Job Discussion Forums

[japanman]

I was wondering how much people charge for private lessons. The rates may depend on area etc. A few years ago it was much higher but recently i've seen ads up at the international centre for 1,000. Making it tough to make a living from privates. A lot of people will just grab the cheapest foregner they can find.

[japanman]

I shouldn't be charging anything with the above spelling, never mind.

[JimDunlop2]

My rates start at 4,000 yen/hr. Do I have many students at that rate? Heck no. But for me there are a few things to consider.

1. I don't really want/like to teach privates.
2. I already have too many commitments outside of work
3. That's what I feel my time is worth.
4. The quality of my lessons reflects my fees.

Around here, going rate is between 2,000 - 2,500 IF you want to have a reasonable number of students. IMO, you get what you pay for usually.

P.S. regarding your posts, you can EDIT your post and fix the spelling in the topic title... Then you can go back and DELETE your second post apologizing for your spelling. phpBB is very forgiving that way.

[Gordon]

I charge anywhere from 5-10,000/hr depending on the location. Like Jim, I really don't want many students and where I live, I could fill (and have in the past) my schedule with students at 5-6,000/hr if I wanted to.

[TK4Lakers]

Wow, some of you charge a lot, but then again you are probably well qualified to.

During my summer break, when my pay is pro-rated, I decided to post up a tutoring ad. I was thinking about 3,000 first, but then my Japanese friend told me she thought that was too expensive. After agreeing with her, and seeing that this is my first time tutoring English, I decided to charge only 1,500.

I have about 7 clients now. 4 elem. school kids, 1 JHS student, and 2 adults.

I kind of wish I charged more now, like 2,000 or 2,500 from the get-go. But now that I've been tutoring them for a couple months, I think it'd be rude to charge up the fee.

I think if I move or start fresh again I would start with a higher rate. But then again, this tutoring is nice side-money and I enjoy the interaction and making of friends during the sessions.

[bornslippy1981]

Students who come to my apartment I charge 2500 Yen. I'd rather all students come here, as I don't have any traveling to do, which makes the lesson fee lower in my opinion.

For those I meet elsewhere, I charge 3000 Yen, and they also pay the transportation cost.

[c-way]

I started by charging 2,500.

Then I got a couple new students and I bumped it up to 3000.

Then a new pair of students from my old job requested lessons, so I charged them 3,500 plus transport.

Then another pair of students who heard about me from another student wanted lessons, so I charge them 5,000.

And a group of seniors I taught at my old job requested to have group lessons and they pay me 10,000 (for an hour and a half). They only pay this bc/ they split the bill and the price was their proposal, not mine.

Supply and Demand in action, it seems.

[gaijinalways]

I don't have any private students now, but my wife thinks I should charge at least 4-5k a hour now. She was always complaining about me taking up space in the computer room to teach them (she didn't want them in the kitchen). I used to teach a few people in their homes about 6years ago, but that was at 2.5 to 3k a hour.

[seanmcginty]

I used to charge 3,000 yen per lesson, on the condition that the students came to my apartment. I made about half my income off of privates that way for a couple of years, I had an extra room in my apartment that I set up as a class.

3,000 is a good amount. It is cheap enough that you don't have to put a lot of effort into attracting students. At big Eikaiwa they charge 8,000-10,000 for 1 hour private lessons, so it is a real bargain for them. Its also not so cheap that you are getting ripped off, for me it was the lowest amount I could feel satisfied with. Plus having them come to my apartment saved me transportation time and cost. The time is a big one, if you have to travel 30 minutes there and back, your hourly income drops in half.

REMEMBER: If you are unsure how much to charge, err on the side of charging more. Its a lot easier to lower your prices later if you think you are charging too much than it is to raise them if you think you are charging too little.

If anyone tells you anything less than 4,000 is too much, ignore that because it is still WAY cheaper than what the big guys charge. If someone can't afford it, consider offering them a deal; if they bring a friend they can split the cost. That way you are still getting your 3,000 per hour and they are only paying 1500 for a semi-private lesson.

[Big John Stud]

I charge 10,000 yen per hour. I tailor make the class to the need of the student(s). I have one private class with three students and one with four students, each paying 7,000 yen per hour. I charge so much because my method works so well, I actually guarantee quick results!

[c-way]

Please, elaborate on your method

[nomadykaty]

I'm really surprised the rates have dropped. 15 years ago, I was charging 5,000 Yen for private conversation classes and most of my friends and colleagues at Fukudai thought it was to low. They were charging ichiman an hour and thought that I was trying to under cut them.

[Gordon]

I think it depends where you live: a matter of supply and demand. I can make far more where I live in inaka than someone in Tokyo even though there is far more money in Tokyo. I average 6-7,000/hr and everyone I know makes at least 5000.

[Sweetsee]

Do you usually repeat yourself in those lessons?

[furiousmilksheikali]