Understand the deduction before comparing earnings
What remains after platform fees?
Start with the price of paid work and deduct the fee that applies to it. The result is income after that platform fee; tax, payment charges and other expenses may still come out of it.
One formula, with the right inputs
Paid units × price per unit × (1 − fee rate) = income after that fee. This works only when the price, paid units and applicable percentage are known. Calculate different lesson types separately, then add the results. Handle fixed charges separately too.
Leave an unknown fee unknown. A school that does not publish a tutor-side fee has not established a 0% deduction. An unpublished wage also cannot become a reliable earnings figure by applying a known percentage to an old estimate.
Preply: the commission is the amount deducted
Preply’s commission model deducts 33% for new tutors, falling to 18% with completed teaching hours on regular lessons. The tutor therefore retains 67% to 82% of the regular lesson price before other deductions. Each trial lesson with a new student carries 100% commission, leaving no lesson payment for the tutor.
Consider a hypothetical USD 20 hourly asking price with 10 paid regular teaching hours each week for four weeks. USD 20 × 10 × 4 = USD 800 gross. The price and bookings are example inputs, not a forecast.
- At the 33% commission level, USD 800 × 0.67 = USD 536 after commission.
- At the 18% commission level, USD 800 × 0.82 = USD 656 after commission.
Each result assumes that the stated commission level applies throughout those regular lessons. If your level changes, calculate each part separately. Trials contribute no after-commission income and still take working time. Neither result includes tax, payment charges or other expenses.
italki: match the fee to the lesson type
italki’s commission policy uses the lesson or package type, not one universal deduction for every tutor. The recorded schedule is:
| Lesson type | Commission deducted |
|---|---|
| Trial and instant lessons | 0% |
| Single lessons | 21% |
| 5-lesson packages | 19% |
| 10-lesson packages | 17% |
| 15- and 20-lesson packages | 15% |
| Group classes | 30% |
Use the price paid for the relevant lesson or package. A 0% platform commission does not establish that every other payment cost is zero. Keep the price, lesson length and any additional charges beside the result.
AmazingTalker: confirm the rules for your teacher level
AmazingTalker’s teacher-level rules link price limits and service-fee discounts to teacher level. The directory has no verified hourly wage or numeric commission range to use as a universal input. Obtain the fee applicable to your level and lessons before calculating income.
Published price-setting rules do not establish typical earnings. The same distinction applies to a marketplace class price: paid enrolments, lesson length and the fee all affect what remains.
Keep paid units and unpaid work visible
GoStudent’s UK payout FAQ lists GBP 13 per 50 minute English lesson, with conditional bonuses separate. Count qualifying lessons in GBP. That base rate is not a USD hourly price to drop into the example above, and its other fees remain unknown in the directory.
For any offer, check cancellation pay, unpaid trials, preparation, administration and payment charges. To understand income per working hour, divide the amount remaining by all the time you committed, not just the minutes spent teaching.
The calculator accepts USD hourly inputs. Its average month assumes 52 teaching weeks divided by 12; multiply its weekly result by four to match the Preply example here. Per-lesson pay and mixed lesson fees need their own calculations first.
Where to check the terms
The pay research directory keeps pay bases and source dates together. Read the linked terms and your agreement before relying on a fee calculation. A fee-policy check does not refresh a platform’s hiring status.