What's the right price for tutoring? (Part 2)

If you are reading Part 2 without having read Part 1, stop! You would never read the Harry Potter books out of order...or admit that you read all of them.

As I argued, education is the greatest gift available. Education should not be looked at as only school or tutoring, but any time that we learn from someone or something. On to the good part.

Top services I could not get for $50 per hour

1. Appliance repair professional. He charged $75 per hour. By the way, my microwave has broke 3 times since its first repair.
2. A plumber. He charged $90 per hour.
3. DSL/Phone line repair man. He charged $95 per hour.
4. A mechanic. I was charged $75 per hour (and I think that's on the low end) to change brakes on my Honda, and the brakes squeak incessantly.
5. Sports massage. Don't expect it to cost less than $60 per hour, and most cost much more.
6. Personal Trainer. Try paying $75 to $150.
7. Private sports coach. Again, $60 to $150 per hour.
   

I don't highlight particular professionals to sound condescending or to abate their value. Rather, I am only offering a different perspective, much like the recent bestseller Freakonomics did on issues like crime rates.

So, why is it that tutors cannot charge as much as many other service industry professionals? Why are families willing to plan every family vacation around soccer tournaments and spend $500 just attending one tournament? Is it that families don't value education? Are we more likely to pay $60 for a massage? Or is it just too hard to quantify education?

What's your opinion?

What's the right price for tutoring? (Part 1)

Having tutored full-time in San Diego since 2001, I have enjoyed the fruits of my labor. Yet, as my business continues to grow, something irks me. It's our hesitancy to spend on education. I know the cost of living is high. Heck, I paid several hundred thousand dollars for a shoebox condo that New Yorkers would deem small. I know many families are just trying to stay afloat--not saving, just spending. However, somewhere in the web of unsustainable real estate appreciation, many San Diegans have lost touch with the greatest investment available: education.

I'm not saying that you should pay $275 per hour for an SAT tutor...this is the rate for top tier SAT tutors in Manhattan. Instead, I just want to put tutoring in perspective. Currently, our tutors bill for $50 per hour for core subjects (rates are slightly higher for SAT prep). Our tutors have attended the most selective colleges in the US, and many have graduate degrees. Most importantly, our tutors are great communicators.

So, what is the true value of tutoring? Could a great tutor turn an unmotivated, apathetic student into a young Einstein? No, but a great tutor can mentor a young student and teach the student the skills to excel in school. Note, that I didn't say anything about homework completion. This industry is burdened by what I called "homework helpers", charging as low as $20 with one goal- finishing the student's assignment. Sure, tutoring should include homework, but great tutors teach students how to learn. Below-average tutors probably could not explain their own learning process. Does your everyday college undergraduate tutor realize that many students underperforming in math because:

1. the student doesn't know how to read the textbook
2. the student doesn't correct missed homework problems

At the risk of sounding like Mastercard, I would say that a great tutor is priceless...but I will continue in Part 2 at a later date.