, through Preply’s own classroom.
You set your own hourly rate. You can raise or lower it whenever you want.
Preply does not require a teaching certificate. It does not require past teaching experience either.
Preply calls you an independent contractor, not an employee. That means you run your own small business. You handle your own taxes.
Preply publishes its own data on tutor pay. Its blog says tutors charge an average of $18.30 an hour. That is what a tutor charges, not what they take home.
Rates vary by subject. Preply’s blog puts the range at $10.00 to $38.90 an hour. Preply’s recruiting page gives a separate number for English tutors: $15 to $25 an hour.
Preply takes a cut of every lesson. This cut is called a commission, the share Preply keeps from what you charge.
Your first lesson with a new student is called a trial lesson. A trial lesson is a short tryout before a student commits. Preply’s commission on a trial lesson is 100%. That means a trial lesson adds $0 to your balance.
After the trial, commission starts at 33%. After you teach 20 hours, it drops to 28%. It keeps falling as you teach more hours, down to 18% at the lowest.
This is our own math, not Preply’s. A new tutor near 33% commission keeps about $12.26 of an $18.30 hour. A tutor at the lowest commission, 18%, keeps about $15.01 of that same hour.
Preply’s own tutor-recruiting page says its most popular tutors earn up to $550 a week. That is a ceiling for Preply’s best-paid tutors, not a typical amount.
Preply’s blog also gives monthly averages. Tutors teaching 0 to 10 hours a week average $117.70 a month. Tutors teaching 40 to 50 hours a week average $1,416.40 a month. Those numbers do not match simple math done from the hourly average. Preply does not explain the gap, and neither could we.
You choose how you get paid out. Bank transfer and Wise both have a $10 minimum withdrawal, and a $3,000 maximum per transaction. PayPal charges a transaction fee of 2%, capped at $20.
Before you can withdraw any money, Preply requires a photo of your passport or another government ID. This confirms you are who you say you are.
A sales tax is a state tax charged on a sale. Five states make Preply charge one: Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Alaska. If you live in one of them, the tax comes out of your earnings. It is worked out on Preply’s commission, not on your whole lesson price. Preply sends that tax to the state for you.
Preply treats you as an independent contractor. You are responsible for reporting and paying your own taxes. A tax professional can tell you what you owe and which forms to file.
This fits you if you already speak another language well, or know a subject you could teach.
It fits you if you want to set your own rate and change it anytime.
It fits you if you do not have a teaching certificate. Preply does not require one.
Preply accepts tutors from most countries. It does not accept applications from residents of Iran, Sudan, Cuba, Syria, North Korea, or Crimea.
This fits you if you have a laptop or desktop computer, a webcam, and steady internet.
See more teaching and tutoring gigs. Close cousins are tutoring students on Wyzant, teaching English with Cambly, and teaching classes on Outschool.
Skip this if you only have a phone or tablet. Preply’s sign-up only works on a desktop or laptop, not the app.
Skip this if you live in Iran, Sudan, Cuba, Syria, North Korea, or Crimea. Preply does not accept applications from those places.
Skip this if you need money the same day. Your first lesson with any student pays $0, since the trial commission is 100%.
Skip this if you are under 18. Preply requires tutors to be at least 18.
Skip this if a wide pay range bothers you. Preply’s subject averages run from $10.00 to $38.90 an hour. Every tutor sets their own rate, so yours is one price among many.
If you want a page with a steadier, single number for a first-year rate, read about tutoring students on Wyzant. If you are still deciding between gigs, read How to Pick a Side Gig That Fits You.
Before you pay anyone: Applying and making a profile on Preply is free. Preply says it will never ask for your card or bank details in chat. It will also never ask you to talk off Preply, such as on WhatsApp or Telegram.
Day 1. Set up your desktop or laptop. Test your webcam and microphone.
Day 2. Go to Preply’s site on that computer, since the app cannot finish sign-up. Create your free profile.
Day 3. Pick your subjects. Set a starting hourly rate you can live with, since Preply takes 33% commission at first.
Day 4. Submit your profile and wait. Review may take 3 to 5 business days, depending on which Preply page you read.
Day 5. While you wait, plan what a trial lesson could look like for a new student.
Day 6. Check your email for approval news.
Day 7. If approved, verify your identity with a photo ID so you are ready to withdraw money later.
You need a laptop or desktop computer. Preply’s sign-up and its virtual classroom both need one; the mobile app cannot finish sign-up.
You need steady home internet. A weak connection can drop your video calls mid-lesson.
A webcam is optional, but it helps students see you clearly.
A USB headset with a microphone is also optional. It can make your voice easier to hear than a laptop’s built-in mic.
Preply keeps 100% of your first trial lesson with each new student. That lesson pays you $0.
Commission starts high, at 33%, and only falls as you teach more hours.
Two Preply pages give different review times: 3 business days on one, 5 on the other. We could not find which one is correct.
Sign-up only works on a desktop or laptop. The mobile app cannot finish it.
You must submit a photo ID before you can withdraw your first dollar.
Subject rates run wide, from $10.00 to $38.90 an hour. You set your own rate, so other tutors on the same subject may charge less.
Preply’s monthly pay averages do not match its hourly average. Tutors working 0 to 10 hours a week average $117.70 a month. The hourly average is $18.30. Preply does not explain the gap.
In five states, a sales tax comes out of your earnings. It is worked out on Preply’s commission, not your whole lesson price. The states are Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Alaska.
Is $18.30 an hour what I will take home? No. That is Preply’s average charged rate, before commission. Your actual cut depends on your commission rate.
How much does Preply take from each lesson? Your first lesson with a new student pays $0, since trial commission is 100%. After that, it starts at 33%. It drops to 28% after 20 hours. It keeps falling as you teach more, down to 18% at the lowest.
Do I need a teaching certificate? No. Preply does not require certification or past teaching experience.
Can tutors in Russia or Belarus apply? Preply lists Russia and Belarus separately, under a section about application restrictions, saying it “stands with Ukraine”. It does not use the word “cannot” for these two places the way it does for other restricted countries. We could not confirm whether tutors there can apply.
How do I handle taxes on my Preply pay? Preply treats you as an independent contractor, not an employee. You are responsible for reporting and paying your own taxes. A tax professional can tell you which forms apply to your situation.
$10.20-12 an hour
$0.17 a minute works out to $10.20 an hour, and Cambly Kids pays $0.20 a minute, or $12.
You talk to English learners by video. Cambly pays $0.17 a minute of lesson time, plus a few stated paid waits. No degree is needed. Three US states are barred.
$12.60-14.70 per learner, per hour
This is your share of ONE learner for one hour, using Outschool's own recommended price of $18-21 and the 70% split.
You teach live video classes to kids on your own subject. You set the price. Outschool keeps 30% and you keep 70%. A background check is required.
$26.25-45 an hour
Wyzant's blog says tutors charge $35-60 an hour on average.
You tutor one student at a time in a subject you know. Lessons happen by video or in person, through Wyzant. Wyzant's December 2024 blog says tutors charge $35-60 an hour on average. Wyzant keeps 25%, so your cut runs $26.25-45 an hour. You must be 18 and live in the US. Pass a subject quiz, or send your qualifications.