How Much Should You Charge for Tuition in Singapore?
A fair tuition fee in Singapore is the band parents already pay for that level and that kind of tutor. Tutor Circle’s rate table is a general reference from past home-tuition assignments, not a regulated price [1]. Use it to quote. Do not invent a premium, and do not undercut the bottom of the band to win a first student.
The bands below are one-to-one home tuition. Online lessons can use the same hourly figure because you are selling the same preparation, without the travel. A group at your own home must still follow the three-student limit in the Home-Based Business Scheme [2].
What are the 2026 home tuition rate bands?
Read across the row for the student’s level, then down the column that matches you today. Part-time covers university students and people tutoring alongside another job. Full-time covers tutors whose main work is tuition. The school-teacher column is for current or former MOE teachers. Current teachers should confirm they are allowed to take paid tuition before using that column see the beginner guide.
Some bands overlap. Lower secondary full-time is listed at $45–50 an hour, against $30–40 for part-time, because the ranges come from assignments rather than a formula. Quote the column you actually belong to.
| Level | Part-time tutor | Full-time tutor | School teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-school (Nursery, K1–2) | $25–35/h | $35–45/h | $50–60/h |
| Lower primary | $25–35/h | $40–45/h | $55–70/h |
| Upper primary | $30–40/h | $45–55/h | $60–85/h |
| Lower secondary | $30–40/h | $45–50/h | $60–85/h |
| Upper secondary | $35–45/h | $45–60/h | $65–95/h |
| Junior college | $50–65/h | $70–90/h | $100–130/h |
| IB Primary Years | $35–45/h | $45–55/h | — |
| IB Middle Years | $40–55/h | $55–80/h | — |
| IB Diploma | $55–70/h | $70–100/h | — |
| IGCSE | $35–55/h | $50–90/h | — |
| Adult language | $35–50/h | $50–80/h | — |
| Diploma, polytechnic, university | $60–70/h | $80–120/h | — |
| IELTS, SAT, and similar tests | $60–70/h | $70–90/h | — |
Published by Tutor Circle as a general reference from past home-tuition fee data [1]. A dash means that column is not used for that row. Always check the live table on the rates page before you quote.
How do the bands compare?
The chart uses the midpoint of each published range so the gap between levels is easy to see. A midpoint is not the fee you must charge. A new tutor should sit in the lower half of the part-time bar. An experienced full-time tutor can justify the full-time bar with completed assignments at that level.
IB Diploma has no school-teacher figure on the published table, so that bar is omitted.
Midpoints of Tutor Circle’s published ranges. Upper primary part-time $30–40 averages $35; junior college part-time $50–65 averages $57.50; IB Diploma part-time $55–70 averages $62.50. School-teacher rates are not listed for IB Diploma. (S$ per hour, midpoint of the published range)
What moves the rate up or down?
Stay inside the row. Use the factors below to choose the top or the bottom of that row. They are not a reason to jump into the school-teacher column.
| Factor | Quote toward the bottom | Quote toward the top |
|---|---|---|
| Experience at that level | First students, or a related grade only | Several completed assignments at the same level |
| Subject demand | A subject many tutors list | A scarcer paper you can prove, still inside the same row |
| Travel | Online, or a short trip | A long cross-island trip you are willing to make |
| Materials | You use the student’s worksheets | You bring marked papers and a written weekly plan |
| Group size | One student, as in the table | Do not simply multiply the hourly rate by headcount; agree a group fee, and cap a class in your home at three students [2] |
What does a beginner’s month look like?
This illustration uses the midpoint of the upper-primary part-time band, $35 an hour [1]. It is not a forecast.
Three students, two hours a week each, for four weeks: 3 × 2 × 4 × $35 = $840 before transport and tax. One cancelled week, or one student who stops after the trial, takes that figure down by about a third. Budget the travel. A one-hour lesson that needs 40 minutes each way is not a $35 hour of work.
IRAS taxes the profit, not the headline rate. A private tuition teacher reports revenue and allowable expenses. In IRAS’s example, $40,000 of tuition revenue and $10,000 of expenses is filed as $30,000 net on the 2-line statement, because revenue is not above $200,000 [3]. Keep the lesson dates. The national market — $1.8 billion of household tuition spending in 2023 — describes demand, not your invoice [4].
How should you say the rate in an application?
Name the level and the figure together. “Upper primary Mathematics, $35 an hour, at the student’s home in the east” is a quote. “Negotiable” is not. If the assignment already states a budget inside your band, accept that budget instead of opening a second negotiation.
Raise the rate after you have finished assignments at that level, not after the first reply. When you do raise it, move within the same column, and tell existing families before the next term. New families can be quoted the updated figure. The wording that carries a rate without sounding like a discount advert is in Tutor Profile Examples.
Frequently asked questions
Should my first student get a cheaper trial?
Charge the agreed hourly rate for the trial. Tutor Circle’s own FAQ for families says trial lessons are payable. A free trial trains parents to expect unpaid preparation.
Can I charge school-teacher rates if I am a university student?
No. Use the part-time column. The school-teacher column reflects classroom experience parents are paying for. Quoting it without that experience is how applications get skipped.
Are IB and IGCSE more expensive than MOE levels?
Often, but read the row. IB Diploma part-time is $55–70 an hour. IGCSE part-time is $35–55. Do not apply the IB Diploma figure to an IGCSE Year 9 student.
Do I charge more for travelling to the student’s home?
The published bands are already home-tuition rates. Add a higher figure only when the trip is long enough that you would otherwise refuse the case, and say the travel in the application so the family can compare.
Conclusion
Pick the row for the student and the column for yourself, then quote one number. Check the live rate table before you send it, and apply only for assignments inside the levels you priced.
Sources
- [1] Tutor Circle. 2026. Singapore Home Tuition Rates.
- [2] GoBusiness. Accessed 13 October 2026. Home-Based Business Scheme.
- [3] Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. Accessed 13 October 2026. Calculating business income.
- [4] Ministry of Education, parliamentary reply. 5 February 2025. Private Tuition.