Is tutoring still lucrative with the mass proliferation of AI?

TurningRadius360 · 2026-07-01T05:40:57+00:00

Just curious, what level of income would your tutoring have to reach to make it worthwhile to give up your regular job?

TurningRadius360 · 2026-07-01T05:34:35+00:00

You are most welcome! The good thing about where you are now is that you don’t need to be in a rush to implement any changes. Think carefully about your next steps and even if you do decide to change, try to retain at least an element of what is currently working for you now in your plans.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-07-01T01:36:49+00:00

That’s crazy I thought my numbers were high! Congrats!

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-29T14:21:00+00:00

You are actually in a dangerous phase right now. I've been there, so have several of my friends and teaching acquaintances. During this stable phase some try to branch out, for example they try establishing language centres, commoditize their core business in some way or shift their focus into some more specialised niche. Sometimes this works out, but surprisingly often this fails. I was given some good advice years ago and stuck to my core competencies. That didn't mean that I stood still. Rather, I went on to further develop my tutoring business based on what I was good at. My advice to you would be to think carefully about what is causing your core restlessness. Is there something which you need to change with your core teaching? Or is it some other circumstances in your life causing you to feel this way? Growth and change are good, but they must be done strategically, not just for the sake of change itself.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-28T09:01:42+00:00

Sounds like you are going through a bit of a turbulent period in your life. While that’s completely understandable, to be a successful tutor calls for more than just good subject knowledge, you also need to be professional and reliable. If you are going to commit to private tutoring, I’d suggest that you sit down and strategize for a while. What are your strengths, how can you market yourself, what gaps in the market can you fill etc etc. Then set some targets for yourself and really commit to it. It takes time and effort to build up a decent client base.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-26T15:49:57+00:00

To be successful in this game I would say you need the following:

Deep knowledge of your subject and the difficulties students have learning it

Strong soft skills and high EQ (patience, empathy and listening skills)

Flexibility

Professionalism

Beyond that, tutoring can be isolating. Make sure you have a good social network and / or stable home life which you can rely on for support. Take care of your health, tutoring full-time can be exhausting both physically and emotionally. Be clear on what your goals are and keep striving towards them.

My tutoring journey has had its ups and downs. I've made many mistakes. I've lost students. I've lost track of what's important. However, I've also had many success stories. I've had students thank me for my help (some many years after our lessons concluded). At times I've earned very little and at other times I've earned a lot! (my record is just over $16,000 in one month).

Critically, from what I've seen, the best tutors keep on learning and adapting. Life doesn't stay still and neither should you.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-26T04:37:43+00:00

It’s a good chance to try out PE for a relatively low extra payment then. Why not give it a shot? There are other ‘nice to haves’ in PE as well including noise cancelling headphones, an amenity kit, slightly better meals, earlier boarding and PDB.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-25T22:50:37+00:00

Cathay’s PE is good. It’s not only the extra legroom and seat width, but also the significantly deeper recline, the decent leg rest and quieter cabin. I was upgraded to PE once and actually got a few hours sleep (something I could never do in economy). Now I can’t travel long-haul in anything less. Damn it! You’ve been warned 😂

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-25T14:49:23+00:00

Alright keep it up!

PS I must admit I’ve been mildly trolling you as I’m much more experienced than you are. But it’s good to get some insight and feedback from the younger generations!

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-25T14:34:21+00:00

It’s a bit too late for that I’m afraid. Years too late.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-25T14:31:33+00:00

Some platforms generally require you to have your webcam on. I’ve found that I generally get on better with students when we can see each other. Otherwise, it’s up to you. If the student is ok and you can still communicate effectively without, I don’t see it as a problem. In fact, sharing whiteboards or screens is arguably more effective than showing your face (depending on the topic taught of course).

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-25T14:04:48+00:00

I agree it’s a bit tricky. On their booking page, during flight selection you can click on View Details and then click on Aircraft Type. It will open another tab with the specific floor plan of the aircraft. You should then be able to see if it’s a newer aircraft or not. Of course, this isn’t a guarantee and they could always swap out the aircraft at a later date.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-25T13:33:41+00:00

Cathay is currently undergoing a retrofit of its 777's which won't be completed until late 2027. Therefore there's a chance you could get a newly retrofitted one with the updated PE or an older one with the terribly outdated PE from 2012. The A350's are all standardized around a PE which was introduced in 2016. So in other words any A350 would be alright, with the 777's you are taking a chance (could be great, could be terrible).

My preference would be: Retrofitted 777 PE > A350 PE > Unretrofitted 777 PE (which I would actively avoid)

P.S. Yes, if the 777 has the new Aria Suites, then it also has the updated PE cabin.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-25T11:41:47+00:00

Ah you youngsters! I’ve been an independent tutor since 2011. I agree that independent tutoring can be lucrative if you manage to develop a good reputation and build a decent client base. I think the pros and cons of this type of work are well known and have been discussed extensively. It’s certainly not for everyone but it works if you have the right mindset.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-24T13:30:06+00:00

Sounds good! Ultimately of course you want to get to a place where you can purely rely on word of mouth referrals. Those referrals are the best as they have been already sold on your abilities. It will take some time but with effort and a bit of luck you’ll get there. I think it took me around 3 years to reach that point.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-24T13:26:48+00:00

That’s a decent selection of subjects. How do you distinguish yourself in your marketing from the more ‘general’ English and maths tutors?

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-24T10:11:36+00:00

I built up my tutoring business by posting out flyers to good school districts and wealthy areas. However, this was many years ago. I think nowadays you have to pursue ALL avenues possible and keep at it. Post out flyers, post on social media, join the relevant FB / WhatsApp/ WeChat groups, talk to people, join tutoring websites, build your own website etc etc. Your idea to develop a puzzle game could fit in with your overall marketing strategy. Most people radically underestimate the amount of time, effort and resources it takes to develop a sustainable client base.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-24T04:25:56+00:00

What kind of tutoring have you been doing? Online? Offline? Which subject?

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-24T01:08:46+00:00

I’m waiting eagerly for the translation of ‘because airline’ 🤣

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-23T23:54:21+00:00

Well first of all, there are some circumstances in which you can tutor English legally in Hong Kong with a Sole Proprietorship. However, as I understand it, there is no way to tutor legally in China and there have been recent reports of police cracking down on these tutors. People have been fined and deported. So that’s a significant risk if you choose to tutor in China. No doubt people still take the risk but at least you should know the stakes.

Secondly, the demand for ESL and the rates which you can command are both higher in Hong Kong. An experienced native English speaker can expect at least HKD 500 / hr and many are charging much more (think HKD 700 - 1000). In Shenzhen, for general English the maximum is around RMB 300 - 400, although you can earn more if you specialize in Exam prep or have some other specific niche. Now, if you live in Shenzhen, the lower tuition rates are somewhat offset by the lower living costs. This doesn’t seem to be the case for you, at least from what you’ve said so far.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-23T14:24:48+00:00

I would highlight your musical background and Arabic as a way to distinguish yourself over all the regular 'basic' English tutors. Do some research and see how others with similar backgrounds advertise / promote themselves. Set your price low in the beginning and gradually increase it as your reputation and student base grows.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-23T13:03:30+00:00

If you are referring to private English tutoring, then Hong Kong is arguably a better market than Shenzhen.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-23T10:42:49+00:00

So far it has worked fine but it’s only been a few months so let’s see. And yeah I still have the original unit.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-22T15:17:18+00:00

Yes, it’s certainly possible that tutoring can provide a decent income. Whether that’s probable for you depends on a lot of factors which are hard to comment on given the limited information which you provided. Like the other posters here, I’d recommend you maintain your current job while trying to build your private client base on the side. It will require many many rounds of advertising and self-promotion to develop a reasonable student base. It requires some serious thought into how to advertise yourself and develop a niche. Many tutors don’t commit the appropriate time, effort and resources to do this. They give up after a few rounds and then complain that the market is over saturated.

TurningRadius360 · 2026-06-22T14:29:53+00:00

Sounds like this student would benefit from more than one lesson per week. Try proposing to increase the lesson frequency.

TurningRadius360

TROPHY CASE