If you know a subject well and can explain it, online tutoring is one of the few side incomes that scales with skill rather than hours logged. It's also more competitive than it looks. Here's a realistic account of getting started.
What you actually need
Less than most people assume:
- Genuine command of a subject — not necessarily a teaching qualification
- A stable internet connection, a laptop or decent phone, and a working microphone
- A quiet space for the length of a session
- Identity and qualification documents for verification
Good audio matters more than good video. Students tolerate a frozen frame; they cannot follow a voice that keeps dropping.
Getting verified
On Aedume, tutors submit identity and qualification documents, and the profile is reviewed before it goes live. Only approved tutors appear in listings or can host live classes. It's a gate, but it's the reason students trust the listings at all — and it's why an approved profile is worth something.
Expect to provide a photo ID and evidence of your qualification or expertise in the subject you want to teach.
Setting your rate
The instinct is to price low to win students. That mostly attracts people shopping on price, who churn.
Some things worth knowing:
- You keep 90%. The platform fee is 10%, deducted when escrow is released.
- You're paid per completed session, released from escrow automatically once the session finishes.
- Scarce subjects command more. There is far more competition in mathematics than in cloud computing or architecture.
A reasonable approach: start slightly below the going rate for your subject to build a session record, then raise it once you have ratings. Rate changes only affect future bookings.
Filling your profile properly
Your profile is the entire sales pitch, and most are wasted.
Headline. Be specific. "MSc Physics · 6 yrs teaching JEE and Class 12 boards" beats "Passionate about teaching" every time.
Bio. Say who you teach, which boards, and how you run a session. Students are matching against a syllabus.
Subjects, boards and classes. These drive every listing and search on the platform, including the subject pages. An incomplete list means you simply don't appear.
City. Optional, and it doesn't restrict who can book you — sessions are online. It does list you on that city's page, where local students often look first.
Availability. Fixed slots that never change get booked. Sporadic availability doesn't.
Getting your first students
The first few bookings are the hard part; after that, ratings do the work.
- Open generous availability early. Students book what's convenient, not who's best.
- Accept short sessions. A 15-minute doubt-clearing session is a low-risk way for a student to try you, and it converts.
- Respond to requests fast. A pending request is a student still deciding.
- Host a free live class. A free live class puts you in front of many students at once and gives them a real sample of your teaching. It's the fastest audience-building tool available.
- Sell your notes. Study materials on your profile earn passively and give students a reason to trust you.
What you can realistically earn
Earnings are a function of three things: your rate, how many hours you make available, and your conversion rate from profile views to bookings.
The honest version: the first month is slow for almost everyone. Tutors who stick with it typically see bookings accelerate once they have around ten completed sessions and a handful of reviews, because that's the point at which a student comparing profiles has something to go on.
Sporadic availability plus a thin profile equals near-zero bookings, regardless of how good you are.
The rules that will cost you if you ignore them
- Join within 15 minutes of the start time. If you don't, the session is cancelled automatically, the student is refunded in full, and you're not paid.
- Repeated no-shows affect your visibility. Completion rate is a ranking signal.
- Never move payment off the platform. You lose escrow protection, dispute cover, and the session record that builds your profile.
Getting started
Create a tutor account, complete onboarding, and submit your documents. Set your availability before approval comes through — students can book from the moment you go live.