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Have you ever wondered what subjects are most in demand? Ever wanted to learn more about which subjects offer the most lucrative teaching opportunities?
As a tutor management software provider, we at TutorCruncher have access to a large amount of data surrounding the tutoring industry and trends within the market.
In this blog, we take a look at our database of subjects and lessons, to try to shed some light on which subjects are the most in demand, provide the most stability and are the most lucrative. So if you have spent some time thinking about the questions listed above, this is the article for you!
(If you want to find out more about how this data was collected and analysed you can find out more about this in the last section of this article.)
The United Kingdom
At first glance, prospects for tutoring in the UK seem somewhat disappointing. The UK market not only shows the widest range of available subjects, with each subject having at least a dozen tutor qualified, it is also relatively low in its job to lesson ratio. With an average of 5 lessons and 45 tutors per tutoring opportunity, it would be easy to conclude that there is no point getting into tutoring in the UK.
However, this is not the case. The UK tutoring market, while relatively oversaturated, does still have certain subjects and outliers where those new to tutoring or those looking for new subjects to teach could find great opportunities.
An example of this is Veterinary Sciences. While the subject does have 5 tutors registered per vanancy, this should not discourage those looking to teach the subject. For tutor who are successful in the vetting process, Veterinary Sciences offers great job stability with an average of 17 lessons per opportunity well as an impressive £53 per lessons. Therefore, securing one of these opportunities could earn a tutor over £900 for a single job.
Other UK jobs which are relatively unsaturated include:
Actuarial and management science
Accounting
Civil and Structural Engineering
There are also other factors one should consider when looking to join the tutoring industry. The global coronavirus pandemic is transforming the way that people work. Now more than ever the idea of working, teaching or collaborating remotely seems far less daunting. This means now more than ever UK tutors who specialise in subjects which are not as demanded in the UK could look into breaking into new wider markets where there may be a need for them.
Read More: What is the true cost of tutoring? - Private Tutoring Rates
The US
The US tutoring market, similarly to the UK, may discourage some considering a career in tutoring. In fact the US market in many ways proves to be even more tricky. With an average of 90 tutors per opening, the odds of getting hired for a job seem low. The duration of lessons does seem a little more promising than the UK, but not by much, with an average of 6 lessons per tutoring job.
However, once again there are certain subjects which are more in demand than others. In fact, one of the key differences between the UK and US is that certain subjects clearly lack qualified tutors.
Science and Mathematics both boast impressive prospects for tutors looking to branch out. As two relatively common school subjects this is somewhat surprising. For General Science there is just one tutor per opportunity and for General Mathematics there is only one Tutor for every two jobs. This is especially shocking when you compare is to the US average.
These two subjects also prove to have great potential with regards to job duration, these jobs contains between 9 and 10 lessons per posting. While not extraordinary, is above the average for the region. The one area where these subjects do fall short is the hourly rate, the average Mathematics payout is $18 and the average for Science is $17.50.
For tutors looking for a secure subject, which is high in demand and pays well; Latin is a good option. As a specialised skill this is a subject which seems to be highly requested with just 2 tutors per job. However, what makes this job even more appealing is that there is an average of 45 lessons per job. The average Latin lesson pays $31.50 meaning those able to teach this subject can earn up to $1400+ through one successful application.
For those looking to branch out to less competitive subjects other than the ones mentioned above, here are some to consider:
Languages: French/Russian/General Language Courses
Physics
Australia
The Australian market seems to show the biggest difference out of the three counties examined so far. There seems to be no real disparity between the subjects desired by agencies and the subjects taught by tutors.
Generally speaking in the Australian tutoring marketing it seems that jobs with less demand have fewer numbers of tutors specialised in that skill. Subjects such as Arabic and Latin have just 2 or 3 tutors per opportunity, but also only contain a few lessons.
Unlike the UK and US, Australia has a far smaller number of Tutors per vacancy with the average of just 28. While this is still not a small number it seems to suggest that the Australian tutoring market is somewhat less competitive. However the lack of competition does come with less job security. In fact the average Australian tutoring job lasts just 4 lessons.
For those looking for a subject which offers low competition and high duration, History is a great choice. A History tutor job is less competitive than average, with 17 tutors per opportunity. A successful applicant can also expect above average job duration, with an average of 9 lessons. A history lesson also earns a tutor an average of A$40 per session and an estimated A$360+ per job.
Another great subject option for tutors is Biology. Like History, the subject pays $40/lesson. However, it is more competitive with 24 tutors per job openining. What might make Biology more appealing for some is the above average duration. At an average duration of 19 lessons, those who secure this opportunity can earn an average of A$760.
Other than the subjects mentioned already, those looking for jobs with high job duration and below average competition should consider: - Spanish
-English Literature
- Chemistry
Conclusion
For the data examined above there are a couple of clear patterns suggested. Sciences and language tuition seem to be the two main areas where there is a demand for more tutors. Generally speaking these are also quite appealing subjects for tutors as they usually have a large number of lessons per opportunity and pay well.
So for anyone looking to have more success in their tutoring career these are some good areas to branch out into.
Data Analysis
The original data set provides information on the number of tutors who indicate being able to teach each subject, and the number of jobs and lessons related to each subject.
In order to find how in demand each subject was, we looked at the number of jobs associated with that subject and compared it to the number of tutors who indicated that they can teach that subject.
The stability and longevity of each job was inferred from the number of jobs per subject, in comparison to the number of lessons.
The average earning potential for each jobs is based on finding the median charge each lesson is based on subject categories.
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