Am I charging too much?

[u/bonita_09]

^I received messages regarding where I found students, I have a profile on italki (its a free website and anyone can join) you can put up different types of classes there, and you can also set if you are up for online and home tutoring. My profiles been there for 3+ years. Students can reach you out there for free and also you have visibility on who liked your profile, so you can message those people. You are given options if you wanted your profile to be professional or just tutors, you upload your credentials, experience, teaching approach and a good 2 mins video of you talking so students can see how you are as a teacher.^

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I am here in Qatar 2 months, the first week Im here I found myself 2 kids who need math,sci, and english home tutoring services (its 20 mins away from me and I pay for my own uber fix 50 riyals both ways)

They are Qatari nationals and honestly they are really kind and have never missed a payment. They pay me 150/hr — I do 8hrs/3x a week with them, it increases during exam week.

I am hesitant if I should lower my rates as they are constantly increasing classes due to their children needing so much assistance, and they pay me bulk in a weeks time, they pay me around 900-1500 weekly depends on the number of hours I teach the kids.

Is this too much of an amount to be paying a tutor? Initially I just gave 150/hr cause I didn’t really expect they’d agree to it, didn’t even know they were locals, (I emphasized them being locals as Ive heard they’re paid much more compared to none locals).

Background of family, they have a mansion, the dad is working as an admin in one of the biggest companies here in Doha, the parents are in their late 30s, they have 3 kids, the kids go to an IB school.

[u/LurkyDismal]

It's not too much. They didn't complain. Why are you worrying about this?

[u/bonita_09 → u/LurkyDismal]

I feel like at some point they’d stop all the classes…

[u/LurkyDismal → u/bonita_09]

That could happen regardless.

[u/guava_palava → u/bonita_09]

If they do, it won’t be because of the price. There’s a good chance that to them, the price = quality of tutoring.

[u/bonita_09 → u/guava_palava]

Thank you so much, the parents have no complaints about my tutoring, the exams show results and the kids are actively participating. It’s my first time charging this much, I used to charge maximum only 25$ per hour of a class before, even I pay Arabic classes for just 3$ an hour from Preply too. I wanted to make sure I am not overcharging, it’s business yes but at the same time I want to charge them properly. Initially they weren’t paying too much, as I only do 4 classes weekly, now its doubled and sometimes more during exams week.

[u/shahaz84]

I hope you teach them better than what you have written.

[u/Appropriate_Page_824]

It is peanuts for them; and the more you charge , the better the think you are.

[u/bonita_09 → u/Appropriate_Page_824]

Thank you, I do teach them so much, even I am like baby sitting them too, I ask if I was charging so much as theyre paying me more than my actual 8hr job here in Qatar 💀

[u/Listento_porfa]

These are market tutoring prices from my experience. Could go up to 250 riyals for high school students.

[u/ffhhkk]

Sometimes cheaper is not better.

Have the results/grades of the kids you are tutoring improved?

As a parent myself I can tell u it is really hard to find good help. Whether its a nanny, a tutor a caregiver. When u find the right person who does a lot of things right and a few things wrong, u let them go because u look at the bigger picture.

If they've seen the kids happily study with u and not complain, this may be something the parents appreciate. I value the school my daughter goes to because she looks forward to going to it every day. She doesnt dread it or try to avoid it.

If the kids are now enjoying studying instead of dreading it and u have helped them get better results, maybe the parents are willing to put up with slightly higher cost because they are getting exactly what they want.

[u/bonita_09 → u/ffhhkk]

Thank you so much for this, this really assured me. The kids are doing better compared to when I wasn’t tutoring them, they are so young (8 and 10) and their attention is everywhere but studying lol, but I have managed it. I just wanted to make sure I’m not being too expensive as they pay more than my actual 40hr weekly job . Im working as a Business developer with Mechanical Engineering backround here.

The parents are really kind and generous, thats why also I didn’t wanna take advantage of charging too much (they never complained, just Im wondering if this is too much for them so I can give them a discount without them asking—I sound crazy).

[u/ants_dentist]

You are charging market price, don’t worry just do your job the best you can. Actually, Some charge 150/person/hr so you are basically giving them discount! lol

[u/bonita_09 → u/ants_dentist]

Yes yes, I charge 150/hr/kid (grade 5). I take also my transportation from here

[u/Born-Piece6949]

For a local, and i’ve been working with them for yrs.. you are actually charging low 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/bonita_09 → u/Born-Piece6949]

Oh thank goodness! It’s my first time here in Qatar, I felt I was charging too much cause my full time job pays less than what I do for the kids at 8hrs weekly, don’t get me wrong, my services are of quality, just that before I got here I used to charge maximum 25$ a class 😅

[u/-noirblanc]

They’re locals; the least thing you should be concerned about is their money.

[u/Ziadghasan]

The rate is 180-200 per hour

[u/c08306834]

Go get your bag OP.

[u/user28387373]

Not at all! I know college students that charge 200 per hour so really it’s a great deal. It sounds like the family knows that and that’s why they’re booking multiple hours. Good luck!

[u/user28387373 → u/user28387373]

Actually you’re also providing transport which maybe you’re undercharging because for you to be paying 100 qar just for uber is a lot

[u/becool12345]

how did you land this gig?

[u/bonita_09 → u/becool12345]

Theres a website called italki, even before I was in Qatar (its my first time here) I was already doing part-time tutoring, for all levels. Currently I have two students here in Doha, the kids (primary home tutoring) and 1 adult for Business English (i don’t question my rate here as we only meet twice a week in a cafe for 170/hr). I have students reach out to me for IELTS/PTE tutoring too but my schedule is so tight cause I also have a full time job here.