Tutor rates by subject
Subject complexity moves the typical rate. VCE Specialist Maths and HSC Maths Extension 2 sit at the top; primary maths and English at the bottom. Roughly 30 percentage points of spread.
| Subject | Level | Uplift vs Tier 2 typical ($80/hr) | Estimated typical rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| VCE Specialist Mathematics (VIC) | Senior | +25% | $100/hr |
| QCE Specialist Mathematics (QLD) | Senior | +25% | $100/hr |
| University Computer Science / coding | Tertiary | +25% | $100/hr |
| HSC Mathematics Extension 2 (NSW) | Senior | +20% | $95/hr |
| University Mathematics | Tertiary | +20% | $95/hr |
| University Statistics | Tertiary | +15% | $90/hr |
| HSC Mathematics Extension 1 (NSW) | Senior | +10% | $90/hr |
| HSC Physics (NSW) | Senior | +10% | $90/hr |
| VCE Mathematical Methods (VIC) | Senior | +10% | $90/hr |
| VCE Physics (VIC) | Senior | +10% | $90/hr |
| QCE Mathematical Methods (QLD) | Senior | +10% | $90/hr |
| QCE Physics (QLD) | Senior | +10% | $90/hr |
| HSC Chemistry (NSW) | Senior | +5% | $85/hr |
| HSC Economics (NSW) | Senior | +5% | $85/hr |
| VCE Chemistry (VIC) | Senior | +5% | $85/hr |
| QCE Chemistry (QLD) | Senior | +5% | $85/hr |
| Year 7–10 Science | Lower Secondary | +0% | $80/hr |
| HSC English Advanced (NSW) | Senior | +0% | $80/hr |
| HSC Mathematics Advanced (NSW) | Senior | +0% | $80/hr |
| HSC Biology (NSW) | Senior | +0% | $80/hr |
| VCE English (VIC) | Senior | +0% | $80/hr |
| VCE Biology (VIC) | Senior | +0% | $80/hr |
| QCE English (QLD) | Senior | +0% | $80/hr |
| Year 7–10 Maths | Lower Secondary | -5% | $75/hr |
| Year 7–10 English | Lower Secondary | -5% | $75/hr |
| VCE General Mathematics (VIC) | Senior | -5% | $75/hr |
| Primary Maths | Primary | -10% | $70/hr |
| Primary English / reading | Primary | -10% | $70/hr |
Why VCE Specialist (and similar) sits at the top
Subjects where the qualified tutor pool is small command a premium. Specialist Maths, HSC Maths Ext 2, university Computer Science — there are simply fewer people who can teach the material competently than there are students wanting it. The Tier 4 specialists in these subjects routinely charge $160–$200/hr in Sydney and Melbourne.
The flip side: as a tutor, picking a hard subject as your specialism is the highest-leverage decision. A VCE Methods tutor and a VCE Specialist tutor with identical credentials can charge very different rates because the demand-side competition is different.
Why primary subjects sit at the bottom
Large supply pool (every uni education student is a candidate), lower stakes per lesson, and parents' lower willingness to pay at primary level. The exception: NAPLAN preparation in years 3 and 5 commands a small premium because parents associate it with selective-school entry.
Music and languages
Music and language tutoring sit slightly above national average because of accreditation barriers (e.g., AMEB-aligned piano teaching, NAATI-aligned translation) — the qualified pool is narrower than "anyone who can play piano" or "anyone who speaks Mandarin". Expect a $5–10/hr premium over the equivalent academic-tutor tier.